Biography

A. Omar Turbi was born February 18, 1954, in Derna, Libya. His family traces its roots over 1300 years to a little known town, of Turba in the heart of the Arab peninsula, modern day, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Current inhabitants of Turba claim to be the Ashrafs, lineage to the tribe of the profit Mohamed.

His mother Naima El-Baah, passed away in 1959 at 27 years of age when Omar was 4 years and 9 months. Omar's brother Kamal was 3 years, Omran was 8 years, and sister Isha was 11. For the family, that year was filled with one catastrophe after another. Omar's father was saved by British soldiers from the Al-Adaam military base near Tubrug after drifting bareback in sever floods for several miles. The crumbled VW bus he drove was found days later. That was to be his final expedition, transporting contraband gold bullions from Egypt, into Libya. A decade earlier his father was detained for a week, a suspect of possession of bombs to assassinate King Idris Al-Sanusi. He was cleared of the charge. At 17 years of age he escaped execution by hanging at the hands of fascist Italian colonists for assisting the Libyan resistance.

In 1960, the Turbi family left Derna for the newly booming oil business in Benghazi. There was much time devoted to academics, and the Boy Scouts. Omar's brother Omran later became a dentist, Kamal, a pilot, and Isha a banker. Omar progressed from Cub Scouts to an Eagle Scout, under the leadership of the late Dr. Omran Ammer.

At Shuhaada Yanayer High School, Omar achieved a high GPA which earned him a scholarship to study nuclear physics and engineering in the U.S.A. He had the choice of going to UC Berkeley, California, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagn, and the University of Wisconsin, where he ended up doing most of his academic work.

During the summer in junior and senior high school, Omar worked in a variety of jobs. His first job was at a construction company where he secured government permits for importing foreign workers. He free-lanced filling out visa applications at Benghazi Immigration Center. He also bought and sold propane gas tanks, and helped his father on the family's construction business, where he represented the company in labor disputes.

In 1979, Omar earned a BSEE from the University of Wisconsin, and completed graduate work in business and international relations. On campus, Omar co-founded the first Arab-American Student Association. He has had a passion for building bridges between cultures. In 1975 on campus, he organized the first ever debate between, Ambassador Clovis Maksoud, then Arab League Ambassador at the UN and a Jewish scholar on the Arab-Israeli conflict. In 1976, Omar promoted and organized with the Libyan government and then Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Abouzade Dorda a visit by 18 American high school students to tour Libyan historical sites.

When he graduated from the University of Wisconsin, he was recruited by IBM, and later by Motorola where he learned Six Sigma Quality Systems and became expert on off shore high technology manufacturing. He set up several major plants in Asia.

Late eighties, Omar co-founded, and was involved in several successful high technology start ups. He is currently the President & CEO of Orbit Systems, Inc. a semiconductor, and an aviation company based in California.

Omar is a prominent Arab American, and a recognized supporter of democratic institutions. In February, 1989, he delivered the first intervention speech by a Libyan at the United Nations Human Rights Commission Conference. In 1993, he was invited and sponsored by the UN Human Rights Commission to attend and take part in the 25th anniversary of the Conference on Human Rights. He offered constructive input on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Omar is an active member of the Republican Party. He held posts of Chairmanship of the Arab American Republican Club, a member of the board of Trustees with the World Affairs Council, a member of the National Advisory Committee with American-Arab Anti discrimination Committee (AADC), the largest American Arab grass roots organization in the USA. Omar has been on several governmental delegation visits to Arab countries.

Omar, has had the honor to testify before the United States Congress- Committee on Foreign Relations on U.S Libya Relations. In 2001, he was nominated by several members of Congress to be an Advisor to the White House on Libyan affairs. He participates in think tank forums, and is a frequent commentator on CNN on U.S foreign policy.

Omar has a very keen interest in U.S Libya relations, where he has become recognized by the U.S. and Libyan governments as "Very Instrumental" in promoting Constructive Engagement, and diplomatic rapprochement with the Libyan regime, through private and public missions to Libya. The current warming of relations between the USA and Libya have become synonymous with his name in the USA and Libya.

Omar is married to Renee and has three children, Omar 25, Adam 20, and Zayd 15. His hobbies include,flying, skydiving, skiing, horseback riding, fishing, and writing.

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