Fayrouz Saad is the Executive Director of Global Michigan and a member of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Cabinet. Fayrouz leads economic inclusion programs for immigrant, refugee, limited English proficient, and new American communities. Fayrouz also advises the Governor on federal and state immigration policies; including leading Covid response and vaccine distribution efforts within these communities for the State of Michigan. Prior to this, Fayrouz served as Detroit’s first Director of Immigrant Affairs under Mayor Mike Duggan, where she led efforts to resettle refugees in Detroit, built the Detroit-ID program, and developed a strategy to engage and grow immigrant owned small businesses.

Fayrouz is a Michigan native, but spent five years in Washington D.C., supporting the Obama Administration. Fayrouz was a political appointee at the Department of Homeland Security where she worked to strengthen community policing efforts, helped coordinate DHS’ emergency response to the Deepwater Horizon Crisis, and served as a liaison to Governors and Mayors across the country.

Fayrouz holds a Masters Degree from the Harvard Kennedy school and a Bachelors from the University of Michigan. She currently resides in Michigan with her husband Chris and their son.

Fun fact: Fayrouz’s family’s business is a Halal Meat Market (Saad Wholesale Meats) and my Dad comes from a long line of butchers – but she is a vegetarian!