The officers and trustees of the foundation are the immediate members of the family. This was done to help develop the characteristics of helping others who are in need as we have been helped. We hope this spirit will continue to be passed from one generation to the other.

Muna and Basem immigrated to the the United States in 1957 and lived in the Cleveland area. The immigration was a result of the generosity of people who helped them along with their parents and siblings to come to United States in pursuit of a better life. While raising our family, we tried to do as much as possible to pay back society as we believed we cannot always be on the receiving end, but that as life was kind to us, we needed to help others in need. Being of Palestinian origin, our heritage kept the attachment to help both Palestinians and as naturalized citizens, we wanted to help the needy in our adopted homeland.

Basem Hishmeh

Board Member Emeritus

Basem obtained his BSME from Case Institute of Technology in 1962 and obtained an MBA from Case Western Reserve University in 1969. He has served on boards of several charitable and not for profit organizations. He has worked in managerial and executive positions in the Cleveland area and in Saudi Arabia. Owned and operated his own companies in New Jersey, S. Korea and China.

 

Muna Hishmeh

Board Member Emeritus

Muna graduated from Lakewood HS in 1964 and was employed in several office support positions, leading up to office manager while in Saudi Arabia. She has served many institutions as a volunteer in the school system, museums, and charitable organizations. She appreciates all forms of art and believes in providing needy children with an opportunity to develop their artistic skills.

 

Amal (Amy) Bell (Hishmeh)

Director, Vice President and Treasurer

Amal obtained her BA from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY in 1990. She is the proud parent of three children. Amal is an avid volunteer in her children's school system. She is a board member of The William Paterson University Foundation Board.

 

Robert (Rob) Hishmeh

Director and President

Robert obtained his BSME in 1992 from the University of Vermont and received his MBA in 1997 from the University of Colorado. He has held several professional engineering positions leading up to his current position as VP of Sales at Sigma-Netics, Inc. where he is a shareholder. Rob is the proud father of two sons and one daughter, two of whom have been inducted to the board of this foundation, and the third who is attending Northeastern University.

 
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Nimon Ibrahimaj

Director

Nimon is a graduate of the University at Buffalo with a BA in Technical Theatre. He has since worked with a scenic design company in Jersey City building scenery for Broadway and off-Broadway productions and is currently working as a Carpenter at Empire Technical Fabrication.

 
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Blake Hishmeh

Director

Blake obtained his BSME from Northeastern University, graduating cum laude. His drive to assist and provide services for the youth of America has been invigorated by a visit to Palestine where he saw the need first hand. He is currently an Engineering Manager at SharkNinja in Massachusetts.

 
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Kosovare Grebe

Director and Secretary

Kosovare graduated from Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan in 2015 and is currently employed by Bergen County of New Jersey. She has recently married and is looking forward to a happy life with her husband, Roger Grebe. Kosovare is driven by her love for theater and the arts, as well as her motivation for human rights and social justice. 

 

Brady HishmeH

Director

Brady graduated from Morris Catholic High School in 2016 and currently she is working in Colorado as a Registered Behavioral Therapist at Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health. Brady has also been a long standing volunteer for Operation Smile.

 

The board of trustees has approved the services of the following professionals in their areas of expertise:

  • Mr. Bruce Ackerman, attorney at law, as the legal advisor to the foundation. Mr. Ackerman is a partner with Pashman Stein Walder Hayden.

  • Mr. Jeff Bolson, CPA, as the financial consultant to the foundation. He is a principal with Bolson & Sienicki, LLC.

  • Mr. Joseph Palmesano, Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, as investment advisor to the foundation.

  • Ms. Clarissa Rosado-Jones, Private Client Advisor with Foundation Source of Fairfield, CT, the administrator of the foundation responsible for all compliance, tax filing, financial reporting, and grant administration.