The 2020 election is right around the corner. What are you doing to get civically engaged?
This session will explore the ways in which Arab and Muslim Americans can get involved and make an impact in the upcoming election and Census. Everything from uplifting shared community goals to getting out the vote will be addressed by our panel of experts in the field.
Susan Dabaja serves as President of the Dearborn City Council. Her historic victory as a first-time candidate and subsequent reelection is evidence of her relentless work ethic. She has an innate passion for public service, proven by her commitment to her family and neighbors, her tenure as Council President and her involvement with community organizations. She co-chairs the Dearborn Education Foundation and is an active volunteer with the Dearborn Rotary, Dearborn Goodfellows, neighborhood clean-up initiatives and several other local organizations. Dabaja also serves on the Commission on Middle Eastern and American Affairs (CMEAA). In August 2019, she was appointed by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer as chair and member of the Local Community Stabilization Authority (LCSA).
Randa Fahmy, Esq. is an internationally recognized expert in global government affairs, energy policy and national security, and has more than 30 years of legal and public policy experience, including service in the executive and legislative branches of the United States Government. Presently, Fahmy serves on several boards and is CEO of Fahmy Hudome International (FHI), a strategic consulting firm, which provides critical advice and counsel to international and domestic clientele with an interest in international business transactions, global government affairs and energy policy. Previously, she was appointed by President George W. Bush as the U.S. Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy, served as Counselor to United States Senator Spencer Abraham (R-MI) and practiced as an attorney. Fahmy’s opinions on international diplomacy and energy policy have been published in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and she appears frequently as an expert analyst on energy and national security issues on NBC, MSNBC, Fox News, CNN and BBC. She received her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. summa cum laude from Wilkes University.
Naseem Haffar is a retired Managing Director with over 30 years of experience in investment banking and real estate finance. He currently manages his family’s investments in real estate and the stock market. He is also an investor and on the board of directors of Lugtrack, a technology startup. Haffar started his career in the early 1980s at Irving Trust Company (now BNY Mellon), and then joined JP Morgan’s Loan Trading desk. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of the Arab American Family Support Center. He is also on the board of the Arab American Democratic Action Fund, the American Task Force for Lebanon and Noor Theater. Haffar previously served on the board of the Mamdouha and Elmer Bobst Foundation and as a member of the Whitney Museum photography acquisition committee. He has an MBA in Finance from Columbia University School of Business and a B.S. in Business & International Relations from the University of Minnesota.
Rasha Muburak is a Palestinian-American Muslim community activist and leader recently named one of “10 People Making Orlando a Better Place to Be” by Orlando Weekly and Florida Young Democrat of 2019 by the Florida Young Democrats. Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in the heart of Florida, she is currently a Facilitator for the Trust Orlando Coalition, VP for the Muslim Women’s Organization and President of Orlando’s Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Her dedicated work with the Arab American Community Center, and many other organizations centered on Arab American development, has also helped launch programs that provide support for women who are victims of domestic violence, and others that celebrate Arab culture. Muburak has been a grassroots organizer and speaker for statewide demonstrations and campaigns for interfaith work, Palestinian rights, #NoMuslimBanEver, immigration rights and Black and Brown liberation. Her efforts in the fight for Arab American rights continuously inspires and assists the community.
Zaineb Hussein (Moderator) is the Founder and Executive Director of Wayne United for Wayne County in Southeastern Michigan, where she is charged with leading and building a culture of inclusiveness throughout Wayne County. Wayne United is an initiative that partners with community, civic and business leaders to promote the values of diversity and inclusion. Under Hussein’s leadership, Wayne County has become a “Welcoming County,” a place where all immigrants, refugees and minority communities feel safe and welcome. In addition, Hussein oversees Wayne County’s 2020 Census campaign and has been appointed by the Governor of Michigan to sit on the statewide 2020 Census Complete Count Committee.
Session tags: activism, capacity building, civic engagement, empowering youth, human services
Location: Plaza Ballroom A