Devon Akmon became the second director of the Arab American National Museum in 2013, succeeding founding director Dr. Anan Ameri, who retired in May 2013. Akmon joined the AANM as Curator of Community History shortly before the AANM opened in 2005 and was promoted to Deputy Director in 2009. Under his aegis, the AANM was named one of just 160 Affiliates of the Smithsonian Institution and achieved accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, a seal of approval earned by just 6% of America’s cultural institutions. Akmon is a graduate of the Michigan Nonprofit Association’s Emerging Leaders Class IX and Leadership Detroit Class XXXIV. In 2013, Akmon was named one of Crain’s Detroit Business magazine’s “40 Under 40” business leaders.
