Mukhtar Muhammad served as Executive Director for the Community Wide Shuraa Conference (CWSC) from 2015-2020 and former assistant to CWSC’s first Executive Director, the late Thomas Abdul Salaam (R). He also served as CWSC’s first Corporate Secretary and Director for Strategic Planning & Development. He was unanimously nominated by CWSC volunteers and leaders across the nation and appointed by its board to serve as executive director for the Conference on March 18, 2015. He was honored with the title Executive Director Emeritus post tenure in 2020.

He brings a wealth of executive leadership experience to CWSC having served in strategic planning, complex project management and systems design and implementation with cross industry experience in business, government, civic and entrepreneurial operating environments. He has held personal signature accountability for $2 billion+ for U.S. government funds.

He has served at the highest levels of national leadership for his religious association as the youngest leader appointed by the late Imam Dr. W. Deen Mohammed (R) to the former Islamic Affairs Council; he served on the National Steering Committee for his community’s first national intelligentsia effort. He has served locally and regionally as convener masjlis ashuraa, chief of staff, aide to several religious leaders, Muslim Student Association president and member of the strategic planning committee and electoral board for the Islamic Center of Orange Park, Florida.

Mukhtar has advised institutions throughout the nation. A change agent adept at identifying and exploiting opportunities and implementing for results, he is author of Genesis of New American Leadership: Building the Community Life (the book and blog) and a nationally recognized consultant on organization design, leadership and management.

The former enlisted and commissioned naval “mustang” officer is a principal at and vice president for national retailer FAMACO Publishers, LLC and http://www.famacopublishers.com. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in four business concentrations including systems management, marketing, business management and human resources development from The Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina and Webster University.

Mukhtar is a third generation American Muslim leader, a proud alumnus of Muhammad University Philadelphia—forerunner of Clara Mohammed School. Among his awards and citations are the National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service, Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Battle E, and two Navy Achievement Medals; the MAS Southern Region Pioneers Leadership Excellence Award presented by the late Imam Bilal “the General” Muhammad and the General Dynamics’ Outstanding Achievement award. During his military career, Mukhtar performed duties aboard the USS Iowa, USS O’Bannon, SSN Batfish and USS Jesse L. Brown; and at RTC Orlando, Fleet Combat Training Center, Damneck, Service School Command San Diego, Navy Exchange Service Center and Naval Air Reserve, NAS Jacksonville. His responsibilities took him around the U.S. and the world including Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Africa. He was blessed to perform the Hajj in 2001.

Mukhtar’s leadership milestones also include leading the call and strategy session for the emergency assembly of the Islamic Affairs Council to address 911 terrorism and other national leadership concerns. He was part of a U.S. State Department initiative to meet with provincial governors and other leaders from Afghanistan to address democracy, diversity, and Islam in America. He has served as Islamic representative at the United Methodist Church’s annual national workshop on interfaith cooperation and represented Muslim Journal at the grand opening of the Muhammad Ali Museum and Education Center, producing an acclaimed series of essays on the Life of Muhammad Ali and his dawah impact. He co-founded the national Words Make People Scholarship and formerly chaired its national scholarship committee. He led FAMACO’s design team in producing the critically acclaimed international publication Remaking Our World: Tribute to the Leadership of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.

Mukhtar resides in Jacksonville, Florida with his wife of 30 years, Darlene and daughter Maya Ismaela.

From the Executive Director A Special Message.