Executive Director Corner
SALAM is Moving to the Next Level
— On February 24, 2022, we will celebrate SALAM’s 35th Anniversary 🎉 —
From its beginning in 1987, SALAM managed its affairs by a Board of Trustees of three officers: President, Secretary, and Treasurer (minimum required by the State). I served as an Executive Director who the By-Laws gave me the power to manage and protect SALAM. An Advisory Council was selected by the Board and the Executive Director to recruit the officers of the Board from those in the community with needed expertise and status and to provide oversight over the management. Everyone was welcome to come to SALAM’s wide-open doors, and thus there was no need for members.
After completing Phase II in February 2002, SALAM decided to expand its management and institute members. It increased the Board to 9 Trustees who were charged with managing SALAM. Under the newly expanded management, everyone reports to the Board whose trustees are elected by the members.
Having a well-established Islamic Center for a long time has led to some stagnation because of lack of rejuvenation and following the adage “Why rock the boat!”. With the multi-task lives we are facing, members of the Management Team just continued doing what others have done before them!
The current By-Laws require each Chairperson “to pick up a theme or key goal for his/her year in office that will be measured at the end of each year”. The current Chairperson, Br. Omar MoheyEldin, who served in the same position 14 years ago when SALAM was building Phase III, sensed such stagnation. He has been trying to move SALAM to the next level by focusing his goal on management efficiency. He engaged the Board in a revitalization project through several new steps:
- Realignment of committees to various Directors who now report on committee activities.
- Making the Executive Director the CEO of SALAM with the responsibility of managing SALAM together with the Directors and Office Manager.
- Recruiting a new Executive Director and Associate Imam.
The first two have been implemented on a trial basis. The third step is underway by interviewing candidates for the two positions.
I believe the Chairperson is making good progress in invigorating SALAM’s Management and achieving the goal he and his Trustees have set for themselves.
With God’s Guidance and Blessings,
Metwalli Amer
