Board of Directors:
Nada Michel Salem, Founder/President/CEO
Nada Michel Salem is the Founder, President, and CEO of the International Foundation for Women’s Empowerment (IFWE) which she set up in Virginia, USA, in March 2019. IFWE seeks to empower all women and help them thrive on the personal and professional levels, regardless of nationality, religion and political affiliation. IFWE is currently working on Women’s Personal and Professional Empowerment, whereby IFWE has teamed up with experts from Harvard University, the Nobel family, the John C. Maxwell Team for Leadership, and others to give complimentary webinars to women (and men) worldwide. IFWE has also partnered with major universities, schools and women’s organizations in Lebanon and Jordan.
Nada is also the Founder of the American Foundation for Educational Excellence (AFEE) whose mission is to help corporations, organizations and educational institutions globally to pursue excellence. They seek to raise the bar and attain excellence by improving leadership skills, managerial competencies and educational programs, namely through face-to-face and online training; they also assess needs, evaluate programs, build new programs, facilitate accreditation, and provide guidance throughout the process. Moreover, AFEE is currently working on implementing a project about youth leadership in the Arab world through its affiliate, the International Society for Educational Excellence (ISEE), an honor society dedicated mainly to high school and university students in the Middle East. Its main objective is to fight corruption and poverty in the region; hence, it aims to help create, in Lebanon first, and in the rest of the Middle East second, a world where ethics rule, where leadership serves, and where poverty is reduced!
AFEE also seeks to provide excellence in teaching (English, French, Arabic and other languages), in addition to editing, translating and interpreting “from” and “to” a large number of languages, including English, Arabic, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Russian, etc. To this end, the “Center for Excellence in Languages: Teaching, Editing, Translating, and Interpreting” was established.
Nada Salem was selected in September 2019 as a WOMAN LEADER by the University of Maryland‘s Kahlil Gibran Chair for Values and Peace; her name was added as a Woman Leader in the sectors of Academia, Education and Social Development in Lebanon, in the online HUB that Gibran Chair’s Women as Partners in Progress Project (WPP) built to support women leaders as they advance women’s progress. “The 97 women leaders featured in the first iteration of this HUB push limits and forge paths for all women in the region so that women, societies, and future generations, can reach new heights.”
Ms. Salem was just added as a member of Marquis WHO’S WHO® list of prominent business professionals in America (2021-2022). This list is “limited to individuals who possess professional integrity, demonstrate outstanding achievement in their respective fields and have made innumerable contributions to society as a whole.”
In March 2011, Nada became the Executive Director of Project Roots, until the Christian Lebanese Foundation in the World (CLFW— currently known as the ‘Maronite Foundation, USA’) was founded in October 2013 (and rallied Project Roots under its wings); Nada then became CLFW‘s first Director and remained so until March 2019. CLFW‘s main objective was to help preserve diversity and democracy in Lebanon by registering there all Americans of Lebanese descent and encouraging them to reconnect with their roots. In 2012, Nada co-founded the Maronite Academy whose main goals are to improve the image of Lebanon in the new generation’s minds in order to incite pride in their Lebanese roots and encourage them to register in Lebanon.
From 2006 to 2014, Nada was, first, the administrative director of the Master of Science in Finance Program at the George Washington University School of Business, then she became their Assessment of Learning Coordinator for AACSB Accreditation.
Nada taught English, EFL, ESL, ESP, and English Communication for more than 20 years both in school and college settings. She co-created and co-taught at the George Washington University Graduate School of Education an online Methods Course for Teachers of Arabic as a Foreign Language. Nada is the Co-Editor in Chief of “Teaching World Languages: A Practical Guide- Arabic Edition” (The National Capital Language Resource Center, Washington, DC).
Nada holds a bachelor’s degree in languages (Arabic, French, English), a teaching diploma, and two master’s degrees, one in Translation (Attestation de Maîtrise, from Saint Joseph University, USJ- ETIB at Faculté de Langues et de Traduction, where she currently serves on the Advisory Board) and another in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (from the American University of Beirut, AUB). Nada just earned an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Executive Education. She also completed almost all coursework towards an Education Doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction and Educational Technology Leadership at The George Washington University, GWU, in Washington, DC. She is also a member of the Association for Talent Development.
Ramez G. Skaff, Ph.D., Treasurer & Legal Advisor
Ramez G. Skaff, Ph.D., serves as Secretary, Treasurer and Director of Indevco North America. He served the same functions for Interstate Resources, Inc. for over thirty years before it was sold to DS Smith in 2014. During his tenure at Interstate, Ramez managed the Legal, Treasury, Benefits and Risk Management Departments of the company. Ramez has worked for INDEVCO Group since the early 1980’s. Before moving to Interstate Resources, he was Group Controller for the INDEVCO Saudi Joint Venture. He has over 30 years of experience in the paper and packaging industry.
Before joining INDEVCO Group, Ramez held several executive positions at the World Bank. He serves on the Board of the following non-profit organizations: American Friends of Al Younbouh, SESOBEL, Georges N. Frem Foundation and Christian Lebanese Foundation in the World (now Maronite Foundation in the World, USA). Ramez holds a PhD in Economics, an MS in Mathematics and Economics from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and a BA in Mathematics from Loyola College in Baltimore, MD.
Board of Advisors:
Tayseer Abu Odeh, Ph.D., Amman, Jordan
Tayseer Abu Odeh is currently a Section/Editor for Postcolonial Text. As a Jordanian-Palestinian writer, translator, and scholar of Comparative and Postcolonial Studies, he is grappling with the way in which gender trouble is formed and essentialized in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere. He obtained his PhD at Indiana university of Pennsylvania in Postcolonial and Third World Literature, where he taught Comparative literature. Abu Odeh has been involved in a research project entitled “Categories of Religion and the Secular in Islam” at the university of Oxford.
His research interests include exile, gender, women rights, world literature, and Arab anglophone literature. Abu Odeh serves currently as an assistant professor of Comparative Literature at Al-Zaytoonah university of Jordan. In 2019, Abu Odeh published his latest piece on The Consolations of Exile (2019) in the Arab Institute for Research, Beirut. Abu Odeh is currently a senior advisor at Visto International for Rights and Development in Sweden, along with Amman Center for Human Rights Studies. In collaboration with Amman Center for Human Rights Studies, Abu Odeh has developed a project on empowering Jordanian women in terms of their legal, institutional, ideological, and sociopolitical rights. His vision of critical pedagogy and postcolonial literature advocates for the need to make pedagogy central to gender and politics, and to help raise consciousness about the intersections of gender, politics, and critical pedagogy.
In July 2019, Abu Odeh organized an international conference entitled “Gender-Based Violence: Rethinking Social, Legal, and Healthcare Services in Jordan.” This forum was held at the university of Jordan and sponsored by the Tokyo Foundation. Abu Odeh is also a permanent fellow of the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research and Sylff Leadership Initiatives. He was a recipient of Sylff Leadership Initiative (SLI) in 2018, of the Outstanding Dissertation Award (Indiana University of Pennsylvanian) in 2017, and of the IUP Foundation Doctoral Fellowship in 2011.
John Akouri, Detroit, MI
John Akouri is a bundle of talent with multifaceted interests. Hitting the airwaves last season having debuted an on-air series premiere at NewsTalk AM-760 WJR Radio, ‘The Great Voice of The Great Lakes,’ John Akouri broadcast live from The Golden Tower of The Fisher Building in Downtown Detroit. As host and co-producer of a live call-in talk show, the one-hour program was a part of the station’s award-winning lineup of weekend experts that covers health, wellness, lifestyle, nutrition, plastic surgery, fitness technology, personal care, lifestyle goals, and highlights everything from fashion to beauty, with weekly celebrity appearances.
Considered one of America’s most trusted minds on the Middle East, John Akouri is Motown born and raised in the Motor City of Detroit, an award-winning television personality, Capitol Hill Advisor and recognized civic leader. One of the most in-demand motivational and public speakers in the workplace, at conventions, and on high school and college campuses, he can be frequently seen on FOX, NBC, CBS News affiliates and the AlHurra Television Network as a Middle East Expert.
In 2016, he proudly served as Michigan Co-Chairman of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Campaign, securing the swing state went red winning Trump the Great Lakes state by 10,704 votes, cementing a Republican presidential victory the first time since 1988.
A much sought after GOP strategist and political commentator, he honed his national election cycle scope through the years having served on the campaigns of Reagan/Bush 1984; Bush/Cheney 2000; Bush Cheney 2004; McCain/Palin 2008; and Romney/Ryan 2012.
An accomplished and respected statesman who has made his mark in local, national and international affairs, he gained global prominence at the United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC where, in his capacity as spokesman and chief speechwriter, he worked with both the national and worldwide press corps, as well as serving as a Middle East senior advisor assisting with legislative direction relating to international relations and global foreign policy issues. In addition to his federal government position as congressional press secretary and communications director, he has also served on many departmental projects, working closely with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. State Department, U.S. Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Army and the United Nations.
Having served as chairman on the local board of the Miss America Scholarship Pageant Committee, he is very active in community affairs and currently serves on the DHS Incident Management Team, Military Grassroots Advisory Board, Wayne State University Presidential Advisory Group, Madonna University International Education Council and the International Visitors Council.
The honored recipient of the esteemed Rainbow Recognition Award, he was presented with a Special Tribute and recognition proclaimed by the Michigan Senate. An alumnus of Wayne State University’s College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts, he was named a ‘Rising Star’ by the Gannett newspapers, John Akouri has appeared in several commercials airing in the Detroit Television market. In addition to his many speaking engagements to students at colleges and universities, in 2013 he was asked by the United Nations Secretary General to appear as Celebrity Emcee for award-winning composer Malek Jandali’s ‘The Voice of the Free Syrian Children’ UNESCO International Freedom Tour.
Previously, he worked as a media consultant to former U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Governor John Engler. A highlight of his career includes covering the Papal visit of the Holy Father to the USA and receiving the Key to the City of Birmingham.
In 2005, he founded the Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce and today continues to preside as President & CEO of the non-profit national organization. During the 2006 Midterm Election in Michigan, he was a candidate for a Wayne State University Board of Governors education post, where he came very close to winning the election with 1.3 Million votes cast for him.
Mireille Eid Ayoub, Los Angeles, CA
Mireille Eid Ayoub received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from St. Joseph University. She spent numerous years working with the St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Organization in Beirut. Mireille has been very involved in chairing many church events, such as many Mar Maroun celebrations for the Our Lady of Mt. Lebanon Cathedral and the NAM Regional Convention in Los Angeles.
In 2011, Mireille and her husband, Dr. Elias Ayoub, were honored to be awarded by the Vatican the Knight and Dame of St. Gregory. Mireille loves participating in cultural events and enjoys spending summers in her hometown in Lebanon.
Lara Karam Boustany, Ph.D., Beirut, Lebanon
Lara Karam Boustany, Ph.D., is the first female president (rector) of a university in Lebanon (since Aug. 2020). She holds a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas, with Honors, award Emile Tyan 2001.
In 2016, she was the Head of the Department of Public Law at the Faculty of Law at Saint-Joseph University.
June 2012 – 2016: Coordinator between the University of Saint-Joseph and the National Commission for Lebanese Women on the project concerning women (Women’s health, Women’s rights and working women)
2015-Present: Directing several Ph.D. dissertations on Lebanese Public Law, Iraqi Public Law and Comparative Public Law at Saint-Joseph University.
2014-Present: Director of the Master 2 in General Public Law at Saint-Joseph University.
May 2012 – January 2013: Consultant to the UNDP and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on implementing the Convention on Cluster munitions in Lebanon
2011 – 2016: Member of the National Commission for Lebanese Women
September 2010 – June 2011: Advisor to the Minister of Justice in Lebanon
Has a large number of publications in French and Arabic.
Holds both the Lebanese and Belgian nationalities.
Daylian Cain, Ph.D., New Haven, CT
Daylian M. Cain, Ph.D., is an award-winning Yale faculty member who studies why smart people do dumb things. He is a Senior Lecturer of Negotiations, Leadership, & Ethics at the Yale School of Management. Hailing from Nova Scotia, Canada, Cain has a Ph.D. in Management from Carnegie Mellon. Prior to joining Yale, Cain was the Russell Sage Fellow of Behavioral Economics at Harvard University.
Cain is often one of the highest-rated professors in Yale’s executive education. For multiple years, he had the highest yearly-average rating and lowest variance in ratings. Cain is lead faculty on a new sales and leadership training program for Volvo America, lead instructor for the “Yale Negotiation Strategies” online program, and co-instructs Yale’s “Leading Effective Decision-Making” program, which earned the highest-ever rating of an inaugural program on Yale’s platform.
Fun Fact: Dr. Cain has appeared as a special guest on National Geographic’s TV show Brain Games (Season 2, “You Decide”).
Gustave Alain Cordahi, Washington, DC
Gustave Alain Cordahi is a Strategy & Technology Consultant with expertise in Transportation Engineering and Planning. He has led a range of Strategic Planning, Capacity Building & Performance Management projects for a wide range of Programs, for clients spanning from U.S. Federal and National agencies to State and Local Departments of Transportation. He holds a Master’s of Science in Transportation Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley (2008) on top of his Bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering with distinction from AUB (2007) and his Research Experience at MIT in 2006.
Winner of Booz Allen Hamilton’s most prestigious award, the VIP (Values In Practice) Award. Received the 2017 Distinguished Young Alumnus Award from the American University of Beirut (AUB). Was also awarded The Stephen Penrose Award for the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (FEA), and The Distinguished Graduate Award for the Department Civil and Environmental Engineering Department by the American University of Beirut after being constantly ranked in the top tier of his class and being placed on the Dean’s Honor List during all his semesters. Received a Research Fellowship from the University of California at Berkeley.
Additionally, Gustave was a Co-Founder and Executive Director of the “Back to Roots” Summer Academy Program in North America, an Assistant Director at the Lebanese Information Center (LIC) in the US Capital as well as a member of the Executive Committee of the Greater Washington D.C. AUB Alumni (WAAAUB) Chapter. He also was the Vice President of the Lebanese Student Association at Berkeley as a Graduate Student.
Fadi El Hage, Ph.D., Beirut, Lebanon
Fadi El Hage, Ph.D., holds a Doctorate in Science Education from Montpellier University in France. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Biology, a Certificate of Professional Aptitude in Secondary Teaching (CAPES), and a “Training of Trainers” Diploma.
Fadi is an associate researcher at the LIRDEF Laboratory at Montpellier University, a designer and moderator of adult training sessions, and a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Education at Saint Joseph University (USJ).
As an education consultant, Fadi has headed national and international projects. After having held the positions of Head of Research, Head of Studies, Vice-Dean, and then Dean of the Faculty of Education at Saint Joseph University, up to September 2016, he now holds the position of “Delegate of the Rector for Professional Development”. He is also the holder of the “Chair in Education for Eco-Citizenship and Sustainable Development of the ‘Diane’ Foundation” at Saint Joseph University; in addition, he is First Delegate and Founder of the Association for the Development of Education Assessment Methodologies (ADMEE) in its Lebanese section, and national Delegate of UNESCO Chair “Global Health and Education.”
Fadi El Hage is the author of several conferences and scientific publications. He was recently named Knight of the French Order of Academic Palms.
Nagy El Khoury, Beirut, Lebanon
Nagy El Khoury was appointed by the President of the Republic of Lebanon in November 2018 as the person in charge of the Mission for Dialogue between Islam and Christianity, with the function of coordinating the actions of all the national organizations, groups and institutions that work for dialogue and life together.
Nagy is the former Director of International Relations at Notre-Dame de Jamhour school and the former General Secretary of the school’s Alumni Association.
Nagy is also President of the Lebanese Federation of Alumni Associations of Catholic Schools, Vice President of the World Organization of the Alumni of Catholic Education, member of the Executive Council of the “World Union of Jesuit Alumni” (WUJA), and board member of a large number of social and cultural organizations. Nagy has always been a leading socio-cultural animator. He published “Des goûts et des espoirs,” a collection that brings together his best articles published in the press and on Facebook. Nagy has been responsible for organizing numerous public, national events in Lebanon. He initiated and coordinated the ceremonies of the Feast of the Annunciation, which led to the creation of a Muslim-Christian Lebanese national holiday on March 25.
Nagy received the 2010 International Prize Sergio Vieira de Mello for promoting cultural dialogue at a ceremony in Krakow, Poland, and the Vatican awarded him the Medal of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great. Nagy is a jurist by training and has previously served as the advisor to the Lebanese Minister of Culture. He holds a Law (French and Lebanese) Degree from St. Joseph University.
Barbara Anne Ferris, Washington, DC
Barbara Anne Ferris is the President/Founder of the International Women’s Democracy Center. It was established in 1995 to strengthen women’s global leadership through training, education, networking and research with a focus on increasing the participation of women in politics, policy and decision making within their own countries.
IWDC works in partnership with established NGOs around the world to implement all programs, projects and activities.
The United Nations awarded IWDC Special Consultative Status to the Economic and Social Council – ECOSOC in 1998.
Rand Ghayad, Ph.D., Washington, DC
Rand Ghayad, Ph.D., is an expert on a broad range of economic issues, including unemployment and job creation, debt management, political economy, investment reform, as well as economic challenges facing low income and fragile states. He brings more than 12 years of experience as an economist, holding positions in federal government, consulting, international organizations, and academia. Rand has been a faculty member at Harvard University since 2015. He also spent four years with The Brattle Group where he advised the U.S. government and multinational corporations on economic and financial matters, including anti-money laundering statutes and financial crimes. Between 2012 and 2013, Rand was part of an ongoing effort at the White House to develop best practices for hiring and recruiting the long-term unemployed. In 2014, Rand advised the Prime Minister and Employment Policy Council of France on strategies to reduce the incidence of long-term unemployment. He also advised various governments on job-driven training programs, including most recently the UK, U.S., Qatar, and Kuwait. Rand began his career at the Brookings Institution working on unemployment and labor market reforms. He also served in various positions at the Federal Reserve Bank, International Labor Organization, MIT, and UNDP.
Rand Ghayad is the author of “The Jobless Trap”, a manuscript that has been widely cited in leading academic journals and media outlets, including the Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. His work was also used and cited in congressional testimonies and conferences by Nobel Laureates, including Peter Diamond and Paul Krugman. Rand’s work uncovered new facts which offered a new explanation for why the unemployment rate did not go back to its normal level since the end of the Great Recession. Based on this research, President Obama issued several executive actions to give the long-term unemployed a fair shot. The findings from his work were also the backbone to several anti-discrimination laws enacted at the State level to protect job seekers against unemployment discrimination.
Rand holds a Ph.D. in Economics, three Master’s degrees in Finance, Public Policy, and Economics, and an undergraduate degree from Beirut. He held research and teaching positions at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston University, and Northeastern University.
Ziad Alexandre Hayek, Beirut, Lebanon
Ziad Alexandre Hayek has 38 years of experience in Public Policy, Economic Policy, International Development, Investment Banking, International Finance, Structured Finance, Project Finance, Corporate Strategy and Corporate Governance.
He is the President of the World Association of PPP Units and Professionals; Vice-Chair of the Working Party on PPP of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe; Managing Partner of Hayek Associates LLC; and ex-Secretary General of Lebanon’s High Council for Privatization and PPP.
In early 2019, Hayek was nominated to the Presidency of the World Bank.
Hayek is member of the Board of Trustees of USEK University, the Investment Committee of YMCA World Alliance, and the governing boards of several NGOs on behalf of the Carlos Slim Foundation.
Previously, Hayek was CEO of Lonbridge Associates (London), a boutique investment bank specializing in telecom technology and renewable energy; Senior Managing Director of Investment Banking at Bear Stearns (New York); Managing Director of Banque Indosuez Capital Latin America (Paris); President of Indosuez Mexico (Mexico City); Vice President of Salomon Brothers (New York); and Vice President of Citibank NA, where he occupied posts including Treasurer for West Africa, structured finance specialist for Latin America and finally Head of the Bank’s International Securitization Department.
Hayek was also a member of the US Council on Foreign Relations; a Senior Consultant to the Reagan Administration’s Enterprise Program; and member of the board of directors of various local and multinational companies.
He holds an MA in International Management from the University of Texas at Dallas and studied Business Administration at the University of Houston and at the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico.
Hayek is conversant in 11 languages.
Sam Horn, Austin, Texas
Sam Horn is the CEO of the Intrigue Agency, a positioning/messaging consultancy, which helps people design and deliver TEDx talks, keynotes, funding pitches and one-of-a-kind brands.
She is also the CEO of the Tongue Fu! Training Institute, a trade-marked communication skills approach, that teaches how to give and get respect at work, at home, online and in public.
Sam is the author of nine books from major publishers including Tongue Fu!®, POP!, What’s Holding You Back, SOMEDAY is Not a Day in the Week and Wash Post bestseller Got Your Attention?
Sam’s work has been featured in dozens of publications including NY Times, Forbes, Readers Digest, INC, Harvard Business Review (Ascend), Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and she has been interviewed on every major network including NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, NPR and MSNBC.
Sam has had the privilege of speaking to more than half a million people worldwide and for clients including Boeing, Intel, Capital One, Cisco, Nationwide, Four Seasons Resorts, Accenture, National Geographic, ASAE, American Bankers Association, State of Hawaii, ServiceMaster, the U.S. Navy.
Sam’s books have been published in 17 languages and she has spoken internationally in China, Germany, England, Greece, Netherlands, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Korea.
Sam served as the Pitch Coach for Springboard Enterprises which has helped entrepreneurs generate $1- billion (yes, that’s a B) in funding – and for the British Airways international pitch competition.
Sam has been brought in by TED FELLOWS, SXSW, INC 500 and Richard Branson’s Virgin United NEW NOW Leaders to teach how to quickly and clearly communicate the value of their projects. LinkedIn hired Sam to produce a series on Communication that has been used by Amazon, Walmart, Accenture. NASA hired Sam to media-train their senior scientists and climate change specialists.
Sam co-founded the Business Book Festival (held at USA Today headquarters) and served as the Executive Director of the world-renowned Maui Writers Conference for 17 years.
Sheri Salata (Former Executive Producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Pres. of Harpo Productions and OWN) calls Sam “one of the bright lights and most accessible wisdom-sharers in our culture today.”
Sam has twice received the highest award from the Transformation Leadership Council, founded by Jack Canfield with members including Chip Conley, Dave Asprey, Vishen Lakhiani of MindValley.
George M. Jabbour, Ph.D., Washington, DC
George Jabbour, Ph.D. is Professor of Finance, Associate Dean for Executive Education/Programs, and Director of the Masters in Finance Program at The George Washington University School of Business.
He has been a consultant and conducting professional training for the World Bank Group in Washington DC (USA), Vienna (Austria) and Islamabad (Pakistan), the International Monetary Fund (USA), The International Training Banking Center in Budapest (Hungary), the Center of Excellence in Management in Kuwait, and for Kipco Asset Management Group (KAMCO) in Kuwait.
He was a Visiting Professor at Franklin College in Lugano (Switzerland), Dongseo University (South Korea), Renmin University of Beijing (China), and Sorbonne University in Paris (France). He has many publications in professional refereed journals. Four of his co-authored papers won the best paper award. He co-authored “The Option Trader Handbook” for trade adjustments.
His research papers were presented in the US and around the world. He is a member of several leading professional finance organizations He has been a member of the Educational Committee of International Association of Financial Engineers and served as Chair of the Research Committee at Professional Risk Managers International Association. He is a member of the editorial advisory board of five journals. He has received many Teaching Excellence Awards.
In addition to his academic career, Dr. Jabbour is very active in equity and derivatives trading. He was Senior Financial Analyst at Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and a consultant to several American corporations and international organizations. He served as Managing Director of Global Asset Management Inc., and President of Global Finance Associates, Inc. in USA. He participated in the Forum for Democracy and Development in Doha (Qatar), in the Education without Borders and the Festival of Thinkers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and in the International Exhibition & Conference on Higher Education in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
He holds a Ph.D. in Finance, an MBA in Finance, a BBA in Marketing, and a BS in Mathematics.
Joseph Adib Khalil, DDS, Washington, DC
Joseph Adib Khalil, DDS, is the founder of Arlington Dentistry for Design and Oakton Dentistry for Design in Northern Virginia. He graduated with honors and multiple awards from the Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2000 and later completed his prosthodontic specialty residency at the University of Iowa.
Joseph has been involved with serving others through volunteer and nonprofit work since his early teens in Lebanon when he was a boy scout and a volunteer for the Red Cross. In dental school, Joseph volunteered for the Jamaica Project to bring free dental care to children who needed it most.
While pursuing his career, Joseph never forgot his passion for wanting to give back to his home country of Lebanon. Upon moving to the the Washington, D.C. area nearly 20 years ago, Joseph immediately got involved with the Lebanese American Council for Democracy and played an instrumental role in reviving the organization in 2012. He served as the organization’s president from 2016 to 2018.
In 2018, Joseph founded the American Lebanese Political Action Committee (ALPAC), an organization aimed to assist Lebanon in becoming a stronger focus in U.S. policy decisions in the Middle East to help build a brighter future for Lebanon and _all_ of its citizens: men, women, and children.
Karen Kortecamp, Ph.D., Washington, DC
Karen Kortecamp, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Curriculum and Pedagogy at the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development where she teaches and advises doctoral candidates in Curriculum and Instruction. For many years, Karen coordinated and taught in the school’s Secondary Education Program. Her courses in education policy and program evaluation are taught online.
Karen has evaluated numerous education and philanthropic programs that include Digital Learning Applications for emergent readers, professional learning, and the Deutsche Bank’s Americas Foundation. She has expertise in conducting literature reviews, logic modeling, needs assessment, and evaluability assessment. Her research presentations and publications are in program evaluation, professional learning, and education technology. Her Ph.D. is in public policy analysis from the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Debra Lewis, Colonel, US Army, Ret.
Colonel Deb Lewis is a West Point graduate from its first class with women. A retired Army Colonel and Harvard MBA, Deb commanded three US Army Corps of Engineer Districts, including a $2.1B reconstruction program in combat. She survived the 9/11 Pentagon attack while serving on the Joint Staff antiterrorism team. Colonel Deb’s experiences leading while under fire inspired her unique ‘Mentally Tough Women’ (MTW) program to help women handle more stress – not de-stress – and put it to work for them. MTW arms women (and enlightened men!) with the proven strategies, insights, and tools they need in good times and times of crisis. After a 34-year military career, Colonel Deb and husband Doug Adams embarked on the Duty, Honor, America Tour October 7, 2010. She drove their RV 26K miles as Doug bicycled 18,067 miles through all 50 states in one year in support of the U.S. military, veterans, and families. They continue to work with non-profits, businesses, and leaders to lift up communities. “The better you get at handling stress, the easier it becomes to do insanely hard things and really love doing it.“
Lama Moussawi, Ph.D., Beirut, Lebanon
Lama Moussawi, Ph.D., is a tenured Associate Professor of Management Science in the Suliman Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut where she is currently serving as the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development.
Lama is actively involved in promoting and supporting women in the field of Data Science. She is the Founder and Chair of the annual Women in Data Science (WiDS) conference at AUB, and the Founding Chair of the AUB Committee on the Lives and Careers of Women at AUB. She is a Co-Founder of the Center for Inclusive Business and Leadership for Women, first center in the MENA region focused specifically on shaping inclusive organizational policies and programs towards women’s empowerment. Lama is thrilled to be a WiDS Ambassador, and to host the WiDS conference annually at AUB; she sees it as a great opportunity to inspire young girls to join the field by showcasing global female leaders in Data Science, and educate the community of students, faculty, and business practitioners about the latest developments in the field.
Lama is also a co-PI on two $1.5 million and $3 million funded research projects to measure women’s contributions to formal and informal employment in the region, and develop an index to measure the status of women in the formal economies in the Arab MENA region. She is actively engaged in issues related to women in Operations Research at the WORMS (Women in Operations Research and Management Science) meetings at the annual international INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and Management Science) conference, as well as the WIEA (Women in Industrial Engineering US-Turkey) workshops.
Furthermore, Lama played a key role in developing a Master program in Business Analytics in the Olayan School of Business at AUB.
Lama graduated with a BS in Computer Science from the American University of Beirut, and has an MBA, a Master in Supply Chain Management, and a Ph.D. degree in Management Science from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Marcus Nobel, Portland, OR
Marcus Nobel is the President & Executive Director of United Earth, Inc., a 501(c)3 NGO promoting Women Empowerment, Earth Ethics and Universal Peace. Programs include the Earth Prize, dubbed by CNN as The Green Nobel Prize, The Earth Ethics Award, Earth Ethics curriculum and the BIKE*PEACE*MUSIC Festival.
Featured speaker at AREDAY 2018 Snowmass/Aspen, America’s Premiere Renewable Energy Networking Event featuring Clean Energy World Leaders in Finance, Investment, Government, Solar, Biofuels, Geothermal, from the Public and Private Sectors. Presenter and speaker at the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS), Washington, DC 2018, Educators of Distinction Award Ceremony. Featured Speaker and Presenter of The Earth Ethics Award to the Roots of Peace CEO, Ms. Heidi Kuhn, at the United Nations International Day of Peace during the Sustainable Development Goals Finance Summit 2018.
Marcus has worked as Executive Recruiter for Management Recruiters International, recruiting for executive search projects in Los Angeles, New York, London, Cairo and Sydney. Director of Project Management for Global E-Tutor, Inc., a K-12 distance learning E-commerce website based in Atlanta, GA. Financial News Network, Inc. Assistant Director, Santa Monica, CA. Project Management Professional Training and Certification: Project Success, Young, Clark and Associates, Atlanta GA.
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. BA Journalism/BAG-4, 1982. Marcus received a Cinematography Fellowship from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, and is an experienced writer, producer and director. He holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Sweden. He is the Publisher and Editor of the Earth Ethics Forum, advancing Earth Ethics, World Peace and Sustainable Development.
Nadia Oweidat, Ph.D., Washington, DC
Dr. Nadia Oweidat is an academic specializing in the religions, cultures, and politics of the Middle East and North Africa. An intellectual historian, she serves as an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University and a Senior Non-Resident Middle East Fellow at New America. She is a 2021-22 Fellow at the Wilson Center. Dr. Oweidat holds a D.Phil. in Oriental Studies from the University of Oxford (2014) as well as an M.A. in International Studies from the University of Wyoming and a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Jordan.
Dr. Oweidat’s first book, Reform and Its Perils in Contemporary Islam: The Case of Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, is in the final stages of revision. The book explores the efforts of modern Muslim intellectuals to reconcile their religious identities with liberal values in the contemporary world.
Her second book, provisionally entitled A Million Clicks to Freedom: The Virtual Battlefield of Ideas in the Arab World, seeks to inform academics, policymakers, and the broader public about the largely unknown voices of reform in the digital Arab world who are utilizing new media to promote their ideas. These individuals are dedicated to a Middle East where human rights and liberal democratic principles are the norm rather than the exception, and they are skilled in using the internet and virtual spaces to advance their real-world aims. Having conducted research on the challenges posed by violent extremism for many years, Dr. Oweidat can attest to the fact that compelling counter-narratives and organic reform movements from the Arab world are consistently missing from many proposed policy solutions. Her new book directly addresses this lacuna.
Prior to her doctoral studies, Dr. Oweidat worked as a Research Associate at the RAND Corporation where she directed several projects. In 2007, she initiated and helped lead a research effort, Barriers to the Broad Dissemination of Creative Works in the Arab World, to examine Arabic resources that counter violent extremism, including fiction, non-fiction, cartoons and film that advance values of tolerance, pluralism and the ability to deal with ambiguity without violence. Dr. Oweidat also initiated an analysis of the grassroots Egyptian reform movement Kefaya (The Kefaya Movement: A Case Study of a Grassroots Reform Initiative, RAND, 2008). In addition, she conducted research on Islamic extremism and counter-terrorism strategies, the ideological evolution of al-Qaeda, Salafi jihadi networks, jihadi strategies in Iraq, Iranian ascendancy in the Arab world, and radicalization of Muslim youth.
Born and raised in Jordan, Dr. Oweidat was one of 25 international students to be awarded the prestigious Weidenfeld Leadership Program scholarship at the University of Oxford, Dr. Oweidat was also chosen in 2014 by the American Italian Council to participate in its Young Leaders Conference in Italy.
Dr. Oweidat is a board member of the Hindawi Foundation (www.hindawi.org), an NGO that seeks to contribute to the flourishing of knowledge in the Arab world by providing high-quality translations of key English texts, as well as important Arabic-language works, free of charge to the Arabic-speaking public. With a collection of over 2000 works, the library continues to grow to reach accelerating demand in the Arab world.
As a believer in the importance of informing the broader public, Dr. Oweidat regularly provides commentary on the Arab and Muslim worlds on various international Arabic and English news networks, including BBC World, CNN, Al-Jazeera Arabic, France 24, and National Public Radio. Dr. Oweidat also publishes opinion pieces on the Middle East Broadcasting Network’s platform, Min Zawiya Ukhra (From Another Angle).
Tanya Rahall, Washington, DC
Tanya Rahall is Managing Director of RTK Consulting Group LLC. She specializes in public and government relations primarily for domestic organizations and foreign government and business interests. A former House of Representatives Committee staff member, she has extensive experience with the U.S. Congressional legislative process and expertise with the Congressional authorization and appropriations process.
As the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL) and the ATFL Legislative Council, Tanya presented testimony and secured much-needed economic, military and humanitarian aid for Lebanon. Her work with RTK has focused on Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Central Asia.
Tanya has been an occasional guest of the White House, most significantly for meetings in the Oval office with Arab-American leaders; a State Dinner for His Excellency then Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak, a State Dinner honoring His Majesty the former King Hussein of Jordan and two historic occasions for the signing of the Israeli-Arab Peace Accords.
Tanya is an investor and licensed real estate agent with Fairfax Realty Elite of Georgetown in Washington, DC.
May A. Rihani, Washington, DC
May A. Rihani is the Director of the George and Lisa Zakhem Kahlil Gibran Chair for Values and Peace at the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland. Before joining the University of Maryland, Ms. Rihani has for the past 30 years served as Senior Vice President at FHI360, the Academy for Educational Development (AED), and Creative Associates International. She also served as Vice President at TransCentury. In these organizations, Ms. Rihani was responsible for ensuring the planning and implementation of educational projects as well as the integration of gender perspectives in programs in education, economic productivity, and health. She designed, planned, and managed numerous cross-cutting education projects in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Due to her global experience in gender, Ms. Rihani was elected as the Co-Chair of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, (UNGEI), from 2008 to 2010.
Ms. Rihani’s extensive work in education and gender includes research, policy assessments, innovative program designs, training, systems analysis, and management of country programs. She presented lessons learned, best practices, and strategies on education at a large number of international conferences and symposia. Ms. Rihani is also an international leading voice on the relationship between girls’ education and health, nutrition, and economic productivity. May Rihani worked in over 40 countries and traveled to 71 countries. Her in-depth knowledge in education and gender equity has attracted the attention of many donor organizations that have sought her ideas and analytical skills to support their missions.
In addition to her work in international educational development and women’s empowerment, May Rihani is a writer and a poet. She wrote and published five books in English and three poetry books in Arabic. Her latest book, a memoir, is titled: Cultures Without Borders.
Gina Abou Fadel Saad, Ph.D., Beirut, Lebanon
Gina Abou Fadel Saad, Ph.D., is the Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Translation and the Director of the School of Translators and Interpreters of Beirut (ETIB) at Saint Joseph University of Beirut. Her professional activity involves teaching, supervising Master’s theses and Ph.D. dissertations, training teachers and doing research.
She graduated from ETIB in 1984 and was the first person to obtain her Ph.D. in translation studies in 2003 from the same school. Her thesis was entitled, “The form exegesis: a gateway to meaning.” Published in ETIB’s Collection Sources-Cibles, it is considered the first academic research in Arabic in the translation studies field.
Gina Abou Fadel Saad has also written more than thirty articles and papers about language acquisition, translation and translation studies in addition to her contribution to a book about the terminology of translation. She is member of several scientific international journals in the fields of Languages and Translation Studies (Atelier de traduction, Lebende Sprachen, Al-Kimiya).
She is also a member of the International Federation of Translators, of the SGeVT (Structuro-globale et verbo-tonale) Association for Language Teaching, and member of the board of CIUTI (Conférence Internationale des Instituts Universitaires de Traduction et d’Interprétation).
She holds the Lebanese 2020 Medal and was named Knight of the French Order of Academic Palms.
Edward M. Salem, Los Angeles, CA
Edward M. Salem left SMC after serving six years as Director, Change Management in the Program Management Integration Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center (Air Force Space Command), Los Angeles Air Force Base, California.
Edward had been in the Federal Service continuously since 1972. Among his many community activities are activities with his church on a local, diocesan and international level. He provides counseling and mentoring to men and women both at SMC and in the local communities.
Among Edward’s awards are the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal and the Exemplary Civilian Service Medal and the Distinguished Career Medal. He has been active in groups sponsoring educational events to perpetuate the Lebanese heritage among immigrant communities around the world. In May 2000, he was recognized with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Edward is most active in the Maronite Catholic Church. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Maronite Foundation. He also serves on the boards of directors of many non-profit and profit corporations. In January 2014, Edward was recognized for his lifetime of achievement as a visionary leader by the National Apostolate of Maronites. He was also recognized by Pope Francis I with the highest award granted a lay person, Pro Eccllesia et Pontifice (For Church and Pope).
Judge Mohammad Tarawneh, J.D., Amman, Jordan
Judge Mohammad Tarawneh, J.D., is the Vice President of the Jordan Court of Cassation and a member of the Jordanian National Committee for International Humanitarian Law.
Judge since 1982 and included in the judicial positions until he arrived at the Supreme Court (Court of Cassation). During his work, he was specialized in the issues of publications and publishing, both in the courts of first instance or the Supreme Court and issued several decisions, including those based on international conventions on freedom of opinion and expression in accordance with the provisions of Article 19. He was also a member of the Advisory Committee of the Information and Justice Program, a human rights activist and a member of a number of organizations, including:
– Member of the Board of Trustees of the Jordanian National Center for Human Rights
– Member of the Board of Trustees of the Geneva Center for Human Rights and Global Dialogue
– Member of the Jordanian Coalition for the International Criminal Court
– Member of the Board of Trustees of the National Council for Family Affairs
– Member of the Board of Trustees of the Amman Center for Human Rights Studies
– Member of the Jordanian Writers’ Union
– Member of the legal team at the Jordanian National Committee for Women’s Affairs
– Member (and Honoree) of Vital Voices Organization – USA
– Member of the teaching staff of the Jordanian Judicial Institute and a member of the Board of Directors, and part-time lecturer in a number of universities.
Bachelor of Law from Cairo University in 1981, MA in Human Rights in 1989, Diploma in Human Rights in 1995, and PhD in Law in 2000.
He has published a number of books, including:
– Human Rights and its International Guarantees, Third Edition, 2002.
– Studies in human rights 1996
– Human rights between text and practice 2004
– Guarantees of human rights through the stages of criminal proceedings / third edition 2003
– International Humanitarian Law Text and Mechanisms of Application 2003
– International humanitarian law and national application in Jordan 2005
– The International Criminal Court Jordan’s position on its statute 2006
– The right to a fair trial
– Studies in juvenile justice, 2009
– Rights of the accused during the investigation phase 2011
– The rights of the accused during the trial phase 2013
– Complement rights during the punitive execution stage 2014
In addition to a number of published research in the field of human rights, international humanitarian law and the International Criminal Court.
Joan Wadelton, J.D., Arlington, VA
Joan Wadelton is the President and Founder of the US-Africa Business Bridge. She was previously in the Foreign Service with the US Department of State. One of her significant achievements while at State was the creation of the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) which has brought hundreds of leading African businesswomen to the United States for training and business matchmaking.
Joan was the Africa Advisor in the Secretary’s Office of Policy Planning, where she created an initiative to develop Africa’s businesswomen. She orchestrated a joint program with former First Lady Laura Bush’s “Africa First Ladies Initiative” during the United Nations General Assembly.
She led in-depth policy formulation and implementation for State’s role in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and headed numerous meetings and negotiations on trade and investment in the U.S. and Africa.
As a Congressional Fellow, Joan advised then-Senator Joe Biden on the former Soviet Union and the United Nations. Under his auspices, she also drafted and eventually implemented legislation to open State Department Offices in Congress.
Joan directed Department of State’s Office of Intellectual Property and formulated new approaches to influence how foreign countries could effectively enforce their existing copyright, trademark and patent laws.
Since retiring, she created a women’s program as part of the White House Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) at the University of Virginia.
She has also developed an interest in State Department and government reform. She has written a number of articles, most notably on the need to restructure State’s organization chart to maximize resources and minimize mismanagement.
Earlier, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger, and a bank attorney in Philadelphia.
Joan is fluent in French and Portuguese. She has a J.D. from the Rutgers School of Law and a B.A. from Smith College. She also studied at the Sorbonne and the University of Ghana.
Jonathan Weinberger, J.D., Nashville, TN
Jonathan Weinberger is an executive at General Motors where he serves as the Chief Advocate for Global Transportation Technology. In this role, Weinberger advocates for domestic and international policies to advance GM’s vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion. He also serves as a primary policy resource in GM on emerging technology issues.
Jonathan brings a wealth of knowledge, including his most recent role as Executive Vice President of the Global Innovation Policy Center with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he worked with Intellectual Property-intensive industries. Prior to his work with the Chamber, Jonathan served as the founding VP of Technology and Innovation at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Jonathan previously held leadership positions in venture capital and served as Associate General Counsel and Executive Secretary to the White House Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. He also served as Executive Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department.
Jonathan received his Bachelors Degree in International Affairs and Italian from The Johns Hopkins University, an M.A. in Foreign Policy from George Washington University, a J.D. from American University and his LL.M in International Finance and National Security Law from Georgetown University.
He lives in Nashville, TN with his wife, Morgan Ortagus and their daughter Adina and dog Ozzie.
Rashida Yammine, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Rashida Yammine’s career in education started in Lebanon as a Physics teacher as well as Math and Chemistry. She moved to Doha to be involved in the start up of a private school as well as teaching French, being French educated and having mastery over the subject.
She joined The International School of Choueifat in Abu Dhabi in September 1993. In addition to teaching, she was given the responsibility of the Student Life Organization as well as the Regional Head of the Physics Department. At the same time, she was appointed as a Senior Academic Quality Controller.
Rashida joined the Petroleum Institute (PI) in the Spring Semester 2004 as a Physics lecturer in the Foundation Program and as “Physics Team Leader”.
In December 2007, Rashida was asked by ADNOC management to join the committee formed to start the planning of opening a new school ADNOC Schools formerly known as The Glenelg School of Abu Dhabi.
She was appointed as a principal for the Female Campus in June 2008 and as Headmaster in December 2008. As a Head of School, she remained responsible as a principal for the female campus playing a dual challenging role in following up the routine duties of the female campus and carrying the duties of the “Head of School” including the planning, the coordination and the preparation of opening three new schools in Abu Dhabi, Madinat Zayed and in Ruwais.
In December 2012, Rashida joined the Institute of Applied Technology as a principal for Applied Technology High School, Abu Dhabi Girls campus and in March 2014 appointed as the Director of Schools administering the Applied Technology High School (ATHS) and Secondary Technical School (STS) respectively. In her role, Rashida remains focused on and committed to student academic achievement and development in reaching their highest potential. She is also passionate about the implementation of student-centered learning and incorporating technology in teaching, and believes strongly in sharing skills, innovative teaching methods, strategies and cooperative work.
Currently Rashida is the Leadership Management Program Director at Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE) since August 2020.
Gwen K. Young, J.D., Washington, DC
Gwen K. Young is the Chief Operating Officer of the Women Business Collaborative. She is also a Visiting Scholar at the Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University and former Director of the Global Women’s Leadership Initiative and Women in Public Service Project at the Wilson Center. She is an Advisor to Concordia and President of BalanceUp Leadership.
Ms. Young has worked across the globe to promote equal opportunity, and peace and justice. She has developed strategy, programming and advocacy in the areas of humanitarian policy, international affairs and international development. This includes developing public private partnerships focused on public health, agriculture, gender equality, and access to finance. Further, Ms. Young has advocated for and published on the role girls and women play in political, social and economic development and designed exploitation and SGBV guidelines. As an attorney, Ms. Young has worked as a professional advocate for women and human rights in corporate law settings, with the ICTY and the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego.
Her career has encompassed a comprehensive array of international organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Medecins Sans Frontieres, International Rescue Committee, and the Harvard Institute for International Development.
An alumna of Smith College, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the University of California Davis, Martin Luther King Jr School of Law, Ms. Young has pursued a career of international public service in humanitarian relief, international development, and human rights.
