Welcome, tell us a little about yourself
I was born into a farming family. Your typical "Old McDonald had a farm" environment, i.e., pigs, chickens, cows, horses, and dogs (not the edible ones, LOL). I was a nerd in high school.

I wanted to work in highway construction, like my oldest brother. But my dad gave me a choice to become a doctor or engineer. After observing an open heart surgery as a high school intern in a local hospital, engineering was an easy choice. I attended and graduated from The University of Texas @ Austin in Chemical Engineering & Business Administration, the double degree program.

I worked in chemical plants, oil & gas R&D and eventually, engineered product development in the construction development industry. I went on to get my MBA and law school. I moved from lawsuit litigation to the collaborative dispute resolution specialty. I now work as a Senior Vice President for Da Vincente & Lombardi, a contested situations & dispute consulting firm to the construction and trades industries.

I am a very active member of the Harris County Republican Party, as precinct chairman. I am president on the board of directors of the Southwood Place Civic Club. I am on the board of advisers of Interactive College of Technology. I am currently the chair of the political committee of the Houston Sierra Club. I am, also, the host of a consumer law radio talk show and podcast, "The Legal Voice with Arjumand Mubaarak" on NPR Sight into Sound Radio station.

The combination of being a country boy, a hunter, fisherman, camper (Is that a word?), chemical engineer, construction development, litigation and fiscally conservative politics enthusiast helps me to see our effects on our environment and wildlife holistically, and conversely, their changing effects on us. It brings to mind, the movie, "Avatar" which showed how everything is interconnected and changing anyone thing can have a huge propagating impact on everything else. So, the little things that each one of us do, is like the "one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind" idea, they have a rippling effect on our society, environment and wildlife. My involvement in the Sierra Club is my small step......

Describe the first time you felt a strong affinity for nature?
Early on, maybe 8, I was taught by my dad and his friends to fish, hunt and camp. We fished everything, including crayfish and turtles. We hunted wildlife, such as deer, rabbits, boar, raccoons, and opossums (yuk Emoji) without much thought of the ecosystem or human's influence on the the environment or wildlife. I was living in nature but I learned it's lessons later.

I was introduced to ecology and environmental engineering during my sophomore college year at UT, Austin. The components from our air, water and land have direct influence on industrial manufacturing and personal health. The better the quality, the less cost to purify and be used in making products. And the better the quality of our air, water and land, the less negative impacts on our health and on other species.

Describe a time you participated at a Sierra Club event? What did you do and what motivated you to participate?
My first environment rally, was a Greenpeace event, but it was too adversarial and confrontational. Sit-ins and risking arrest.... not for me. After researching other environmental groups, Sierra Club, appeared to be the closer fit for me and my temperament. I went to a general meeting. There was a speaker. The topic was very interesting. The people were positive. I was hooked.

What kind of activity or activities would you like to see the Houston Sierra Club to do more of and why?
Surprisingly, many people have not heard of the Sierra Club. I would like to see the HSC become more visible to the general public, such as being on the speed dial of journalists when there is a chemical spill, plant explosion, environmental injustice complaints, etc. It is rare that we are given the chance to give our account of such accidents, catastrophes or complaints.

Also, I would like to see more diversity in the HSC, by ethnic group, age, professions, and socio-economics.

What environmental message do you have for young people?
Gen Z and Millennial's are much more conscientious about environmental issues, recycling, climate change, enviro-justice and inclusion than older generations. however, the challenge is put down your mobile phones, attend to the real world issues and to actively get physically involved..

What Is your favorite Hiking or Camping trails?
I don't have any. I'm an urbanite, so my interests are city-oriented, such as green spaces, urban parks, stone crushing plants, spills from vehicular accident, transportation, electricity usage, politics, environmental justice, etc.

Are you concerned with the environment? If so, what do you think is the biggest issue?
I am most concerned about climate change, some call it global warming.. The things we are doing to increase our global temperatures and changes in weather patterns, which affect our wildlife species, forests and us. This affects our agriculture, food supply and energy usage. This, subsequently, further hurt our ozone cause more global warming.

Why should others join the political committee?
The Policom is primarily acts as a gatekeeper to political office. Political candidates will be vetted and possibly endorsed. Our endorsement shows that candidate is environmentally conscientious and friendly. With many local races of low voter turnout, our endorsements could make a difference. This is your chance to influence and make history. Plus you'll get to meet and greet a lot of politicians. Plenty of interesting conversations, selfies and pics for social media.

What made you first join the political committee?
I have always been interested in politics, starting in 7th grade working on a political campaign. I joined a youth NAACP group, but shortly quit after having to shovel a pig pen for a rally, I quit. But I remained fascinated with politics except for the pig dung shoveling. I have worked on presidential, governor, and local political campaigns. I've worked on both Republican and Democrat campaigns, depending on the candidate. I had been interested in the HSC political committee even during the 3+ years when there was no Policom.

What are your goals as political committee chair?
The HSC executive committee has just recently voted to restart the political committee. Because it has been dormant for several years, I am having to start from scratch. Learning the guidelines, policies, procedures and protocols. Local elections are coming up in November. I am in the process of recruiting volunteer committee members. Then, we will draft an questionnaire in preparation for endorsement recommendations. I intend to be independent/non-partisan in endorsement offerings and bipartisan in interactions. My goal is make the HSC political committee more visible and relevant to the politicians by attending functions, public meetings, town halls, etc.