AMVOTE NEWS
AMVOTE NEWS
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April 2024. AMVOTE Chair Hon. William Haddad and Vice Chair Marvet Sweis presented and moderated, respectively, a program entitled, "Recognizing Arab American Contributions Throughout U.S. History in Honor of Arab American Heritage Month." The first-of-its-kind hybrid program was held at the Chicago Bar Association and was hosted by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) and the Arab American Bar Association of Illinois (AABAR).
April 2024. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias presented (from L to R) Hon. William Haddad (ret.), Talat Othman, and Dr. Mohayya Khilfeh with a proclamation recognizing Arab American Heritage Month.
January 2024. AMVOTE is proud to have endorsed Brandon Johnson for Mayor of Chicago. After Mayor Johnson cast the deciding vote on a resolution before the Chicago City Council calling for a total Ceasefire in Gaza, Judge Bill Haddad (Ret), Chair of AMVOTE said: “I’d say AMVOTE got a ‘good return on our investment’ by endorsing Brandon Johnson for Mayor of Chicago.”
December 2023. The Department of Justice met with AMVOTE Chair Hon. William J. Haddad (ret.) and a number of Arab American organizations over concerns about a series of event cancellations by major hotel chains. To read full Politico article detailing the concerns, click here.
November 2023. AMVOTE Issues Press Statement: “For Immediate Release: American Middle East Voters Alliance-Pac Announces New Endorsement Process to Address Candidate Qualifications for Public Office and Judiciary Amid Law Firms Suspected of Intolerance and Bias.” To view full statement, click here.
November 2023. AMVOTE Executive Committee members Hon. William Haddad, Salman Aftab, and Abder Ghouleh as well ASA Wesam Shahed meet with Clayton Harris, candidate for Cook County State’s Attorney.
October 31, 2023. AMVOTE Chair Hon. William Haddad (ret.) shares an Op Ed Opinon on discrimination and speech suppression in current news. Full article below.
October 17, 2023. AMVOTE executive members joined in the press release statement by the Arab American Bar Association of Illinois (AABAR) mourning the death of Wadea Al-Fayoume, an innocent 6-year-old Palestinian-American child who was brutally murdered in Plainfield, Illinois, due to bigotry, hate, and ignorance. Full press release below.
September 2023. AMVOTE leaders met with former Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot to present her with the Equal Justice & Diversity Award in recognition of her outstanding committment to the rule of law, diversity, and equal justice for all. Mayor Lightfoot is credited with being the only mayor in the nation to help fund the necessary economic disparity study for MENA Americans.
August 2023. AMVOTE Executive Committee members were honored to meet with State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid to discuss his success with House Bill 3768, making Illinois the first state in the country to count MENA Americans. As Representative Rashid highlights, “This information will help our state develop targeted policies that address the unique needs of the Arab American community, such as access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. Additionally, it will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the experiences of Arabs and other groups from the Middle East and help to combat racism and prejudice.” Thank you to the resounding efforts of major key Arab American organizations and leaders in working together toward this historical initiative.
August 2023. AMVOTE Chair Hon. William Haddad was honored to speak at an event with Mayor Brandon Johnson hosted by ABPA with members of the Arab American business and professional community.
August 2023. AMVOTE Executive Committee Members Hon. William Haddad, Marvet Sweis Drnovsek, and Atour Sargon were proud to attend the 89th Installation of the Decalogue Society of Lawyers alongside members of the Arab American Bar Association of Illinois. Congratulations to incoming President Hon. Megan Goldish!
July 2023. AMVOTE Chair Hon. William Haddad and Vice Chair Marvet Sweis Drnovsek joined fellow members of the Arab American Bar Association of Illinois for its annual dinner meeting in Chicago to reflect on recent events and to discuss upcoming initiatives.
June 2023. AMVOTE Executive Committee Members Salman Aftab, Abed Elghouleh, GM Sadat, and Rush Darwish met with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Commissioner Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda and Commissioner Kari Steele in an event for Alderman Gil Villegas.
June 2023. AMVOTE members were proud to attend the recent Jordanian Independence Day Flag Raising Ceremony in Chicago with Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. Close to 400 people were in attendance. AMVOTE Chair Hon. William Haddad spoke at the event that was spearheaded by Consul General Ihsan Sweiss as well as our very own Vice Chair Marvet Sweis Drnovsek and Advisory Board Member Rima Sweiss! View live event here: https://lnkd.in/gvbYPVFB
May 2023. Thanks to a wonderful collaboration with Amvote - American Middle East Voters Alliance Political Action Committee, Arab American Democratic Club, and Arab American Association of Engineers & Architects, we held a well attended and informative event with Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi. We are proud to see our community not only organize but work collectively to advance together!
May 2023. AMVOTE Executive Committee Member Salman Aftab was honored to attend the Farewell Address for Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot who was the first mayor in the nation to approve the budget for the economic disparity study necessary for our MENA initiatives.
May 2023. We are proud to announce that Professor Louise Cainkar received the prestigious Finnigan Werra Faculty Achievement Award from the Association of Marquette University Women & Institute for Women's Leadership! Dr. Cainkar’s extensive and impressive research has been integral to our groundbreaking MENA initiatives. Congratulations!
May 2023. AMVOTE Board Member Jamil Bou-Saab met with United States Representative Darin LaHood following his visit to Jordan this month! Congressman LaHood, who is of Lebanese descent, has served as U.S. Representative since 2015 and is responsible for introducing legislation through the Science, Space, and Technology Committee that approved the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Modernization Act (NITRD). This program is the federal government's primary research portfolio on transformative high-end computing, high-speed networking, high capacity systems software, cybersecurity, and related advanced information technologies.
May 2023. Congratulations to AMVOTE Board Member Jamil Bou-Saab, Executive VP of TERRA Engineering, Ltd., who was integral to the completion of the Chicago Park District’s new headquarters. “The completion of the Chicago Park District's headquarters relocation project was celebrated last Friday, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by city officials and community members. TERRA provided survey and civil engineering services, as well as traffic engineering, for the year-long project, which involved moving the headquarters from Downtown to a 17-acre campus at 4800 S. Western Ave. in Brighton Park.” (https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/05/08/new-park-district-headquarters-opens-in-brighton-park/)
May 2023. AMVOTE Executive Committee Board Member and Lincolnwood Trustee, Atour Sargon, attended Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s 22nd Annual Ultimate Women’s Power Lunch with a number of outstanding female leaders, including MWRD Commissioners Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda and Josina Morita, strong supporters of our MENA initiative of addressing the need for a disparity study to resolve inequities within the Chicago business community.
May 2023. AMVOTE Advisory Board Member and Commissioner at Skokie Park District, Mary Oshana Hermiz, made a special stop in Springfield today during the Illinois Association of Park Districts to say hello to our friend and AMVOTE-endorsed Illinois Secretary of State, Alexi Giannoulias!
May 2023. AMVOTE Chair Hon. William Haddad, Vice Chair Marvet Sweis Drnovsek, and Advisory Board Member Jawad Shalabi were proud to attend the Chicago Bar Association’s Vanguard Awards Ceremony at the Union League Club in Chicago, where Arab American Bar Association Board of Director Sandra Frantzen was honored. This prestigious award honors individuals and institutions who have made the law and legal profession more accessible to and reflective of the community at large. Congratulations, Sandra!
April 2023. AMVOTE Executive Committee Member Salman Aftab met with AMVOTE-endorsed Mayor Elect of Chicago, Brandon Johnson. Johnson took the time to meet with our Endorsement Committee of community leaders and he thoughtfully completed our Candidate Questionnaire. Without pause, Johnson expressly pledged to continue the current Mayor’s support of our ongoing studies to qualify MENA Americans for participation in the City’s Minority Business Enterprise programs. We are proud that our endorsement of Brandon Johnson contributed to his successs in the election.
April 2023. Executive committee members of AMVOTE were honored to attend Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ Official Iftar at the iconic Chicago Cultural Center, with State Representatives Abdelnasser Rashid and Nabeela Syed.
April 2023. Members of AMVOTE’s Executive Committee and Advisory Board gathered to celebrate Eid with Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and First Lady Amy Eshleman at the Chicago Cultural Center.
April 2023. Several AMVOTE board members gathered at Mayor Lori Lightfoot's City Council meeting to receive the proclamation from the Mayor declaring the month of April as Arab American Heritage Month. Thank you to all of the support by the MENA Council and aldermen who worked toward this wonderful recognition.
February 2023. Executive committee members of AMVOTE met with the Mayor of Chicago, who is proceeding with a critical economic disparity study of the MENA community that will focus on improving access to fair and equitable contracting opportunities. Very proud to learn that Chicago is one of the first cities in the nation to take such an important step forward.
December 2022. Lori Lightfoot Pledges Full Support For MENA Inclusion
Mayor Lori Lightfoot credited Ret. Judge William Haddad, AMVOTE PAC and a coalition of supporting organizations and their efforts for opening the way for the City of Chicago as Mayor Lightfoot stated “correct this wrong” of excluding the MENA Community from the “definition of minorities.” She said this will allow hard-working MENA community to qualify for tens of millions of dollars in city contracts for goods and services. As a result of our efforts, the city hired attorney Colette Holt to begin an economic disparity study this January which will be completed by Spring of 2023. Holt’s staff will need the help of the MENA COUNCIL, AABAR, ABPA, AAAEA and AMVOTE to finish this job. The task moving forward will be to talk with MENA business owners and professionals to survey their experiences of discrimination. This includes information about disparities between their experiences and opportunities and those of other non-MENA owners. Congratulations to the leadership of all the organizations to make this important step a reality!
July 2022. AMVOTE spoke at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Committee on Affirmative Action meeting to discuss the disparity study conducted for its Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program for Construction and Construction Related Professional Services Contracts. AMVOTE along with leaders from AABAR, ABPA, and AAAEA spoke about the economic deprivation faced by MENA Americans and the need for a study on the disparities and discrimination against MENA Americans.
May 2022. Thank you to all for a wonderful evening in support of AMVOTE! Congratulations to our honorees, Commissioner Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda, Alderman Gilbert Villegas, and Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle.
January 2020. It was an honor to celebrate the appointment of the first appointed Palestinian American Judge to the bench, the Honorable Rouhy J. Shalabi with members of AMVOTE.
March 2019. AMVOTE’S Executive Committee meets with Cook County President Toni Preckwincle and former Federal Prosecutor Lori Lightfoot as they seek the AMVOTE endorsement for Mayor of Chicago.
February 2019. AMVOTE meets with gubernatorial candidate Bill Daley during our endorsement selection process.
January 2019. AMVOTE held its successful special dinner & reception, “Meet the NEXT Mayor of Chicago” at Alhambra Restaurant, drawing in all mayoral candidates and over 200 MENA community members!
December 2018. AMVOTE’s planning committee in action for our special dinner & reception, “Meet the NEXT Mayor of Chicago” on January 17, 2019 at Alhambra Restaurant.
August 2018. AMVOTE hosted a special Meet & Greet with JB Pritzker. The dialogue was engaging and informative. Students had the opportunity to ask thought provoking questions, and JB talked about his plans for addressing crucial issues affecting the sate of Illinois and our community at large. Thanks to all who attended this 'democracy in action' event!
October 2017. AMVOTE Chair Hon. William Haddad accepted the Building Bridges award from the Arab American Bar Association of Illinois, in conjunction with the Decalogue Society, at UIC Law. Two hundred attendees were present, including Illinois lawyers and judges. Pictured here are AMVOTE members Marvet Sweis Drnovsek, Sanaa Hussien, Judge William Haddad, Rouhy Shalabi, Abder-rahman El-Ghouleh, and Khaled J. Elkhatib
July 2017. Members of AMVOTE were proud to celebrate Hon. Samuel Betar (with wife Margaret and AABAR members) who was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke as Full Circuit Court Judge in Cook County.
May 2017. Thanks to all for attending AMVOTE’s Special Reception at Pazzo's! Congratulations to Alderman Joe Moore, and thank you for all of your support and great contributions to the city of Chicago!
