Who We Are
Amine Tarhini, founder, 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.
Susan Bryant, 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.
Jodie Cottrell, board member, 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.
Rick Heidebrecht, board member, is an engineer by degree, holding an EE degree from Oklahoma State University and MSEE from Purdue University. In business, he has held senior positions in engineering and business development for companies ranging from start ups to the Fortune 100. He also has enjoyed education as Scholar of Engineering Practice at the University of Colorado as well as tutoring in mathematics for middle school students. Over the past several years he has volunteered at several non-profits in roles from project manager to board member.
