The ISB Team

Executive Director

“SHE IS A FORCE OF NATURE”
– Greg Cole, Executive Director at Emmaus House

Soumaya Khalifa

along with a group of Atlantans, launched the Islamic Speakers Bureau (ISB) of Atlanta in August 2001. As the current Executive Director of ISB, she serves the Muslim and wider community by building bridges of understanding, creating interfaith partnerships, developing community leaders, and creating spaces for mutual understating and respect. Under Soumaya’s leadership, the ISB has developed its core programming and launched other key initiatives, including ISB Leadership Institute (ISBLI), 100 Influential Georgia Muslims, and 40 Under 40 Georgia Muslims. In 2017, Soumaya created a partnership with the Atlanta Mayor’s Office to host the ISB’s first ever Ramadan Iftar hosted at Atlanta’s City Hall and in 2018, the second Atlanta Mayor’s Iftar was attended by over 250 people.

Soumaya has received many awards and recognitions for her work with the ISB:

  • 2019 Academy of Women Achievers, YWCA
  • 2018 Arab American High Achiever Award, Alif Institute
  • 2017 City of Atlanta Phoenix Award, presented by Mayor Kasim Reed
  • 2012 FBI’s Community Leadership Award
  • Citizen Diplomat for the U.S. State Department
  • 2012 Invited to the annual White House Iftar hosted by President Barak Obama
  • 2015 Inducted into the College of Ministers and Laity
In addition to her work with the ISB, Khalifa is president of her intercultural consulting firm Khalifa Consulting. Soumaya is also an adjunct faculty member at Emory University’s Center for Continuing Education where she offers courses on intercultural communication and Human Resources Certification. Khalifa serves on Grady Foundation’s Grady Ambassadors, the board of the Concordia Forum, and is a past board member of AIB TV and SIETAR USA.

Board of Directors

Dr. Nabile Safdar, Board Chair

Vice Chair of Informatics, Department of Radiology at Emory University

Dr. Laura Badwan

Pediatrician, East Cobb Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Imam Plemon El Amin

Imam Emeritus of Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam

Mr. Faraz Iqbal

Senior Vice President, Zilliant

Ms. Intisar Rashid

Attorney, Rashid & Associates, P.C.

Mr. Amin Tomeh

Principal at Matrix Engineering Group, Inc.

Dr. Ahmad Hashem

Chief Executive Officer, Boston Biopharma, Inc

Nouha Zaabab, Esq.

Associate Attorney at Jones Day

Mohamed Balla

Chief Financial Officer, City of Atlanta

Advisory Council

Mr. Mohammad Azam

ice President – Corporate Internal Audit, Compliance & Ethics, UPS

Rabbi Peter Berg

Senior Rabbi, The Temple

Mr. Kenny Blank

Executive Director, The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

Mr. Bill Bolling

Founder, Atlanta Food Bank

Mr. Imara Canady

National Director, Communications & Community Engagement, AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Mr. Greg Cole

Executive Director, Emmaus House

Ms. Ann Cramer

Senior Consultant, Cox Curry & Associates

Mr. Curley Dossman

President, Georgia-Pacific Foundation

Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley

Pastor Emeritus, Providence Missionary Baptist Church

Mr. Jason F. Esteves

Vice President of Legal at Equifax, Member of Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education

Ms. Hiba Ghalib, Esq

At Counsel, Kuck Baxter Immigration Law Firm

Mr. David Hoffman

Associate Director, Anti-Defamation League Southeast

Mr. John Horn

Partner, King & Spalding

Mr. Chuck Kuck

Partner, Kuck Baxter Immigration Law Firm

Ms. Michelle Maziar

Leadership in Government Fellow, Open Society Foundations

Ms. Maria Saporta

Weekly Contributor, Atlanta Business Chronicle and Founder/Publisher, SaportaReport.com

Ms. Jill Savitt

President and CEO, National Center for Civil and Human Rights

Mr. Doug Shipman

Atlanta City Council President
Ms. Vanessa Ibarra – Executive Director for The City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of International & Immigrant Affairs

Chief Mark Mitchell

Police Chief, Johns Creek Police Department

Ms. Condace Pressley

Director of Community and Public Affairs WSB-TV

Mr. Kent Alexander

Board Chair, Task Force for Global Health

Staff

Soumaya Khalifa

ISB Founder & Executive Director

Judy Marx

Development Consultant

Sarah Quraishi

Social Media Associate

Amani Elghorouy

Community Outreach Coordinator

Reem Faruqi

Communications Consultant

Mannal Atwa

Bookkeeper