The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) is pleased to announce our first Top Muslim Achiever of 2017, Dr. Dilara Sayeed. She will be recognized at our 25th Anniversary Dinner on Saturday, November 4 at Shalimar Banquets in Addison, Illinois.
From the moment Dilara Sayeed graduated from Headstart preschool for low-income children, she understood the value of access to education and resources. Dilara’s family immigrated from India in the 1970s. She is a product of the Chicago Public Schools and the Muslim Community Center, one of the first mosques in Chicago. Dilara believes the only way to be part of the fabric of our great nation is to work and serve in our communities. She is as an educator, community activist, and civic leader.
Dilara has served as a 5th and 8th grade teacher and administrator for over a decade at public and faith-based schools, a developer of innovative professional learning programs, and a Lecturer at Harvard, Benedictine, and Northwestern Universities. She has advocated for our most vulnerable youth by working with the Children’s Defense Fund to disrupt cradle to prison pipelines. Most recently, as Chief Education Officer at The Golden Apple Foundation, Dilara led her team in developing hundreds of educators to serve at schools-of-need across Illinois.
Dilara is Founder of vPeer.com, a tech start-up that makes mentoring accessible to professionals across the globe to improve their practice and change their career trajectory.
Taking her public service to the next level, Dilara recently announced her candidacy for Illinois State Representative of the 5th District. She believes it is time for all voices to be at the table to develop laws that protect our American values of justice, equality, and diversity. Congressman Keith Ellison has said, “We need relentless legislators who will fight for key issues. Step into this with Dilara. You are rolling with the right person.”
Dilara has been an active member of mosques and community service organizations. She was one of the founders of the Mohammed Webb Foundation, a community organization at the forefront of developing our American Muslim identity through faith and service.
Dilara has a doctorate from Harvard University and master’s degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She and her husband, Dr. Yousuf Sayeed, live in Chicago. They have raised three children who are the third generation of Sayeeds in this great nation.
Join us in celebrating the achievements of Dilara Sayeed at our 25th Anniversary Dinner: RSVP online or call our office at 312-506-0070.