Terry Ahwal

Terry Ahwal is a native of Palestine who lived under Israeli occupation until 1972, when as a teenager, she was sent to live with her uncles in Detroit.She was born in Ramallah, Palestine, where her mother and maternal grandparents relocated after being forced to leave their home in Yaffa in 1948.She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, as well as certifications in leadership training from Notre Dame University, Michigan Political Leadership Program, and Michigan...See more

Terry Ahwal is a native of Palestine who lived under Israeli occupation until 1972, when as a teenager, she was sent to live with her uncles in Detroit.She was born in Ramallah, Palestine, where her mother and maternal grandparents relocated after being forced to leave their home in Yaffa in 1948.She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, as well as certifications in leadership training from Notre Dame University, Michigan Political Leadership Program, and Michigan Leadership Program. Now retired, she served as the executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. She worked more than fifteen years in Wayne County (Michigan) government, where she rose to be an assistant county executive. She also worked as a Director of Development at Madonna University and Vice President of Development at the Detroit Medical Center. She has broad experience in comprehensive fund development and worked on more than twenty national and local political campaigns, including the Bill Clinton for President campaign. She was a convention delegate for Clinton.Terry has extensive volunteer experiences in the United States and abroad. She is a former president of Habitat of Humanity in Detroit, vice president of the YMCA in Livonia, president of the American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine, and numerous board positions. She volunteers with four nonprofit agencies in the Detroit area.She also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in September 2021. See less