Rida Haq Named VIP’s Executive Director

The search is over!

This week, VIP’s Board of Directors named Rida Haq VIP’s sixth Executive Director. Read on for a message from VIP’s Board President, Alex Braden, about Rida’s selection and what it means for VIP’s future.

As Rida’s colleague for the last five years, I know how committed she is to our work and to finding innovative ways to engage more volunteers and serve more clients.

— Kelly J. Gastley, VIP Managing Attorney

A Message from VIP’s Board President

Dear VIP community,

Following a comprehensive search that yielded an exceptional field of candidates, I am thrilled to announce that Rida Haq has been selected to serve as the next Executive Director of Philadelphia VIP, effective January 4, 2021.

Rida brings to her new role a wealth of experience, a strong vision for the future of VIP, and a deep familiarity with Philadelphia’s legal services landscape and the communities that VIP serves. After graduating from Lafayette College in 2013, she worked in the healthcare field before joining VIP as a Pro Bono Case Manager in 2015.

Beyond her official duties as Case Manager, Rida refined VIP’s internal processes around pitching cases to volunteer attorneys and preparing clients for representation. These initiatives led to Rida’s being appointed VIP’s Director of Volunteer Engagement in 2018. In that role Rida oversaw redesigns of VIP’s website, its database of 10,000+ potential volunteers, and its targeted recruitment efforts, all in service of achieving VIP’s objective of saying “yes!” to every eligible client.

Since April 2020, Rida has served as VIP’s Interim Executive Director. She has led VIP through one of the most tumultuous eras in its history, and has done so with remarkable skill, grit, political savvy, good humor, and an unyielding commitment to fulfilling VIP’s mission of ensuring access to justice for low-income Philadelphians.

In 2021, under Rida’s leadership, VIP will celebrate its fortieth anniversary, craft its next strategic plan, and continue to advance its essential work of matching low-income Philadelphians with volunteer attorneys.

As we celebrate and welcome Rida to her new role on the cusp of a milestone year for the organization, I thank you for your commitment to VIP. Please consider donating your time or resources to ensure we can continue moving toward our goal of true equality in pursuit of justice.

Sincerely,

Alex Braden
President, Board of Directors

All of us at the Philadelphia Bar Association congratulate Rida on her selection. The passion she brings for the work of VIP is contagious. I look forward to working with her to build an even stronger partnership between our organizations.

— Harvey Hurdle, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association