Yousif B. Ghafari, PE, FESD
2011 Recipient

Ambassador Yousif Ghafari is founder and chairman of Ghafari, Inc., a full-service organization of architects, engineers, consultants and staffing specialists headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. Under his direction, Ghafari became a leading global resource for the automotive, aviation, manufacturing, government, and commercial sectors. Ghafari’s projects have earned numerous accolades, including four Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) Construction & Design Awards.

Ambassador Ghafari was born in Lebanon, became a U.S. citizen in 1978, and earned degrees at Wayne State University and Michigan State University. His current affiliations include membership in ESD, Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM) as well as Wayne State University Foundation and Detroit Medical Center Legacy Boards. He has been actively involved with ESD since he was an engineering student.He became an ESD member in 1995 and a Fellow in 2006.

In 2004, Ambassador Ghafari was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Public Delegate Designate at the US Mission to the United Nations for the 59th UN General Assembly, followed by an appointment to the William J. Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in 2005. In 2008, he was again appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as US Ambassador to Slovenia. During his tenure, he worked to further develop investments and trades between the US and Slovenia, to increase opportunities for academic exchange between the two countries and to strengthen overall ties between the US and the European Union.

Ambassador Ghafari was named one of the Top 100 “Executive Heroes” in southeastern Michigan for his many philanthropic activities. He is a member of the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit and Junior Achievement Halls of Fame.