[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 175 (Thursday, December 3, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1706-E1707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN RECOGNITION OF THE CAREER AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF ISMAEL AHMED

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 3, 2015

  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ismael Ahmed for 
his extraordinary career in service to our community. Ish, as he is 
known by friends, family and colleagues, has enriched the lives of so 
many in our region through his tireless, collaborative efforts for 
understanding and civil rights.
  Born in 1947 in New York, Ish and his family moved to the Detroit 
area when he was six. After graduating from Dearborn's Fordson High 
School, he set off to explore the world, working as a deck hand on 
freighters. Eventually Ish returned to Dearborn, where he gained 
employment at the Ford Rouge plant and worked his way through college, 
first at Henry Ford Community College, then graduating from University 
of Michigan Dearborn. After his graduation, Ish became involved in his 
community, organizing workers and seeking justice in his community.
  In 1971, along with a dedicated group of volunteers and activists, 
Ish co-founded ACCESS the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social 
Services in a storefront in Dearborn's south end, to help assist the 
Arab immigrant population as they adapted to life in the U.S. In 1983, 
he was appointed as Executive Director of ACCESS and worked diligently 
on its programming and growth. Today, ACCESS is the largest Arab 
American human services nonprofit in the country, serving nearly 
900,000 people through more than 100 programs aimed at supporting 
economic, health, social, and educational needs. For this reason among 
others, Ish is recognized as a national Arab American and civil rights 
leader committed to ending hatred and bigotry and seeking justice for 
all Americans.
  In 2007, Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed Ish as the director of 
the Michigan Department of Human Services, where he successfully led 
the state's second largest department for three years. As Department of 
Human Services' director, he served on the Michigan State Housing 
Development Authority board and the Early Childhood Investment 
Corporation executive committee. In 2011, Ish returned to the 
University of Michigan Dearborn and has served as the Senior Advisor to 
the Chancellor and Associate Provost for Metropolitan Impact. In this 
role, Ish has built bridges and made major positive impacts in our 
region.
  Ish has also generously given his time and support to a wide array of 
Southeast Michigan

[[Page E1707]]

organizations further establishing him as a critical leader in a wide 
array of community, political, non-profit and cultural institutions 
such as: the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, United Way, 
Reading Works, the Arab American National Museum, Eastern Michigan 
University's Board of Regents, Arab American Institute, Henry Ford 
Hospital, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Association of Performing Arts 
Presenters, University of Michigan Citizens Advisory Board, Fair Food 
Network, and the New Detroit Coalition.
  Most remarkably, Ish's family has graciously shared his talents and 
time with our community. He is a loving husband to his wife Margaret, 
father to his five children, and grandfather to two. I know in his 
retirement he is looking forward to spending more time with them.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Ismael 
Ahmed for his lifetime of service and lasting impact on our region and 
country. We thank him for his leadership, and wish him many years of 
happiness and success.

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