More Information

Contact us today!
If you would like any more information regarding the HOL-YP Executive Committee, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Co-Chair, Zeina Hamzeh is an in-house entertainment attorney at Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. in Los Angeles, California.  Zeina specializes in drafting and negotiating entertainment agreements in the area of music publishing.  She received her BA degree from UCLA in Communication Studies and Political Science in 2002 and her JD from Southwestern University School of Law in 2006. In her spare time Zeina enjoys spending time with her friends and family, attending concerts, cooking, and eating at interesting and off the beaten path restaurants.

Co-Chair, Benissa Salemwas born in Beirut, Lebanon. She attended USC and obtained a degree in Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Studies and Broadcast Journalism. In June 2008, Ms. Salem completed her Master of Science degree in Nursing at UCLA and currently, Ms. Salem is pursuing her PhD in Nursing at UCLA.  In her spare time, Benissa enjoys reading, writing, painting, spending time with family and friends and volunteering.

Membership Director, Chahira Solh is an attorney who specializes in antitrust law at Crowell & Moring, LLP.  She received her B.A. in Economics and History from UCLA and her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.  Chahira enjoys spending her free time  with her family and friends and traveling to exotic destinations.

International Outreach, Ray Harake grew up in Beirut, Lebanon and curretly resides in Laguna Niguel, CA. Ray attended International College and subsequently the American University of Beirut.  Ray graduated from the University of Southern California where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering and Computer Science with an emphasis on Software Systems. For the past three years, Mr. Harake has worked as a Senior Software Engineer in the financial sector developing trading software for Nexa Technologies, a subsidiary of Penson Worldwide.

Treasurer, George Batta George Batta is an assistant professor of economics-accounting at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, CA.  He graduated with a D.B.A. (doctorate in business administration) fromHarvard University in 2005 and earned his A.B. in political economy from U.C. Berkeley in 1998.  Prior to graduate school, he served as a financial auditor with Ernst & Young’s Los Angeles practice and worked as a tax consultant for a firm in Sydney, Australia.  He also worked as an economics consultant with NERA Economic Consulting in New York City, where he led teams that provided quantitative analysis for several major securities litigation cases.  His current teaching responsibilities include introductory accounting and financial statement analysisfor undergraduates.  He also is involved in several research projects that investigate the role and value of financial statement analysis in investment evaluation; that assess the optimal mix of information for predicting corporate bankruptcies in the U.S ; and that examine the importance of political risk in explaining corporate and investor behavior in the developing world.

Southern California Outreach, Reema Radwan was born and raised in Los Angeles.  She has completed her third year at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.  She double-majored in Political Science and International Development Studies, with a minor in Arabic at UCLA.   Reema has just accepted an offer to join Perkins Coie, LLP, as an associate after graduating from law school. In her spare time, Reema enjoys music, going to concerts, traveling to new places, and staying close to her Lebanese roots.

Publicist, Iris Salem was born in Beirut, Lebanon. She attended the University of California, San Diego and obtained degrees in Political Science, with an emphasis in International Relations and two minors in Communications and Middle East Studies. Ms. Salem co-founded the Lebanese Cedars Club at UCSD and was President of the Arab Student Union for several years. Ms. Salem currently works as an online news producer for CBS 2/KCAL 9 in Los Angeles, California. 

Newsletter Editor, Michael Alti is an attorney with the firm of Jackson , DeMarco, Tidus, Petersen & Peckenpaugh in Irvine, California (www.jdtplaw.com).  Michael ’s legal practice is focused on land use, environmental law, and water law.  Michael was born in Aleppo, Syria and raised in Los Angeles. He obtained a B.A. in Business Economics and a German Minor at UCLA in 1998, and remained at UCLA to receive his law degree in 2001.  His passion involves discovering natural and cultural treasures: trekking in the local mountains and the Sierras, foreign travel, ethnic cuisine, and reading.

HOL-YP Executive Board Member, Joyce Jalleo was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After receiving her Bachelor's Degree from Cal State University of Northridge, Joyce began working in various facets of communications and advertising for FOX Television, Emmis Radio and Idealab. She is currently a part of the sales team at Sony Pctures Home Entertainment in Los Angeles. Joyce is very passionate about her family, friends and Lebanese heritage. She loves to learn about different cultures and people, immersing herelf in their food, music and ways of life. 

HOL-YP Executive Board Member, Hisham Hamadeh was born and raised in Lebanon. He obtained a Bachelors of Science in Physics from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and a PhD in Toxicology from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) for the study of arsenic toxicity. Hisham worked for several years at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he was involved in various studies to better understand the molecular mechanisms associated with drug-induced liver injury. In 2002, Hisham moved back to the California and joined Amgen Inc, a pharmaceutical company, as a senior scientist. He is currently the Director of Preclinical Safety testing.  Hisham leads a group of scientists responsible for the study of drug side effects with the goal of helping promote the development of the safest and most effective medications in order to treat  acute and chronic diseases.  Hisham has authored many papers on the understanding of the adverse effects of medicines and environmental contaminants on the body.  He has edited a book on the topic, titled, “Toxicogenomics: Principles and Applications.” He is often invited to lecture at national and international conferences as well as academic institutions. Hisham is a past-president of the Southern California Chapter of the Society of Toxicology and currently serves on the Career Resource and Development committee for the Society of Toxicology. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology. Hisham is an avid tennis fan and has enjoyed playing since childhood. He also spends time on his motorcycle around the Malibu canyons as well as bicycling, hiking, rock climbing and hanging out with friends. One of the main reasons Hisham has joined the House of Lebanon Young professionals(HOL-YP) is to help build a  support network for young members of the Lebanese community with the hope that  all can benefit from   mentorship experiences  while enjoying many enriching social activities.