Ismael Ahmed honored as ‘Distinguished Warrior’

“I don’t think about why I do it, I just do the work,” he said, after a pause.

Ahmed has devoted his life to advocating for others in both the private and public sectors. On March 22, he will be one of four honorees during the Detroit Urban League’s 33^rd Annual Salute to Distinguished Warriors Dinner. The event honors individuals for their significant civil and human rights contributions to the community.

While honored by the recognition, Ahmed is quick to shift the focus to those around him.

“It’s not the work of one person that matters. Together, we have a vision. Only together can we work to carry out that vision to bring about meaningful change,” he said.

The son of immigrants, Ahmed believes serving is part of a family tradition. Growing up, he saw his mother help other immigrants adjust to their new surroundings, giving them advice on how to get things done. His grandmother demonstrated outside of the United Nations and arranged Malcolm X’s trip to the Middle East.

In his family, family and community were always high on the list of priorities. Reflecting on those he has served, he added, “As I got older, the community I was involved in continued to get bigger and bigger.”

Ahmed began as a community activist in the 1970s.  As a student at UM-Dearborn, Ahmed began working with the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) and later served as executive director for 24 years. During that time, ACCESS grew from a storefront operation to the largest Arab-American human services organization in the nation, serving as many as 900,000 individuals a year.

“The continuing growth of ACCESS is what I am most proud of,” he said. “To see it continue on with the same vision, it’s a monument to the people who work there and to the people it serves.”

Following his work with ACCESS, Ahmed was director of the Michigan Department of Human Services. There, he oversaw the state’s second largest agency, a department that managed programs including Food Assistance, Medicaid and Social Security eligibility, child and family service, and domestic violence prevention.

His move from community activist to state government employee was one he debated. In the end, though, the desire to serve a larger group of people led him to the position.

“In Michigan, 2.4 million people go without basic necessities. In this position, if we did one thing right, we could positively affect millions of people,” he said.

Today, he serves as associate provost for integrated learning and community partnerships, connecting academic initiatives with the community.

“UM-Dearborn has a different DNA,” Ahmed said. “For me, this was an opportunity to work with faculty who believe in real-world change. They buy into the notion that students learn by doing, by serving in their community.”

While the Distinguished Warriors honor could be seen as a lifetime achievement award, Ahmed laughs at the idea of slowing down.

“I’m just getting started here,” he said. “My goal is to see thousands of students and hundreds of faculty members involved in changing the world. UM-Dearborn can create leaders both here and in society and can take action on the ground that makes a difference.”