Board of Directors

Anny Bakalian, Board Chair, is Associate Director of the Middle East and Middle Eastern American Center (MEMEAC) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She received her undergraduate degree from the American University of Beirut and her Ph.D. from Columbia University. She is the author of numerous publications including, Armenian Americans: From Being to Feeling Armenian (Transaction Press, 1993) and Backlash 9/11: Mobilizing Middle Eastern and Muslim Americans (forthcoming).

Azza J. Manassah, Board Treasurer, is an independent consultant on Construction and Facilities Management. She is a partner/co-founder of a women-owned construction management company with an extensive national and international portfolio of projects. She has served in a leadership capacity in a number of New York City-wide private/public committees concerned with economic and educational development. She presided for seven years over the Cooperative Board of Directors where her family lives.

Na-il Tamimi is an attorney and business development coordinator at Kobre & Kim LLP. Prior to moving to New York he worked for two technology companies and the Securities &l Exchange Commission. He received his Bachelor's Degree in political Science and Philosophy at the University of Washington and his joint JD/Master's of Finance from Seattle University.

Claudia Ayash graduated from New York University (NYU) with a Master's Degree in public health in 1996. She worked at Saint Vincents Hospital, in the department of Community Health Resources, as a health educator. In 2000, she moved to the Community Education and outreach program of the NYU Cancer Institute where she is currently the Assistant Director. Ms. Ayash designs programs to increase the presence of the Cancer Institute in the community and to improve public awareness about prevention and early detection strategies. Her main focus is to improve the delivery of cancer care services for medically underserved communities through innovative outreach initiatives. In addition, she is a volunteer with NAMES (New Alliances for Middle East Solutions) and Alwan for the Arts.

Staff

Naziha Norri, Case Manager Family Violence Program. Naziha was born in Rabat, Morocco, where she earned a BA in political science from the University of Mohamed V. Then she completed her M.A. from University of Paris X, nanterre, and started taking classes for a doctorate in sociology. Upon winning the "lottery" from the U.S. State Department, she immigrated to new York City. While in France, naziha worked for the immigrant association, "Repères-Identités," in Paris, creating and managing cases, researching solutions and services that support African and Arab immigrant families, including housing and schooling; and managed communications between the association, its clients, board and government funders. Before moving to France, Naziha was member of the founding team of "Le Toubkal School" in Rabat, an innovative primary school for disadvantaged students. Naziha has been volunteering in new York's Young Leadership Council of Children of Abraham and has translated sections of their web site into French since she is fluent in Arabic, French and English.

Afrah Yusr, Health Advocate, was born and raised in Yemen. She holds a B.S. in Political Science and a Master's degree in Women's Studies and Religion from Sana'a University. She has also studied in Amman, Jordan and New York University. Ms. Yusr has been an activist and community worker for the Arab American community in Brooklyn in a variety of capacities. Currently, she provides health access to immigrants through Health Plus, a not-for-profit healthcare plan committed to quality healthcare and dedicated to the health and well-being of culturally diverse communities, and volunteers her services at the Arab American Association in Bay Ridge and the Yemeni American Association in Park Slope.