Yousif Ghafari

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Yousif Ghafari at Wayne State University after induction into the Order of the Engineer, seen wearing a lapel pin with the American and Slovenian flags.
Yousif Ghafari at Wayne State University after induction into the Order of the Engineer, seen wearing a lapel pin with the American and Slovenian flags.

Yousif Boutrous Ghafari (sometimes Youssef B. Ghafari, born September 27, 1952[1]), American businessman of Lebanese birth, owner of Ghafari Associates, and currently the US Ambassador to Slovenia.[2] During the Senate confirmation hearings, Barack Obama called Ghafari "an immigrant who has truly lived the American dream."[3]

Born in Alma El-Chaab, Lebanon, "in a home with no electricity, phone or running water," Ghafari moved to the United States in 1972.[4]

In 2004 and 2005, Ghafari was a public delegate to the United Nations General Assembly.[5]

Wayne State University named one of its residence halls in his honor after he donated $19 million to the school.[6] The school gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on May 3, 2008.[7] He was notified of the degree the same week the Senate confirmed his ambassadorship.[8]

A significant donor to the Republican party,[9] Ghafari is considered one of "the active, vocal and successful Republican leaders of the Michigan Arab-American community."[10]

On May 25, 2008, Ghafari presented his diplomatic credentials to Dimitrij Rupel in Ljubljana. He was received by Slovenian President Danilo Türk on May 29.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ambassador's biography, U. S. Embassy in Slovenia website
  2. ^ Kathleen Gray, "Businessman in line to be U.S. ambassador" Detroit Free Press April 15, 2008
  3. ^ Clive Leviev-Sawyer, "Barack Obama warns on crime and corruption in Bulgaria" SofiaEcho.com, April 9, 2008. Accessed May 5, 2008.
  4. ^ Alex P. Kellogg, "Bloomfield Hills man becomes Slovenia ambassador" Detroit Free Press May 27, 2008.
  5. ^ Kellogg, ibid.
  6. ^ Tom Sakely, "Wayne State names residence hall for benefactor Yousif B. Ghafari", Wayne State University press release, October 25, 2005. Accessed May 3, 2008.
  7. ^ Tom Sakely, "Wayne State University commencement ceremonies set for Saturday, May 3, at Tom Adams Field on campus" Wayne State University press release, April 28, 2008.
  8. ^ Shawn Wright, "Harwell, Ghafari awarded Doctor of Laws degrees," The South End May 7 - 13, 2008, p. 3
  9. ^ Gray (2008), ibid. "Ghafari has been a loyal Republican donor, giving nearly $340,000 almost exclusively to GOP candidates and causes during the last 10 years."
  10. ^ Ismael Ahmed, "Michigan Arab Americans: A Case Study of Electoral and Non-Electoral Empowerment" in American Arabs and Political Participation, Proceedings of a Conference sponsored by the Division of United States Studies, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, May 5, 2006, ed. Phillipa Strum. Accessed May 5, 2008. (2006): 48
Preceded by
Thomas Bolling Robertson		 United States Ambassador to Slovenia