February E-News from the House of Lebanon

Considering the amount of rain we had in December and beginning of January, we were nervous, but 85 golfers woke up to beautiful sunny skies and were treated to a magnicifant, picture postcard day. Over 150 friends and family members of our golfers celebrated the golfers success at the Awards Dinner. We congratulate the 1st Place Gross and 1st Place Net winners who will have their name permanently engraved on the Chagoury Cup.

One week later the new Lebanese American Foundation Board of Directors elected the new officers for the 2011-12 term. We will introduce you to them later in our newsletter. Finally, we have planned a joint fundraiser with the American Lebanese Medical Association [ALMA], to raise money to ship hospital beds to Lebanon. Join us on February 5th for this event, along with alumni of International College of Beirut in Lebanon. We hope to see you soon!

Best Wishes from Our House to Yours,

Karen Srour

Executive Director

A Message from
Honorable James Kaddo
Chairman of the Board

Dear Friends,

I want to thank all of you who have endorsed my position and I will spare no effort to accomplish our goal. Hopefully, circumstances will be favorable this year, but no matter Mike and I are committed to continue trying. Congratulations to the new board members and I look forward to working with you.

Judge Kaddo

A Message from
Mohamed "Mike" Ahmar
President

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to welcome our four new board members -- Dr. Fuad Khuri, Dr. Ata Baroudi, Mr. Rami Joukhadar and Mr. Hani Wazzan. We are confident that with their talents and experience, our strenghtened board of directors will continue to provide leadership and a positive direction for the House of Lebanon. Collectively our new board of directors brings a wealth of knowledge and positive energy that will help us continue to grow and ultimately establish our permanent House of Lebanon.

Mike

THE LEBANESE AMERICAN FOUNDATION
HOUSE OF LEBANON
Introduces the 2011-2012 Board of Trustees and
Board of Directors
Board of Trustees
Dr. Ray Irani, Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Ambassador Gilbert Chagoury

George Hage

Board of Directors - Officers

Honorable James Kaddo, Chairman of the Board of Directors
Mohamed Ahmar, President

Rachid Eletel, Vice President
Anis Garabet, Vice President
Joseph Karaki, Vice President

**Dr. Fuad Khuri, Vice President

Ihsan Nizam, Vice President

Dr. Paul Wakim, Chief Financial Officer

Jack Chammas, Esq., Secretary

Board of Directors - Members
Dr. Emad Ammar

**Dr. Ata Baroudi

Dr. Said Beydoun

Talal Beydoun

Dr. Jason Boutros

Fouad El-Abd

Dr. Nabil Feghali

Ghazaros Ghazarossian

Kanan Hamzeh

William Hanna

Wafa Hoballah, Esq.

**Rami Joukhadar

Elie Kawkabani

Dalida Keuroghlian

Hadi Khalil

Dorian J. Khouri

John J. Koudsi

Dr. Lina Kreidie

Amira Matar

Dr. Ghaleb Saab

George Schwary

Dr. Hanna Shammas

**Hani Wazzan

Ferris Wehbe

** New Board Members

GOLF CLASSIC
HIGHLIGHTS

The Good....The Bad....and the Amazing

Monday, January 10, 2011

To encourage good fellowship and a competitive spirit among the competitors of the Lebanese American Foundation Golf Classic, the Chagoury Cup was established and sponsored by Ambassador Gilbert Chagoury, trustee of the Lebanese American Foundation Board of Trustees.

The Chagoury Cup shall be awarded to the golf foursomes with the lowest gross score and the lowest net score in the annual Golf Classic. The names of each member of the winning foursomes will be engraved onto the perpetual Chagoury Cup trophy and shall be displayed at the House of Lebanon.

Chagoury Cup 1st Place Gross Winners: (l to r) John Koudsi, golf committe member and Mike Ahmar, LAF President congratulate Dr. Paul Wakim and Harvey Owen. Judge James Kaddo also offers his congratulations. Not Pictured -- Foursome members Phil Kelly and Rick Santana.

Chagoury Cup 1st Place Net Winners: (l to r) Fouad El-Abd (golf committee co-chairman), John Koudsi (golf committee member), Rick Rielly, Salim Israwi, Dorian Khouri (golf committee member), Steve Seblani. Not pictured - Foursome member Dr. Ray Irani.

Wilshire Country Club featuring the Golf Classic Sponsors

Warm Up on the Driving Range

(right) Dorian Khouri, Golf committee member

Best Photo Shot of the Day
by Photographer Mike Reed

Golf Cart

Shot of the Day

(l to r) Dan Miclea, Jon Aufdemberg, Wilshire Caddy, Dr. Vance Okamoto, and Steven Temple

Golf Co-Chairman Fouad El-Abd joined by his foursome partners Richard Smith, Mike Tortomasi and Steven Woods

High Five!!

Tee Signs

550S Mercedes from Hole In One Sponsor Downtown LA Motors and the Shammas Automotive Group. Unfortunately, no hole-in-one's were witnessed this year!

Partners Bank of California

(l to r) Partners Bank of California Putting Contest Sponsor team giving putting pointers to LAF Chairman of the Board Judge Kaddo. (l to r) Todd Melnik, Kirk Colburn, Judge James Kaddo, Mike Chambers, Carole Kawkabani

(l to r) Fouad El-Abd, Golf Co-Chair, Judge James Kaddo, LAF Chairman of the Board, Dr. Fuad Khuri, Golf Co-Chairman

(l to r) Mike Majors, Max Convis, George Schwary, Golf committee member, and

Tom Maltese

Entertainment by Jillina's Sahlala Dancers

We thank all our golfers and supporters of our 3rd annual Golf Classic. We have so many pictures to share with you. The website will feature additional pictures after February 15, 2011. Please visit our website www.houseoflebanon.com to view them in two weeks.

Golf Classic Sponsors

Ambassador Gilbert Chagrouy

Dr. Ray Irani

Dr. Fuad & Umaya Khuri

Dr. Hanna & Dr. Najwa Shammas

Nabil & Evelyn Nahman

Dorian J. Khouri Foundation

Fouad & Laura El-Abd & California Garden

Isam Kabbani

Downtown LA Motors and the Shammas Automotive Group

Partners Bank of California

Giantto

With Special Thanks to our Raffle & Auction Sponsors....

Anis Garabet and Golden Pacific Jewelry

Tim Malki

Karim Kano, Alagem Capital Group and the Beverly Hilton

Ihsan Nizam, Don Lee and Marshell Electric Golf Trolley

Rami Joukhadar & Fletcher Jones Motorcars

Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

Zoological Society of San Diego

Fashion Square Car Wash

Fazio Cleaners

Richard Nixon Library

Culver Ice Arena

Los Angeles Marriott Downtown

Ronald Regan Presidential Library

In-N-Out Burger

Santa Monica Seafood

Los Angeles Zoo

Cheesecake Factory, Sherman Oaks

Cheesecake Factory, Beverly Hills

Pink's Famous Hot Dogs, Log Angeles

Aquarium of the Pacific

Santa Anita Park

Morongo Casino Resort and Spa

Universal Studios Hollywood

Golf N Stuff

Rowley Portraits

Bradford Portraits

Golf Classic Winners

Chagoury Cup 1st Place Gross

Paul Wakim, Harvey Owen, Phil Kelly, Rick Santana

2nd Place Gross

Fouad El-Abd, Richard Smith, Mike Tortomasi, Steven Woods

3rd Place Gross

Dr. Hanna Shammas, Fred Milkie, Jr., Conrad Lawrence, Dean Mayo

Chagoury Cup 1st Place Net

Dr. Ray Irani, Salim Israwi, Steve Seblani, Rick Rielly

2nd Place Net

Tim Malki, Said Khatib, Anis Garabet, Najiib Jabbour

3rd Place Net

Nabil Nahman, Jimmy Chagoury, Chris Nahman, Dagon Massey

Partners Bank of California Putting Contest Winners

Harvey Owen and Najib Jabbour

Ladies Long Drive Contest Winner

Nadia Hamdan

Men's Long Drive Contest Winner

Steve Seblani

Closest to the Pin Contest Winner

Mike Tortomasi

Artists' Group Spotlight |

Hanna (A.K.A. John)Hajjar

Hanna Hajjar was born in Beirut Lebanon and currently resides in Southern California. A graduate of the American University of Beirut (AUB), with a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering, he always had a passion for arts; painting, photography, filming, and inventing. His invention, the "Stem-Nozzle", revolutionized misting systems industry by allowing them to utilize Quick-Connect features.

Hanna was one of the first members to join the House of Lebanon Artist group, and along with his fellow artists, has participated in several HOL art exhibits. "As Lebanese-American artists we are a bridge between two cultures; introducing Lebanon to Americans, and America to Lebanese".

Pink Tail

In addition to his acrylic paintings, Hanna recently developed and launched five Apple iPhone and iPad applications, one of which is in Arabic titled "Arabic HexaWord". He also wrote a historical fiction novel titled "Sharrukin". And along with Dzovig (a fellow HOL artist) he co-produced a CD for children's songs, and DVD of musical animation titled "Pink Tail Tip", and a musical animation about the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, titled "Happy No More".

Horse Painting