Originally from Tanzania, Shiraz Ali Peera was born in Kenya and raised in Tanzania. He was educated in England and the USA. He procured his Associate degree in Business Studies from Isleworth Polytechnic in Middlesex, B.Sc in Industrial Management from Bowling Green/State University, and MBA from the Thunderbird Graduate School of  Global Management.

Following the nationalization of the  fledging  and extensive family business holdings by the socialist  government of Tanzania, the family moved to Europe, while Shiraz stayed in Scottsdale, Arizona where he was involved in Import-Export business for ten years, before moving to Tucson in 1978.

In Tucson he acquired a retail store at the El-Con Mall while at the same time earning his license to pursue his career in residential and commercial real estate. He has endeavoured successfully in this field for the last 30 years.

Shiraz, endearingly known as “Ambassadeur” by his friends, has been equally active in civic and community service. He has served as president-elect and special projects chair of Civitan International Club, an organization closely associated with Special Olympics, and as president of the Filipino-American Sampaguita Club, and the Cultural Exchange Council of Tucson.

Currently he serves on the boards of the Pan Asian Community Alliance, Asian American Faculty-Staff-Alumni Foundation at the U of A, India Society of Southern AZ, and the Islamic Centre of Tucson. He is the Vice President of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, as well as the Organization of Chinese Americans. Shiraz served as the Vice Chair for the Asian Census 2010-in Tucson and as the Asian Interlocutor on several community outreach projects. Shiraz also served eight years as the member of the Mayor’s Community Development Advisory Committee.

Shiraz, a widower, was married to Lydia-Yasmeen for 30 years, and is proud father of five grown up children.