Sean Carroll
Anera President & CEO
As Anera President and CEO, Sean leads a staff of 150 in Lebanon, Palestine (West Bank, Gaza), Jordan and Washington, DC, delivering $75 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, 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 United States 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 in the Obama Administration as chief of staff and COO at USAID, which has 9,500 staff and 84 missions around the world, and a $1.7 billion operating budget. Sean also served for six years as director of programs for the Club of Madrid, a leadership alliance that includes 106 former presidents and prime ministers.
Sean’s connection to Palestine and the region began more than 20 years ago when he worked as chief of mission for NDI in the West Bank and Gaza, and lived in East Jerusalem. The city will always have deep significance for his family, because his twin children were born there.
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.
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.
Donna Diane
Chief Financial Officer
Donna Lee Diane, CPA has 30 plus years of experience in the field of accounting and currently holds the position of Chief Financial Officer at Anera. She holds both a bachelor’s in accounting and a master’s of accountancy.
Ms Diane's work in public accounting began as an auditor for Big 4 Accounting Firms in 1985, where she audited a variety of organizations, including nonprofits and local governments. Between 1992 and 1998, Ms Diane was the Director of Accounting and Systems for the Virginia Tech Foundation. In 1998, she became the Deputy Controller for Population Services International where she began her experience in international development and was promoted to Controller in 2002, serving in that role until 2007. From 2007 to 2011, she served as Controller and Business Manager for The City College of New York.
Ms. Diane joined Anera as its Chief Financial Officer in September 2011 and currently oversees a team of accountants to manage Anera’s worldwide financial operations.
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!”
Nariman Othman Deik
West Bank Education Program Coordinator
Nariman manages Anera’s Women Can program, which provides material assistance, training and mentoring to women launching small enterprises in the West Bank. In this role Nariman conducts surveys of women considered for the program and facilitates the delivery of equipment and materials for the women’s initiatives. Her extensive experience working with women and village councils from all over Palestine gives her a unique and first-hand assessment of the economic and social challenges Palestinian women face.
Nariman also works as a trainer as part of Anera’s early childhood development program.
ENVIRONMENT
Lama Ghaddar
Lebanon Program Manager
Lama is Project Manager with Anera’s Lebanon office, and has led the management of our highly successful Community-Based Solid Waste Management (SWM) Program since June 2017. She has over six years of development experience, with expertise in the areas of community resilience, SWM, community mobilization, and youth mobilization. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management from Saint Joseph University.
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
Lana Al-Qedwa
Gaza Public Health Officer, WASH
Lana manages Anera's public health programs in Gaza, including health inspections, public health awareness sessions, design health education programs, building the capacity of partner organizations, leading water and sanitation activities aimed at changing community behaviors. She has been a lecturer on public health at Al Quds Open University and Al Azhar University. Lana joined Anera since 2015. She is a pharmacist and holds a master's degree in public health from Al-Quds University.
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.
Lina Atat
Lebanon Medical Donation Program Coordinator and Pharmacist
Lina brings over 15 years of experience in the health and humanitarian fields, including in pharmaceutical production, pharmacy management and pharmacy supply chains. Lina oversees Anera’s medical donation and humanitarian aid program in Lebanon. She holds a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from Lebanese American University and a US university degree equivalency with FPGEC from National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Lina also holds two master’s degrees. She wrote her thesis on monitoring and evaluation policy, using Anera as a case study. Lina has also worked as a production manager of para-pharmaceuticals, was a pharmacy owner, and a pharmacist at Save the Children.
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.
REFUGEES
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.
Ouyoun Shabayta
Lebanon South Education Field Coordinator
Ouyoun is an Anera education field coordinator in Ein El Hilweh camp. She is a third-generation Palestinian refugee and resident of the camp. She has lived in the camp her entire life, as have her parents, and since 1948, her grandparents. She studied at Lebanese University. Before joining Anera, she was an M&E officer at Action Against Hunger.
Ahlam Chalabi
Lebanon North Area Manager
Ahlam is a dynamic humanitarian worker. Since 2017, she has been managing Anera’s projects in the North Area, including programs development and implementation. She is committed to serving the community and has an interest in culture, and self-improvement. Ahlam has been successfully involved in diverse community-led projects under international funds. She has previously worked for the Council for Development and Reconstruction and the Ministry of Finance Head Quarter in Beirut. She studied accounting and finance at the Lebanese University (B.B.A,and D.E.S.S).
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.
LIVELIHOODS
Nariman Othman Deik
West Bank Education Program Coordinator
Nariman manages Anera’s Women Can program, which provides material assistance, training and mentoring to women launching small enterprises in the West Bank. In this role Nariman conducts surveys of women considered for the program and facilitates the delivery of equipment and materials for the women’s initiatives. Her extensive experience working with women and village councils from all over Palestine gives her a unique and first-hand assessment of the economic and social challenges Palestinian women face.
Nariman also works as a trainer as part of Anera’s early childhood development program.