BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/Detroit X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Detroit BEGIN:VEVENT UID:30797@arabamerica.com DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230406T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230406T125000 DTSTAMP:20230403T141229Z URL:https://www.arabamerica.com/events/arab-american-perspectives-in-publi c-policy/ SUMMARY:Arab American Perspectives in Public Policy DESCRIPTION:Over the past few decades\, Arab Americans have been at the for efront of news cycles and policy discussions.\n\nJoin P3E for a virtual pa nel discussion with policy experts that explores perspectives on Arab Amer ican issues and whether current policies and legislation meet the needs of Michigan’s Arab American population. By sharing the experiences and kno wledge gained throughout their journeys\, our panelists aim to inspire hop e and action for the future of public policy for Arab Americans.\n\nAbout Our Speakers\n\nSaif Alsenad (Moderator)\nSaif Alsenad is the Executive As sistant to the Mayor of Inkster\, Michigan. He is a Henry Ford College Alu mnus with an Associate's Degree in criminal justice and law enforcement. H e obtained a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from M adonna University. While Saif was attending school and working full-time a s a District Manager for Tim Hortons\, he also volunteered as a full-time Auxiliary Police Officer for the Inkster Police Department. Mr. Alsenad wa s a Court Officer for the 18th District Court\, Judge Cicirelli's courtroo m. Mr. Alsenad would then get hired by Chief Riley as a Police Cadet and l ater promoted to the position of Evidence Technician. As an Evidence Techn ician\, he collected and preserved evidence from multiple crime scenes. Mr . Alsenad was assigned to the Detective Bureau\, Criminal Investigation Di vision. Mr. Alsenad assisted Michigan State Police and other law enforceme nt organizations in many different investigations within the city. When no t at work\, Saif would distribute food\, deliver medical supplies\, and vo lunteer inside and outside the community\, from linking various community members seeking help to coordinating food bank distributions. Mr. Alsenad serves as an executive board member of Reaching our Children and Humans fo r Humanity.\n\nMallak Beydoun\nMallak Beydoun (MPA '22) is an experienced government professional who has dedicated over a decade to this field. She has built a reputation as a top-tier strategist with strong judgment and a history of success. Beydoun's talent for building coalitions and managin g public sector projects has made her a highly sought-after expert for var ious public\, private\, and government projects. She serves in dual capaci ties as a Senior Executive- Special Projects with the City of Detroit and Senior Policy Advisor with SustainabiliD\, providing strategic counsel and implementation support on numerous sustainability-related projects.\n\nTh roughout her career\, Beydoun has actively supported and executed several successful political and legislative campaigns\, including co-managing the 2021 reelection campaign of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. She is a member of the Affirmative Action Committee for the Michigan Democratic Party Execut ive Board and formerly served on the National Policy Team-21st Century Gov ernment for Biden for President.\n\nBeydoun holds a Bachelor's Degree in E conomics from the University of Michigan and a Master's Degree from the Ge rald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. In her personal life\, she is an enthusiastic Detroit coffee and restaurant conn oisseur\, avid reader\, and a supporter of all things "Go Blue!"\n\nAlabas Farhat\nState Representative Alabas Farhat (MPA '23) is serving his first term representing the 3rd House District\, which includes Dearborn and ot her Wayne County communities. He is from Southeast Michigan\, a son of imm igrants\, and has experience serving at all levels of government — local \, county\, state\, and federal. Rep. Farhat graduated from the University of Michigan Dearborn with a bachelor’s degree in public health and went on to pursue a master of public policy at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy with a focus on social policy development.\n\ nRep. Farhat discovered his passion for public service during his work as a legislative intern in the Michigan House of Representatives. Through his daily communication and work with constituents\, he learned that real cha nge starts with the people. That’s why he immensely values listening to and working with residents in Wayne County and across Michigan — he beli eves this direct communication and close connection with constituents is t he key to revitalizing the community\, improving the standard of living fo r all\, and creating positive change for generations to come.\n\nRep. Farh at’s central legislative priorities are education\, infrastructure\, and public health. He has a strong focus on bringing resources back into Mich igan schools to help students and staff lead healthier\, happier lives\, t o keep schools open and thriving\, and to reinvest in the teaching profess ion and retention. Rep. Farhat knows that as our environment continues to change\, so too must our infrastructure. That’s why he gives precedence to policy choices that make the necessary investments to advance Dearborn ’s infrastructure and employ sustainable practices in the process. Ensur ing all Michiganders have clean air to breathe and water to drink will alw ays be a principal priority for Rep. Farhat\, because he understands the c onsequences of climate change are real and believes the state government ’s role is crucial in safeguarding Michigan’s future.\n\nRima Mohammad \nDr. Rima Mohammad was recently elected to serve as a Trustee for the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education and currently serving as Vice Pre sident of the board. Her campaign focus was on fostering community involve ment through open communication\, transparency\, and inclusiveness. Her pr iorities include addressing challenges facing Ann Arbor Public Schools\, i ncluding issues surrounding community engagement\, resource and opportunit y gaps in education\, and diversity\, equity\, inclusion\, and anti-racism . She is the first Arab American to be elected to the Ann Arbor Public Sch ool Board and she believes her lived experiences as a Palestinian refugee who lived through social and economic hardship\, a person of color\, a per son of a marginalized religious group\, a researcher\, an educator\, and a healthcare worker bring a unique perspective to the Ann Arbor School comm unity. In addition to her dedication as a Trustee\, she is a Clinical Asso ciate Professor at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and a Cl inical Pharmacist Specialist at Michigan Medicine. She is also a very acti ve member of the Ann Arbor and Muslim community especially surrounding sch ools and learning\, health and pandemic response\, and community engagemen t.\n\nKhalil Rahal\nKhalil Rahal is the Economic Development Director for DTE. Prior to that\, he served as the Chief Administrative Officer of Wayn e County\, where he managed several different departments\, including Mana gement &\; Budget\, the Department of Public Services\, Economic Develo pment\, Community Development\, State and Federal Legislative initiatives\ , Facilities\, and Real Estate Management. He also represented the County Executive on several different authorities\, including SMART\, the largest public transit agency in the state\, the Wayne County Land Bank\, SEMCOG\ , and several others. During his time at the executive's offices\, he was recognized by many organizations\, including Crain's 50 names to know in G overnment\, MEDA's 2019 Economic Developer of the year\, and Crain's 40 un der 40. ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.arabamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2 023/04/7B42561F-DD80-45A9-A166-71D79EAE8C8E.png CATEGORIES:#arabic,Academic Lecture,Academic Life,Activism,National Arab American Heritage Month END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Detroit X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Detroit BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20230312T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR