Since its incorporation as a non-profit organization with tax-exempt status in 2003, Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture has grown its Board of Directors to include members of the Arab-American community and those interested in Arab cultural education -- parents, educators, and those with various professional and community affiliations. In Fall 2006, we established "Friends of Al-Bustan," a committee of volunteers to support the board and raise funds for the organization.

Hazami Sayed, President

Ms. Sayed, an Arab-American and graduate of Columbia University and Stanford University, is an architect and has worked in the fields of architecture and urban development in Philadelphia and New York City. Her recent area of research is affordable urban housing in which she was a consultant and taught a seminar at the University of Pennsylvania.  She is also a photographer and has exhibited her work in Philadelphia. As the founder of Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, she has been responsible for developing and managing the various initiatives. She is the mother of two boys, ages 12 and 9 years.

Kathy Elokdah, Secretary

Ms. Elokdah has a M.Ed. in Recreation Administration and Management and a B.S. in Therapeutic Recreation from Temple University. She manages the Therapeutic Recreation Department at a physical rehabilitation hospital, MossRehab, and has been the administrator of a camp for disabled adults, Camp Independence, for over ten years. She is a co-founder of a non-profit women's swimming association, and volunteers on the Recreation Committee of the City of Philadelphia Mayor's Commission for the Disabled. She is married to an Egyptian and has traveled to Egypt numerous times in the past twenty-four years. She is the mother of two children, a 7-year-old boy and 20-year-old girl. Her son has been a participant in Al-Bustan's programs, and her daughter is working for Al-Bustan as a Program/Administrative Assistant

Andrea Imredy Saah, Treasurer

Ms. Imredy Saah, a Hungarian-American married to a Palestinian-American, has been involved in cross-cultural education initiatives in the U.S. since childhood, having lived in Germany for 9 years and travelled extensively in Eastern and Western Europe. She earned a Bachelor degree in Political Science and Economics from the University of Kentucky, a Master degree in Intercultural Administration from the School for International Training in Vermont, and a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In her professional life, her aim has been to assist efforts to improve economic, political and social conditions in marginalized communities in the U.S. and abroad. Her current work focuses on estate planning, including charitable giving, and pro bono assistance to non-profit arts and educational organizations. She is the mother of two boys, ages 8 and 10, whose favorite summer camp is Al-Bustan Camp.

Lamia Barakat

Dr. Barakat, an Arab-American, earned her Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology and is currently Associate Professor of Psychology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. Her pediatric psychology research program is focused on the adaptation of children with chronic health conditions and their families, with particular attention to the role of socio-demographic factors in health and psychological outcomes. Previously, she served on the board of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee. She is the mother of three girls, ages 11 and 7-year-old twins, who are participants in Al-Bustan Camp.

Khalil Bdeir

Dr. Bdeir, a Palestinian born and raised in the village of Kofor-Kasem, north-west of Jerusalem, has a Ph.D. in Pharmacy/Biochemistry from Hadassah Medical School of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He joined the University of Pennsylvania¹s School of Medicine as a post-doc in 1997 and was appointed research assistant professor in 2003. As the father of four boys, two of whom have been repeat campers at Al-Bustan Camp, he has a personal interest in supporting educational and cultural initiatives within the Arab-American community and encouraging cross-cultural exchanges among youth and families.

Malek Kamoun

Dr. Kamoun, a Tunisian-American, obtained a M.D. and Ph.D. from the Université de Pierre et Marie Curie and is currently Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Clinical Immunology and Histocompatibility Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Kamoun's biomedical research interest lies in the immune mechanisms of organ transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases, a subject in which he has published extensively. As the father of three college and highschool- age children, he has a keen interest in Arabic and Middle eastern classical music.

Thea Abu El-Haj -- Advisor to the Board

Dr. Abu El-Haj, a Palestinian-American, is an educational researcher and teacher educator. She began her career in the field of education developing cross-cultural curriculum and then working as an elementary school teacher for many years. Since receiving her doctoral degree from the University of Pennsylvania in the anthropology of education, she has been researching, writing and teaching about socio-cultural processes and education. She is a faculty member at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. One of her current areas of research is the ethnography of Arab-American youth focusing on the needs of the Arab American community and the importance of educational programs in developing youth leadership. Her two daughters, ages 13 and 7 years, are regular participatants in Al-Bustan's programs.

Anthony Ng -- Advisor to the Board

Mr. Ng is Executive Director of Chinese Newcomers Service Center (CNSC), an immigrant service organization in San Francisco.  He has worked for over 20 years in the Philadelphia area’s non-profit sector and is an experienced entrepreneurial leader, a team builder, manager and fundraiser.  He most recently was President and CEO of the Latin American Economic Development Association (LEADA).  Prior to that he served as Vice-President and COO of Nueva Esperanza/Esperanza USA from 2003 to 2005, and Director of Development and Planning at the Barnes Foundation from 1999 to 2002.  Mr. Ng holds a bachelor’s in music from Sierra Nevada College and a master’s in arts administration from Drexel University.  He sits on a number of boards such as the Philadelphia Children’s First Fund, Korean Community Development Services Center, and Camden Community Development Association.