Ghanaian immigrant Pious Ali is a Portland city councilman, director of Portland Empowered  and Policy Associate II at the Cutler Institute (part of the Muskie School at University of Southern Maine). He is focused on policy around children, youth, and families and he has worked with many organizations to support these groups. As a school board member elected in 2013, he was the first African-born Muslim to hold public office in Portland. He is the founder of Maine Interfaith Youth Alliance and runs the Civic and Community Engagement Fellowship. He and Rachel Talbot Ross cofounded the King Fellows, a youth group creating meaningful opportunities for youth through leadership and civic engagement based on Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy. He was a facilitator and board member for Seeds of Peace, a summer program which builds leadership skills and relationships among youth from regions of conflict.

“When we collectively put together the social capitol that we have, and support the young people in our community, we will all rise together.”

Pious has received many awards for his work including Gerda Haas Award for Excellence in Holocaust and Human Rights Education & Leadership in 2017 by Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine and The Watering Can award in 2019 from Maine Initiatives

He serves on many boards and committees and seems to be in the news daily due to his desire to improve our city and state. Most recently he was appointed along with Ali Ali to the Portland Racial Equity Committee.