Our Bios: Support Committees

Religious Support Committee

o    Representing Metropolitan Joseph Zahlawi- Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese- Englewood, NJ: Father Christopher Eid

o    Representing Patriarch Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim- Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch- Eastern United States: TBA

o    Representing Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian- Armenian Apostolic Church- La Crescenta, CA: Father Karekin Bedourian

o    Representing Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan- Armenian Apostolic Church- New York, NY: Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian

o    Representing Bishop Mikael Mouradian- Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg- Glendale, CA: Father Thomas Garabedian

o    Representing Bishop Nicholas Samra- Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy- Newton, MA: TBA

o    Representing Bishop Mar Barnaba Yousif Habash- Syriac Catholic Diocese in the US and Canada- Bayonne, NJ: Father Nimatullah Abdulmaseeh Butrus

o    Representing Bishop Gregory John Mansour- Eparchy of Saint Maron- Brooklyn, NY: Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, Ph.D. & Father Rodolph Wakim

o    Representing Bishop A. Elias Zaidan- Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon- Los Angeles, CA: Father Charles Khachan, Ph.D.

Representing Metropolitan Joseph Zahlawi- Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese- Englewood, NJ:
Father Christopher Eid

Representing Patriarch Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim- Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch- Eastern United States:
TBA

Representing Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian- Armenian Apostolic Church-
La Crescenta, CA:
Father Karekin Bedourian

Reverend Father Karekin Bedourian was born in 1983 in Kessab, Syria with the baptismal name Hrair.  He received his primary education at Usumnasirats National School of Kessab.  In 1995 he enrolled at the Seminary of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, from where he graduated in 2004.  During that time he was a member of the Association of Theological Institutes in the Middle East (ATIME) and participated in numerous religious and youth conferences in Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Egypt, and Jordan.  He also served within the Prelacy of Lebanon for two years. From 2005 to 2008 he was the Choir conductor at St. Hagop Church in Ashrafieh, Lebanon, during which he completed courses for Sunday school teachers, youth Bible studies, and the study of rituals and hymns.  From 2006 to 2008 he followed Pastoral and Theoretical Theology at the Near East School of Theology (NEST).  He was ordained a priest on March 8, 2009 in Kessab, Syria, by H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, and given the pastoral name Karekin in memory of His Holiness Karekin II of the Holy See of Cilicia, later Karekin I of Echmiadzin of blessed memory, who was also from Kessab.  From October 2009 until May of 2013 he served within the Armenian Prelacy of the Eastern United States.  He studied Theology at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry From 2011-2013, from where he earned a Master's Degree in Theology.  In July of 2013, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy, appointed him Pastor of Forty Martyrs Church in Orange County, California.  Fr. Karekin resides in Orange County, CA with his wife Sevan and their two daughters, Megheti and Nareh.

Representing Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan- Armenian Apostolic Church- New York, NY:
Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian

Very Rev. Anoushavan Tanielian was born in Beirut, Lebanon. From an early age he showed a great interest in religion and church. He attended the Cilician Theological Seminary in Antelias from 1963 to 1971. He was ordained Deacon in 1968 by Archbishop Karekin Sarkissian, Celibate Priest in 1972, by Archbishop Ardag Manougian, he was bestowed the Fourth Degree of Vartabed in 1974 by His Holiness Khoren I, the Fourteenth Degree of Vartabed in 1988 by Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian, Prelate of the Eastern United States and Canada and in 1996 was honored to wear the Episcope Mitre on Feast Days by His Holines Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

His formal education included degrees in:

• Psychology from Haigazian College 1978
• Masters of Divinity (M.Div.)  from Near East School of Theology in 1983
• Masters of Theology (Th.M.) from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1985
• Masters of Philosophy (M.Phil.) from Columbia University in 1992
• Doctoral Studies from Columbia University in 2003

Service to the Armenian Church: Very Rev. Anoushavan Tanielian’s service to the Armenian Church is extensive and covers a span of 30 years. He was served with great dedication in many capacities: Librarian at the Catholicosate, Lecturer at the Theological at the Theological Seminary, Staffbearer to His Holiness Karekin II, he was participated in Ecumenial meetings such as the World East Council of Churches (WCC) and Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), has published articles, translated several Armenian Church Fathers’ works from classical into modern Armenian and has compiled and printed the “Catalogue of the Armenian Manuscripts of the Catholicosate of Cilicia.”

In the United States: He served as Preacher at St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Philadelphia from 1984-1987, at Sts. Vartanantz in New Jersey from 1987 to 1988 and St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Douglaston from 1989 to 1991, he was Founder and Director of St. Gregory of Datev Institute since 1987 and religion instructor of Prelacy Siamanto Academy and Hovnanian Armenian Day School.

St. Sarkis Church: In September 1991, Very Rev. Anoushavan Tanielian became the Pastor of St. Sarkis Church in Douglaston, New York. In 1994, he was elected Chairman of the Prelacy Religious Executive Council and the following year was appointed Vicar General of the Eastern United States. He has represented the Prelacy on numerous local, national and international occasions in different capacities. He was a Prelacy Member of the 1700 Anniversary Committee of the Proclamation of Christianity in Armenia and has organized youth pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Lebanon, Syria, Der Zor and Armenia. Very Rev. Tanielian was also appointed as the first Armenian Chaplain of the New York State Police.

As Pastor of St. Sarkis, Very Rev. Anoushavan Tanielian has devoted his attention to strengthening the Parish and creating activities beneficial to its growth and advancement, putting special emphasis on the needs of youth and senior citizens. His goal has always been to serve the Armenian people and its many spiritual, cultural and intellectual needs. Rev. Tanielian has been an exemplary spiritual servant fulfilling his many responsibilities with great dignity, devotion and determination. In 1998, the parishioners of St. Sarkis Church celebrated Father Anoushavan’s Twenty Fifth Anniversary of consecration of Priesthood.

Bishop Anoushavan: In May 2005, Very Rev. Fr. Anoushavan Tanielian left St. Sarkis Church and became full time Vicar General of the Eastern Prelacy. On June 4, 2006, he was ordained Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

Representing Bishop Mikael Mouradian- Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg- Glendale, CA:
Father Thomas Garabedian

Reverend Father Thomas Vartan Garabedian, JCD, was born in Jbeil, Lebanon in 1973. Upon finishing his Philosophy and Theology studies in Rome, Italy and in the USA, he was ordained a priest of the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg in the USA and Canada in 2003. From 2003-2005, he was the Rector of St. Ann’s Armenian Catholic Cathedral in New York, NY. From 2005-2007, he was Pastor of St. Vartan’s Armenian Catholic Parish in Detroit, Michigan. In 2007, he was named Vice-Rector of the Pontifical Armenian College Seminary in Rome, Italy a position he held until 2011, at the same time pursuing his Licentiate and Doctorate in Canon Law. In 2012, after successfully defending his doctoral dissertation in Rome, he was named Pastor of St. Ann’s Armenian Catholic Church in Flushing, NY. On October 1st, 2014, he relocated to Glendale, CA (the seat of his Eparchy as of 2012,) where he is assuming the duties of Chancellor of the Eparchy, having been named to that position by Most Rev. Mikael Mouradian as of June 2014.

Representing Bishop Nicholas Samra- Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy- Newton, MA:
TBA

Representing Bishop Mar Barnaba Yousif Habash- Syriac Catholic Diocese- Bayonne, NJ:
Father Nimatullah Abdulmaseeh Butrus 

Reverend Father Nimatullah Abdulmaseeh Butrus was born on November 1^st, 1977. He finished high school in Iraq in 1997. He graduated with a BA degree in Philosophy from the College of Arts – Mosul University in 2001.

He joined the community of Saints Cyprian and Justina, Kfifan Monastery where St. Nimatullah Kassab Al-Hardini and St. Stephen Nehme of the Lebanese Maronites were entombed on January 9^th, 2004. He made his monastic profession of vows for the Syriac Congregation of St. Ephrem in 2010.

He has a license in Theology (equivalent to the canonical Baccalaureate in Theology) from the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of Holy Spirit University in Kaslik, Lebanon, in 2010.

His Beatitude Mar Ignatius Joseph III Younan ordained him as priest on April 14^th, 2011. He is in residence at Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic Diocese in United States in 317 Avenue E, Bayonne, NJ 07002 since 10/01/2013. 

Representing Bishop Gregory John Mansour- Eparchy of Saint Maron- Brooklyn, NY:
Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, Ph.D.

Chorbishop Seely Beggiani was born in Youngtown, Ohio, in 1935.  He completed his undergraduate studies at John Carroll University and Borromeo Seminary in Cleveland, Ohio.  His graduate studies were pursued at the Université St. Joseph in Beirut, Lebanon, and the Catholic University of America, where he received his doctorate in theology in 1963.  He was ordained to the Catholic priesthood for the Maronite Church in 1961, and he taught undergraduate theology and sacred scripture at St. Johns college in Cleveland and John Carroll University from 1962-1967.  Since 1967 Chorbishop Beggiani has been Rector of Our Lady of Lebanon Seminary in Washington D.C., and Adjunct Associate Professor of Religion and Religious Education at Catholic University of America.  He was honored with the rank of Monsignor by Pope Paul VI in 1975 and ordained Chorbishop by Archbishop Francis Zayek in 1986.  President Gemayel of Lebanon awarded him the National Order of the Cedar in 1988.  The author has written a number of books and articles on theology.  His most recent work is Early Syriac Theology.

Representing Bishop Gregory John Mansour- Eparchy of Saint Maron- Brooklyn, NY:
Father Rodolph Wakim

Reverend Father Rodolph Wakim, a native of Lebanon, was born in 1964.  He arrived in New York at age 23 and supported himself while studying at Brooklyn College.  In 1992, he entered the Maronite Seminary of Our Lady of Lebanon in Washington, D.C.  He was ordained in 1996.  His first assignment was at St Anthony Church in Falls River, MA.  In 1997, he served as pastor of St. Elias Church in Roanoke, Va., for almost 10 years.  In 2007, he was transferred to Our Lady of Victory Church in Pittsburgh, PA. where he is still serving today.  Fr. Rodolph has a Master’s Degree in Theology.  He is fluent in Arabic, French, English and Spanish.  He was a chaplain of the Knights of Columbus for over 10 years. He is on the board of the MYO (Maronite Youth Organization).  He is the Protopresbyter of the Mid Atlantic West Region of the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn and a member of the Presbyteral Council.

One of Fr. Rodolph’s favorite quotes: "I shall pass this way but once; any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again”. 

Representing Bishop A. Elias Zaidan- Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon- Los Angeles, CA:
Father Charles Khachan, Ph.D.

Reverend Father Charles Khachan was born in Ebreen, Batroun District, North Lebanon. He joined the Order of the Maronite Lebanese Missionaries in 1992. After receiving a degree in Theology from Holy Spirit University in Lebanon, Fr. Khachan was ordained to the priesthood on July 4, 1999. Fr. Khachan served as administrator of Middle School at Cadmous School in Tyre in South Lebanon between 1999 and 2003. In December 2003 He moved to the United States and served as associate pastor at St. Maron Church in Cleveland, OH until 2006. During that time he received a Master’s Degree in Education from John Carroll University. Between 2006 and 2011 Fr. Khachan served as associate pastor at St. George Church in San Antonio, TX. In 2012 he became pastor of Our Lady of Lebanon in Lombard, IL. In October 2013 Fr. Khachan returned to serve as pastor of St. George Church in San Antonio, TX. Fr. Khachan is finishing his doctoral degree in education at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Bishop Elias Zaidan appointed Fr. Khachan as coordinator for CLFW/Project Roots for the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles.

General Support Committee

o    Sharon Abercia, Houston, TX

o    George Akiki, San Francisco, CA

o    Mireille Eid Ayoub, Los Angeles, CA

o    Nada Nassar Baaklini, Washington, DC

o    Attorney Joey Chbeir, Birmingham, AL

o    Pierre Chelala, Cleveland, OH

o    Ray Hachem, M.D., Houston, TX

o    Nadim Haddad, M.D., Washington, DC

o    Amine Harb, Orlando, FL

o    Fredrick Hayek, M.D., Canton, OH

o    George Jabbour, Ph.D., McLean, VA

o    Karim Jaude, Los Angeles, CA

o    Attorney Richard Karam, San Antonio, TX

o    Adib Kassis, Manhattan, NY

o    Joseph Maroun, San Francisco, CA

o    Eunice Mazloom, Washington, DC

o    Imad Mufarrej, M.D., Washington, DC

o    Attorney Philip C. Nessralla Jr., Brockton, MA

o    Nick Shwayri, Richmond Hill, GA

o    Haleem Zihenni, Scarsdale, NY

Sharon Abercia, Houston, TX

Sharon Abercia is Senior Trader at Tri-Coastal Energy Partners, LLC, Houston, Texas area.

Former president and current board member of the Southern Federation of Syrian Lebanese American Clubs, Inc.

George Akiki, San Francisco, CA

George Akiki leads Strategic Planning and Operations for Cisco Services. George is a change agent whose 15-year career at Cisco spanned multiple leadership roles in areas facing rapid transformation. George held various roles in engineering with titles spanning from Technical Manager to Director of Program Management & Operations and acted as Chief of Staff on many leadership teams.

Akiki also led Strategic Planning for Cisco’s Corporate Social Responsibility and was sponsor representative for Cisco’s Impact investments in the MENA region. His stint in Corporate Affairs was triggered by initially being selected to lead “Partnership for Lebanon” initiated by the CEO John Chambers which later evolved into an International assignment to lead CSR for Middle East and Africa which included building scalable, replicable, & sustainable solutions to help the people of the region find the path to long term stability and economic growth.

This allowed for a firsthand experience of the human side of Cisco which has made him an avid believer in the power and importance of corporate social responsibility and the effect of Impact investment on economic development and job creation.

Prior to joining Cisco, George served as director of program management at Ramp Networks preceded by engineering management roles at Nortel (Bay) Networks. He received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a Graduate electrical engineering degree from Ohio State University, and an MBA from Golden Gate University. 

Akiki is co-founder and President of LebNet, a Lebanese American high tech professional society in Silicon Valley. In 2011, George and his family relocated back to the USA following a 3-year assignment in Lebanon.

Mireille Eid Ayoub, Los Angeles, CA

Mireille Eid Ayoub was born as the youngest of 4 children to Maroun Eid and Rosette Farhat. Maroun Eid stemmed from Bikfaya, and Rosette had her roots implanted in Hammana. Although Mireille grew up in Achrafieh, she kept both Bikfaya and Hammana close to her heart.

Mireille attended Ecole Soeurs des Saints-Coeurs and later received her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from St. Joseph University. Mireille spent numerous years working with the St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Organization in Beirut.

In 1981, Mireille married Elias Ayoub, and emigrated to Cypress, California. They have 5 children: Rosana, Diana, Tamara, Nassif-Marc and Fahed-Noel. Mireille has been a strong driving force behind her childrens’ education; she has dedicated her life to ensuring that they were instilled with the same values she was taught by her parents: values of family, education, and faith.

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 2009. In 2011, Mireille and Elias were honored to receive the Knight and Dame of St. Gregory. Mireille loves participating in cultural events and enjoys spending summers in her hometown in Lebanon.

Nada Nassar Baaklini, Washington, DC

Attorney Joey Chbeir, Birmingham, AL

Pierre Chelala, Cleveland, OH
Born in Lebanon, arrived in Cleveland Ohio on January, 30th 1980. Graduate of Cleveland State University with a bachelor of science in business administration. Married with 3 children. Currently president and CEO of Global Financial Corp. specializing in sub-prime auto loans. Member of National Independent Dealers Association (NIDA), member of the (BBB), 2009 quality of the year dealer honoree. Board member of (HSUF) Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USA). Has been very active in the local community. Early on, he recognized that Northeast Ohio had a significant Lebanese Christian community who were members of one of the three churches in the area. Independently, the members of these churches did much to support the local community, recognizing that if the whole community could be brought together, they could form a more effective group and do more good work for the community. He helped form an organization to bring the community together so that all of the Lebanese Americans in the area could maintain, celebrate, and pass along their traditions and beliefs and offer their sons and daughters all of the positive aspects of their heritage, and perform civic and charitable works in the area. He served as the first President of NOLAA and continues to serve actively on the board of the organization.

Ray Hachem, M.D., Houston, TX

FIDSA. is a Professor of Medicine and Director of Extramural Education Program in the Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee health at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Dr. Hachem earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. His M.D. was received from the University of Santiago, where he also completed his internship. Dr. Hachem joined M. D. Anderson in March 1988 as a fellow and currently he serves as Principal Investigator on a number of protocols. He has received numerous national scientific and professional honors. He is also a Co-Inventor on several U. S. patents which have been granted. Dr Hachem has authored over 150 peer reviewed articles published in prestigious journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Infectious Diseases, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, and Cancere. Dr. Hachem is currently examining new strategies for the management of device related infections by lock therapy or coating catheters with unique antiseptic combinations. Dr. Hachem served as the chairman of the Division of Internal Medicine Research Committee.The national president of the American Lebanese Medical Association (ALMA).The director of the World Institute of Medical Education (WIME). He also serves on the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional Research Grant (IRG) Committee, and the Ad Hoc Committee of the Infection Control Committee for the Prevention of Fungal Infections. He is an active member of the Harris County Medical Society, Texas Infectious Diseases (TIDS), American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

Nadim Haddad, M.D., Washington, DC

Dr. Haddad completed his fellowship training at Georgetown University Medical Center. Dr. Haddad specializes in curative techniques for reflux disease utilizing the latest techniques in endoscopy including Endoscopic Ultrasound, Stretta, and wireless capsule technology. Dr. Haddad has completed research studies involving oncology and GI cancers. His experience includes teaching positions with Yale University and Georgetown University.

Amine Harb, Orlando, FL

Amine Harb, President of Harbco, has over 25 years’ experience in the Construction, Engineering and Land Development Industry. He holds a Master’s degree in Civil

Engineering, a Professional Engineer license and is a certified General Contractor.

Actively supporting both his profession and community, Amine has served as President of different non-profit organizations.

Because of his dedication, Mr. Harb has received several awards and recognitions, including The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great.

Amine, along with his wife Paula and three sons, resides in Orlando Florida.

Fredrick Hayek, M.D., Canton, OH

Dr. Fredrick Charbel Hayek is a first generation Lebanese-American. He completed his primary education in Canton, Ohio.  However, he went to high school and University in Lebanon. He graduated from the American University Of Beirut in 1974.  He then went to France for his first year of Medicine at the University of Marseille, and completed his Medical training for the next five years at the University Of Rome, in Italy. After that, he returned to the United States for his residency and post graduate medical training at Youngstown, Ohio, and in Chicago, Illinois.

He has been a practicing physician in Ohio for the past 28 years. During this time, he was involved in numerous clinical and pharmaceutical studies, and participated in staffing medical practice improvement, and quality assurance committees, as well.

Having spent much of his formal education in Lebanon and abroad, he was increasingly aware of the important role Lebanon played in the Middle East. He believes the uniqueness of the country stems from the Christian presence there. If it were not for the Christian presence, the area, and Lebanon in particular would be a vastly different place.

We take it for granted the singularity of Lebanon. Dr. Hayek studied and read many books and anthologies about the history of Lebanon, and specifically those of mountains of Lebanon and came to realize early on that the aspirations and battles that were waged were those of freedom.

George Jabbour, Ph.D., McLean, VA

Dr. George Jabbour is the Associate Dean for Executive Education and Professor of Finance 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), for 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), Holy Spirit University-Kaslik, and Sorbonne University in Paris (France). He developed curriculum for BBA and Msc degrees in business and finance. He has several publications in professional refereed journals. 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 is a member of the editorial advisory board of two journals. Four of his co-authored papers won the best paper award. He has received several Teaching Excellence Awards. 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.) 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 is Managing Director of Global Asset Management Inc., President of Global Finance Associates, Inc; Advisor to the CEO of NGP V Real Estate Fund, and a Board member of Energy Research Solutions. He has a Ph.D. in Finance, an MBA in Finance, a BBA in Marketing, and BS in Mathematics.

Karim Jaude, Los Angeles, CA

Founder, President/ CEO at KAJ Financial Corp/ Dynamics Capital Group.

Karim Jaude, your partner in real estate, has founded and operated 19 successful companies in 8 countries. He made his first million by the age of 26, buying and fixing up distressed properties and businesses.
For over 40 years, Karim has developed, invested, financed, brokered, managed, and consulted in real estate properties in 8 countries.
Karim enjoys tennis, skiing, reading, traveling and is passionate about helping others.
Most importantly, for almost 40 years, Karim has committed—and never failed—to help at least one person every single day.

Attorney Richard Karam, San Antonio, TX

Birth: 5-31-43, San Antonio; 2nd generation Lebanese-American; Ancestral Village, Father, Mazaraat Et-Toufeh; Mother, Beirut and Amchit. Education: Rice U., Houston 1961; U. of Houston, B.S. In Pharmacy 1967; St. Mary’s U. School of Law, JD 1973 - Magna Cum Laude. Licensed: TX State Bar, 1973. Admitted: TX state courts, U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th and 11th Appellant Circuits; U.S. District Court, Western District TX; U.S. Tax Court; TX; TX Board of Pharmacy, Inactive status. Legal Memberships: Fellow, TX Bar Foundation; Member, San Antonio Bar Foundation, San Antonio Bar Assoc.; Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity; State Bar of TX; Board of Director, St. Mary's University School of Law Alumni Assoc. 1985-1988; Recipient, AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, 15 consecutive yrs. Legal Practice - San Antonio: King, Joseph & Bacuum 1973-1975; Nicholas & Barrera 1975-1980; Karam, Naranjo & Kruger 1980-1992; Law Office of Richard J. Karam 1992-Present. Family: Married 1975 to Peggy Bahia Anawaty, Houston; 2 children: (1) Jessica, 36, Attorney, married to Brian Thomas Oley; 2 children, Jude Thomas, age 4, and Margaret Brin, age 7 mos.; & (2) Joseph R. Karam, M.D., 35 single, completing 5th year surgical residency, UAB. Religious: St. George Maronite Catholic Church, San Antonio; Parish Council & Stewardship since 1973; Member, Eparchial Stewardship Council, Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, 2001 - present; Legal counsel, St. George Maronite Church (since 19750), Eparchy of Our Lady Of Lebanon & Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn. Recipient of the Maronite Patriarchal Award, 1999, Silver Massabki Award, 2002. Organizations: ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, National Committee Member, 1999-2002; Board of Directors/Governors, 2002-2012; Emeritus Director/Governor, 2012-Present. Southern Federation of Syrian Lebanese American Clubs: Executive Board, Vice-President, 1991, President, 1992. Southern Federation Foundation, Inc.; Trustee/Governor, 2003; President, 2008-Present. President and Director of several business and nonprofit corporations, including: Maronite Research Institute, Director 1996 - 2005; International Maronite Foundation, 1997 - present.

Adib C. Kassis, Manhattan, NY

An MBA graduate from St. Joseph’s University in Lebanon.

Recipient of the following honors:

- Ellis Island Medal of Honor 1997

- St. Gregory the Great Commander title in 1997, awarded by His Holiness Pope John Paul II

- Cross of Jerusalem 1997 by Patriarch Hakim

- Lebanon Presidential Order of the Cedars 2004 

And many more…

Adib serves on the following boards:

-National Ethic Coalition of org. sponsor of Ellis Island Medal of Honor

-St. Nicholas Home –New York

-Rene Moawad Foundation –Washington

-American Arab National Museum – Michigan

And others.

Joseph Maroun, San Francisco, CA

• Lives in Menlo Park, California

• Presently manager of 4 LLCs: Dough Ave. LLC, Azour LLC, Sfaray LLC, Harissa LLC

• Thirty-eight years in the baking industry with three major plants on the West Coast

• Was on the advisory board of the JFK School of Government, Harvard for 8 years

• Was on the Board of Trustees at LAU in Lebanon for 13 years

• Presently on the advisory board of the Buck Institute (Research on Aging), Novato, California

• Began as an aviator with the FAA (Federal Aviation Agency) and Pan American for eight years

• Majored in Aeronautical Engineering at the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics

• Studied at the Sierra Academy of Aeronautics and graduated with a commercial pilot, instrument rated, multiengine and air transport rating.

Eunice Mazloom, Washington, DC

BS in Facilities Management from Cornell University, 1990. Lives with husband and three children in Arlington, VA. A Volunteer for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for 18 years. Serves on the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) Leadership Council for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Imad Mufarrij, M.D., Washington, DC

Dr. Imad Mufarrij is a clinical professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and co-director of the minimally invasive surgery fellowship at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He is also the director of OB/GYN education and clinical clerkships at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is active in the field of women's health and lectures nationally and internationally on a host of subjects in the field.

 Dr. Mufarrij is past president of the Washington Chapter of the American University of Beirut Alumni Association. He co-founded and co-chairs "Min Ajl Lubnan" at the University of Maryland, an organization focused on the dissemination of the works of such masters as Khalil Gibran and Amin Rihani in the United States. He also serves on the board of directors of the American Foundation for Saint George Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon. Dr. Mufarrij served on the governor's commission for women's health in Maryland. He is the recipient of several excellence in teaching awards. In 2007, he received the Montgomery county executive's community service award. He is listed among the top doctors by Checkbooks magazine, among America's top OBGYN's by The Consumer Research Counsel of America and as one of Washington's top doctors by Washingtonian Magazine.

Attorney Philip C. Nessralla Jr., Brockton, MA

Philip Nessralla resides in Brockton, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of the New England School of Law and maintains a private practice in the Boston area. He is also the City Solicitor of Brockton, the chief legal advisor of the fourth largest municipality in Massachusetts. He also serves on several boards of charitable groups and is a member of various Lebanese organizations.

Nick Shwayri, Richmond Hill, GA
Nick was born and raised in Senegal until the age of 8 when his family moved to Lebanon.

In 1983, he came to Boston where he earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management. After a career of 10 years in the electric power industry in Massachusetts, he moved back to Lebanon in 1995 with his wife and children where he worked with a general contractor for around 3 years, and then joined the paper industry and managed a paper mill for over 10 years. In 2007, he and his family returned to the USA to work with the INDEVCO Group in Savannah, GA. He currently holds the title of Vice President of Global Commerce, where he manages much of the company’s Corporate Procurement and Mill Sales operations.

Haleem Zihenni, Scarsdale, NY

Haleem Zihenni received a papal award from Pope John Paul II for his support for St. Ignatius Maronite Church in Dayton Ohio.

He is president of the building fund committee (from its inception in 2008 to present) for the Maronite Mission in Sleepy Hollow, Westchester County, New York.

Haleem raised $1.5 million for the acquisition of the Immaculate Conception Church in Sleepy Hollow; anticipated to close on said purchase in June 2014.

Mr. Zihenni personally funded and built a brand new church: Mar Abda Church, in Toula, Batroun, at a construction cost of $3 million. The construction started in 2005 and was completed in 2010.

Party Support Committee

o    Ahrar: Milad Zohrob

o    Independence Movement/ Harakat Al-Istiqlal: Joseph Moura

o    Kataeb: Joe Rached

o    Lebanese Forces: Gustave Cordahi

o    Liban Message: Gen. Khalil Helou

o    Marada: William Franjieh

o    Ramgavar Party (Armenian Democratic Liberal Party): Raffi Balian, M.D.

o    Tashnak (Armenian Revolutionary Federation): Vahe Bozoyan, Ph.D.o    Tayyar: Joseph Khalil, D.D.S.

Ahrar: Milad Zohrob
President of the American Lebanese Coalition, a lobbying group consisting of 4 major American Lebanese grass roots organizations.

President of the Assembly for Lebanon, a grass roots organization in Michigan.

President of Ahrar North America.

Publisher of Voice of Freedom newspaper in Michigan.

Background: Grew up in Lebanon. Immigrated to the United States in 1977 during the Lebanese war with the PLO. Immediately got involved in community activities and was a founding member of the American Lebanese League, an umbrella organization that represented the majority of Lebanese Americans. Was on the executive committee for several years.

Education: Bachelors of Business Administration, the American University of Beirut; Masters of Business Administration, University of Detroit.

Independence Movement/ Harakat Al-Istiqlal: Joseph Moura
Joseph Moura is American Lebanese; he has been in the United States for the last 14 years. He came from Zgharta, North Lebanon, and is a member of the Rene Moawad Foundation in the USA. He represents the Independence Movement (Harakat el Esteklal). The movement started registering the Lebanese in 2009. So far, they have registered over 600 in the USA and in Australia, and are still working on more.

Kataeb: Joe Rached
Founder, president and CEO of Mobility Express dealer division.

Coordinator of Lebanese Kataeb party, USA.

President of the Church pastoral council of Saint Peter and Paul, Tampa, FL since 2003.

Joe grew up in Lebanon, spent his early years at College Saint Joseph Antoura.

Taught for 3 years in Beirut before he emigrated to the United States of America, where he was the regional manager of AFLAC insurance company for many years before he founded MOBILITY EXPRESS in 1992.

In the last 10 years, he donated more than 60 scooters, power chairs and wheel chairs for many foundations related to handicaps in Lebanon.

Lebanese Forces: Gustave Alain Cordahi
Gustave Alain Cordahi is an expert in Transportation Engineering and Planning who currently works as a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton in Washington D.C. with clients that include various national and Federal agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT). He holds a Master 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. Additionally, Gustave is a co-founder and the current 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 the Secretary 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. Gustave received a Research Fellowship form U.C. Berkeley in 2008, and two awards from AUB in 2007: The Penrose Award for the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (FEA), and The Distinguished Graduate Award for the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Besides being placed on the Dean's Honor List during all his semesters at AUB, Gustave maintained an on-campus activism as the President of the AUB Social Club; and as a Member-at-Large of Outlook's Editorial Board as well as Co-Editor of Outlook's Arabic Supplement. Moreover, Gustave was awarded the Special Recognition Award at the 5th FEA Student Conference for his paper titled "Ethics and FEA". Gustave spent his early years at College Saint Joseph, Antoura where he earned both the Lebanese and the French Baccalaureates with distinction in 2003.

Liban Message: Gen. Khalil Helou

Marada: William Franjieh
William Franjieh was born in Lebanon and stayed in Lebanon during most of the war. He got married and eventually moved to Athens, Greece, where he worked at CCC in the computer department. He later immigrated to the Unites States of America. In the mid 90's, William returned to Lebanon. He was blessed with three children who are now all attending University. Currently, William and his family live in Massachusetts. He is working as a Real Estate Agent and in the Trucking business.

Ramgavar Party (Armenian Democratic Liberal Party): Raffi Balian, M.D.
Harout Raffi Balian was born in Beirut, Lebanon.  He attended New High School and AGBU Hovagimian- Manoogian Boys School.  He went to medical school in Yerevan, Armenia and completed his residency at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Following the devastating earthquake in Armenia in 1988, he became Medical Director for the Pediatric Rehabilitation Program in Yerevan established by Project Hope in 1989.

In 1993 Dr. Balian and his family moved to the USA to join the vibrant Armenian community of California. He established a private practice in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Pasadena in 1996 and continues to this day. He has also undertaken the Medical Directorship of the Acute Rehabilitation Unit at the Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale California since 2011.

Dr. Balian has been an active member of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, (Ramgavar), since 1973 and has served in different administrative positions throughout the past forty years.

He is presently a member of the Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the ADLP, Western District. Dr Balian is Chairman of the Armenian Rights Council of America, Western USA. He is also the administrative director of the Nor Or Weekly newspaper, established in Fresno, California in 1922.

Tashnag (Armenian Revolutionary Federation): Vahe Bozoyan, Ph.D.

Tayyar: Joseph Adib Khalil, D.D.S.

Joseph Khalil moved to the Washington DC area in 2003 where he is a practicing dentist in Arlington and Oakton in Virginia. He moved to the US at the age of 18 in pursuit of education and political freedom. As a child and teenager he was an active member of the Scouts Du Liban organization and a volunteer at the Lebanese Red Cross, both of which had major impact on his upbringing and deepened his love for a free and prosperous Lebanon. His dream of joining the military academy was shattered when he had to leave Lebanon due to political persecution, as was the case of many young Lebanese college students in the early nineties. An activist at heart, he never missed an opportunity to work and lobby for a democratic and free Lebanon. He was a member of the Lebanese American Council for Democracy, a lobbying group for an independent and free Lebanon. Among his interest is learning more about the Maronite history and heritage, hence his support for Project Roots and the CLFW. He is married to Jennifer and has two sons Christopher and Michael. When he is not seeing patients, he enjoys reading, traveling, photography and cycling.

Marketing and Media Support Committee

Marketing Sub-Committee:

o  Roy Abdo

o  Elie Bitar

o  Eunice Mazloom

o  Edward Salem

o  Joey Skaff

o  Abe Tannous

Roy Abdo

Roy Abdo is the Founder of Digital Revamp, a DC based marketing agency that focuses on small businesses.  A graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a Masters of Business Administration, Roy was born and raised in Beirut. He was attending a conflict resolution program in Greece in 2006 when the war between Israel and Hezbollah took place.  Unable to go back to Beirut, Roy moved to the USA to pursue his undergraduate studies and has resided in DC since then. 

Elie Bitar

Independent Internet Professional.

Washington, DC

Georges Chehwane
Born in Lebanon (Achrafieh, Beirut) in 1962, Georges is a former student of College La Sagesse, Notre Dame de Jamhour, and Nazareth school; he graduated from St. Joseph University in 1985 and holds a degree in Business Economics.

He married Carole Zakhour Chehwane and they have 2 children: Roy and Tamara.

In 1992, Georges started off with Group Plus and this small start-up company grew to become one of the leading media companies in the Middle East, having a total of ten offices in Lebanon, UAE, Bahrain, Syria as well as two outdoor printing houses in Lebanon and UAE.

Owning the right Marketing and Media tools, he established Plus Properties in 2007, to enter the booming property market in Lebanon.

Plus Properties today offers a diverse selection of luxury projects ranging from residential buildings to mixed-use towers and gated communities in Lebanon such as Plus Towers (Solidere, Beirut), Tilal Bhersaf (Bhersaf, Al Metn), Monteverde81, Yarze Gardens, Yarze 76, etc… It also entered Cyprus’ market with two exquisite real estate projects such as Plus 1 Neapolis LTD and Plus 2 Neapolis LTD in Larnaka city.

Along with Plus Properties which expanded to Project and Facility Management, Georges has established Plus Brokers, a real estate consultancy agency operating across the Middle East Region and Plus Invest, a company which proposes investment plans built around equity participation in profitable projects in Lebanon and the region.

Moreover, Georges is the Vice President of SOACLE (Syndicate of Outdoor advertising companies in Lebanon), member of the Board of Trustees of Beirut Marathon and former President of La Sagesse Basketball Club.

Today, Georges Chehwane heads Plus Holding, a conglomerate operating in five countries (Lebanon, UAE, Bahrain, Syria, and Cyprus) with over 200 employees and more than 20 companies under its umbrella.

Eunice Mazloom

BS in Facilities Management from Cornell University, 1990. Lives with husband and three children in Arlington, VA. A Volunteer for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for 18 years. Serves on the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) Leadership Council for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Edward Salem

Cf. Board of Trustees

Joey Skaff

Joey Skaff married into the Lebanese community after getting her Master's Degree at Catholic University.  Joey has trouble saying "No" to volunteer activities so she has been very active in her children's school, the church, and now her grandchildren's events.  She is one of the founders of the American Friends of SESOBEL and was the treasurer for the organization for eight years. She loves design and is active in landscape design and floral design.  She produced award winning newsletters, yearbooks, and programs for her garden club for ten years. She now resides in Fairhope, AL and is involved with the local school and community.

Abe Tannous

Abe Tannous is publisher and editor-in-chief of Profile News, USA.

Media Sub-Committee:

TV/Radio Stations

o  Chadi El Hachem, OTV

o  Josephine El-Ghoul, Nour Al Shabab

o  Elie Haddad, MTV

o  Guitta Kiameh, LBC

o  Marie-Therese Kreidy, Télé Lumière

o  Vera Maalouf, Télé Lumière (USA)

o  Elie Moujaes, Nour Sat (and Al-Akhbar)

o  Father Elie Saadeh, Star of the East Radio

o  William Srour, Charity TV

o  Rita Zihenni, ART America, The Bridge

Chadi El Hachem, OTV

Chadi El Hachem is Chief Operating Officer (COO) at OTV. Studied at ESIB, USJ.

Josephine Daher El-Ghoul, Nour Al Shabab

Josephine Daher El-Ghoul is the Director of Nour Al Shabab.

Josephine Daher, married to Father Valentino Dasilva El Ghoul - 4 children

Education:

- Ph.D. student in Journalism; concentration: Effect of Modern Technology on the youth.
- Courses in Theology and Theater

Profession:

- 24 years for Tele Lumiere in preparing and presenting programs. Currently occupies the position of Director of Nour Al Shabab, Television Channel from Noursat (2012 - present)

Achievements:

- Documentaries, programs, conferences, seminars, events.

- Coverage of synods (2010), pastoral visits of Patriarchs of the Middle East in Lebanon and abroad.

- Interviews with leaders and important personalities in political, economic, social and religious fields in Lebanon and abroad.

Elie Haddad, MTV

Elie Haddad is a creative Director with 19 years of experience in the TV industry.

Elie holds a degree in Audiovisual Studies from the Institute of Fine Arts; he started his career as a Promotion Producer at ICN, then Antenne Plus, and MTV Lebanon.

As a Creative Director, he was responsible for the look and feel of many TVs such as Sat 7, Rotana TV Channels, Arabsat Promotional Channel, Waseet TV, Al Rasheed, LBC, and Al Jadeed.

He’s currently heading the Post Production Department at Studiovision.

He won best visual effects at Beirut Video Clip Festival in 2001.

As a Visual Designer, he has worked on hundreds of Video clips, Commercials, Documentaries, TV Branding, TV shows, and corporate videos.

Guitta Kiameh, LBC

Guitta Kiameh is a twenty year plus veteran journalist. She was a senior correspondent with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) one of the Middle East’s premier satellite channels for more than 25 years. She was also a correspondent for Radio Vatican - English section- during the Lebanese civil war in 1986. She has been recognized for her coverage of some of the region’s main news events and the conflict in South Lebanon. She has received an Achievement Award for Women Rights Issues. She has also been assigned to cover news stories in Jordan, Tunisia, Syria, Turkey, Europe, USA, Mexico, and Brazil.
She did meet during her career top leaders: Georges w Bush, Pope Jean-Paul 2 to name just a few.

Marie-Therese Kreidy, Télé Lumière

Marie-Therese Kreidy is Director of Programs of Tele Lumiere and Noursat TV Channels.

She is also director of Nour Kids channel.

Journalist, writer, producer.

President of Signis International Group: the World Association for Catholic Communication.

Jury member at International Film Festivals.

Researcher in Social Media and NGOs.

Active in many NGOs.

Municipal Council member.

Vera Maalouf, Télé Lumière (USA)

Elie Moujaes, Noursat & Al-Akhbar

Elie Moujaes is an effective member of Noursat, Canada and the director of Al-Akhbar newspaper.

Father Elie Saadeh, Star of the East Radio

Reverend Father Elie Saadeh, OLM, is a Monk of the Lebanese Maronite Order. He was ordained a priest in Lebanon in 2006 at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik. Father Elie served as a School Principal (Grades 2-12) at Central College, Jounieh from 2005-2007; then, he was sent by his superiors to Catholic University of America to continue his studies on 2007. In 2008, Fr Saadeh transferred to Villanova University in Philadelphia to continue his PH.D in Philosophy and received a full scholarship. Fr. Elie is writing his dissertation in Pragmatism and religion under the title of: “The Call to Believe and the ‘Weak’ God in William James’s Philosophy of Religion.” In 2009, Fr. Elie was assigned as a Parochial Vicar of Saint John Catholic Church, in Wallingford, PA with more than 1600 families to serve while continuing his studies. In 2011, Fr. Saadeh had a new assignment in addition to the first one, to serve the Maronite community in New Jersey at Our Lady Star of the East Maronite Church. In 2012, Fr. Elie founded the first Maronite Online Radio in the USA, Star of the East Radio (http://www.staroftheeast.org/). In June 2013, Fr. Elie was assigned to Our Lady of Lebanon, Maronite Church, Miami, FL. Fr. Elie is a poet and a musician; he has written and composed more than 15 religious hymns; and has taught at the ‘Path of Charity’ in Kaslik, Lebanon, and at Villanova University as an Assistant teacher.

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