Mr. Hussam Abu Issa has distinguished himself in a variety of fields, including entrepreneurship, business, finance, philanthropy, and intercultural relations. His interests lie in promoting higher education, research on health issues, and inter-Arab trade and investment. He is a regular attendee of various international forums and council meetings.
Ms. Erica Pelletreau is a Philanthropic Consultant, researching and building dynamic playbook for foundations and NGOs to leverage AI to advance communications outcomes. She leads inquiries and designs strategic campaigns to build bridges and reduce polarization. Ms. Pelletreau chairs Amideast’s governance and nominating committee and the board of The Communications Network. Previously she led social justice communications for the Empire State Pride Agenda, PolicyLink, Physicians for Reproductive Health, and the ACLU. Ms.
Dr. Hanine Salem is a senior strategist and established public sector expert with over 20 years of executive level working experience in the field of education, higher education and human capital development. Throughout her career, she has been advising heads of states, prime ministers, ministers and public sector officials in areas related to her field of expertise.
Professor Safwan M. Masri is Dean of Georgetown University in Qatar and Distinguished Professor of the Practice at Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Before joining Georgetown in October 2022, Professor Masri was Executive Vice President for Global Centers and Global Development at Columbia University, and a Senior Research Scholar at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Ambassador (ret.) Michael Pelletier was appointed as the founding Executive Director of the Aspire Initiative Endowed Institute for Global Engagement at the University of Houston on August 1, 2021.
Mr. Amjad Ahmad is a Managing Partner and Emerging Market Advisor at 500 Global, a venture capital firm that invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies. He is also an instructor for 500 Global’s Venture Education, training the next generation of venture capitalists and angel investors in various markets. Mr. Ahmad serves on the board of directors of Amideast, Homzmart, Koita Foods, and Tapal Tea.
Ambassador (ret.) Greta C. Holtz joined Amideast in August 2023, following 35 years as a career diplomat. She served as the U.S. Ambassador to Oman from 2012 to 2015, the Chargé d'affaires in Qatar from 2020-2021, and ran the Provincial Reconstruction Team program in Iraq.
Additional postings included Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Tunisia, Syria, and Turkey,
