Board of Trustees

Adrian was appointed as the Head of School at the RFS in August 2017. Adrian graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Science (Education), received his Bachelor of Theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity, his Master of Arts in Philosophy/Theology and his Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the Australian Catholic University.

Adrian brings over 30 years of academic experience to the RFS. He is the former Head of several international schools and has extensive training in IB education, and is particularly interested in teacher evaluation processes and methods for improving teacher training. Before joining RFS, Adrian had served as an IBDP Visiting Team Member, has extensive experience in IBDP/MYP/PYP School Authorization, as well as Visiting Team Member and Leader with the Council of International Schools (CIS).

In looking for a new school to serve, Adrian was attracted to the rich history of RFS, its unique and important location in the world.  In particular he was drawn to the Quaker values of peace, justice and integrity which shape the kind and quality of the education which the school offers.

Max L. Carter recently retired as the William R. Rogers Director of Friends Center and Quaker Studies at Guilford College. He taught at the Friends Boys School 1970-72, having learned about Quaker work in Palestine from his Aunt Annice Carter, who served for many years in Ramallah between 1929 and 1967. Together with his wife Jane, he leads annual work/study groups to Palestine. Their daughter, Maia Hallward, taught at the Ramallah Friends School 1998-2000. During his work at Guilford College, Max helped bring many Palestinian students to the college and arranged for numerous informative programs about Palestine. Max attended Ball State University as an undergraduate, received a master’s degree in Ministry at Earlham School of Religion, and earned a Ph.D. in American Religious History at Temple University.

Samer is a RFS alumnus (Class of 1977) and has served as the Clerk of the Board of Trustees since 2004. He holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the David M. Kennedy Center of Brigham Young University, and an advanced degree in Law, Economics, and Psychology from Loughborough Technical College, England. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Political Theory from George Washington University. Samer is a businessman and senior manager of the National Insurance Company (NIC) in Ramallah and previously worked for the World Health Organization in the West Bank. He is a member of the Clinton Initiative Foundation, and Vice Chairman of Golden Wheat Mills Company. Samer is the father of two RFS alumni.

Mazen is a RFS alumnus (Class of 1971), he rejoined the Board in 2015, after previously serving from 2005 to 2008. Mazen is a civil engineer with over 40 years of experience in engineering, construction, and management of infrastructure projects for water, road works, environmental projects, petrochemical projects and heavy civil engineering projects. He has built roads, bridges and high-rise office and hotel towers throughout the Middle East, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Yemen, Palestine, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Libya. Mazen served as the Country Manager for Morgani Group in Palestine and worked for the Consolidated Contractor Group CCC in Athens, Qatar and Shanghai. Mazen is presently the Managing Director at the Bethlehem Development Foundation. Mazen is the father of three RFS alumni.

Dina joined the Board in 2014. She received her MS in Environmental Studies and her MBA in Finance from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Dina worked at Manufacturers Hanover Bank in New York City for three years. In 1995, she moved to Palestine where she participated in the establishment of several businesses across various sectors, including FMCG, beverages, construction, and vehicle trading. Currently, she is a board member of various public and private-shareholding companies in Palestine. Through the Munib R. Masri Development Foundation, Dina is actively involved in philanthropic activities and supports numerous charities and cultural initiatives. Dina is the mother of four children, one of which is an RFS alumna and the younger three are attending RFS.

Hashim joined the Board in 2014. He is the Chairman and CEO of Bank of Palestine (BoP), seen as the largest financial institution in Palestine. After obtaining his BSc (Hons) from University College London, Hashim began his banking career at Citigroup in 1997 where he held various management positions in Corporate and Private Banking working in UK, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. In 2005 he joined HSBC in Switzerland acting as a director of the group's Middle East and North Africa business. Hashim is also the Chairman of the boards of directors of Al-Wasata Securities Company and PalPay E-Payment Solutions Company. Hashim is a member of the Board of Trustees of Bethlehem University and the Palestine Studies Institute. He was recognized as one of the 50 most influential leaders in finance and banking according to the Global Finance Magazine in 2015; in addition to best CEO in the Middle East by EMEA Finance for the year 2014.  Hashim is the father of two children both are RFS students.

Rana joined the Board in 2015. She has a PhD in Pharmaceutical Policy and Management from The Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. Previously, Rana served as a trainer, researcher, Associate Professor and Director of the Community and Public Health Institute at Birzeit University. She is the Director of Knowledge Management and Media Department at the Welfare Association, where she previously served as the Director of Research and Planning. The Welfare Association is a major development organization operating in Palestine and the Middle East. Rana is a progressive thinker, planner and strategic manager. She is community oriented and is well connected to international development agencies in Palestine. Rana is the mother of two children both are RFS students.

Omar joined the Board in 2017. He serves on the Faculty of the Geography Department at Birzeit University. Omar holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota. A Palestinian-American, he attends Ramallah Friends Meeting and draws from a diverse ecumenical background in his work with the RFS. He is the father of three children, one of whom is a RFS student.

Ziad Zaghrout joined the Board in 2018. He is a parent of RFS students and an Assistant Professor at Birzeit University, where he is also Acting Chair Person of the Department of Finance and Banking. He received his MBA degree in finance from Coventry University and his PhD in public policy and management from the University of Washington in Seattle, USA. 

Richard Stotler joined the Board in 2018. He is a Quaker living in the USA and a member of Western Association of the Religious Society of Friends in Bakersfield, California. He had previously joined RFS community as a volunteer through the Friends in Residence program and he has an amazing experience as superintendent of a number of schools in the state of California.