Governor's Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs
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nor’s O er f ov ce G COMMUNITY INITIATIVES “reaching out to all of Maryland’s communities” Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs ANNUAL REPORT 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from the Governor .................................................................... pg. 4 Message from the Executive Director ..................................................... pg. 5 Message from the Chair .......................................................................... pg. 6 Commissioners ......................................................................................... pg. 7 Executive Summary ................................................................................. pg. 9 Middle Eastern American Legislative Night 2012 ................................. pg. 10 International Delegations .........................................................................pg. 11 New Americans Festival ............................................................................pg. 12 Middle Eastern American Business Summitt ..........................................pg. 13 Interfaith Initiatives ...................................................................................pg. 14 Identifying Our Constituents .....................................................................pg. 15 MISSION The Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs serves as an advisory board to the Governor and agencies within the Executive Department on matters relating to the Middle Eastern American population of Maryland, including matters relating to economic, workforce and business development. 3 Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs Annual Report 2012 nor’s O er f ov ce STATE OF MARYLAND G OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY GOVERNOR COMMUNITY INITIATIVES “reaching out to all of Maryland’s communities” STATE HOUSE 100 STATE CIRCLE ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND 21401-1925 (410)974-3901 (TOLL FREE) 1-800-811-8336 TTY USERS CALL VIA MD RELAY A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY INITIATIVES A MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR The Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives (GOCI) coordinates community and volunteer activities statewide and advises the Governor on policies to enhance and improve community programs. This Office also oversees the work of the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism, Volunteer Maryland and community affairs services within the Executive Branch of Maryland government. Additionally, GOCI coordinates outreach to ethnic communities across Maryland, overseeing the Governor’s Office Dear Friends: and Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Affairs, the Governor’s Commission on African On October 11, 2007 I signed an executive order to establish the Governor’s Commission on Middle Affairs, the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs, the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs, and Eastern American Affairs to effectively address the concerns of the Middle Eastern American community. the Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs. I am proud to join the staff and members of the Commission in presenting their -2012 report. As a Governor’s Coordinating Office, GOCI is able to engage the resources of multiple State agencies Diversity is one of Maryland’s greatest strengths. and coordinate policy and activities related to community initiatives. By creating the Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs, Governor O’Malley has affirmed his strong As we make steady progress in our One Maryland, I will rely on the Governor’s Commission on Middle commitment to the Middle Eastern American community. Eastern American Affairs to help expand opportunities for the growing Middle Eastern American community in business, employment, education and many other areas. Under the leadership of Chair Anwer Hasan, Vice Chair Rafi Rone and Assistant Director Iman Awad, The Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs has already become an integral part of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives. Together, we expect to make great strides toward ensuring greater access and opportunities for Middle Eastern Americans living in Maryland. In order to achieve Sincerely, this goal, we will continue to reach out to the community, engage key stakeholders, and mobilize participation in support of community initiatives. Israel C. “Izzy” Patoka Executive Director Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives Martin O’Malley Governor 4 5 Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs Annual Report 2012 COMMISSIONERS nor’s O er f ov ce G Anwer Hasan, P.E., Chair • Vice President, Business Unit Director, EA Engineering • Chairman, Requirement Committee for Base Realignment and Closure Task Forces for How- ard County and Baltimore City COMMUNITY INITIATIVES “reaching out to all of Maryland’s communities” • Member, Higher Education Commission • Member, Howard County Muslim Council A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMISSION CHAIR Rafi Rone, Vice Chair • Director of Jewish and Israel Initiatives, Joseph & Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds • Board Member, Jewish Communal Service Association On behalf of the Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs I am honored to bring • Fellow, Ralph I. Goldman International you our 2012 Annual Report. This past year the Commission worked on initiatives as diverse as interfaith dialogues to business summits. From listening to our community’s needs and concerns we Barry Bogage adapted our work plan to address what was most important. • Executive Director, Maryland/Israel Development Center • Board Member, Montgomery County Sister Cities, Inc. Following our 2011 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) program initiative, the Commission continued • Advisory Board Member, TowsonGlobal, Towson University’s International Incubator to work with the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Office of MBE to promote the inclusion of Middle Eastern Americans to the program. The Commission hopes to continue build- Sarit Brosh ing on this progress and we will continue to report updates. • Financial Advisor, Financial Planning Specialist, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney • Member, Maryland/Israel Development Center In addition, the Commission worked in 2012 to raise awareness on business opportunities in the • Life Member, Hadassah Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. Our Business Summit featured Deputy Secretary of the • Board Member, Ten Li Yad Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) Dominick Murray, Maryland Israel Development Center (MIDC) Chairman Abba Poliakoff and Vice President of Business for the National Salwa Elgebaly, Ph.D. U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) Amin Salam. Over 60 business professionals from across • President and CEO, Nour Heart, Inc. the state attended to listen to DBED, MIDC and NUSACC discuss the business outlook and potential • Adjunct Assistant Professor, United States Naval Academy opportunities to expand Maryland relations in the region. This discussion served as a precursor to the • Member, Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies, United States Naval Academy Governor’s 2013 trade mission to the Middle East. • Commissioner, Anne Arundel Commission for Women • Director, Anne Arundel Muslim Council Closing the year, the Commission highlighted our interfaith component by hosting filmmakers Gerald Krell and Meyer Odze’s of groundbreaking film “Three Faiths, One God” for an interfaith film screen- Enas Elhanafi ing and food drive. Members of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities attended and raised • Adjunct Faculty, Montgomery College, Rockville over 270 pounds of food for the Maryland Food Bank. • Student Outreach Coordinator, Montgomery College, Rockville • Member, The Greater Washington Association of Teachers of Foreign Languages As we continue our work in 2013 we have many more new challenges to address. We look forward to hearing from our community and for your Dorreya (Didi) Elmenshawy participation to help us keep our work plan in • Former Director, Construction and Buildings Inspection, Baltimore City Department of Housing accordance to your needs and concerns. Our and Community Development meetings are free and open to the public. You can stay updated on our progress from our Bagher Fardanesh, Ph.D. website, and on Facebook and Twitter. • Member, American Society for Training and Development, Maryland Chapter • Management Consultant, Small Business Development Center Thank you, • CEO & Founder, Piaget Consulting Anwer Hasan, Chair Miriam Galston, Ph.D., J.D. Governor’s Commission on • Associate Professor, George Washington University Law School Middle Eastern American Affairs • Member, Advisory Board, Bright Horizons Child Care Center Anwer Hasan, Chairman pictured left with • Co-Chair, Committee on Political and Lobbying Organizations and Activities Governor Martin O’Malley at the US World Islamic Forum • Member, American Bar Association • Member, DC Bar Association 6 7 Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs Annual Report 2012 Farzaneh Riar EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • Member, Governor O’Malley Transition Team for Department of Health & Mental Hygeine • Member, American Public Health Association • Member, Association of Schools of Public Health Mubariz Rizvi The Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs (GCMEAA) was created under the • Chief Executive Officer, FiberElectronics, LLC leadership of the O’Malley/Brown Administration in 2008 through Executive Order 01.01.2007.22. • Founding Member, Maryland Middle East