Hend El-Buri serves as the Director of Environmental Quality and Health Access at Newark Alliance, where she leads projects that address human-centered challenges in Newark, including housing, healthcare access, food security, and environmental quality. She works to create equitable systems and partnerships that improve community well-being and expand access to essential resources.

Hend brings over a decade of experience in program management, community engagement, and food security innovation. Prior to joining Newark Alliance, she served as Director of the Nutrition and Food Pantry at Rutgers University–Newark, where she developed award-winning programs to address basic needs insecurity, reduce food waste, and improve food literacy. She has also held leadership roles at Rutgers University’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the nonprofit Smile for Charity, and has worked with the International Rescue Committee to design culturally relevant food literacy curricula for refugee communities.

A passionate advocate for health equity, Hend’s work has been recognized for its focus on social justice, sustainable impact, and community collaboration. She holds a Master of Science in Nutrition Education from Montclair State University, a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Nutritional Sciences from the University of Missouri, and is pursuing her MBA at Rutgers University–Newark.

Outside of work, Hend enjoys visiting coffee shops and farmers markets, hiking, learning calligraphy, and spending time with her family. She hopes to one day live on a small farm with them.