The FBI’s Washington Field Office is pleased to announce Cidalia Luis-Akbar as a recipient of the 2014 Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). Ms. Luis-Akbar, an entrepreneur and youth advocate, was selected for having demonstrated outstanding contributions to her community through service.

The Director’s Community Leadership Award was formally created in 1990 as a way to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence in America. Recipients of this award are nominated by each of the FBI’s 56 field offices and are recognized for their service above and beyond the call of duty to help keep America and its residents safe.

Cidalia Luis-Akbar is the chairman and chief executive officer of the M. Luis Construction Company Inc., a road manufacturing and construction company. Ms. Luis-Akbar engagement with the FBI began in 2012 when she participated in the Washington Field Office’s (WFO) 18th Citizen’s Academy. Cidalia currently serves on the Board of Directions the WFO Citizens Academy Alumni Association (CAAA) which directly supports outreach programs geared towards youth including the FBI’s Adopt-a-School Junior Special Agent and mentoring programs. These programs work to serve approximately 350 youth annually at six regional middle schools in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Ms. Luis-Akbar works to impact her community by providing leadership to a variety of organizations that directly impact the community. Ms. Luis-Akbar serves as Vice President of the Ayenda Foundation, a Washington, D.C. based organization that supports the U.S. Afghan Women’s Council projects that enhance the welfare, education, health of Afghan children. Ms. Luis-Akbar also serves on the boards of the Portuguese Heritage Scholarship Foundation; Innocents at Risk, a 501 (c) 3 that protects against human trafficking; the Children’s’ National Medical Center; and the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Through these roles, Ms. Luis Akbar provide strategic leadership which significantly impacts communities in the Washington, D.C., region, and the around the world.

On May 1, 2015, Ms. Luis-Akbar attended a ceremony at FBI Headquarters where she, along with recipients from across the country, was presented with the award by FBI Director James B. Comey.

Additional information about the Director’s Community Leadership Awards can be found at: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/partnerships_and_outreach/community_outreach/dcla.