Sean Carroll
Anera President & CEO
As President & CEO of Anera, and CEO of Anera Ventures, LLC, Sean leads a staff of 150 in Lebanon, Palestine (West Bank, Gaza, E. Jerusalem), Jordan and Washington, DC, delivering over $100 million of humanitarian and development assistance annually to refugees and vulnerable communities in the Middle East. Sean oversees a wide range of programs, from distribution of in-kind medicines and other medical and humanitarian relief; to building community infrastructure in water, sanitation, education, sports and health; to revenue-generating agriculture and other economic growth programs, including career-accelerating tech upskilling, that improve thousands of families’ lives.
Before joining Anera, Sean worked in several international development and policy roles in Washington, DC, Europe and the Middle East, including Creative Associates International, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Club of Madrid, the US Congress, the UN’s World Food Programme and the National Democratic Institute (NDI). For three years he served the Obama Administration as chief of staff and COO at USAID, with 9,500 staff and 84 missions around the world, and a $1.7 billion operating budget. Sean also served for six years as program director for the Club of Madrid, a leadership alliance of 106 former presidents and prime ministers.
Sean’s connection to Palestine and the region began more than 25 years ago when he worked as chief of mission for NDI in the West Bank and Gaza, and lived in East Jerusalem, where his twin children were born.
Sean’s career in international affairs began as he earned a Bachelor’s in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and worked at GU’s Center for Immigration Policy and Refugee Assistance (CIPRA). He holds a Master’s in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Sean serves on several boards, including as Chairman of Creative Frontiers; Treasurer of the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (PQMD); and member of Takreem’s Selection Board.
Sandra Rasheed
Palestine Country Director
Sandra Rasheed has worked in the development field for 28 years working for both national and international organizations including MA’AN Development Center, Carter Center, and Save the Children, She has managed tens of projects and worked with such donors as USAID, EU, BMZ, DFAT, and others. She has worked and provided oversight for programs in the fields or sectors of children, youth, education, water, environment, community development, food security and agriculture, human rights, good governance and capacity building, gender, and economic empowerment. She speaks Arabic fluently and currently resides in Ramallah.
Ms. Rasheed graduated from Eastern Washington University with a bachelor's degree in English literature. She later earned her master's in sustainable development from World Learning’s School for International Training in Vermont.
Samar Yassir
Lebanon Country Director
Since 2011, Samar has been Anera’s director, responsible for all of Anera’s Lebanon operations including education and sports programs for vulnerable adolescents, health and relief access for impoverished families, and sustainable community development in refugee camps.
Ms. Yassir is an experienced development professional who has worked in Lebanon in the field of social development for more than 20 years. Prior to joining Anera, Ms. Yassir was country representative for Diakonia, working with civil society organizations to promote human rights, democracy, gender equality, and peace and conflict transformation. She also has managed programs in Lebanon for UNRWA and IMPACT and consulted with several organizations dealing in strategic planning and development.
The Beirut native is a graduate of American University of Beirut and has a post-graduate diploma from the University of London’s Institute of Child Health. She has written numerous publications on disabilities and other health issues.
Derek Madsen
Chief Development Officer
Anera’s first chief development officer, Derek Madsen, comes from a background in social impact leadership. He brings many years of experience in strategy creation, organizational and resource development, and persuasive communication to the new role.
He has built his career in organizations and movements that respond to needs and create opportunity – especially for our friends and neighbors who have been systematically excluded and oppressed.
Most recently, he spent five years at CommonBond Communities, where he led the expansion of fundraising and impact investing activities, equipping the organization to better serve communities throughout the upper Midwest. Prior to that he served in leadership roles at the YMCA in Minnesota. He earned a master’s degree in nonprofit management at Hamline University.
Subject Matter Experts
Anera's subject matter experts are from the communities we serve and have excellent networks of contacts in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan. They can offer unique insights into their areas of expertise and the challenges facing refugees and vulnerable communities in the region. If you would like to connect with them, please email Steve Fake.
AGRICULTURE
Naser Qadous
Palestine Agricultural Programs Manager
During Naser’s 20-year tenure with Anera he has overseen a diverse range of projects, including agricultural land reclamation, construction and rehabilitation of greenhouses, farmer training, and capacity-building of cooperatives. In recent years, he has managed two important water reuse projects, one in the farming communities outside of Jenin and the other in the city of Ramallah. These projects make cleaned wastewater available for agricultural and municipal needs, preserving scarce potable water for household consumption.
Ibrahim Najjar
Gaza Project Coordinator and Agronomist
A trained agronomist, Ibrahim has been leading Anera's agricultural work in Gaza since 2017. He coordinates greenhouse work, planting of crops, reclaiming land for farming, hydroponic gardening, and urban agriculture interventions. Ibrahim came to Anera with a background in agricultural experimentation and vegetable grafting. He helped in the establishment of 200+ greenhouses all over Gaza, each produced three tons of vegetables. He graduated from Al-Azahar University in 2011 with a an agronomy and environment degree. Before joining Anera, he worked for five years at Park, a Gaza agricultural organization.
EDUCATION
Leen Ataya
Lebanon Education Program Manager
Leen Ataya manages Anera’s education programs in Lebanon, which impact tens of thousands of out-of-school youths, their families and surrounding neighborhoods. Anera provides basic literacy and numeracy education as well as job skills training that enable Palestinian and Syrian refugees and disadvantaged Lebanese youth to earn an income, support their families, and strive for better job prospects into the future. Leen has an MSc from University College London (UCL) in Development Administration and Planning, and has over 10 years of experience in the development sector. Since 2018, Leen has been overseeing Anera’s education work in five regional offices located in vulnerable refugee communities. She has first-hand knowledge of the challenges refugee populations face in educating and supporting themselves.
Maria Berbari
Lebanon Education Project Officer
Maria is responsible for Anera's basic literacy and math program in Lebanon, providing training and capacity building to our education team, partners and teachers. She started her career as a youth volunteer with the Lebanese Red Cross as well as other non-profits. She then went on to work as a teacher for three years. Maria has a passion for field work, especially benefitting women and children. She holds a bachelor's degree in social work.
Suad Lubbad
Program Officer, Farms to Fosool
Since 2021, Suad has served as program officer with Anera’s Farms to Fosool project, which provides a nourishing, well-balanced meal every day to 1,200 preschoolers in Gaza. Suad also worked with Anera for several years as trainer in our early childhood development program. From 2000-2010, she was an administrative manager at Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children in Gaza City. She has a strong background in human development and early childhood, holding a master's and PhD. Suad’s personal mission is to help encourage young Palestinian children to grow, learn and develop the skills they will need to build their future.
Sulieman Mleahat
Palestine Education Manager
Sulieman has been Anera’s education program manager in Palestine since 2010. During his tenure at Anera, he has overseen the renovation or construction of 10% of Palestine’s preschools (208 schools in total); training of 973 preschool teachers; development and distribution of 20,000+ children’s reading packs; training of 15,501 parents; and improved the care and education for 32,311 preschool children. Sulieman also successfully spearheaded the creation of the first national curriculum for preschools in Palestine.
Sulieman always says, “Schools should be ready for children, not just children ready for schools!”
ENVIRONMENT
Naser Qadous
Palestine Agricultural Programs Manager
During Naser’s 20-year tenure with Anera he has overseen a diverse range of projects, including agricultural land reclamation, construction and rehabilitation of greenhouses, farmer training, and capacity-building of cooperatives. In recent years, he has managed two important water reuse projects, one in the farming communities outside of Jenin and the other in the city of Ramallah. These projects make cleaned wastewater available for agricultural and municipal needs, preserving scarce potable water for household consumption.
HEALTH
Carina Aoun
Jordan New Business Development and Field Manager, Jordan
Carina is managing Anera’s recent return to Jordan. She has extensive experience with health programs. Until recently she worked as a field officer on Anera’s water, sanitation and hygiene programs in Lebanon. She conducted research and planning for project operations in Beirut, and North and South Lebanon. She has also helped implement two of Anera’s solid waste management projects in North Lebanon.
Mohammad Atieh
Regional Project Officer for Medical Donations
Mohammed manages Anera’s relationships with local implementing health partners and oversee the donor-to-clinic supply chain that delivers medicine and supplies to communities across the West Bank. With more than ten years experience working for Anera, he has first-hand knowledge of the health needs and issues facing disadvantaged communities. He came to Anera with a background in pharmacology.
Reem Aziz
Lebanon Public Health Officer
Reem has worked on a range of community-based health promotion interventions related to personal hygiene and oral health, menstrual hygiene management and environmental health. She holds a master’s degree in Public Health from the American University of Beirut.
Mostafa Elghosain
Gaza Medical Donation Program Manager
Mostafa joined Anera in 2002 as Anera’s warehouse manager and currently oversees the medical donation program in Gaza. He earned his B.Sc in Pharmacy from Adamson College, Philippines and his MA in Public Health at Al Quds University, Gaza. Mostafa coordinates and facilitates the safe passage and reception of all shipments sent to Anera’s Gaza distribution center and works with local partners to assess the humanitarian and emergency relief needs of poor and vulnerable communities in Gaza.
Nisreen Khalaf
Director of Medical Donations Program
Nisreen Khalaf has been with Anera since 2015 managing the medical donations program. Her knowledge of the Middle East region and her 15 years of experience in managing projects/programs in Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Libya, Egypt and Palestine have played an important role in increasing the number and value of shipments going to Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. Under Nisreen's direction, the number of shipments Anera is distributing has doubled.
Ahmad Najjar
Gaza Medical Donation Program Coordinator
Ahmad manages Anera’s relationships with local implementing health partners and oversees the donor-to-clinic supply chain that delivers medicine and supplies across Gaza. With nine years experience working for Anera, Ahmad has first-hand knowledge of the immense health needs and issues facing Gaza communities. He came to Anera with a background in pharmacology and uses his knowledge to assess the quality and types of medicines Anera disperses. Anera’s medical donations program delivers donated medicine, health supplies and equipment to refugee and vulnerable communities in Palestine and Lebanon.
Dima Zayat
Lebanon Deputy Country Director
Dima oversees all of Anera’s program operations in Lebanon, including non-formal basic education, vocational skills training, solid waste management, sports for development and health. Dima began her tenure at Anera in 2010 as a health program manager responsible for all health-related projects in Lebanon, including the medical donations program and health education activities as well as emergency and aid distributions. In light of the massive displacement of refugees from Syria, Dima co-led the first nationwide situational assessment of Palestinian Refugees from Syria. Before joining Anera, Dima worked as a registered nurse and public health worker for 9 years. In recognition of her contribution to the field of community health in Lebanon, Dima was inducted into the Gamma Delta Chapter of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health in 2017. Dima holds a BS in nursing and a master's in public health from the American University of Beirut.
REFUGEE ISSUES
Mahmoud Abdullah
Lebanon Bekaa Area Manager
Mahmoud is a passionate humanitarian with diverse experience with refugees all over the region and Eastern Europe. With a background in communications and protection, he also works on Anera's program development and implementation, including basic literacy and numeracy education and vocational training, as well as solid waste management projects implemented in the Bekaa area.
WATER
Sami Matar
Gaza Project Coordinator
Sami has been part of the Anera team in the Gaza office as a project coordinator since 2010. He has over 18 years of technical and project management experience, including in WASH programs, water well construction, water desalination unit installations, and preschool and medical center construction and rehabilitation. Sami frequently contributes to the design of Anera's projects and works closely with our donors throughout project implementation.
During emergencies, he helps formulate Anera's safe response plans. He also supports local partners to ensure smooth implementation of Anera's interventions and to respond to the urgent needs of the most vulnerable communities.
Naser Qadous
Palestine Agricultural Programs Manager
During Naser’s 20-year tenure with Anera he has overseen a diverse range of projects, including agricultural land reclamation, construction and rehabilitation of greenhouses, farmer training, and capacity-building of cooperatives. In recent years, he has managed two important water reuse projects, one in the farming communities outside of Jenin and the other in the city of Ramallah. These projects make cleaned wastewater available for agricultural and municipal needs, preserving scarce potable water for household consumption.