On Saturday, September 20, the Atlanta Marriott Marquis ballroom buzzed with excitement as hundreds gathered for the 2025 ISB Gala, a celebration dedicated to faith, friendship, and community unity in Atlanta.
Hosted by the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta (ISB), the event marked nearly 25 years of efforts aimed at fostering dialogue among diverse religious and cultural groups.
Emcee Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur, Principal and Founder of SCC Advisors, opened the evening with a powerful message about the importance of connection and joy in community leadership.
“Tonight is about connection. It’s about joy. It’s about honoring the power of leadership in our city,” Abdul-Ghafur stated.
Expressing appreciation for ISB’s long-standing contributions to Atlanta, Mayor Andre Dickens, in a pre-recorded message, referred to ISB as an essential partner in promoting diversity and inclusion.
“For years, ISB Atlanta has partnered with the mayor’s office to host the Eid and Ramadan celebrations at City Hall,” Dickens noted.
He added, “These events reflect our city’s commitment to diversity and inclusion… Thank you for your partnership and for the incredible impact you make in our community.”
The evening culminated in the presentation of ISB’s Distinguished Leadership Award to Chris Womack, Chairman, President, and CEO of Southern Company.
In his acceptance speech, Womack expressed pride and a profound sense of responsibility in receiving the honor from an organization he deeply admires.
“You have built bridges, real bridges, transformative bridges. You connect people who otherwise might not have been connected or have never crossed paths…” he conveyed.
Womack emphasized the importance of understanding different perspectives as integral to bridge-building.
“To build a bridge requires direction — requires the path from one place to another,” he said.
He urged the audience to continue fostering connections and understanding amongst each other, especially in a world often marked by division.
The mission of ISB has remained steadfast since its establishment in August 2001, just weeks before the September 11 attacks.
Soumaya Khalifa, who co-founded ISB along with a group of Muslim professionals, reflected on the organization’s early challenges.
“We created this organization… and 9/11 hit us,” Khalifa recalled, detailing the board’s decisive commitment to move forward despite the difficult climate.
“It was a tough time… but we wanted to share our stories with our fellow Atlantans,
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