Fayrouz Saad

DETROIT — Mayor Mike Duggan has appointed Fayrouz Saad, a first generation Lebanese American, and Dearborn native, as director of Immigrant Affairs for the city of Detroit.

The department, made a reality by the Immigration Task Force, was created to “advance the task force’s mission of creating a more diverse, inclusive, global city,” said Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, who represents District 6. Castaneda-Lopez added that she is looking forward to working with Saad.

The newly appointed director said there is a need in Detroit to understand the needs of immigrant communities; and she hopes to bring her experience in immigration reform to address their concerns.

According to the mayor’s office, the department serves as a “gateway” for immigrant communities— whom Saad describes as being entrepreneurial— while also promoting economic development.

Saad will also play a key role in helping immigrants start and successfully run small businesses by connecting them to government and nonprofit resources. She will also help them resettle and assist them in getting loans and other support services.

Saad said her job hits close to home, as her father is an immigrant and has been a Detroit business owner for 40 years. Saad’s father came to the U.S. in search of the American dream and found it in Detroit. She said she has seen the ways in which immigrants contribute and hopes other settlers find Detroit as their home.

Another priority is refugee resettlement and bringing in immigrant investment in and around Detroit.

Saad said she believes in the revival of Detroit and is thrilled to begin working at the mayor’s office, to build a platform towards something greater.

“What’s really exciting is that there’s a great and innovative team at the mayor’s office, one that’s ready for challenges and open for innovation,” Saad said.

Immigrants, Saad said, play an essential role in the city’s economic fabric. She wants to see an increase in Detroit’s immigrant population.

“They stay here, they live here and their kids go to school here,” she said.

Most recently, Saad served as the vice president for the Washington, D.C.-based firm Cambridge Global Advisors (CGA), where, among other things, she worked alongside the federal government on key national security and international issues, including immigration reform and economic development in the Arab world.

Before joining CGA, Saad was a presidential appointee to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in the Office for Intergovernmental Affairs, where she served as a liaison between governors, mayors and other local elected officials. She worked with DHS and the White House to build and enhance relationships with immigrant communities and engage them in policy discussions, such as immigration reform and economic development programs in the Middle East. In addition, Saad assisted in coordination between DHS and Arab, Muslim, Sikh, South Asian and Somali communities and engaging them with their law enforcement partners.

Prior to joining DHS, Saad worked at the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services’ (ACCESS) National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) as its first civic engagement coordinator. In that role, she led efforts to engage and empower the Arab-American community through civic engagement and voter-participation programs.

She completed her graduate studies from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government this past spring, receiving a master’s degree in public administration. She graduated with a double major in political science and psychology from the University of Michigan.