E-News from Lebanese American Foundation

Meet Our LAF Golf Committee

Planning a golf tournament, takes months of preparation and the House of Lebanon's golf committee take their work seriously. The small, but mighty group raised nearly $130,000 last year. They hope their hard work will be rewarded this year too. Meet our members...

Fouad El-Abd, Golf Chairman & LAF Board Vice President
Fouad El-Abd came to California in 1970 and studied Food Science and received both his MS and MBA. He started California Garden 30 years ago which specializes in canned foods and has a full line of Middle Eastern products such as Foul Medammas and Hummus. His hummus is found in the NASA space station as they have been launched with every mission for the past two years. California Garden has more then 300 products, produced in over twenty five Countries and sold in over 50 Countries. Fouad is married to Laurel and they have three children. He loves golf obviously...

Nabil Feghali, M.D., LAF Board of Directors
Born in a small town in Northern Lebanon, Nabil's family soon moved to Beirut so Nabil could have better schooling. He attended Christian Brothers School through high school and then entered St. Joseph Jesuite Medical School. Upon graduation, he came to the USA on June 15, 1975 for post graduate training in Cleveland and then three additional years at Wayne State University in Detroit. After passing his Internal Medical Boards, Nabil moved to the San Fernando Valley, where a large ratio of his patients share the same culture and ethnicity, married Fayrouz (nee Nassif) and was blessed with two boys and two girls, Habib-Paul, Kristy-Marie, Ronald-Peter and Carolyn-Anne. Nabil love golf and has played the game since 1986. In keeping with his Lebanese heritage, he hunts dove and quail, which is especially fun at dawn with a few good friends. However, when he is thirsty for a thrill, Nabil takes our his Harley (Dyna-Lowrider) on weekends. Nabil lists his real hobby as work, since it is what he does best and most.

Lina Gareeb, LAF Golf Committee Member
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Lina moved to the USA about thirty years ago. Lina grew up in Chicago and attended Northeastern Illinois University, where she received her Bachelors degree in Information Science. In 1990, Amgen, Inc. offered her a position at the corporate headquarters in Thousand Oaks, CA. Within the fifteen plus years at Amgen, Lina's career flourished. She married Alexander Gareeb, attained her MBA degree from Pepperdine University, and had three beautiful children Mikaela, Nikolas and Tamara. Lina resigned from Amgen in 2006 and became a stay home mom, but kept busy by volunteering at her children's schools, starting her own business in lien negotiations and resolution and also invested and overlooked the start up of a restaurant in Tempe, Arizona. In May 2008, Lina took over the financial and office management responsibilities of her husband's law firm. Lina is certified as a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member and she is also a certified scuba diver and loves to travel.

GG Ghazarossian, LAF Board of Directors
GG is the founder, owner, and designer/creative force behind the Giantto Group. For more than a quarter of a century, this eastern European craftsman has single handedly created luxurious diamond pieces specifically for those who want more out of jewelry or a timepiece than the average consumer.
His unrelenting motive is to keep the artistry and craft within the industry and to continue to create one of a kind marvels for years to come. GG has an undisputed passion for his work, and his ultimate objective is to create unparalleled masterpiece. He selflessly admits, "sometimes I work too much......I spend really late nights just on designing a clients engagement ring......it is a symbol of a couples love.....I have to do it.....That client will cherish it forever....."

Salim Israwi, LAF Board of Directors

Dorian J. Khouri, LAF Board of Directors
Dorian Khouri was born in Beirut, Lebanon, came to the US in 1976 and graduated from UCLA with a BA in Economics. He joined Merrill Lynch in 1985 and worked there as a Financial Consultant until 1989. Recruited to work with Bank Audi California he was named Senior Vice President Marketing. Subsequent to that he was Executive Director of Swiss Bank Corporation which became UBS and he was head of Private Banking in Southern California. Dorian is currently the Senior Vice President of Investments with UBS Private Wealth management Group in Century City. In his free time, Dorian enjoys hunting, fishing, cycling, and collecting wine.

John J. Koudsi, LAF Board of Directors
Born in Lebanon, John schooling included attendance at College Des Freres, AUB and Universite St. Joseph and eventually earned a MBA from the University of Hamburg, Germany. Currently he is the President and CEO of S&J Industries, a wholesale distributor, importer and exporter of German auto parts. John is married to his wife Kathy and have two children, Suzy and Johnny.

George H. Schwary, LAF Board of Directors
Born in Whittier, California, George is a first generation Lebanese American. His father, Harry Schwary came to the USA in 1919 from Zahle. George attended USC, majoring in Foreign Trade and after graduation, went into the retail home appliance and television business for 35 years. Although, he retired in 1987, he soon tired of the rigors of golf and loafing and started HMG, a property management company. Needing another challenge in 2002, George went into the thoroughbred horse raising business He how has a stable of race horses, brood mares and horses in training. He is most proud of a horse named Georgie Boy, who George bred, trained and watched him win a total of 6 graded stakes races! George has been very successful with this venture. With horses and USC football, George is enjoying life, with the hope to soon see the House of Lebanon a reality.