The Impact of Gerrymandering: A Conversation with Ismail Smith-Wade-El

Ismail Smith-Wade-El was born and raised in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon, he worked in a variety of fields, including behavior health, drug & alcohol rehabilitation, and social services. Most recently, his work has focused on progressive development strategies in the non-profit sector and quantitative research on housing and economic inequality.

Smith-Wade-El is proud to serve as President of Lancaster City Council, and Co-Vice Chair of the Lancaster County Democratic Committee. He is also a member of the PA State Democratic Committee.

Alyssa Hunt is the Program Coordinator for the Alice Paul Institute. Hunt returns to the non-profit sector after several years working as a chef and a childcare professional. Alyssa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literature with a minor in writing from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX, and pursued graduate studies in Folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is fascinated with history and narrative, and the ways in which we cultivate meaning through the stories we inherit and the ones we tell about our own lives and communities. She is thrilled to apply these passions to both continuing established programming at API, as well as developing new ways for women of all ages to engage with themselves as active history changers and makers.

Program Coordinator Altana “Tane” West came to the Alice Paul Institute in 2019 to support Centennial celebrations for 100 years of women having the right to vote. New to the world of non-profit work, West became passionate about equality through her escapades in over thirty countries across six continents.

With a B.A. in Law and Justice from Rowan University, she hopes to one day pursue policy writing at the local level. Alice Paul is her inspiration and she could not feel more honored getting to hold this position with API.