Among the many reasons to attend The Arab American Summit this November is the chance to mingle and dine with distinguished leaders and trailblazers at the Change Makers Dinner on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn, Mich.
The National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC), a program of ACCESS, will award several distinguished guests during this highly anticipated event. The 2015 Spirit of Service Award will be presented to longtime local community activist and leader Ali Baleed Almaklani, one of the Detroit region’s most committed and admired citizens and a founding member of ACCESS. Sara El-Amine, Executive Director of the grassroots nonprofit, Organizing for Action (OFA), is this year's recipient of NNAAC's Emerging Leader Award. Last, but certainly not least, our new Breakthrough Award will go to Ayman Mohyeldin, foreign correspondent for NBC News and anchor for MSNBC.
Spirit of Service
Award Ali Baleed Almaklani has devoted his life to organizing and building the capacity of the Arab American community. He is the executive director and co-founder of the Yemen American Benevolent Association (YABA) — an organization that has been in service for over 40 years and provides educational and social services to the Yemeni community. Learn more about him here.
Emerging Leader Award
This award recognizes Arab Americans under 35 who have achieved significant accomplishments in their work, enhancing the overall state of Arab Americans, and who will undoubtedly continue to excel for years to come. Sara El-Amine has also worked on both of President Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns. Learn more about her here.
Breakthrough Award
The award recognizes an Arab American who has created a significant breakthrough in how the broader public views Arab Americans and their contributions to this country. Ayman Mohyeldin’s intrepid work as a journalist has taken him across the world, including the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Turkey and Japan. Learn more about him here.
To reserve your seat at the Change Makers Dinner and register for The Arab American Summit, click here to purchase tickets. Dinner tickets are $75 per person. To reserve a table ($600 for eight seats), contact Mike Corbin at mcorbin@accesscommunity.org.