Akram Elias, an American citizen of Lebanese origin, has been a resident of the Washington, DC area since 1982. He and his wife Lourdes live in College Park, Maryland. Elias is the co-founder and President of Capital Communications Group, Inc. (“CCG”) an international consulting firm offering a variety of services to government and private clients in the areas of public diplomacy, cultural intelligence, strategic language services, communication strategies, and orientations to Washington, DC. Elias wrote the original treatment for a documentary by the History Channel entitled, “Mr. Dreyfuss Goes to Washington” and co-produced it with Academy Awards winner Richard Dreyfuss in 2001, and has since appeared in numerous documentaries produced for the History Channel, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the Public Broadcasting System. Mr. Elias is currently finishing writing a book titled “American by Choice” describing how his experience in embracing America can serve to reaffirm what makes her exceptional, a nation able to help advance the human condition everywhere. In recognition of his commitment to the American spirit of service and his dedication to the Great Experiment, Mr. Elias was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor on May 12, 2018.