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As the first Southlake City Councilmember of South Asian descent, Dr. Shahid Shafi made local history when he took office in 2014. Over his tenure, the surgeon and CEO of his practice has experienced both triumphs and challenges. It wasn’t easy getting to where he is today, but Shafi believes his story isn’t special. It’s a reflection of what’s possible.
Growing Up In Pakistan
Shafi was born in India and raised in Pakistan along with his elder brother and sister. His parents suffered religious persecution after the Partition of India in 1947 – to the point that they eventually had to move from India to Pakistan despite living there in harmony for many years. That hardship continued throughout his childhood.
“I came of age under a brutal military dictatorship where the press was censored, the police was an instrument of torture and the courts were corrupt – typical Third World dictatorship,” Shafi explains.
With a strong will to succeed, Shafi set his mind to the future. He knew from middle school that he wanted to follow in his parents' footsteps.
“Both my parents were physicians – the old fashioned general practitioners that used to make house visits with their little black bag,” Shafi says. “They had their own challenging lives. She delivered babies in peoples’ homes. Sometimes she got paid in kind with a goat, a chicken or a bag of rice.”
The two doctors met in medical school, and despite their religious differences – his father was a Sunni Muslim and his mother was Shiite, they fell in love and got married.
“Somehow their love was able to bridge all those differences, and they raised us in a very loving family,” Shafi says.
In the 1950s, it was uncommon to find a young woman studying medicine, but Shafi’s mother persevered through her circumstances.
“My mom herself was a pioneering woman,” Shafi says. “She used to tell me that she used to study under street lights because she didn’t have power at home.”
Moving To America
After getting a medical education in Pakistan, Shafi moved to America to continue studying. He didn’t have much, but he knew that with time and determination, he could get a taste of the American dream.
“Actually, my net worth was negative when I got here,” he recalls. “I had to borrow some money to come to the U.S. In that first year of life, there were days where I didn't have enough money to eat. From that low point, I was able to find the opportunities to succeed thanks to
the generosity of many good people.”
Shafi enrolled in graduate courses at Johns Hopkins University, where he eventually met his wife, Ayesha. She was pursuing a Master’s Degree in health administration, and the two connected thanks to a shared statistics class.
“I was good at it and she needed some help, so there I was helping her out,” Shafi laughs.
After they both obtained their respective degrees, Shafi went on to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, the University of Pennsylvania and eventually Southern Methodist University.
“My wife thinks I am a perpetual student, but I love education and learning,” Shafi says.
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Finding Southlake
His education kept them moving, so Shafi and Ayesha were excited to find a place they could form roots. They moved to Texas in 2003 as Shafi started working as a trauma surgeon at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. After a year in the area, they found a home in Southlake and started to become a part of the community.
“When someone asks us where we are from, my immediate response is, ‘Oh, we are from Southlake.’ What brought us here was No. 1 the schools and No. 2 Southlake Town Square,’” Shafi says. “But we also love that sense of community and that sense of belonging. For both of us, this has been the longest we have lived in one city ever in our lives,” Shafi says.
After becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009, Shafi started volunteering. He got involved with the Southlake Lions Club, Southlake’s Planning and Zoning Committee, Leadership Southlake and the Citizens Academy through the Department of Public Safety.
“Once I became a citizen, I had the opportunity to start to give back to the city and community that had given us so much,” Shafi says. “We have made friends here who are as close to us as family. Southlake has become our home.”
Those endeavors led him to throw his hat in the ring in the 2011 city council race. While he lost that first run, Shafi was not discouraged. Rather, he tried again the next term and ended up with the win.
“When I didn’t win the election the first time, it was a disappointment, but as an immigrant, I have faced worse challenges,” Shafi says. “On election night in 2014, my victory speech consisted of three words only: Only in America.”
During his two elected terms, Shafi has focused on three areas: public safety, infrastructure and lowering property taxes. But he also believes in giving a voice to those who do not have one.
“I meet with any citizen who wants to meet with me regardless of what issue it is. I try to educate them on how the city government works, what the process is because a lot of them don’t know that process,” Shafi says.
And he has shown that time and time again by sitting down with those interested and talking to them about their concerns.
“He’s always been there to listen to our concerns and what directly affects us,” local citizen Doug Harsy says. “He’s willing to listen to all viewpoints and review all the developments, which has played a really important role in ensuring Southlake is a great place to live. He’s just a great advocate.”
Southlake’s Community Engagement Committee chairwoman Sherry Berman reached out to him when he announced he was running for city council, and Shafi agreed to meet her and explain his thought process for local government.
“He is intensely knowledgeable about his subjects,” Berman says. “I think he pays more particular attention to things that you may not pay attention to.”
One change Shafi is particularly proud of is the improvements made to the city’s safety. By investing in the recruiting processes, upgrading the police officers and firefighters equipment and updating hardware and software technologies, the current city council has shown they care about the city’s public security and productivity.
“It's the little things that people don’t see up front but really has an impact on the efficiency of our officers,” Shafi says.
Shafi also has brought his medical background into the elected role. When the Ebola crisis scare swept through Dallas back in 2015, Shafi, being the only physician in the Southlake government, worked with local public safety officers to ensure they had the proper training and equipment.
But that is not the only thing Shafi says being a doctor does for his city council duties.
“I feel like as a physician, I am particularly prepared for public offices. I took an oath a long time ago to only do what was in the best interest of my patients,” Shafi says. “It’s always about doing what’s in the best interest of the people. The challenges are different, but it’s a similar approach.”
And his constituents have taken notice, like local citizen Kush Rao.
“Usually back home in India and back in Pakistan, you don’t see a doctor involved in politics. Even in the U.S. you don’t see a doctor involved with politics, but I actually believe that well-educated people should get into politics,” Rao says. “And he encourages others to get into mainstream politics.”
Shafi believes his immigrant status has also shaped how he operates on the city council.
“One of the unique perspectives that I have as an immigrant is that you have a true appreciation for the things that you have here. I am very careful to not start taking them for granted,” Shafi says. “Just the idea that I can turn that tap out, and water will come from it. And not only water but water I can just pour in a cup and drink it without getting sick. That is a privilege that most of the world does not have.”
Balancing It All
On top of his city’s duties, Shafi was named CEO of the Surgical Group of North Texas three years ago. With a demanding job and a load of responsibilities, you might think Shafi would feel stretched. But he says that meeting with people and learning about their experiences re-energizes him.
“That’s one of the joys of public service,” Shafi says. “I tell people that you can find time for whatever it is you are passionate about.”
Shafi also credits his wife and three children for being supportive of his interests. They often accompany him while he is out and meeting people around town. Shafi says he goes out of his way to ensure he’s not just spending time with people in his own circles; he wants to show support for Southlake’s diverse set of communities.
“He is completely all about doing what’s right for the city of Southlake,” Berman says.
Over Easter weekend, Shafi attended two different church services, one each day, as well as a seder dinner with a local Jewish family to promote inclusiveness.
“I took a conscious effort to step out of my comfort zone because I believe that is my responsibility as an elected official and a community leader to build those kinds of bridges,” Shafi says.
He firmly believes that actions like this will help Southlake continue to break down barriers and
strengthen bonds within the community.
“We do that sometimes literally by creating opportunities for people, and we do it figuratively by being role models,” Shafi says.
Shafi believes if citizens see elected officials making steps in the right direction, they will follow in suit. Those steps toward each other make locals feel like they have a stake in their city and a responsibility to respect one another.
“In my opinion, [Shafi] has a view of what Southlake has always supposed to have been,” Harsy says. “If a community has that sense of belonging, then they will do anything to love each other, protect each other and to be good neighbors,” Shafi says.
Living Example Of The American Dream
“When I sit back and look at my life’s journey, it is truly one of the American dream fulfilled,” Shafi says.
Shafi has experienced adversity as a public official, but he doesn’t let that stand in his way or slow him down. And he speaks fondly of what America’s founding fathers had in mind when they were creating a more perfect union.
“I'm not naïve. Our country has a terrible history of bigotry, racism and all kinds of discrimination against women, against you name it,” Shafi says. “But we have overcome a lot of those kinds of divisions.”
He just lets his work and his citizens’ votes speak to what is possible.
“I am a living example of that. Many people did not think it was possible for someone of Muslim faith to win an election. My election proved them wrong,” Shafi says. “I believe that in America, it doesn’t matter where you come from. It matters where you are going.”
The American dream is alive and well. Shafi hopes to not only be an example of the American dream but also be an example for others in the area, in the country, that they can achieve their dreams despite their background and circumstances.
“Really there is nothing special about me,” Shafi says. “If I can do it, then I hope that someone else will see that and say that they can do it too.”
While he says his family will be happy to have him around a little bit more after his term ends next year, Shafi believes he will continue to give back to the community and country that has given him so much – whether that will be in another elected role or volunteer capacity is still to be determined.
What is sure is Shafi has left an impact on Southlake not only because of his background but also because of the care and compassion he brings to his responsibilities. It’s what makes him a living example of what’s possible.