Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees
Omar Imseeh Tesdell
Max Carter
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.
Rania Maayeh
Rania Maayeh joined the RFS team as Head of School in July 2021. She is a long standing RFS community member having been a parent of three alums, a teacher and a former student. Rania brings with her broad experience in Palestinian education and management that spans three decades.
Richard Stotler
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.
Nisreen Qawas
Nisreen is currently the projects coordinator at the East Jerusalem YMCA, she works on women rights, social and economic empowerment. Previously, she spent two decades (17 years of them were at an IB school) working as a psychologist, counselor, teachers’ and counselors’ trainer in Jordanian schools, and College Board coordinator for SAT students with special needs.
Nisreen holds a BA in psychology from University of Damascus and license in Counseling from the ICC University of Jordan.
Hashim Shawa
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.
Adnan Faramand
Adnan Faramand joined the Board in 2020. He is an RFS graduate, Class of 1981. His father, daughter, and son graduated from RFS in 1941, 2017, and 2020 respectviely. His youngest son is currently a student at RFS, representing three generations of his family as RFS students and graduates.
Adnan was elected as the first RFS Student Council President in 1980 and served two terms in the RFS Alumni board of directors.
Adnan holds a BA accounting from Birziet University and EMBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Business and is a Certified Management Consultant. Adnan served as an Elected Council member in Ramallah Municipality 2006-2012.
Adnan is the owner and manager of New Vision Management Consulting Firm since 2003.
Chairman of the Palestinian Association of Management Consulting Companies.
Chairman of ACAD Finance Board of Directors, Micro Finance Company in Palestine
Board Member in (INAISE) - Belgium, International Association of Investors in Social Economy.*
Fadi Imseih
Fadi has over 15 years of experience, expanding across the middle east and the GCC region in particular, ranging in fields including financing, auditing, management consultancy and governance control frameworks. His previous positions include various managerial and executive positions in a leading international accounting firm (PwC), a leading UAE based industrial and manufacturing group and the largest private asset owner in the UAE, KSA and Qatar oil & gas industry. Fadi has also been a long term instructor for multiple professional certifications and has previously audited a number of educational institutes including ADVETI and Brighton College AD and was invited to be a keynote speaker at the Abu Dhabi University in 2016. Currently he is the Internal Control Manager for one of the largest banks in Palestine.
Fadi is a proud father of two RFS students and is the brother of two RFS alumni.
Sonia Abu El Ezam
Sonia Abu El Ezam is the wife of the late Deputy Principal Jeries. Her adult children are school graduates. She is the lead education program officer at UNESCO and brings both program and budget oversight and academic experience to the board.
Estephan Salameh
Estephan Salameh serves as advisor to the Palestinian Prime Minister for Planning and Aid Coordination. He is a parent of current RFS students, and brings great experience in finance and governance matters.