Washington, D.C, January 12, 2023: We are pleased to announce the addition of two new members to the Board of Directors, Buta Biberaj and Flaka Ismaili.
The Democratic Council of Albanian Americans (DCAA) is a volunteer-led effort founded in 2020. Its mission is to strengthen democracy in the United States by supporting the Albanian American community’s participation in the political process and Democratic candidates for office. The Board of Directors consists of Democrats who are or have been elected officials, political appointees, candidates for offices, donors, legislative staff, and/or community activists.
Biberaj and Ismaili both add considerable experience and passion to DCAA’s work. Biberaj was the founding and managing partner of a law firm from 1993 until 2019. She also served as a Substitute Judge for the 20th Judicial District Court of Virginia. In 2019, Biberaj was elected to serve as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Loudoun County. She is one of a few Albanians ever elected to office in the United States.
“It is a privilege and honor to join the Democratic Council of Albanian Americans,” said Buta Biberaj. “DCAA exemplifies our commitment to American Democracy. We embrace our culture and our experiences as Albanians in America to forge strong, safe, and stable communities.”
Ismaili is a nonprofit professional and community activist. Flaka spent five years in the United States Senate working as legislative aide covering issues related to global health, education, and healthcare, among others. She is currently senior program officer at a Washington, D.C. think tank.
“It is a privilege to join the DCAA and serve alongside an impressive group of activists and leaders,” said Flaka Ismaili. “I am particularly excited to engage with members of our community and help harness the power of the next-generation of Albanian-American leaders who will amplify our community’s voices in democratic decision-making processes.”
Since its founding, DCAA has actively promoted the candidacies of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Gretchen Whitmer, Elise Slotkin, and Vedat Gashi (who is a DCAA director). DCAA has also held community discussions with candidates and hosted a forum on careers in advocacy and nonprofit organizations.
“We are very excited about adding Buta and Flaka to the Board,” said Board Chair Ilir Zherka. “We also thank Dona Brady for helping to found DCAA and for serving as a Director. We continue to be proud that women make up most of our Board. We look forward to continuing our support of Democratic candidates for office and to encouraging the active participation of our community in the political and policy-making process.”