Universal Leadership
Abdur-Rahim Islam
President &Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Islam, born in April 1957, was raised in the Tioga Section of North Philadelphia and attended Cleveland Elementary School, Gillespie Jr. High and Gratz High School.
Mr. Islam, a graduate of LaSalle University with a dual degree in accounting and finance, is an accomplished accountant and financial analyst with vast experience in business and economics. Mr. Islam’s educational background also includes specialty areas of tax accounting, oil refining, investment banking, marine transportation, community development and real estate development. In 1993, Mr. Islam successfully completed the Pennsylvania Certified Public Accounting exam and also holds a Pennsylvania Real Estate License. Professionally, Mr. Islam has more than 20 years experience in both marine and inland transportation, accounting and financial reporting and analysis, working with Sun Oil Company for approximately 17 years.
Mr. Islam is a founding member of Universal Companies and all of its subsidiaries, including Universal Community Homes, Universal Real Estate Development, Universal Institute Charter School, Universal Retail Companies, Universal Education Management Company to name a few, which has been a major influence in the revitalization efforts currently underway in South Philadelphia by Mr. Kenneth Gamble and has served as its President and CEO of Universal Companies since it’s inception in 1993.
Under his direct leadership, Universal Companies has grown to exceed more than $15 million of real estate development annually with a staff of more than 150 professionals with a wide range of skills and expertise in diverse and specialty areas of real estate and community development.
In addition to becoming the one of the largest developers of affordable housing in the city of Philadelphia, Universal Companies has the distinct honor of being the largest community-based, private manager of public schools in the country providing education services to more than 1,500 children.
Universal Companies other activities include real estate development, construction, property management, vocational skill training, adult basic education, job preparation and placement, career one stop, case management, technology networking and management, business training, business service technical assistance, business office support, and capital lending.
Mr. Islam has been at the forefront of resolving some of the community and social issues facing Philadelphians beginning in 1990 and he currently works directly with a number of organizations in the areas of childcare, youth and recreation programs, drug and alcohol prevention, faith base efforts, block associations, political activity, and k-12 education.
Mr. Islam also serves on numerous boards and civic organizations including Small Business Support Center, Center City District, First Union Regional Advisory Council, South Philadelphia Coalition, Point Breeze Collaborative, African American Chamber of Commerce, Local Initiative Support Corporation Advisory Council, and the Governor’s Task Force on early Childhood Care and Education to name a few.
Mr. Islam is married to Renee Islam and has nine children: Luqman, Muhammad, Saudia, Aminah, Medinah, Mecca, Khalid, Mumim, and Raheem.
Shahied Dawan
Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Dawan is a native of Philadelphia PA. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Accounting from Drexel University in 1982 that included performing a year of cooperative work. After graduation, Mr. Dawan began a career with U.S. General Accounting Office as an auditor performing audit assignments involving accounts receivables/payables, procurement contracts, asset valuation, automated data processing systems, loan loss reserve accounting and internal controls by developing audit plans, performing field work and preparing reports. In January 1985 he was admitted into the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
In 1989, Mr. Dawan was promoted to become the first African American Regional Assignment Manager for the Financial and Accounting Management Division in the Philadelphia region. As a regional assignment manager, his responsibilities included being a liaison with management in Washington, DC and 14 regions for the effective administration and implementation of audits and financial systems reviews, concurrently managing up to four audits with teams of two to six people and the related budgets, being a Campus Recruiter for accountants and being an Instructor/Trainer for audit standards and financial management issues. Mr. Dawan’s work involved accounting, financial auditing and program evaluations of multi million dollar transactions, projects and programs of public and private entities.
In 1994, Mr. Dawan brought his professional skills and experiences to the community development world when Philadelphia’s music legend, Mr. Kenny Gamble asked him to be a founding executive at Universal Companies to help build Universal’s capacity. Mr. Dawan reports directly to the board and CEO and helped to create and operate Universal Community Homes as a successful community development corporation that has produced over 500 units of rental and for sale housing, created Universal Institute Charter School with a student body of 625 children, created Universal Education Management Company that manages public schools, Universal Retail Company, an economic development company and Universal Workforce Development, a social services and workforce provider.
As the Chief Financial Officer, he manages a staff of accountants and is responsible for the overall financial management of Universal Companies including accounting systems, contract management, compliance management and audits. As Chief Operating Officer, he is responsible for managing the overall operations of Universal Companies with all executive vice presidents, vice presidents and managers reporting to him on day to day operations. As COO, he has been the main developer of real estate projects for Universal and has managed over $100 million in development.
Mr. Dawan has coupled his business career with a life long commitment to community service through his volunteer work with religious and civic organizations and he is a member of several boards. He is a professional member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants and National Association of Black Accountants.
Lauryn Douthit
VP of Education & Academic Planning
Lauryn Douthit has been a curriculum specialist, instructional leader, and staff developer for over thirty years, specializing in teacher training and curriculum development. A native New Yorker, Ms. Douthit completed her undergraduate studies at Cheyney State University and graduate studies at the University of Southern Mississippi. Subsequent studies were completed at Temple University, Marywood College, St. Joseph’s University and Radcliffe College in Massachusetts. A former educational consultant with Nystrom Company, a national geography and social studies company, Lauryn worked as teacher and curriculum specialist in the Philadelphia School District in the Division of Social Studies specializing in Intercultural Studies and African and Afro-American Studies. Ms. Douthit made significant contributions toward development of the Academic Standards, School To Career Curriculum and Staff Development Division. Her project/problem based curriculum initiatives have been featured in national and local media and professional journals. As education reform prospered in Philadelphia, she was commissioned by Universal Companies in 1998 to develop a School To Career curriculum framework for Universal Institute Charter School. (UICS) Moreover, as the chief architect of the charter school’s mission, curriculum, operations and staff development, Ms. Douthit was additionally successful in generating over five hundred thousand dollars for after school tutorial and cultural programs.
Currently, as the Vice President of Education for Universal Companies’ Education Division, Ms. Douthit oversees the service contract with the Philadelphia School District for two additional Universal schools in South Philadelphia that include E.M Stanton Elementary School and Edwin Vare Middle School. In collaboration with school staffs, Lauryn helps to promote continuous school improvement and program enhancements whereby Stanton School has achieved over the past six years significant growth in proficient and advanced levels of student performance on Pennsylvania state assessments while Vare School experienced dramatic decreases in below basic populations.
As a result of Ms. Douthit’s collaborative approach to leadership, Universal’s education division has developed a diverse array of teaching and learning tools and educational resources in literacy, standardized homework, school safety, fund development, test preparation, staff development, cultural awareness, project-based learning, enrichment programs and program expansions. For example, in 2009, Universal’s Education Plan was broadened to address non-academic barriers of learning for students at risk.
To this end, a Parent Resource Center was recently launched in October, 2009 at Vare Middle School to service students, and their families with social service supports. An alliance of community and neighborhood organizations in partnership with Universal’s Education Division are working together to provide on site school based service and direct linkages to parents, families and children. One such initiative designed by Ms. Douthit, “Universal, We Care, “ a youth mentorship program has attracted significant school and community interest as a means to embrace students who are in need of role models, character development and a sense of direction for success in school and everyday life. Life long honors for the former Ms. Liberty Belle for the city of Philadelphia include the Radcliffe Scholarship In Publishing, Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, Outstanding Young Women of America, and United Muslim Movement awards.
Keith Mackey
Vice Principal
Keith Mackey, Vice Principal/School Academic Officer. Mr. Mackey holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science with a Minor in Mathematics and Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University located in Greensboro North Carolina. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Eastern University plus a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Wilmington University. He has over 20 years of experience teaching and working in the urban setting as a teacher and Administrator for grades K-12.
Universal Companies
800 South 15th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
Tel : (215) 732-6518
Fax : (215) 732-6519
info@universalcompanies.org