Rukmini "Mini" Timmaraju is an American lawyer and reproductive rights advocate. She has been the president of Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice America, since 2021. She previously worked for Planned Parenthood, Comcast, the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. She earned a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center.
Mini Timmaraju | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Timmaraju in 2016 | |
| Born | Rukmini Timmaraju February 25, 1973 Hyderabad, India |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) University of Houston (JD) |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, reproductive rights advocate |
Early life and education
editRukmini Timmaraju was born on February 25, 1973,[1] to a Telugu Indian American family. While her parents were from the Philadelphia area, her mother travelled to Hyderabad to be close to her family before her daughter was born. The nickname, Mini, is from a character from a short story, Kabuliwala, by Rabindranath Tagore.[2] Mini's family moved to Sugar Land, Texas, where Mini attended William P. Clements High School and graduated in 1991.[citation needed] She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in development studies and international area studies in 1995 from the University of California, Berkeley.[citation needed] She earned a J.D. in 1999 from the University of Houston Law Center.[citation needed]
Career
editTimmaraju held various positions with Planned Parenthood from 2008 to 2013. She was then chief of staff for U.S. Representative Ami Bera (D.-CA). She served as the director of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans in 2014 and 2015. She worked on the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign as the National Women's Vote Director.[2] From 2017 until 2021, she worked for Comcast Corporation/NBCUniversal as director of external affairs and diversity, equity, and inclusion. During the Biden administration, she worked for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in 2021 as the senior adviser to the director.[3]
In November 2021, Timmaraju was named president of Reproductive Freedom for All. She was the first woman of color to be named president of the organization.[3]
References
edit- ^ Gambino, Lauren (November 16, 2021). "'We'll fight like hell': US abortion rights leader on finding hope in a moment of crisis". The Guardian.
- ^ a b Patel, Savita (December 21, 2021). "Meet Mini Timmaraju, the Indian American Fighting for Reproductive Freedom in US". The Quint.
- ^ a b Padilla, Mariel (November 4, 2021). "'I don't think we can be alarmist enough': NARAL gets new president". The 19th.
External links
edit- Profile at NARAL Pro-Choice America
- Interview with Timmaraju on To The Contrary
- "Mini Timmaraju Takes the Fight for Reproductive Rights on the Campaign Trail". The New Republic. October 21, 2022.
- Appearances on C-SPAN