Second Generation Board Adds Attorneys from Immigrant Famililes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Executive Director Ryan Alsayegh (ryan@secgenpac.org)
(Philadelphia, PA) – On the heels of its endorsement of PA House candidate Anton Andrew, Second Generation, the federal political action committee for marginalized immigrant communities, announced today the appointment of attorneys Raina S. Mehta, James P. Faunes and Salvatore Filippello to its Board.
“Like Anton, Raina, JP and Sal became leaders in their communities and the legal profession thanks to the sacrifices of their hard-working immigrant parents,” said Siobhán Lyons, Chair of Second Generation. “We have one the most diverse Board of any PAC in America, and its growth enables us to meet our commitment to marginalized immigrant communities in these unprecedented and uncertain times.”
Raina Mehta is Senior Counsel at PNC Bank where she also serves as the Vice Chair of PNC Legal’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. She is also active within her community. In 2018, Raina joined the Forum of Executive Women, a nonprofit recognized as the source for leveraging the collective power of women’s leadership in the Philadelphia area. She lives in Bucks County, where she is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Peace Center, whose programs are designed to help reduce violence and conflict in schools, homes, and communities, and a trained facilitator for Girls Unlimited. Raina holds degrees from Temple University, Beasley School of Law and the University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School for Communication.
“As a first generation Indian-American woman, the investment that others have made in my growth has defined both my personal life and my career,” said Mehta. “I am passionate about promoting political engagement in immigrant communities, and Second Generation’s mission to support emerging candidates is an important way to reinvest in leaders who might just need an extra push in order to succeed.”
James P. Faunes is an advocate for the disenfranchised. A trial attorney at Feldman Shepherd, he has served as Vice President and Treasurer of the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania. A native of Texas, JP volunteers significant time to Philadelphia VIP, the Homeless Advocacy Project, and other nonprofits. In recent years, he was honored by Philadelphia City Council for his representation of injured workers and AL DÍA news media organization recognized him as a “top Latino lawyer.” After graduating from Swarthmore College, JP earned his law degree from the Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he was a Staff Editor on the Temple Law Review. He served for three years as a Deputy City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia before entering private practice.
“I’m very proud to have been recognized throughout my career for promoting diversity in the practice of law, and now I am equally proud to help encourage more diversity in the political realm as well,” said Faunes. “As the son of Guatemalan and Chilean parents, I’m excited to join Second Generation and support new rising political stars, particularly from the Latinx community.”
Salvatore Filippello is the CEO of Philadelphia Heart, P.C., a multispecialty healthcare practice that serves many of the diverse immigrant communities in South Philadelphia. He is also active in his community, serving on the board of Philadelphia Heart House for Hope and as the treasurer of Jefferson’s Preamble, a political action committee. After graduating from Penn, Sal earned his law degree and MBA from the Villanova University School of Law. Born and raised in South Philadelphia, Sal’s father and maternal grandfather emigrated from Naples, Italy and settled in Philadelphia.
“As the descendant of Italian Immigrants who came to this country to attain a better future for their family, I appreciate the challenges immigrants face and their consequent love for this country,” said Filippello. “Our country was founded by immigrants and immigration has made this country unique. The diversity of experience and culture is what makes the United States such a desirable place to live and work. We must provide immigrants access to the political process and champion their causes - it’s part of the American Dream.”
Board members Majid Alsayegh, Maryam Deloffre, Joe Khan, Asif Hussain, Bhavini Patel, Emily Rodriguez, Andy Toy, and Shailah Yazdani joined Lyons in welcoming Mehta, Faunes and Filippello to the Board. Second Generation is a nonconnected federal political action committee whose mission is to promote the political engagement of immigrant communities that have not been fully included in the political process where they live.