Board of Directors
Members of the AVPE Board of Directors bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives in their shared commitment to helping the Palestinian people develop work and life opportunities that will give them hope for a better future. Each member has a personal story that has led to better understanding of the unique challenges Palestinians face and a desire to help.
Our board is comprised of realists and optimists, successful thinkers and doers who have made their mark on the business world, education, government and non-profit service and have now signed on to make an even bigger difference for the Palestinian people.
Our board is comprised of realists and optimists, successful thinkers and doers who have made their mark on the business world, education, government and non-profit service and have now signed on to make an even bigger difference for the Palestinian people.
Arnold R. Cowan
Chair
Chair
Arnold R. Cowan is Wells Fargo Professor in Finance at Iowa State University, where he chairs the College of Business Faculty Executive Council. He is the creator of Eventus software, which is used in academic business and economic research worldwide, and leads Cowan Research LC, the company he founded to market and develop software and services. Arnie’s research areas include corporate finance, financial regulation, and econometric research methods. He teaches international finance, research methods, and corporate finance. His research appears in Financial Management, Journal of Banking and Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis and other major academic journals.
Arnie serves on the board of directors of the Midwest Finance Education Foundation and is a past president and current advisory board member of the Midwest Finance Association, former editor of a prominent academic research journal, The Financial Review, former associate editor of the International Journal of Finance, past editorial board member of the Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, and past board member of the Eastern Finance Association. Arnie frequently presents at academic research conferences and seminars. He holds Ph.D. and master’s degrees from University of Iowa and a B.A. from Augustana College (Illinois).
Arnie serves on the board of directors of the Midwest Finance Education Foundation and is a past president and current advisory board member of the Midwest Finance Association, former editor of a prominent academic research journal, The Financial Review, former associate editor of the International Journal of Finance, past editorial board member of the Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, and past board member of the Eastern Finance Association. Arnie frequently presents at academic research conferences and seminars. He holds Ph.D. and master’s degrees from University of Iowa and a B.A. from Augustana College (Illinois).
Nisreen S. Muleh
President
President
Nisreen S. Musleh is the Founder and Managing Director of RITAJ Managerial Solutions in Ramallah. She established RITAJ in 2003, during one of the most complex economic and political periods in Palestine. Under Nisreen’s leadership, RITAJ has grown into a market leader in professional training management and translation services. She believes in results-based management and utilizing management tools to achieve tangible deliverables.
Having earned a Master’s degree in American Studies, and a BA in English Education, Nisreen went on to complete the Business Executive Program at Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, which led her to be a Human Resources Fellow at Coca-Cola Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Nisreen’s unique mix between academic excellence and practical experience, coupled with a burning desire to self-develop, placed her on a solid foundation to serve Palestine’s business community.
Having started her career in teaching before launching her own business, today, Nisreen is a sought-after businesswoman leader who regularly coaches emerging entrepreneurs in developing their businesses and professional skills. Her own dynamic and diverse career path with a clear focus on economic empowerment through business generation has been recognized both locally and globally. Currently, Nisreen serves on the board of the Palestinian Trainer’s Association (PTA) to contribute to the advancement of corporate leadership and economic development in Palestine. She also recently served on the board of the Arab Islamic Bank (AIB).
Having earned a Master’s degree in American Studies, and a BA in English Education, Nisreen went on to complete the Business Executive Program at Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, which led her to be a Human Resources Fellow at Coca-Cola Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Nisreen’s unique mix between academic excellence and practical experience, coupled with a burning desire to self-develop, placed her on a solid foundation to serve Palestine’s business community.
Having started her career in teaching before launching her own business, today, Nisreen is a sought-after businesswoman leader who regularly coaches emerging entrepreneurs in developing their businesses and professional skills. Her own dynamic and diverse career path with a clear focus on economic empowerment through business generation has been recognized both locally and globally. Currently, Nisreen serves on the board of the Palestinian Trainer’s Association (PTA) to contribute to the advancement of corporate leadership and economic development in Palestine. She also recently served on the board of the Arab Islamic Bank (AIB).
Matt Ley
Treasurer
Treasurer
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Matt Ley is based in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He currently runs Flip The Script Coaching and Consulting, which works with leaders and organizations in transition to help optimize their tactical layer. Matt graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Madison with a BA in Religious Studies & became deeply involved in the issues of Palestine-Israel. He travelled there while still a student & eventually led another 5 group trips to visit the Holy Land. He obtained a master’s in divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. Upon graduation he worked for 6 years helping with web design & communications for the church’s ‘Peace Not Walls’ campaign. His next move took him to an entry level role with a large medical supply company working in Purchasing. After a few months he noticed high amounts of anxiety felt by his coworkers & decided this line of work was not for him. The VP convinced him to stay in a ‘free range’ analyst position to address the issues he was seeing in the company. He eventually joined the ranks of management & obtained an MBA from DePaul University. After 6 years he shifted to independent consulting to help improve company culture & employee satisfaction leading to better customer appreciation. Matt brings to the table a commitment to justice and peace in the Holy Land coupled with a thoughtful approach to how we can best do our work.
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Geoffrey H. Lewis
Secretary
Secretary
Geoffrey H. Lewis is currently engaged in a variety of cross-border business development opportunities, primarily between the U.S and the Middle East. His areas of focus include real estate, technology, funds and start-ups and more mature companies in a variety of sectors. He previously practiced law for more than 40 years and had extensive experience in civil litigation matters including business litigation and the representation of high net worth individuals and corporations in securities arbitration matters, having recovered substantial awards for his clients in the United States, Chile, and Israel.
Among his many community activities, Geoffrey has been President of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Boston, a member of the Board of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies and Chair of its Overseas Committee which, among other things, oversees the allocation of millions of dollars to programs throughout the world. He is currently the International Co-Chair of The Abraham Initiatives and is active in a number of organizations seeking to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territories and resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Geoffrey received his J.D. from the Northeastern University School of Law and his B.A. from Boston College.
Among his many community activities, Geoffrey has been President of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Boston, a member of the Board of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies and Chair of its Overseas Committee which, among other things, oversees the allocation of millions of dollars to programs throughout the world. He is currently the International Co-Chair of The Abraham Initiatives and is active in a number of organizations seeking to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territories and resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Geoffrey received his J.D. from the Northeastern University School of Law and his B.A. from Boston College.
Tareq Altamimi
Member
Member
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Tareq Tamimi based in Al-Khalil (Hebron), Palestine, is a Palestinian economist, he served as the director general of Hebron Chamber of Commerce and industry for more than five years. He worked for various local, national and international organizations in the field of civil society, fundraising, management and networking. He taught at various Palestinian universities. He is a strategic advisor specializing in workshop facilitation and communications strategy . He graduated from the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute with a Master's degree in Economics and Business and a BSc in Computer Engineering. He is an author of various books, articles and studies published in local and international magazines. He is the founder of Visit Hebron - Palestine a Palestinian platform to promote tourism to Palestine.
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Edward E. Thompson
Co-founder & Emeritus Member
Co-founder & Emeritus Member
Edward E. Thompson is a retired consulting psychologist with a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He consulted with business executives on leadership development, executive selection, succession planning and merger integration. For 14 years, he had a solo consulting practice. Ed previously was Managing Director of Chicago area consulting offices at RHR International. He also worked for Illinois Tool Works Inc. in a corporate staff HR role. After a trip to Israel and Palestine in April of 2007, he dedicated his discretionary time to educating Americans about the realities of Palestinian life. Leveraging his business background, he co-founded AVPE to build business relationships between Americans and Palestinians.
Sam Bahour
Co-founder & Emeritus Member
Co-founder & Emeritus Member
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Sam Bahour is a business development consultant based in Al-Bireh-Ramallah, Palestine. His firm, Applied Information Management (AIM), specializes in start-ups. Sam is a Palestinian-American who was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. He was part of the core team that established the Palestine Telecommunications Company (PALTEL). Working for the Arab Palestinian Investment Company (APIC), the second largest private sector investment group in Palestine, he served as their MIS Manager prior to establishing their new subsidiary, the Arab Palestinian Shopping Centers P.L.C., which he took from concept to operations and then served as its Chairman. Sam also founded the Palestine Diaspora Investment Company (PDIC). Sam holds a Bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University and an M.B.A. degree from a joint international program of Northwestern and Tel Aviv Universities. He is a Director at Arab Islamic Bank, a member of the core Local Reference Group of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) and a past Board of Trustees member at Birzeit University. He writes frequently on Palestinian affairs and has been widely published. Sam is co-editor of HOMELAND: Oral History of Palestine and Palestinians and blogs at www.epalestine.ps.
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