July 12, 2007 Meeting: Susan Dakak

The July 12th Meeting's speaker will be Susan Dakak and she will update us on her perspectives of Iraq and the progress that is being made.

Susan Dakak

Susan Dakak has more than 23 years of experience in civil engineering. She has served as a technical advisor for sewer rehabilitation projects for municipalities throughout the southeastern United States. By utilizing unique technologies to solve wastewater overflow and stormwater flooding problems, the experience and knowledge earned qualified Mrs. Dakak to participate and present papers in national and regional professional conferences. She has given numerous talks about new methodologies, such as pipe bursting and cured-in-place lining.

Published many articles in local and national technical publications geared specifically toward collection systems improvement trenchlessly. A recipient of many local and national awards such as the 5 S’s award, the Golden Manhole Award, and the Beddel Award.

In January 2004, Mrs. Dakak volunteered to assist her native country, Iraq, with its reconstruction efforts. She spent six months in Iraq investigating the country’s wastewater collection system and helping standardize rehabilitation methods.

Worked hard on implementing the democracy and the role of women in Iraq. Was a vital player in getting resolution 137 revoked and women to hold minimum 25% positions of the new governments of Iraq.

Mrs. Dakak obtains a unique expertise and knowledge in the fields of relationships building and bi-cultural bridging effectively. With strong relations with most Arab Media outlets in the US and abroad helped improve US-Arab relations and understandings of both cultures.

A native of Iraq, an American Citizen, and hold a US secret security clearance enabled Mrs. Dakak to take part in a complex operation geared to help democratize her native country. Mrs. Dakak’s experience expands from small projects such as Cultural Arts Bulletin Boards in Iraq to the Pan Arab Media Engagement Officer for Public Affairs office of the US Central Command headquarters in Tampa, FL. She spent 6 months in Iraq in 2004 and worked with grass roots organizations to help improve and empower Iraq’s civil society. Her work with CPA helped strengthen her position with the Iraqi Governing Council to advocate for women’s rights and form alliances with over 150 Non-Government-Agencies to build a strong advocacy groups for women’s rights. This big, strong, and diversified group was able, because of its alliances, to claim two very major victories for the rights of women, the deletion of resolution 137, and established minimum 25% representations of women throughout the Iraqi government.

Since 2004, she has been interviewed by over 100 media outlets including the Roger Hitchcock show, Rush Limbaugh, and Janet Parshall America. She has given over 200 speeches throughout the country at grass roots organizations discussing her experiences in Iraq and telling the truth about the progress in Iraq. She has also been on Arabic Media several times talking about the successes of Iraq and encourage Iraqi people to prove themselves and talk about their successes.

For more than a year, she facilitated interviews with the Pan Arab media of American soldiers, American officials on the State and defense departments both. Mrs. Dakak has also been working with the Iraqi Assistance Center where ill Iraqi children are being assisted by being sent abroad for medical care. Most of these children need very complicated medical procedures and they are being helped by private American families who are hosting them, American Doctors and Hospitals who are donating their services to these Iraqi children and their families. All of these children and their care givers have been on both the Arabic and English media. The truth about the generosities and good hearted citizens of the US is being told in a very positive and strong voice by all the Iraqis who are in the States. Most recently, she facilitated a press conference for the Co-Chairperson of the Iraqi women Caucus, Congresswoman Kay Granger on Arabic TV’s AlHurra and AlArabya. Ms. Granger came into Iraqi people’s homes through their TV’s to tell the women that she believed in them and she supported them.