Silky Joshi Malik is a proud Houstonian and the daughter of Indian immigrants who instilled in her a deep belief in education, fairness, and public service. Growing up, she watched her parents work hard, give generously, and invest deeply in her future — lessons that shaped her commitment to service and her belief that every child deserves access to opportunity, no matter their background or circumstance.

Silky earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Houston and later completed an MBA from West Texas A&M University.

Her career has been rooted in community-centered work: she served as a health education specialist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she led cancer-prevention outreach programs at LBJ Hospital, and she spent several years in the classroom as an associate teacher in Houston ISD and as a social sciences instructor at an international school in Malaysia.

These experiences — in public health, education, and global community service — shaped her holistic, people-first approach to public leadership.

Today, Silky brings that perspective to her role on the Harris County Department of Education Board, where she champions early childhood education, special education services, after-school programming, and support for working families.

Her approach to governance is collaborative, equity-focused, and grounded in transparency and accountability.

In addition to her work at HCDE, Silky is pursuing her PhD in Political Science at the University of Houston.

Her research focuses on civic leadership, representation, and the pathways that bring underrepresented communities — especially women and immigrants — into public life. She also serves on the Harris County AAPI Commission, where she works to ensure that AAPI communities are represented in county decision-making and connected to essential services.

Silky lives in Houston with her husband, Imran, and their two dogs, Athena and Atlas. Together, they support local organizations focused on education, working families, and multilingual communities. Silky is also passionate about building leadership pipelines for young women and is developing initiatives to expand civic engagement and representation across Texas.

For Silky, serving on the HCDE Board is more than a position — it is an extension of her values, her family’s story, and her belief that strong, equitable public institutions can change lives.