Barbara Satin, a Twin Cities advocate on LGBTQ aging and faith issues, has been appointed by President Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Satin is the first transgender person to be appointed to the council.

Along with Satin, Naseem Kourosh, human rights officer at the US Baha’i office of public affairs and Manjit Singh, co-founder and chairman of the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund were also appointed to the council.

“These fine public servants bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their important roles,” Obama said in a statement accompanying the appointments. “I look forward to working with them,”

Satin currently serves as the Assistant Faith Work Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force. She was the first member of the executive council of the United Church of Christ. She was instrumental in the development of Spirit on Lake, a LGBTQ senior housing on Lake St. in south Minneapolis. In addition, Satin has served on the boards of OutFront Minnesota, PFund, and GLBT Generations. She is also a veteran of the United States Air Force.

““I am both honored and humbled to be selected to serve on the President’s advisory council. Given the current political climate, I believe it’s important that a voice of faith representing the transgender and gender non-conforming community—as well as a person of my years, nearly 82—be present and heard in these vital conversations,” Satin said in a statement.

Learn more about Satin and achievements at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Religious Archives Network.