Arab American Business & Professional Association

     The Arab American Business & Professional Association named its next president to lead a new era in 2021. Rush Darwish, who has served as a board member since 2014 will take over in January and will succeed ABPA Founder Mr. Talat Othman who founded the organization in 1991. Mr. Darwish becomes only the second president since ABPA was formed.  During ABPA’s Annual Awards event in November, Mr. Othman stated “I thought that it is time to turn over the leadership to young, dynamic, individuals that have served on the board for several years. It is their time as we enter a new era of new challenges and opportunities.”

Darwish is no stranger to community organizing. He has established events that have raised millions of dollars for various charitable organizations worldwide. The former Congressional Candidate also created initiatives to engage young professionals with the ABPA Emerging Leader Program which launched in 2016.  He also recently launched the ABPA Small Business Task Force. The SBTF mission is to serve as a unified voice for all Illinois Arab American Small Businesses when dealing with issues or concerns that pertain to business owners. “The time has come to open the doors to ideas that empower our Arab American Small Business Owners. They are the economic lifeline not only in the Arab-American Community but also the entire state of Illinois” Darwish said.

ABPA is a business organization founded in 1991 that promotes networking opportunities amongst the Arab-American Community, and provides tools and resources to create growth for small business owners and professionals. They strive to serve as the collective voice to advocate for Arab-American Small Business owners through community organizing, media engagement, and government action. Additionally, the Organization presents and promotes programs for a better understanding of the Arab culture, while demonstrating ways to be successful in doing business in the U.S. and abroad. Moreover, ABPA welcomes business delegations from the Middle East and assists affiliated Chambers of Commerce and Business Councils in organizing trade and investment delegations to the region.