Edina Leković is the inaugural Community Scholar in Residence with

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

's Islamic Studies Program and the Fowler Museum, where is researching and sharing the history of Muslim Los Angeles. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Robert Ellis Simon Foundation, which supports mental wellness services for L.A. County’s most vulnerable residents. Her expertise in storytelling, strategic communications, media relations, leadership development and interfaith community building have been shaped, tested and honed over 25 years of service to advance the cause of American Muslims.

Career

Leković has appeared on leading media outlets, including

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MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...

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Al-Jazeera Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN; , ) is a private-media conglomerate headquartered in Wadi Al Sail, Doha, funded in part by the government of Qatar. The network's flagship channels include Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English, which pr ...

and

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. In 2015, she was named one of L.A.’s “10 Most Inspiring Women Game Changers” by ''

Los Angeles Magazine ''Los Angeles,'' formerly known as ''Southern California Prompter'', is a monthly magazine based in Los Angeles, California. It focuses on telling regional news, culture, lifestyle, entertainment, and fashion stories from Los Angeles and the br ...

'' after she gave the historic first sermon at the

Women's Mosque of America The Women's Mosque of America is a women's mosque based in Los Angeles, California. It is the first women-led Muslim house of worship in the United States, and it was founded by WGA comedy writer/director M. Hasna Maznavi to uplift the entire Mus ...

. She was also named one of the "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World" by

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

and the

Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre is a research centre affiliated with the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought. Its publications include: *''A Common Word Between Us and You'' *''Amman Message, The Amman Message'' *''Fort ...

in 2009. Leković is a

Montenegrin American Montenegrin Americans are Americans who are of Montenegrins, Montenegrin origin. The figure includes all people affiliated with United States who claim Montenegrin ancestry, both those born in the country and naturalized citizens, as well as tho ...

whose parents are from

Bar, Montenegro Bar (Montenegrin language, Montenegrin: Bar, Бар, , ) is a town and seaport in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is the capital of the Bar Municipality and a center for tourism. According to the 2023 census, the city proper ...

in the former

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

. She completed her graduate work in Communication at

Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private university, private Christianity, Christian research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pepperdine's main campus consists ...

and received her B.A. in American Literature & Culture. In 1997-98, she served as Editor-in-Chief of the

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which was named a top student publication in the country by the

Society of Professional Journalists The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, lette ...

. From 2000 to 2004, she served as Managing Editor of ''The Minaret'', an American Muslim magazine published monthly from 1978-2004. During that time, she also co-founded Elev8, an arts-based youth leadership program for Muslim Angelenos. She worked with th
Muslim Public Affairs Council
from 2004 to 2014 as an advocate on behalf of American Muslims in news media, interfaith, community, and pop culture spaces -- first as Communications Director and then as Director of Policy & Programs. In 2006, she co-founded NewGround, an organization to foster communication between Muslim and Jewish Angelenos, and she continues to serve on the board of directors. She was also on the founding team of th
American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute
housed at USC's Center for Religion and Civic Culture, and is also a proud alum.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lekovic, Edina Living people University of California, Los Angeles alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Pepperdine University alumni American people of Bosniak descent American people of Montenegrin descent American Muslims