About AAI
Board
Board of Directors
George Salem
George R. Salem established the Law Offices of George R. Salem, PLLC in January 2005. Mr. Salem was a partner at the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP from 1990 until then, where he headed the firm’s Middle East and U.S. Department of Labor practices. He served as solicitor of the U.S. Department of Labor during the second Reagan administration, and played key roles in the Bush-Quayle and Bush-Cheney campaigns. He co-founded the Arab American Institute in 1985 and currently serves as its Chairman.
Dr. James Zogby
Jim serves as the President of the Arab American Institute in Washington, DC. He co-founded the organization in 1985 and for the past two decades has been involved in a full range of Arab American issues. He also co-founded the Palestine Human Rights Campaign in the late 1970s, and later co-founded and served as the Executive Director of the American-Arab-Anti-Discrimination Committee. He serves on the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Committee as well as on the Council on Foreign Relations. Jim host a weekly television show called, “Viewpoint with James Zogby” and writes a weekly newspaper column, “Washington Watch.”
John Zogby
John is President & CEO of Zogby International in Utica, NY and is a highly-regarded pollster. He has been the best performing pollster in past U.S. and presidential elections and has polled for Reuters, NBC News, Fox News and many other news organizations. In 1996, he was labeled the “Most Accurate Pollster” by USA Today. John as been tracking public opinion for 16 years in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
www.zogby.com/
Jean AbiNader
Jean AbiNader is Deputy Director of the Moroccan American Center and is a founding board member of the Arab American Institute. He is president and CEO of IdeaCom, an international marketing firm based in Bethesda, MD. He has extensive experience with foreign relations & international business development and was the President of the U.S. – Arab Chamber of Commerce from 1986-1993. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
Helen Samhan
Helen is Executive Director of the Arab American Institute Foundation, a 501©(3) in Washington D.C., a non-profit dedicated to promoting and studying the Arab American experience. AAIF is an affiliate of the Arab American Institute that represents Arab American issues in politics, elections, leadership training and public policy. She has been with the Institute since its formation in 1985. Ms. Samhan’s professional memberships include the 2010 Census Advisory Committee to the U.S. Bureau of the Census , the Arab American National Museum Advisory Board, and is a 2003 graduate of Leadership America.
Board of Governors
Mr. Hossam Abdel-Maksoud
Dr. Samir Abu-Ghazaleh
Dr. Yahya Basha
Dr. Ali Bazzi
Mr. Nasser Beydoun
Ms. Sherine El-Abd
Mr. Nijad Fares
Ms. Samia Farouki
Dr. Abdel Kader Fustok
Hon. Edward Gabriel
Mr. Samuel Halaby, Jr.
Mr. Tariq Jawad
Mr. Assad Jebara
Mr. Ghassan Saab
