Administrative director for Santa Rosa Kaiser Permanente wins North Bay Forty Under 40 award

“Pursuing a cause that is greater than myself has always been my passion and mission in life. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. noted, ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?’” says Zahra Salamat. “Therefore, being in a health care field and contributing to quality patient care and serving those in need is aligned with my lifelong dream.”

Salamat is the administrative director of clinical lab and pathology for Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa and chair of Regional Lab Directors for Northern California. She handles round-the-clock oversight of inpatient and outpatient labs, and manages 120 clinical and nonclinical staff.

Salamat still manages time in her personal life for various leadership roles, such as being on the Board of Directors for the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California in Oakland.

An unrelated passion of hers is singing and music, and she hopes to learn to play an instrument before she turns 40.

In a business sense, what is the greatest thing about being under 40; and then what is the worst?

“Being under 40 has made me more relatable to young leaders. Specifically, as a first-generation immigrant and woman of minority, I have a sense of purpose to serve other minority and female professionals in developing their own authentic selves and to help them realize higher professional goals. I am humbled to be able to pave the way for other young leaders of minority groups and inspire them to reach their fullest potential,” says Salamat.

“The worst thing would be that at times being young is perceived as being inexperienced, and therefore, it takes a lot of courage and strength to pursue what you’re capable of.”