Maha Freij, ACCESS President and CEO, has been chosen by the El-Hibri Foundation to receive the 2022 Community Builder Award in recognition of her many years of leadership and service. The prestigious Community Builder Award recognizes Freij’s accomplishments in establishing and supporting influential institutions and promoting inclusivity, collaboration and coalition building. She will be presented with the award at the annual El Hibri Peace Awards ceremony on October 29, held this year at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
“Maha is an incredible community builder who has brought both passion and purpose to building and scaling a transformational institution,” said Farhan Latif, president of the El Hibri Foundation. “She is a friend and mentor to so many, including myself, and it is an honor to be recognizing her for her long term commitment and service to our communities.”
Freij has been a tireless fighter for inclusion and has served ACCESS for more than 30 years. Under her innovative leadership, ACCESS has successfully raised tens of millions of dollars for endowment building and numerous brick-and-mortar projects, including the first ever Arab American National Museum in the United States. Freij has also been a key leader in growing ACCESS from its roots as a regional human services organization to what it is today — a community builder nationwide.
The El-Hibri Foundation Peace Awards are presented annually to outstanding leaders across the nation for their vision and accomplishments in building a more inclusive American social fabric
