Leadership Team
DCAA is led by a Board of Directors consisting of Democrats who are or have been elected officials, political appointees, candidates for offices, donors, and organizers. We pursue our mission through direct engagement with candidates and their campaigns, grassroots organizing, communications, and representation on the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Council of the Democratic National Committee.
Buta Biberaj is the first Muslim, first woman and first immigrant elected to serve as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Loudoun County, Virginia. Buta Biberaj was born in Montenegro and is of Albanian parentage. Buta and her family emigrated to the United States in 1967. She was raised in the Bronx borough of New York City. She graduated from George Mason University with a B.S. in Education in 1987 and taught elementary school for three years in the Fairfax County Public School system. Buta received her Juris Doctorate from the George Mason University School of Law in 1993.
Buta was the founding and managing partner of a general practice law firm in Leesburg from 1993 until 2019. From 2006 to 2017, Buta also served as a Substitute Judge for the 20th Judicial District Court of Virginia. Buta is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts for Virginia, Maryland (inactive status) and New York. She is also admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Buta transitioned out of private practice and into the public sector when she closed her law firm on December 31, 2019 and began serving as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Loudoun County on January 1, 2020. Her decision to become a prosecutor was in response to the unresolved challenges related to the justice system – systemic racism, poverty, inequality in educational opportunities, and housing insecurity – and the need to lead for the system to work differently. “My privilege is to be a voice for our community. I am guided by the words of John R. Lewis, ‘When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to do what you can, when you can.’ We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.”
She approaches Safety and Justice as a spectrum of goals – prevention of crime, protection of victims and prosecution. She leads a team of prosecutors who espouse accountability and transparency, and reflect the diversity and values of Loudoun County.
Vedat Gashi’s commitment to public service came from his family’s experience as political activists and refugees, opportunities he had working with inspiring leaders, and his experience helping to
create a country out of the ashes of war.
Vedat was born in Kosovo (formerly Yugoslavia) in April of 1978. At the age of 4, he and his family fled the oppressive, socialist regime to the United States. Vedat first moved to the Bronx and later put down permanent roots in Yorktown. Vedat is one of five children, four of whom still reside in Yorktown where they are raising their families. After graduating from Lakeland High School, Vedat went on to pursue a B.A. from Connecticut College, where he was invited to serve on the Board of Trustees as a Young Alumni Trustee.
Next, Vedat earned his J.D. from Seton Hall University. During his studies, Vedat interned with two of his heroes, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, then at the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and Congressman Lee Hamilton on the House International Relations Committee. Upon passing the New York Bar, Vedat was called to service in Kosovo to join the US/EU effort to help establish the newly formed state of Kosovo – first through a grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and later through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations. While in Kosovo, Vedat’s hard work lead to remarkable accomplishments, including drafting some of Kosovo’s foundational legal documents and establishing Kosovo’s Ministry of Local Government Administration. Vedat was later nominated by the United Nations to serve as the Chief Legal Advisor to Kosovo’s Prime Minister. Shortly after Kosovo declared independence, Vedat returned to his home in the United States.
Vedat’s experiences abroad made him appreciate the value of the strong democratic foundation in the United States. Upon returning home to Yorktown, Vedat followed in the footsteps of his family’s small business success in real estate by opening up his own small business, in the form of a real estate legal practice, in Yorktown Heights and in the Bronx.
Currently, Vedat lives and works in his hometown of Yorktown, with his wife, Vjosa, and their children, Leka (6) and Hana (4), who also attend Yorktown public schools. Upon his return, Vedat has joined the Rotary Club of Yorktown, has been active in his kids’ school, sports, and scouting.
Vedat is an active member of the Yorktown Democratic Party where he serves as a Democratic District.
Flaka Ismaili is a nonprofit professional working in business development. She has considerable experience on the legislative side of government affairs. Flaka spent five years in the United States Senate working in various roles including legislative aide and legislative assistant, covering issues related to global health, education, and healthcare, among others. For a couple of years, she explored her creative and business skills by working as a stylist, social media manager, and customer liaison in the fashion/retail industry.
A recent US citizen, Flaka was born and raised in Kosovo. She graduated with a BA in political science and a minor in business management from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. For the past eight years, Flaka has been living in Washington, DC where she continues to be a very active member of the Albanian-American community.
Anila Nicklos is an established leader with extensive leadership experience. She is the former Editor of the Albanian Newspaper “The Eagle” and the former President of the Albanian-American Association of Cleveland Ohio. Anila is currently a member of the National Democratic Coordinating Council (NDEEC) of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Her special expertise lies in Diversity and Inclusion and enabling global teams with diverse backgrounds and cultures to efficiently create high-performance teams and organizations. Anila held leadership positions with several civic organizations including Elite Women Around the World, International Service Center, ICC-WIN, Cleveland Federation of Cultural Gardens and the Cleveland Leadership Center. Anila received multiple leadership awards including a Congressional Certificate of Recognition, International Woman of the Year, and recognition from Cleveland City Hall.
Suzanna Shkreli currently serves as Director to the Office of Children’s Ombudsman (OCO) for the State of Michigan. As director of the OCO, Suzanna serves as a member of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s cabinet. Prior to being appointed director by the governor, Suzanna served as deputy legal counsel in the Executive Office of the Governor.
Before joining state government, Suzanna served as an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office where she was assigned to the child protection unit, vertically posecuting crimes against children involving physical and sexual abuse.
Additionally, Suzanna has conducted training for prosecutors and law enforcement officials throughout Albania on Crime Victims’ Rights on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Prosecutorial Development and Training (OPDAT). Suzanna was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District in 2016, receiving then-President Barack Obama’s endorsement. In 2020, Suzanna was elected as a Joe Biden presidential delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
Suzanna is a lifelong Michigander and a proud American of Albanian heritage, her parents are from Malësi e Madhe. She is a graduate of Oakland University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Ilir Zherka is a life-long civic engagement advocate. He is a founding and current member of the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Council (NDECC) of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Ilir was a National Director for the Clinton-Gore Reelection Committee, has served as an advisor to five Democratic presidential campaigns, and was a voting member of the DNC. He has chaired multiple campaign committees, including Albanian Americans for Biden-Harris. Ilir is the author of Winning the Inside Game: The Handbook of Advocacy Strategies, which is designed to encourage and empower civic engagement. He has received multiple awards, including the John F. Kennedy Award for Public Service. Professionally, Ilir Zherka is a non-profit executive. His parents are from the Albanian regions of Vuthaj and Tropoja.