Company: Family Development Foundation, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Company Description: FDF is a leading entity in the social development across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE. It is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak (Supreme Chairperson of FDF, Chairperson of UAE Women’s General Union, & Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood & Childhood). FDF has been honored on regional & local levels for its contribution towards women, child, and family development.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Employee of the Year - Government or Non-Profit

Nomination Title: Jamila Suliman Khanji

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated employee since the beginning of July last year (up to 525 words):

Introduction

Since last July, Jamila was actively & effectively acting & producing as an individual or within a team at FDF (Family Development Foundation, UAE). She managed to complete all the requirements to issue FDF’s 2nd sustainability report, both in Arabic & English. She also presented many & various papers, lectures, & workshops in international & regional events, in addition to providing several internal & external media contributions.

Counseling

Jamila holds a PhD in neurolinguistics & learning strategies (2000). She is a well-known trainer, lecturer, & designer of academic programs & projects at universities & specialized training centers. Last year, she conducted many counseling sessions in Abu Dhabi, where cases covered divers topics like marriage, education, & psychological health. For example, in only one counseling session, Jamila helped a married couple with three kids, facing marriage issues due to cultural misunderstandings, to overcome all difficulties & resume their normal life. In another case, Jamila helped to turn the academic performance of a student from under- to good-performance, by just eliminating the variations in learning techniques between home & school.

Sustainability

Jamila is the head of the sustainability team at FDF, which consists of eleven employees, since 2010. She managed to lead her team in a systematic way, which led FDF to become a leading institution in the development of sustainability. In late 2012, Jamila conducted a full assessment of FDF's maturity regarding sustainability. She managed to prepare an 'A-Level GRI-Checked" sustainability report, which showed a great improvement compared to the previous one (B-Level). Jamila conducted many panel presentations, workshops, & seminars to raise sustainability awareness & understanding within the organization & in the community on topics directly related to definitions, issues, GRI reporting system, & challenges. Furthermore, she produced two pages on sustainability issues & themes in FDF's monthly newsletter.

Volunteer & Social Work

Jamila participated in a working group as the head of the English Drafting Committee that is responsible to prepare the UN Millennium Development Report, which was announced in November, 2012. She is currently a member in a nationwide committee that is responsible for developing motherhood & childhood strategy. Moreover, she led the team of policy & integration at Zayed Humanitarian Association for Special Needs in Abu Dhabi to benchmark with other international best practices. Moreover, Jamila strives to be an active volunteer & social worker so as to inspire FDF's female employees, who accounts for (79%) of the total workforce. She was an active member at the UAE’s ‘Sports for All’ committee for 4 years, where she raised the awareness & the importance to adopt sports as a healthy lifestyle.

Events & Conferences

Jamila participated in a panel discussion with delegates from Arab Gulf countries in the GRI Global Conference on Sustainability & Reporting (Netherlands, Amsterdam, May 2013). She also conducted several lectures at the Crown Prince's Court in Abu Dhabi, where topics included mental abilities, basics of brain science, self-development, sustainability, & the values of moral intelligence (Jan - April 2013). Furthermore, Jamila is a key note speaker in many regional & local conferences, such as the World in Family Conference, Community Police Forum, & the International Arab Children Congress.

Provide a brief biography of the nominated employee (up to 125 words):

Jamila holds a PhD in neurolinguistics & learning strategies (2000). She also holds multiple degrees in other human sciences, & acts as a researcher for FDF & many UK & US universities. Jamila is the national coordinator for UNESCO affiliated schools, & also the head of studies & research at the national committee for education, culture, & science. Jamila is a member in the Women's Union, Hamdan Bin Rashid Award for the Gifted, & the research team at St. John's University in New York. She is a well-known trainer, lecturer, & designer of academic programs & projects at universities & specialized training centers. Jamila was honored many awards, such as Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Teacher Award (2005) & Sheikh Rashid Award for Scientific Research (2000).