Meet our Staff

Current Staff

Linda Sarsour
Director
lindasarsour@gmail.com

Linda is a working woman, community activist and mother of three. And she’s only 29. Ambitious, outspoken and independent, Linda shatters stereotypes of Muslim women while also treasuring her religious and ethnic heritage. She is a Palestinian Muslim American and a self-proclaimed "pure new Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn!" Currently she is the Coordinator of Community Initiatives for the YWCA Brooklyn and serving as the Acting Director of the Arab American Association of New York, a social service agency serving the Arab community in NYC. Linda was a 2005 COROS New American Leaders Fellow and a 2007 chosen participant for the New York-Hamburg IntegrationXchange Program administered in partnership with the US State Department that focused on youth development in new immigrant communities. She is a 2008/09 fellow of the Georgetown University/University of Southern California’s American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, a program designed for emerging Muslim leaders. Linda is also a board member of the New York Immigration Coalition, a coalition of over 200 non profit agencies serving the diverse immigrant communities of New York State. Most recently in the last election, Linda coordinated the largest and most successful get out the vote effort in the Arab American community in Brooklyn with over 130 canvassers and 8000 doors knocked. She has been featured in local, national, and international media speaking on topics ranging from women's issues, Islam, and political discussions on the Middle East conflict. Linda’s strengths are in the areas of community development, youth empowerment, community organizing, and immigrants’ rights advocacy.

Chris Rominger
Development Associate
chrisrominger@gmail.com

Chris was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and serves as AAANY's Development Associate, writing grants, carrying out fund-raising campaigns, planning events, and more. He is 23 years old and graduated in May 2008 from Middlebury College as a History major, having studied modern Middle Eastern history as well as Arabic. He has been with AAANY since August of 2008.

Aisha Gawad
Youth Programs/Cultural Outreach
aisha.aaany@gmail.com

Aisha is very excited to join AAANY as a full-time AmeriCorps member. She graduated from New York University in 2009 with a double-major in Journalism and Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies. She is Egyptian-Scottish American and was raised in the fine state of Virginia. She served as the president of the Arab students' club at NYU and looks forward to continuing her work in the Arab-American community. At AAANY, she is working to develop programs focusing on issues of empowerment and activism for Arab youth and women. She also works as a freelance writer and journalist.

Jennie Goldstein
Program Development/Volunteer Coordinator
jennie.aaany@gmail.com

A native New Yorker, Jennie is a member of AmeriCorps VISTA. She is serving as a Program Development Associate, working on updating AAANY’s programs and client tracking methods, and recruiting and training volunteers (come join!). Jennie graduated in May 2009 from Middlebury College with a degree in International Politics and Economics. She speaks French, is working on Arabic, and is thrilled to be in Bay Ridge.

Mary Eleanor Davis
Marketing/Public Relations Associate
maryeleanor.t.davis@gmail.com

Mariel (Mary Eleanor) Davis serves AAANY as the Marketing and P.R. Associate. She works in collaboration with fellow VISTA members to develop effective outreach and fundraising initiatives. Born in Manhattan, she moved to New Jersey as a child but returned to New York to complete a B.A. at Columbia University. As a double-major in History and Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures, Davis studied and volunteered in Egypt, Yemen, and Palestine.

Will Whitaker
Adult Education Coordinator
wgwhitak@unca.edu

Will grew up in Boone, NC and just graduated from UNC Asheville in May of 2009. He is working as an Adult Education Coordinator, facilitating ESL and Citizenship classes. As a Sociology major he is passionate about social justice and sees AmeriCorps as an opportunity to make a positive impact. Will loves the music, art and culture that are such a big part of New York City.

Tim McFarland
Adult Education Coordinator

Hailing from rural North Carolina, Tim recently graduated from Appalachian State University in 2009 with a degree in Anthropology and moved to New York to pursue a career in the non-profit sector. He works as an Adult Education Coordinator at the AAANY, teaching ESL classes and working with after school programs. An avid student of Arabic language and culture, he is very excited to be working with an intercultural audience toward the promotion and betterment of this wonderful community.

Hamida Suja
Caseworker

Hamida Suja was born in Somalia and raised in South Portland, Maine. She studied Political Science in the University of Southern Maine and moved to New York City in 2009 to pursue a career with non-profit organizations. She is a caseworker at AAANY and she helps clients with everything ranging from translation to immigration paperwork. Hamida is fluent in English, Arabic, Somali, and Spanish.

Reem Hassan
Youth Coordinator

Reem was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and has volunteered at AAANY for the past two years. She is now working full-time at AAANY as a Youth Coordinator. Reem is also a university student currently pursuing a major in Public Administration with a focus on Human Resources. As a Youth Coordinator she supervises all youth programs which include daily after-school tutoring, our annual Summer Youth Program, and cultural activities.

Dina Emam
Caseworker

Dina is very excited to be a part of such a wonderful organization as AAANY! She is a recent graduate of NYU's Stern School of Business, where she received a B.S. in Marketing and International Business. Dina was an active member of her university's Arab club throughout her college career and is now taking that same passion and drive to the larger Arab community as an AmeriCorps caseworker.

Michael Tewelde
Information Technology Intern
mtewelde18@gmail.com

Michael was born and raised in Manhattan, NY and serves as our IT intern. He is a Computer Information Systems major at the New York City College of Technology. By interning at the Arab American Association of New York, he hopes to improve his skills in computers as well as help other people. Michael expects to graduate from college in May 2010.