William White is an educator with 10+ years of experience working in K-12 private and international schools as well as the university level.
He holds multiple graduate degrees including a Master of Education in Educational Administration. William regularly serves as an accreditation team member and certified lead evaluator for organizations such as COGNIA and CISNA. As a CISNA board member, William regularly assists and advises schools leaders and youth throughout the United States and abroad as a Certified Master in the Leadership Challenge and trained non-profit board consultant. Together with his wife and family, he enjoys traveling throughout the U.S. and world. As a result of his world travels and living experiences throughout Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, William is fluent in Spanish and Arabic.
Farea Khan has been in the field of education for over 15 years, primarily in Islamic schools. She began teaching at the lower elementary school level, then moved into teaching ELA to middle school, and now works in administration.
Farah is Principal for Everest Academy- a full-time, private, Islamic School in Texas. Under her leadership, the school received Accreditation with Exemplary Distinction on most Accreditation Standards from SACS/CASI/ AdvancED in the third year of its inception; and school enrollment has grown from 5 to 440 with a waiting list for most classrooms.
Farah Naz has two bachelor’s and two M.Ed. degrees from overseas and US, a Montessori certificate, and Post Graduate Certification in Advanced Professional Studies from UK. Farah has several educator certifications from the Texas Education Agency which include 3 Teaching Licenses along with certifications in Instructional Leadership and Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS). During her ~25 years of experience, Farah Naz has served as Teacher, Leader, Mentor, Trainer, and Consultant for numerous organizations and presented at several nationwide Educational Conferences.
Azra Naqvi earned her Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Argosy University in 2013 and is currently completing her Doctor of Arts in Educational Leadership from National Louis University.
She is the Principal and founding board member of Hadi School of Excellence in Schaumburg, Illinois. Azra is a member of the Teacher Preparation Advisory Board, at the National College of Education, National Louis University. She is also a member of The Principal Center and a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development – (ASCD).
Reem currently serves as principal at Annoor Academy of Knoxville, a school that serves over 200 students from preschool through 12th grade. She has served on her school accreditation team in 2018 and again in 2023. She has also served as an accreditor for Cognia and CISNA since 2022.
Reem holds a Masters of Public Administration as well as an Educational Specialist degree, with a concentration in management and leadership. Her professional interests include improving operational effectiveness to support students and teachers, increasing resolution velocity, developing and growing in-house talent, simplifying and streamlining decision-making, and getting out of teachers’ way so they can do the great work they do. In addition to her work at Annoor, Reem is a founding and current board member of Tayseer Seminary and a former board member of the Muslim Community of Knoxville. She has served on the CISNA Board as a board member since 2021.
Ziad Abdulla obtained a bachelor’s degree in Jurisprudence, Legislation and Guidance of Islam and a Diploma in Education Rehabilitation from the University of Jordan.
In 1999, he received his Master’s in Islamic Education with a Valedictorian Award from Al-Albayt University, Jordan. Ziad began his teaching career as an Arabic and Islamic Studies teacher for both middle and high school levels. After teaching for eight years he moved to the United States and continued teaching Arabic and Islamic Studies for both middle and high school levels. After seven years of teaching in North Carolina, he moved to Dallas where he attained a career in administration in IANT Quranic Academy. In addition, Ziad was an Arabic professor at Richland College, lecturer of Arabic and Islamic sciences at Suffa Islamic Seminary, and a member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). He taught at a private school in Doha, Qatar for one year and is now the principal at The Huda Academy.
Sr. Eman Elkholy is an educator and school leader with nearly 20 years of experience in education. She is currently in her seventh year as Head of School at Universal Academy of Florida, where she leads with purpose, sincerity, and a commitment to faith-centered excellence.
An AlMaghrib Institute student for over ten years, Sr. Eman holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Rutgers University with state licensure in Education, as well as a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. She taught middle and high school English before serving as Vice Principal, supporting teachers, students, and families in creating nurturing, high-expectation learning environments. Her experience spans the East and Central coasts, where she contributed to curriculum that integrates Islamic values, English instruction, and Tarbiyah. Sr. Eman has served on accreditation visiting teams for schools across Nashville, New Jersey, and Florida, and has led multiple accreditation processes at Universal Academy of Florida, including Cognia, CISNA, FCIS, Cognia STEM, and Early Childhood accreditations. She considers education her calling and is deeply committed to serving youth and developing confident, grounded young Muslims. Outside of school, Sr. Eman is a proud mother of four and a former wedding cake chef, who enjoys family time and building meaningful community connections.
Dr. Iram Shaikh-Jilani is an experienced educational leader with over 25 years in K-12 education, specializing in curriculum design, school leadership, and accreditation within faith-based and diverse learning communities.
She currently serves as Principal of Good Tree Academy in Plano, Texas, a dual-accredited Islamic school committed to academic excellence and holistic student development. She has earned her Doctorate degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Northeastern University and served as an auditor/accreditation team member for several IB, CISNA, & Cognia visits. Dr. Shaikh holds a Superintendent Certification from the TEA, a EdD in Curriculum and Instruction from Northeastern University. Dr. Shaikh-Jilani has served as an evaluator with Cognia and has contributed to the development and writing of CISNA accreditation standards, bringing a strong systems-level and research-informed perspective to school improvement. Her leadership experience spans both U.S. and international contexts, including curriculum leadership in Abu Dhabi. She is deeply committed to strengthening Islamic education through collaboration, governance support, and community engagement, with a focus on ensuring graduates are academically prepared, grounded in Islamic identity, and equipped to contribute meaningfully to society.
Sufia Azmat is the Executive Director of CISNA. She has served the Islamic education community for over 30 years as a teacher, school leader, leadership coach, and education consultant.
Her administrative experiences include serving as an English Department Chair, a Middle School Division Head, a Principal and as the Head of School at K-12 Islamic schools. Ms. Azmat has served on accreditation teams for schools (Islamic as well as non-Islamic) throughout the world. She is an education consultant whose workshops include Bullying Prevention, Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Leadership Development, and Positive School Climate. Ms. Azmat is on the Advisory Board of Fons Vitae Ghazali Children’s Project, on the Board of WISER (Weekend Islamic Schools Educational Resources), and on the Board of Trustees of E3 (Excellent Education for Everyone), a research and policy not-for-profit with the mission of improving K-12 education. Ms. Azmat earned her Master’s in Islamic Education and Leadership from Bayan Islamic Graduate School. Her thesis is titled “Assessing Success in US Islamic Schools-Aligning Mission Statements and Institutional Practices”. Ms. Azmat has completed the BoardSource Certificate of Nonprofit Board Consulting and has facilitated Mission Reviews and Strategic Planning for Islamic Schools and Islamic Center Governance Boards.
Ms. Azmat has been a speaker at national and International conferences including the International Congress on Islamic Education in Istanbul, Turkey and participated on an education panel at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Canada. As the Secretary of the Board of the Global Association of Islamic Schools, she is committed to the improvement of Islamic schools throughout the world.
Rabia Mahmood received her Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of California-Davis.
She has been working in an administrative capacity to help and serve her community. Rabia comes from a background of working with children and young adults, both professionally and as a volunteer. Rabia enjoys writing and creating art in her free time.
CISNA Board Members are elected for 4-year terms by member schools. Board Members may serve for two terms and must be off the Board for one year before becoming eligible for re-election. Board Members are responsible for CISNA sustainability and ensuring CISNA’s fidelity to its Mission & Vision.
Every Islamic school student has equitable access to high quality education within an Islamic framework.
CISNA advocates for Islamic schools, provides accreditation services, professional development, and resources to ensure institutional effectiveness that leads to student success.