Ms. Debby Blazquez has served as the Vice President of Finance, and Chief Financial Officer since 2018. She currently manages the following teams: Accounting and Finance, Contracts and Grants, Information Technology, Financial Planning and Analysis, Internal Audit, and Risk Management, Assets and Facilities.

Dr. Mondher Ben Ayed is a Tunisian entrepreneur, engineer, and academic. He is the president and CEO of TMI, a leading company in the field of information and communication technologies, and Oradist, a distributor of Oracle products and services in Tunisia. He is also a former professor of computer engineering at the University of Rochester, where he obtained his PhD in 1990. He holds an MS and a BS in electrical engineering from the same institution.

Mr. Antoine N. Frem is the co-founder and vice chairman of INDEVCO, a group of manufacturing enterprises that produce paperboard, corrugated cartons, plastics, and sanitary products. He is also the chairman of the board of UNIPAK, a subsidiary of INDEVCO that specializes in packaging solutions. He has more than 45 years of experience in the packaging and paperboard industry and has worked in the US and international markets.

Ambassador (ret.) Deborah K. Jones​ retired from the U.S. Department of State in November 2016 with the rank of Career Minister​ following 34 years of service. Her last assignment was as Deputy Commandant/International Affairs Advisor​ at the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy​ (formerly ICAF) of the National Defense University​ from October 2015 to November 2016, following her appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Libya​ from June 2013 until September 2015. She served as Scholar-in-Residence at the Middle East Institute​ from August 2012 to March 2013.

Ambassador (ret.) William A. Rugh was the president of Amideast from 1995 to 2003, following a distinguished diplomatic career that included service as U.S. ambassador to Yemen (1984-86) and to the UAE (1992-95). He was a foreign service officer with the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) from 1964 to 1995 and served at six posts, all in the MENA region: Cairo (twice), Jidda, Riyadh, Damascus, Sanaa, and Abu Dhabi. In Washington, he served in USIA’s Near East/South Asia Bureau three times. He retired in 1995 as a career minister.  

Dr. Mary Gray is the author of books and papers in the fields of mathematics, mathematics education, computer science, applied statistics, economic equity, discrimination law, and academic freedom. She has lectured throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. Her current research interests include applications of statistics in litigation, ethical issues in statistics, intellectual property and academic freedom, and language and gender issues in mathematics. Her work has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P.

Ms. Mona Oswald is a retired Financial Marketing Executive with experience in broad-based strategic sales planning, market expansion, and relationship management. As a Vice President of Investments with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney she advised high-net-worth individuals, family offices, law firms, and other corporate clients concerning investment opportunities, retirement, and pension planning.

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. Leslie Nucho has served as Vice President for Programs at Amideast since 1995. She oversees the organization’s activity in the areas of English language, workplace/employability and professional skills training, educational exchange (including education abroad), and institutional strengthening, as well as its communications and monitoring and evaluation functions. Her role encompasses project design, proposal and budget review and approval, financial monitoring, staff supervision and guidance, and performance and reporting compliance.  

Ms. Erica Pelletreau is a senior member of the communications team at Ford Foundation where she provides strategic advice and communications support to the Global Governance and US and International Civic Engagement and Government teams, and the offices in the Middle East and North Africa and Mexico/Central America. 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.