By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – Voters will select up to nine charter commission candidates Nov. 2 from a field of 22 names. Of those, Rami Younes is listed on the ballot, but has since relocated out of the city, and would not be eligible to serve if elected.
Eight women are on the ballot, as are 11 candidates with Arabic surnames, providing a diverse ballot.
The city charter must be reviewed every 10 years by a committee composed of nine elected residents. The charter provides the structure that guides how the city is run.
Those running for the charter commission, excluding Younes, are: Albert Abbas, Hassan F. Abdallah, Gussan Abdulkarim, Richard AlAziz, Elizabeth Bailey, Mark J. Dawdy, Laura Dudgeon, Sharon L. Dulmage, Hussein Hachem, Sam Hamade, Timothy S. Harrison, Cheryl D. Hawkins, Kimberly Ismail, Jamil Khuja, Michael Kuentz, Jim O’Connor, L. Glenn O’Kray, Fatmeh Saad, Mansour Sharha, L. Gail Walls and Jacklin Zeidan.
Each were asked to explain, in approximately 150 words, who they are, and why they are running for the charter commission.
Albert Abbas
Abbas said his vision is expansive and tackles the intricacies of the problems Dearborn faces as a community.
“It includes a plan to explore all options, guaranteeing a transparent, accountable and sustainable city government,” he said. “I am seeking this position to leverage my well-rounded educational and professional background while having the capacity to ensure we create solutions to everyday governance before they can manifest into major problems.”
Abbas said he is not using the charter commission role as a steppingstone to a more appealing role in the city.
“My goal is to make sure that our children can enjoy the same opportunities and amenities that we once enjoyed here in Dearborn,” he said. “We do not need any more career politicians who say all the right things only to advance their political careers while ignoring what is best for our community.”
Hassan F. Abdallah
Abdallah, a community volunteer and activist, graduated from Wayne State University with a bachelor’s degree in economics, and received his law degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He has spent his career working in corporate and government compliance.
Abdallah said he is running for the charter commission because he firmly believes that serving the public in this forum is a service to the future of the city.
“Each and every proposed change will have downstream implications on key city functions such as our taxes, elections, public safety and governance,” he said. “It’s imperative that all commissioners operate with the necessary foresight and long-term vision for all decisions impacting such an important document.”
Abdallah said he is committed to making himself available to all residents to ensure that he is advocating on their behalf.
“I believe I am uniquely positioned to succeed and build a consensus with my fellow commissioners should I be elected,” he said. “I take very seriously the level of work, research, collaboration and impact the commission will require.”
Gussan Abdulkarim
Abdulkarim said he is running for the charter commission to ensure that every resident and neighborhood is represented, respected and invested in equitably.
“The residents should and must be heard,” he said. “I’m not as well-known as many other candidates, but I’m the only one who represents the part of Dearborn that has never had any representation in Dearborn government at all – the South End.”
Abdulkarim said that because of this historical reality, he would like to see a requirement that would mandate that commissioners and boards be comprised of residents who live in all parts of Dearborn.
“I hope to serve the residents to the best of my ability,” he said.
Richard AlAziz
AlAziz said he has been a resident of Dearborn for 26 years, has been married to Zena for the same period, and together they have raised five children, all of whom have graduated from the Dearborn school system. He is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and owns a law firm.
“I currently handle complex real estate transactions, and corporate, healthcare and administrative licensing matters,” he said. “As previous counsel for Wayne County’s Public Services, I drafted and revised policies and ordinances, and advised its many divisions and administration regarding public infrastructure matters.”
AlAziz said that with his children now all attending college, he has found that he has more of an opportunity to increase his civic involvement.
“I want to give back to this wonderful community as a charter commissioner,” he said. “My experiences and knowledge make me the right candidate for the charter commission.”
Elizabeth Bailey
Bailey said civic engagement is a cornerstone to a thriving democracy.
“I am running to create a charter that engages Dearborn’s communities as partners in leadership and governance,” she said. “My vision includes structures that hold public officials accountable and empower constituents to engage with their government.”
Bailey said there are countless lessons, best practices and possibilities to be learned from other communities that could be responsibly applied to Dearborn.
“As a professional researcher, I will seek out the best solutions to support civic engagement in Dearborn,” she said. “Meaningful civic participation requires knowledgeable constituents, and as an educator, I understand the structures required to address this instructional challenge.”
Bailey said charter commissioners must lead with humility and recognize that they cannot predict the future.
“Dearborn deserves a charter that addresses residents’ immediate concerns and creates the flexibility to respond to unexpected circumstances,” she said. “This includes higher standards for representation, outreach, and involvement, and accessible pathways for constituents to have concerns addressed.”
Mark J. Dawdy
Dawdy said he wants to represent the interests of the citizens of Dearborn and keep the city’s services and neighborhoods strong for now and in the future.
“I feel strongly about maintaining our police and fire departments and the services that Dearborn is known for, as well as keeping an open mind regarding our property taxes,” he said. “My goal is to completely review the charter and evaluate all sections, and only make changes that are in the best interest of Dearborn and its citizens, to make Dearborn one of the best places to live in metro Detroit.”
Laura Dudgeon
Dudgeon said she moved to Dearborn about 35 years ago because it was the ideal place to raise her son.
“The schools, pools, parks and museums were attractive, but the people are its biggest asset,” she said.
Dudgeon said she has always been active in the community.
“I have many years of volunteering from the time I was working for AT&T and much more after I retired,” she said. “I am presently on the board of the League of Women Voters for Dearborn/Dearborn Heights, a trustee for the Dearborn Democratic Club, an active member of the NAACP, an AAUW member and a Dearborn Historical Museum member, and was proud to be on the Citizens for Dearborn Schools committee (BRICS – buildings, renovations, infrastructure, capacity and safety).”
Dudgeon said her involvement in the community and interaction with the residents on a daily basis gives her the opportunity to find out what is important to residents.
“I feel I can represent the changes to the charter that would move Dearborn into a sustainable future while protecting its rich heritage,” she said.
Sharon L. Dulmage
Dulmage said she is seeking a position on the charter commission because she believes her experience and background would be an asset to the committee.
“As a resident of Dearborn since 1963, I have been active in the community for years,” she said.
Dulmage served as a trustee for the Dearborn School Board and Henry Ford College for 23 years. She also belongs to the Hines Park Rotary Club, the Elks Club, Goodfellows, the Dearborn Education Foundation and serves as an ambassador for the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce. She also works as a registered nurse for PACE of Southeast Michigan.
“I do not have an ulterior motive for wanting to serve,” she said. “I believe governing rules should be reviewed and revised in order to be in compliance with state and federal laws and to reflect the needs of today’s residents.”
She said some language in the charter is no longer necessary and some should be more clearly defined.
“I promise to listen to the views of others and to respect differing opinions,” she said.
Hussein Hachem
Hachem said he is an active community advocate who has extensive experience in the for-profit and non-profit sectors.
“Through my work in education and communication, I was able to see firsthand the impact that our city government has on our children, families, seniors, first responders and city as a whole,” he said. “I’m running to ensure accessibility, accountability and transparency within our city government.”
Hachem said he will listen to residents’ concerns and amplify their voices on the charter commission.
“I’m running to move Dearborn forward,” he said.
Sam Hamade
Hamade said he is a family man with three children, and an experienced entrepreneurial CEO of multiple businesses, with a demonstrated history of success in the automotive oil and gas industry.
“I have navigated city management at all levels,” he said. “I would bring this strong knowledge of business and operations to the charter commission.”
Hamade said that during the pandemic, he served on the Dearborn Public Schools parent advisory board for the return to classrooms, and on the DPS athletics parent committee to assess safety protocols and guidelines.
“Over the past three years, I have attended several council meetings, and in the most recent city election, I served as an election challenger,” he said. “I have a unique understanding of the complexity of city government operations.”
Hamade said the charter commission requires people with a strong business background to ensure the sustainability of Dearborn’s future.
“Dearborn is rich in historical assets, and is a diverse town, which makes Dearborn so unique,” he said. “I will work alongside my cohorts to ensure Dearborn remains a safe, vibrant community.”
Timothy S. Harrison
Harrison said he is not a politician, and only hopes to serve the community in whatever way he can.
“As a lifelong resident, I am proud to call the city of Dearborn my home,” he said. “When my wife and I started our married life together, there was no question that Dearborn was where we wanted to raise our kids.”
Harrison said when the economic downturn in housing happened in the city, he doubled down on his commitment to the community by getting involved in his neighborhood.
“For the past seven years, I’ve been involved with the Southwestern Outer Drive Neighborhood Association, and have been its president for the last six years,” he said. “I’ve been involved with the Healthy Dearborn Coalition as a member and leader, and helped with Downtown Development Authority projects such as the Bike Share Committee.”
Harrison said his commitment to the community led to his interest in the charter commission.
“If elected, I hope to listen, learn and be a voice of reason where I can,” he said.
Cheryl D. Hawkins
Hawkins recently retired from Schoolcraft College, where she served as vice president and chief academic officer. She and her husband raised their family in Dearborn.
“Presently, I am a member of the Development Centers Inc. board of directors, an agency providing mental health services within Wayne County, where I currently serve as the chair,” she said. “I consider myself a life-long learner, which led me to obtain a doctorate in education.”
Hawkins said she decided to run for the charter commission because she wants Dearborn to continue to grow and succeed as a fiscally sound city.
“I want to be a part of a team that is willing to research and dialogue on sections of the charter and determine what still works for the city and what should be revised,” she said. “It is important to me that the charter is sent to the residents to vote on, and is one the residents understand, see the value of the changes and support what is proposed.”
Kimberly Ismail
Ismail said that as a lifelong resident of Dearborn, she has served the Dearborn community for more than 20 years.
“My entire professional career has been predicated on hard work, beginning with a business career with the Ford Motor Company, and then transitioning to the educational sector, where I now work as a secretary and office manager for the Dearborn Public School District.”
Ismail said she served as the chair of the Dearborn City Beautiful Commission, and in that role connected with local businesses to bring awareness to Dearborn’s beautification.
“My leadership, experience and support of community engagement initiatives qualifies me as a candidate to serve on the commission,” she said. “I am committed, passionate and will uphold the values of the Dearborn charter commission, and hope to be a collective voice for all Dearborn residents.”
Jamil Khuja
Khuja, who moved to Dearborn when he was in middle school, graduated from Dearborn Public Schools and the University of Michigan-Dearborn, before graduating from law school.
“I’m married to a Dearborn Public Schools teacher, and we want our four kids to stay in Dearborn to raise their families just as we did,” he said.
After serving for five years as a prosecutor, in 2013 Khuja started a law firm in Dearborn.
“I hope my legal experience will assist the commission’s goal of improving our charter,” he said. “I want the new charter to facilitate fair representation for everyone, so that we can all be confident in our city government.”
Khuja said he would like to see increased transparency in city government, along with checks and balances.
“I hope to work with other commissioners to improve our city charter and make revisions that will gain the approval of voters at the ballot box,” he said.
Michael Kuentz
Kuentz, who owns Visual Ronin Media Productions, a media and event production company, is also a photographer, video producer and freelance photojournalist.
He is a member of the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber, a board member of the Dearborn Education Foundation and a Scouts BSA leader and merit badge counselor.
“I believe that the most important issue that needs to be addressed should be a consensus of input from residents, which will establish a process that is accessible, inclusive, convenient and educational to enhance resident participation,” Kuentz said.
He said as a member of the charter commission, he would consider all sides of any suggested changes.
“My priority is to represent the citizens and small businesses of Dearborn,” Kuentz said. “There are areas that need to be reviewed and amended in light of recent governmental and business changes within the city.”
He said the charter commission needs to establish a strong and fair balance of power to give the city council the power to monitor city administration, and to provide residents with an adequate layer of transparency.
Jim O’Connor
O’Connor served as the treasurer and finance director for the city of Dearborn before his retirement.
“I have committed a significant amount of my life to the city of Dearborn,” he said. “Through the property value declines of 2008 and challenging economic periods, I helped lead and successfully guide the city financially, and the city maintained a favorable credit rating, fulfilled its financial obligations, maintained core priority services, reinvested in infrastructure and expanded recreational facilities and programming.”
O’Connor said he is running for the charter commissioner to help position the city for the future while maintaining stability.
“It is important to recognize that the process for updating the city charter needs to be transparent, and include input from city officials, the public and businesses,” he said. “It is important keep in mind that Ford Motor Company and related businesses pay a very large amount of property tax.”
O’Connor said he would like city officials to authorize an election that would let resident provide feedback on significant charter issues, which would align charter changes with community preferences.
L. Glenn O’Kray
O’Kray has been active in Dearborn activities since returning 22 years ago to the city of his birth.
“I would like to make Dearborn an even better community by reconsidering the charter,” he said. “I would like to focus on two issues: the preservation of the city’s historic neighborhoods and historic homes, and Dearborn’s taxes.”
O’Kray said the roots of Dearborn’s high taxes can be found in the city’s charter.
“I have met several others who are running for the charter commission,” he said. “I think that everyone I met is of good will and is interested in working as a team.”
O’Kray said one of the realities of being on committees like the charter commission is that the group’s collective wisdom is revealed.
“Typically, everyone brings something to the table, and we will all learn that there are issues that we might not previously have considered,” he said.
Fatmeh Saad
Saad said that as a lifelong Dearborn resident, she is running for the charter commission to give back to the city.
“Nothing would be more rewarding than giving back to this city that has given so much to me, my family and my children,” she said.
Saad said that working with eight other colleagues to revise the city charter in a way that is legally binding and that would address diversity and inclusion in the city would be her top priority.
“Being the constitutional framework of the city of Dearborn, the charter must be representative of all of the people in our city,” she said.
Mansour Sharha
Sharha, a 17-year resident of Dearborn, is a husband, and father to four children.
He studied network engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, and expects to receive his doctorate in December from Capella University.
Sharha is an adjunct professor at Eastern Michigan University, and a senior information technology consultant with Chrysler, Ford and NTT Data Services (formerly Dell).
He is also a Dearborn Public Library commissioner and a technical contributor to the Dearborn Public Schools IT committee.
“I decided to run to be part of this historical change and to build a legacy for years to come,” he said. “As a community servant and advocate, I have experienced and lived the issues that our residents are facing.”
Sharha said he is running for the charter commission to ensure that the city has a charter that can be modeled by neighboring communities.
“I want a charter that is innovative, balanced, addresses the safety and health of our residents and represents our principles and values,” he said.
L. Gail Walls
Walls is a 33-year resident of Dearborn and a retiree of Ford Motor Co’s. Global Purchasing.
She has been the chair and vice chair of the Dearborn traffic commission for more than seven years, a member of the Dearborn Federation of Neighborhood Associations, a Dearborn Hills Civic Association trustee, and a volunteer with both Vista Maria and Friends of the Rouge.
Walls said she will review the city charter from an altruistic position without a specific agenda.
“The charter should ensure a safe community through a stable government focused on a long-term, viable business environment,” she said. “Changes require research and discussion, and should consider potential short-term and long-term effects, and modifications must adhere to state and other government regulations.”
Walls said her business experience includes the negotiation of complex, multi-national contracts, as well as working with global teams to meet new government regulations.
“My experience on the traffic commission demonstrates my ability to listen to residents and work toward the best solution permitted by ordinance,” she said.
Jacklin Zeidan
Zeidan, a 29-year resident of Dearborn, has been active in leadership roles with local Parent Teacher Associations.
“I believe my years of volunteering speaks to my dedication and passion when it comes to the community,” she said. “I have been involved in Dearborn politics for many years because I wanted to make a positive difference.”
In the past, Zeidan has run for the school board, and in 2016, for state representative.
Zeidan said her passion for and understanding of Dearborn, and her desire to see it thrive, motivated her to run for the charter commission.
“The city charter is the driving force that will determine the direction and growth of this great city of ours,” she said. “The most important issue for me is a city charter that is fair and works for all of Dearborn.”
Zeidan said she has spent her life working on collaborative efforts for the greater good.
“I pride myself on entering this process with an open mind and a desired end goal,” she said. “It must work for all the people of Dearborn.”