December 29, 2022
As-Salaamu Alaikum. May God’s Peace and Blessings Be Upon You.
As we have known for some time, our beloved Sr. Julia Shearson will be stepping down from her role as the Executive Director of CAIR-Ohio, Cleveland, at the start of the new year. She has served our chapter and our community with dedication and care since the founding of the Cleveland office in 2003. I have been blessed to work with her first as a volunteer and then as a board member and chair of the Board Effectiveness Committee. She has taught me invaluable lessons and skills that I hope to apply in my new role as the incoming interim executive director.
I am grateful to the CAIR-Ohio, Cleveland Board for entrusting me with this honor and for granting me the opportunity to give back to the community I love. My top priority will always be to serve with honesty and integrity.
CAIR’s vision and mission resonate deeply with me. I hope to apply my 22 years of experience in community work to take our efforts to the next level in fulfilling CAIR’s mission. Some of the goals I hope to achieve include increasing our staff, building on the existing services and establishing new programs that reach out to our youth, strengthen ties with our interfaith allies and enhance community engagement, inshaAllah.
In the coming months, inshaAllah, as part of our strategic planning process, I hope to reach out to you to gather input, advice, support and participation. This is important because what you share will help drive our work.
As we venture on this new journey together, I ask for your support and guidance. This is new territory, and I will continue to nurture and grow the seeds Sr. Julia has planted. With much patience and kindness, she has shared her wisdom and taught me many skills that I will cherish forever.
Although I cannot promise perfection, I can promise that Islam will always be my guiding light, inshaAllah. Having the privilege of being a board member and working closely with Sr. Julia, I am aware of the hard work and responsibility this position holds. In this role I will be fulfilling my civic duty as an American and meeting my life’s obligations as a Muslim. This work is an amana from Allah, and to do this job with excellence is an act of worship.
I ask you to make duaa for me and allow for grace as I embark on this new journey.
Sincerely,
Faten Husni Odeh
CAIR-Ohio, Cleveland Board Member, 2019-2022
Chair of the Board Effectiveness Committee