President - Founding Member

Mr. Ibraheem Shunnar was born and raised in Nablus. He is a civil engineer currently residing in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is currently a vice president and a member of the Board of Directors for the Mannik Smith Group, Inc, a civil engineering consulting firm in the United States.

Founding Member and Past President

Mr. Bilal Almasri was born and raised in Nablus and attended AlKhaldieh, Adel Zuaiter, Qutaibah, and King Talal schools. He used to join his grandfather at the local market to sell local farmer produce. He is the founding president of the Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects and a retired civil engineer, where he served as the Chief Engineer in the City of Chicago.

Founding Member and Past President

Dr. Imad Al-Qadi was born and raised in Nablus where he attended Alkindi and Qadri Toukan schools and played volleyball and Soccer. He also helped run a family business at Kahn Altujjar. As a civil engineer, he is currently the Director of the Illinois Center for Transportation and the Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Founding Member

Dr. Mohayya Khilfeh was born and raised in Nablus. She fondly remembers climbing Mt. Ebal and picking wildflowers. She practiced as a pediatrician in Nablus, walking the old city’s streets to conduct home visits for children between 1968-1989. She is recently retired after practicing in Chicago as a pediatrician and medical director for a health center in the Chicagoland area, where she currently resides.

Treasurer

Amar Masri, a Palestinian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist born in Nablus, is renowned for his significant contributions to education, healthcare, and economic empowerment in Palestine. He founded the Amar Foundation, which supports schools, universities, and vocational training programs, provides medical aid and equipment, and encourages entrepreneurship and job creation. Additionally, Mr. AlMasri is a strong advocate for Palestinian rights and self-determination, and he empowers youth through scholarships and mentorship programs.

Secretary and Founding Member

Dr. Dana Al-Qadi was born in the United States to proud Nabulsi parents. She regularly visits Nablus and treasures her time with her family. During college she completed a summer internship at Nablus Specialty Hospital. She serves on FON to preserve the rich history of her beloved hometown. Dana is currently an engineer with a global design firm where she focuses on climate efforts and leads film procurement for the Chicago Palestine Film Festival.

Founding Member

Ms. Riham Hattab was born and raised in Nablus. She attended An-Najah National University for her undergraduate education where she was always active and volunteered with different associations. She values volunteerism and is inspired by Muhammad Ali’s sentiment, “service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth” and Khalil Gibran, “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” She is fluent in French and has worked as a teacher and professional translator and currently resides in the Chicagoland area.

Founding Member

Mr. Abdelhakeem (Abed) Hamdan was born and raised in Nablus, living in different neighborhoods in the city until he was 20 years old. He attended Al-Ameriyeh school and finished school at Assalahiyeh. Although he lives in the United States now, he still remembers walking the streets of Nablus and is committed to maintaining a connection to his hometown. Abed works as an electrical engineer in the Chicagoland area.

Founding Member

Dr. Hamdi Khilfeh was born and raised in Nablus, where he attended Qadri Tuqan school. In 2000, he moved to the United States to begin a medical residency program and currently works as an internist in private practice in the Chicago land area. He serves on the National Arab American Medical Association (NAAMA) and the Palestinian Students Scholarship Fund (PSSF).