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Board of Directors - 2008
ONTARIO
- Dany Assaf is a Toronto based lawyer with extensive expertise in business law. He served as advisor to NCCAR, CAF and a number of Canadian organizations with national and international focus. Mr. Assaf plays a leading role in promoting and enhancing business relations with the Middle East and interaction with sister organizations, such as the Canada Arab Business Council
uncil.
- Doug Daniels (Treasurer) worked at Canada 's Department of External Affairs, IDRC, FAO and the Department of Cooperative Development in Uganda .. He brings extensive experience to NCCAR acquired while working in every continent and region on development issues related to education, health, agriculture, economics and research. He has published three books and more than 50 articles concerning international affairs and development. He has been and/or is on the following boards: Advisory Board, Canadian Journal of Development Studies International Board of Governors, Society for International Development (Development ( Rome ); Vice-President, International Book Bank (US); President, SID Ottawa; and CODE.
- Michel De Salaberry is
a former Canadian Ambassador to Egypt , Iran and Jordan . He also served as former Deputy Director, Middle East Division, Chief of Staff to the Minister for Constitutional Affairs, and Director, Middle East Relations Division at Foreign Affairs Canada. Since retirement in January 2005, he returned to active service as Canadian Government representative in Southern Afghanistan for part of 2007. He is now engaged in a number of civil society activities with L'Arche communities of the mentally handicapped in both Gatineau and Bethlehem-Azzarieh, Future Generations Canada ( community development in Bamian province, Afghanistan ), and the New Day Foundation for cultural dialogue between Canada and Iran,
- Dr. John Menzies
a practicing physician in Pembroke Ontario He finished his medical studies in 1982. Since then, Dr. Menzies served with the Canadian military as a Doctor in Canada and Europe, and completed his Radiology training in Ottawa . He is married and has four sons.
- Bahija Réghaï (President)
has extensive experience in the area of human rights, community development, and intercultural training. She has worked and travelled in Africa, Europe and North America . She brings over 20 years of community and NGO experience. She is a vice-president and founding member of the Arab Canadian Women's Association (ACWA) of Ottawa, first co-chair of Al-Awda-Canada, a member of the Advisory Council of the Across Boundaries Multifaith Institute (ABMI) Montreal, and former president of the Coalition of Arab Professionals and Community Associations (CAPCA) of Ottawa and a member of Potlucks for Peace, a Jewish-Arab dialogue group in Ottawa.
- Samer Roumani (Vice-president, Outreach and fundraising) is an Ottawa based electrical engineer. Mr. Roumani has dedicated a great deal of his community life to raising the profile of Arab Canadians within the Canadian society. He is former president of the Syrian Arab Association of Canada and former president of Coalition of Arab Canadian Professionals and Community Association (CAPCA) and served as board member for well renowned organizations. He has supported and worked with NCCAR on a number of major projects including fundraising to send members of Canada 's Parliament to the Occupied Territories, Syria and Lebanon (February 2005). Mr. Roumani is married and has two children.
- Samah Sabawi is
a Human Rights and Social Justice advocate. She has worked with various NGOs and Human Rights groups both in Canada and in the Palestinian Occupied Territories . Ms. Sabawi was former Executive Director of the National Council on Canada-Arab relations (NCCAR) and is currently on the board of directors of the Canadian Palestinian Congress. She designs and facilitates educational workshops for Canadian diplomats, civil servants, military personnel as well as for high school students on the politics, culture and history of the Arab World. Ms. Sabawi is also involved in the theater and is currently producing her second play on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict which will make its debut in Ottawa December 2008.
- Anthony Salloum
has a
Bachelor of Science in biology. His Masters in Public Administration focused on policy development, inter-governmental relations and municipal management. Currently, Mr. Salloum is the Program Director of the Rideau Institute, an independent research, advocacy, and consulting group based in Ottawa . It is a federally registered non-profit organization, established in January 2007. His background includes a decade of parliamentary work and more than two decades of political activism, including extensive campaign experience in both federal and provincial elections. Mr. Salloum served as policy advisor as well as legislative and communications assistant on foreign affairs, international development, peace advocacy and post-secondary education issues. He is recognized for having an in-depth understanding of Canada 's parliamentary system and solid working relationships with an extensive network of MPs and staff from all political stripes on the Hill.
QUEBEC
- Mark Khoury (Vice-President, Government and Media Relations) brings a diverse background to NCCAR's board, with roles spanning from community leadership, the corporate world, entrepreneurship to the military. Mark is the director of the Social Network of Arab Professionals, a peer-networking professionals' organization, and a past Executive and contributor of advocacy and humanitarian organizations. In his roles, Mark has brought policy advocacy to our Canadian Parliamentarians, meeting with dozens of MPs and Senators, government ministers and opposition critics. He has also spoken and presented at union board meetings, teachers' federations, university and CEGEP student groups and classes, Arab and non-Arab community organizations, and the national convention of a major Canadian political party. On the media front, Mark has been regularly interviewed on CTV local and national news, the French TVA / LCN network, La Presse, CBC Radio and Télé-Québec. He was also the subject for a documentary examining North American media portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Professionally, Mark has seventeen years in the software industry and is currently president of Claritive Consulting, a computer software services firm based in Montreal , serving Quebec mid-sized firms and institutions. As an entrepreneur, he is or has been involved in projects that include an 80-seat day care center, a medical startup and e-learning startup. Finally, Mark volunteers annually with the Terry Fox Run Montreal organization, and has served as an Infantry Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces.
- Rula Odeh ( Secretary )
has an extensive scientific and business background in the healthcare industry. In addition to her M.Sc. in Pharmacology and MBA, she is a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma, which ensures delivery on customer needs in a way that is faster, better and more efficient. Rula has played a leadership role in several organizations advocating for Canadian policies in the Middle East based on human rights, equality and freedom. Her interest in Canadian media's representation of Canada 's foreign policy in the Middle East and related current affairs has resulted in several published letters-to-the-editor, an opinion piece in a major national paper, as well as numerous appearances on TV and radio. Rula has participated in regular interactions with parliamentarians and diverse community organizations.
ALBERTA
- Sine Chadi
sat as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1993 to 1997 and represented his caucus on a number of the Legislature's economic development, public accounts and treasury committees. Mr. Chadi is currently the CEO and chairman of Imperial Equities Inc. He is also the founder and principal shareholder of North American Mortgage Corp., as well as of numerous other companies involved in the acquisition, redevelopment and disposition of real estate assets. Mr. Chadi is an active community leader and fundraiser for a number of community groups including the Boys and Girls Clubs and Crystal Kids. He received the Honorary Chinese Citizen Award for his philanthropic work with the Asian community in Edmonton.
- Ahmad Jawad is
the President of Intellinet Technologies Inc., a technology outsourcing and consulting firm located in the Edmonton Research Park . He has a B.Sc. from the University of Alberta and an MBA from Athabasca University . Ahmad has served on many non profit boards as president of the Canadian Arab Professional and Business Club in Edmonton . He is currently on the board of the World Lebanese Cultural Union in Edmonton.
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