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Who We Are

Our Team

We are proud of our team of experienced professionals and volunteers based in Lebanon and the U.S. They know what the conditions are and they are dedicated to bringing about positive change.

Board of Directors

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Amine Tarhini - Founder

Amine, founder and board president, is an engineer by education and has held senior positions in management and business operations for major corporations for the last 41 years.  He received his E.E. and M.E. from Texas A & M University.  Amine holds dual citizenship in the US and Lebanon, and was born and raised in and around Beirut.  He is passionate about his home country and travels back there on a regular basis to help support NGOs working with refugees and the school in Beirut.  He speaks 4 languages and has been involved in numerous non-profits as a volunteer.

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Susan Bryant - Founder

Susan, co-founder and treasurer, is an attorney who worked in higher education and as a practicing lawyer, owning her own firm.  She received her J.D. from Georgetown University and B.A. from Duke University.  She has served on the Board of many non-profit organizations in the areas of early childhood education, interdisciplinary work between lawyers and therapists, reentry of prisoners into the community, and church mission boards.

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Lee Anderson-Harris

Lee, board member, is ordained clergy in the United Methodist Church. She has an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Colorado-Denver, completed seminary coursework at Iliff School of Theology, and has a B.B.A. in Marketing from Texas A&M University. She has served churches in specialized roles of pastoral care and missions & service.

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Paul Landers

Paul, board member, is a seasoned leader in the health, education, and human services fields, with a M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology, Cambridge College and B.A. in Special Education, Boston University. He has over three decades of experience guiding organizations that serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Most notably, Paul served as President and CEO of Pathfinder Village in New York, where he oversaw a nationally recognized inclusive community, led multimillion-dollar capital campaigns, and launched transformative programs in education, housing, and workforce development. His career reflects a deep commitment to inclusive, mission-driven leadership, community partnerships, and organizational growth. Paul brings to Noor El-Salam his passion for creating opportunities and empowering underserved populations, aligning closely with our mission to support refugee children through education.

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Rick Heidebrecht

Rick, board member, is an engineer by training, holding a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University. His professional career spans senior leadership roles in engineering and business development at organizations ranging from innovative startups to Fortune 100 companies.

Alongside his industry work, Rick has remained deeply connected to education. He has served as a Scholar of Engineering Practice at the University of Colorado and has volunteered as a mathematics tutor for middle school students, experiences that reinforced his belief in education as a powerful equalizer.

Over the past decade, Rick has volunteered with multiple nonprofit organizations in roles including project manager and board member, driven by a desire to strengthen communities and expand opportunity. He is particularly passionate about empowering underserved and displaced populations through access to safe learning environments, believing that education not only builds knowledge, but restores dignity, stability, and hope for the future.

Advisory Board

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Jodie Cottrell

Jodie is a technical recruiter at a Big 4 consulting company for the past 15 years. She has an M.A. degree in Student Personnel Services from the University of NJ and an B.A. degree in Political Science  from Douglass College-Rutgers University.  She has served in a  variety  of church leadership roles from long term planning to facility management  over the past several years. She has a particular strong interest in animal rescues.