Dr. Haifa Fakhouri is the President and CEO of the Arab American and Chaldean Council (ACC).  A graduate of Wayne State University, Fakhouri came to the United States from her homeland of Jordan in 1968 to pursue her academic goals. After graduating she served as an International Advisor to the U.S. Agency for International Development and the United Nations Development Population (UNDP) on the role and status of women and population policies in the Middle East Region.

Fakhouri's strong leadership and keen vision towards community economic self-sufficiency and the actualization of human potential for newly arrived immigrants became her passion.  Her experience as a sociologist, educator and administrator enabled her to lead a number of supporters to establish ACC, a much-needed human service agency established to meet the growing needs of the community. Over the past 29 years, ACC grew from a single office in downtown Detroit with a $20,000 budget to 39 Outreach Offices with a multi million dollar operating budget in the tri-county area. She has provided a bridge for economic self-sufficiency and the actualization of human potential for the many immigrant populations through her development and implementation of employment and training programs and her huge $36 million development project to revitalize a dilapidated area into a thriving and vibrant neighborhood.

Fakhouri's academic and administrative leadership role has won her posts and appointments on several national, international, state and local boards, advisory boards and various commissions. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, Detroit Institute of Arts, International Women's Leadership Forum, Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government Women's Leadership Board, among others.

Fakhouri is a recipient of several tributes, awards and appointments including the Detroit News 1999 Michiganian of the Year Award, Wayne State University Headliner Award, Who's Who of American Women and Wayne State University Alumni, Winning Ways Award, 2001 Lady of Charity Award by PIME Missionaries, 2002 Humanitarian Award, 2003 Olivet College Award for Leadership and Social Responsibility, the National Association of Women Business Owners "2005 Diversity Champion", recognized by former U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham on the Congressional Record for ACC's leadership and outstanding service to the community, recipient of the National ADC Distinguished Service Award, the 2005 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, she has been inducted into the International Institute's Hall of Fame. She is the author of several unpublished articles and studies on the role and status of  women in Jordan and Arab American and Chaldean communities: A socioeconomic and educational characteristics. Recently, Fakhouri was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame, recognized as one of Crain's Most Influential Women of 2007, and awarded the Michigan Women's Foundation Woman of Achievement and Courage Award.