Sulma Arias

People's Action
Executive Director

Sulma Arias brings over 20 years of organizing experience to her role as ExecutiveDirector for People’s Action.Sulma’s organizing work spans many issues including immigrant rights, voting rights, and economic justice,and her practicehas always centereddirectly impacted people to build power.Sulma has workedclosely with localand national organizations to build and advancestrategic campaigns that build power.Sulma also has extensive experience training organizers and growing organizing capacity and buildingstrong community-led organizations across the country.

Sulma immigrated to Kansas from El Salvador at the age of 12 and ultimately went on to lead Sunflower Community Action,where she workedon training organizers and building a base of volunteers to fight for driver’s licenses and tuition access for immigrants and fighting harmful policies during the Kobach era. Sulma worked for (National) People’s Action on national campaigns and strengthening community organizing and also led the Fair ImmigrationReform Movement in the fight for immigration reform and against the harmful policies coming out of the Trump administration for years. Sulma took over as Executive Director of People’s Action in 2022 and is leading the charge to build a nationwide Organizing Revival to rebuildand reinvigorate the field of organizing to build communitypower across the country.