Kalima has begun a new role as Vice President of Government Relations, where she will work with Parkside’s rapidly growing nonprofit practice group.

Previously, Kalima served as the Associate Director of Advocacy and Partnerships at The Education Trust--New York where she led the advocacy strategy for the organization's policy agenda and managed a statewide partnerships portfolio of advocates and business leaders.

Kalima has extensive experience in education and government. She spent six years working as a Senior Legislative Policy Analyst at the New York City Council where she advised former Council Speakers and council members on critical education and aging policies. Her most notable impact includes drafting and advancing a half of a million dollar pilot proposal to support culturally responsive practices for educators for former Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito's 2017 State of the City Address. In 2018, then Mayor Bill de Blaiso expanded the pilot program with a $24 million investment in culturally responsive education and an initiative to provide all DOE employees with implicit bias training.

During her earliest professional years, Kalima worked in the New York State Senate and Assembly. She also taught second and third grade special education as a Teach for America corps member. Kalima is also an Assistant Adjunct Professor at New York University Wagner Graduate School of Public Service where she teaches a capstone course on advocacy and political action.