Liliana Bakhtiari (Bach – tee – R – ee) was born and raised in Atlanta and is serving her first term as a member of the Atlanta City Council, representing the residents of District 5. 

Liliana is the first queer Muslim person to be elected in the state of Georgia, and the first nonbinary person elected in the city of Atlanta. She identifies as gender fluid and uses “she/her” and “they/them” pronouns.

A longtime resident of Southeast Atlanta and the daughter of Iranian immigrants, she grew up working at her father’s pharmacy in the historic Sweet Auburn neighborhood where she learned the value of hard work and what it takes to run a small business. She began organizing in the community from a young age, and by college, beganinvesting her time in student-led coalitions at Georgia State University and causes such as affordable education and the Georgia Dreamers program.

Liliana followed her passion for people abroad, spending her early adulthood fighting for affordable housing, women’s and children’s health, and environmental justice across 26 countries around the world. Back at home in Atlanta, Liliana has tackled initiatives locally, including suburban and rural voter engagement during critical elections, direct services for unsheltered populations, blood drives, senior partnerships, public art initiatives, and more.

Professionally, Liliana served as the public affairs manager of Planned Parenthood Southeast and lobbied for voting rights with ProGeorgia. Sheserved as a consultant for Echo Market Research as they built out their Social Justice Division. She also collaborated with Partners for Home to establish a hotel program housing Atlanta’s  at-risk unsheltered population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Liliana continues to invest her time in the causes that mean the most to her at the local level on a volunteer basis. Shepreviously served on the boards of Lost-N-Found Youth, Victory Fund, PEDS, and gloATL. Liliana currently serves as the strategic director for the Blue Neighbors Project and as a curator of Black Futures Matter Collective, while also serving on the board of Georgia Equality.