Naila Asali was born in Nablus, Palestine, and attended the Friends Girls School in Ramallah. She graduated from the American University of Beirut, with a B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry. She holds an M.S. in Mathematical Systems from the University of Illinois, and in addition is a Certified Public Accountant. Naila's professional experience includes 19 years in real estate development and property management in Illinois and Virginia. She has been active in many Arab-American organizations and served on the Board of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) for 10 years, including five years as Chairperson and two years as Treasurer. She is a co-founder and board member of ATFP, and currently serves as Board Member and treasurer of the Hala Salam Maksoud Foundation for Arab American Leadership. Naila has three children and four grandchildren. She and her husband Ziad live in Washington, D.C.