MICHAEL
KIRTLEY

Michael Kirtley

Michael is the Founder and President of The Friendship Caravan, an American 501(c)3 dedicated to nurturing understanding among people of diverse cultures, and to providing humanitarian assistance to the world’s most vulnerable populations.  

In 2009 he initiated a nationwide campaign in Morocco that led to the declaration of a National Charter for Environmental Protection and the first national celebration of Earth Day in an African nation. Thrice selected to the Who’s Who of International Photojournalists, he has written and photographed feature stories for such publications as National Geographic, Newsweek, Time, Life, Stern, Geo, and Paris-Match.

NAIMA
YACOUBI

Naima Yacoubi

Ms. Naima Yacoubi has a long history of helping build initiatives that foster cross-cultural understanding, peacemaking, and international development.

In addition to her support for Amman Imman to solve the water crisis for the people of the Azawak, Ms. Yacoubi is strongly engaged in her role as Vice-President of the Association for Dialogue of Cultures and Civilizations. Over the past decade she has taken special interest in issues relating to sub-Saharan Africa — she is promoting better awareness of humanitarian crises in Somalia, Niger, and elsewhere in Africa, and is active in bringing help where it is needed most. Moreover, she often serves as advisor to diplomats, journalists, and academics concerning Africa and elsewhere.

KATHLEEN
ROGERS

Kathleen Rogers

Kathleen Rogers is President of Earth Day Network. Under her leadership, Earth Day Network has become a major force in advancing the new green economy and has created a dynamic team of year-round policy professionals and activists, both in America and in many other countries.

Earth Day Network is the chief organizer of events for Earth Day each year on April 22, celebrated in thousands of cities around the world. Kathleen has a particular interest in developing Earth Day ties with Africa and the Arab World, and in 2010 spearheaded the creation of Earth Day Morocco. She was named one of 2010’s “top working mothers” by Working Mother magazine. Most recently, Kathleen was awarded the Luminary award by Womensphere and the Urban Zen Foundation, given to women who are inspirations in their fields.

KEWE
MAR

The latest icon of Yves Saint Laurent, supermodel Kewe Mar has worked with the greatest names in fashion: Dior, Alaia, Ungaro, Rykiel, etc.

She is based in Luxembourg, where she created her own modeling and events agency. As a singer she helped found the group Models, who produced a best-selling hit remix of the song “Fame”. Originally from Senegal, she combines her professional career with personal activism for various charitable causes around the world. “I would never have realized my dreams in the fashion world,” she says, “without humanitarian help from those who care for Africa. I am delighted to contribute my little building block to Amman Imman. It is with the first drop of water that we can create an oasis of opportunity.”

GHISLAINE BOUILLET-CORDONNIER

Dr. Ghislaine Bouillet-Cordonnier holds a PhD in Corporate Finance from Lyon University and a Master of Law from Harvard Law School.

With over 25 years of Legal experience including 12 years professional experience in China and Asia, Ghislaine has worked as SVP and General Counsel in the Chemical and electronic manufacturing industries (Areva/FCI, Solvay), was formerly Environmental legal advisor for UNESCO in Cambodia, and World Bank Advisor for Restructuring/ privatisation projects in Africa.

Prior to that Ghislaine practiced law as a registered attorney in New York and Paris with a focus on M&A and Venture Capital. Her previous responsibilities – driving Rhodia’s Global Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) Governance and Compliance and regional / local Community project brought her to focus on creating the Albatross Foundation promoting sustainable development education for children with more than 15,000 children trained in China, in Brazil and France. For that, Albatross Foundation won the Innovation Award of franco-china Committee of MEDEF in 2019.

Ghislaine and her husband have adopted 4 (great) children.

DAVID
TILLIER

advisory board member

Since 2013, David Tillier has been the Director of Productions and Line Producer at Sunset Presse.

David’s first job as line producer  dates back to 1998, with a documentary series “On the Mammoth Trail”, broadcast in 143 countries in 32 languages. In 2003, he was Director of Production for the documentary “Qin, Emperor of Eternity”. He was also the Director of Production for the company Line of Front, before joining the general direction of the television channel Al Qarra TV, destined for Africa.

KAREN
BATE

Karen Bate is Founder and President of KB Concepts P.R., an Arlington Best Business Award winner providing strategic communications for small businesses and nonprofits.

Karen is also co-founder of Awesome Women Entrepreneurs, a professional networking group for women business owners. She’s an active member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and a 2010 graduate of Leadership Arlington. You can follow Karen’s blog here.

RICHARD
CIZIK

Richard Cizik

Dubbed as the “Earthy Evangelist” by the New York Times, Richard Cizik is one of America’s most highly visible advocates for taking care of our planet’s natural environment.

He has brought scientists together with Christian leaders to seek common ground for action against global warming. A Fellow at the Open Society Institute and former spokesman for the National Association of Evangelicals, he promotes respect among people of all faiths, and is also a leader in Christian-Muslim dialogue on climate change. In 2008 he was named to TIME Magazine‘s list of the “TIME 100” most influential people in the world.

ANDREW
KUTT

Andrew Kutt

Andrew Kutt is the founder and director of the Oneness-Family School. For the past 20 years, he has guided OFS to be a world-class Montessori educational institution that builds self-confident students with a life-long love of learning.

He designed an “integral curriculum” – incorporating academics, self-discovery, and world service. He has nearly twenty-five years of experience as a Montessori teacher, administrator, teacher trainer and educational consultant. A published author, poet and songwriter, Andrew writes about education and modern society. His latest book, Living in Harmony, is a comprehensive handbook for teachers and parents to help students build citizenship skills and global understanding.

DR. CORINNA
LATHAN

Dr. Cori Lathan

Dr. Corinna Lathan is Founder and CEO of AnthroTronix, Inc., a biomedical engineering R&D company focused on the development of enabling technology. 

Her work with children with disabilities has been featured in Forbes, Time, and The New Yorker, and earned such distinctions as Maryland’s “Top Innovator of the Year,” one of MIT Technology Review’s “Top 100 World Innovators.” She is also a Technology Pioneer and a Young Global Leader. In addition to supporting the work of Amman Imman, Dr. Lathan is on the Board of Engineering World Health, which supports the emergence of healthcare technology in the developing world, with a focus on Africa.

MICHELLE
MITCHELL

Michele Mitchell is the Founder & President of Filmat11 TV and has over 15 years experience in journalism, politics, and digital media. 

She is the youngest person ever to serve on the Editorial Board of the New York Times and was the youngest ever Communications Director on Capitol Hill. She was the on-camera Political Anchor for CNN Headline News, a Gracie Award-winning investigative correspondent for NOW with Bill Moyers on PBS, and a contributor to All Things Considered on National Public Radio. She has published three fiction and non-fiction books, and is active in alternative distribution for independent film and journalism.

H.E. AZIZ MEKOUAR,
AMBASSADOR OF MOROCCO
TO CHINA

H.E. AZIZ MEKOUAR

Aziz Mekouar became Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States on June 19, 2002. Before that, he served as Moroccan Ambassador to Italy, Portugal, and Angola.

He was elected Independent Chairman of the Council of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in November 2001 and re-elected in 2003. During his long tenure in Washington, Morocco has reinforced its longstanding relationship as a special friend of America.

HARLENE
BERNSTEIN

Harlene Bernstein

Originally a consultant with D.C. Public School System in Special Education, Harlene Bernstein has been a real estate broker for the past thirty years. 

 She operated her own firm until 1992 when her twin sons were born, at which time she affiliated with a major company. She enjoys an avocation as an artist working in watercolor and oil paints, and is part of a group creating a new website Exon-Exoff addressing issues of divorce and other similar life transitions.

PROFESSOR
NORA GROCE

Professor Nora  Ellen Groce is a medical anthropologist specializing in global health and international development, with a concentration on vulnerable populations. 

 She received her BA from the University of Michigan in 1974 and her PhD from Brown University in 1983. She joined the Global Health Division at Yale University in 1991, and in 2008 became Director of the Leonard Cheshire Centre on Disability and Inclusive Development at the School  of Medicine and Life Science, University College London. Nora is author of over 150 articles, reports and books, and regularly serves as a consultant on global health and development to UN agencies and major NGOs.

JIM
JERMANOK

Jim Jermanok is an award-winning writer, director and producer in narrative and documentary feature films as well as theater.

A cultural chameleon and frequent world traveler, he has been to over 70 countries and lived in five of them.  He wrote and produced the highly acclaimed romantic comedy,”Passionada”; which was released by Columbia Tri Star in over 150 countries.  Jim recently won the Grand Jury Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival for his film “Em”; a romantic drama. In the world of theater, Mr. Jermanok has directed over fifteen professional productions. He is also a former ICM entertainment agent who represented Arthur Miller, Shirley MacLaine, Dudley Moore, Helen Hayes, Alan Arkin and General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, among others.

TIM
SELDIN

Tim Seldin

Tim Seldin is the President of the Montessori Foundation and Chair of the International Montessori Council.

His almost forty years of experience in Montessori education includes twenty-two years as Headmaster of the Barrie School in Silver Spring, MD. He earned a B.A. from Georgetown University, an M.Ed. from The American University, and his Montessori certification from the American Montessori Society. Tim is the author of several books on Montessori Education, including, among others, How to Raise An Amazing Child and Building a World-class Montessori School.