Suzanne Akhras, Founder & Co-Executive Director

Suzanne founded SCN in 2015 to bring awareness and support for Syrian refugees who were being resettled in the United States. She is educated in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Lewis University and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Prior to SCN, Suzanne worked for several community-based organizations and raised funds for causes in Chicago and her homeland of Syria. She now serves on multiple boards and continues to be active in her passions for community service, advocacy, and human rights. She received humanitarian awards from UNICEF Chicago and Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugee Rights in 2017 and was inducted to the Moraine Valley Community College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2020 for her work with SCN.

suzanne@syriancommunitynetwork.org