Layalina Productions, Inc.

about Us

	Layalina Productions, Inc. was inaugurated in March 2002 as a §501(c)(3) non-profit, private sector corporation. Layalina develops and produces informative and entertaining Arabic and English language programming for licensing to satellite and cable television networks throughout the Arab Middle East and North Africa. Layalina's programming consists of debate, drama, entertainment, and educational shows that forthrightly address the most controversial issues affecting U.S.-Arab relations. Produced in the United States and throughout the Arab world, our shows air in primetime on pan-Arab free-to-air satellite television networks. Layalina's programming reaches a target audience of tens of millions of viewers. We recruit top talent from the U.S. and the Arab world. Our Academy® and Emmy® award-winning writers, producers, and directors work alongside Arab and American television broadcasters and industry leaders to ensure that our shows are culturally appropriate. Layalina's efforts represent the first private sector initiative to establish new lines of communication and dialogue with citizens and key opinion leaders throughout the Arab world. Layalina is funded solely through tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations, and through grants by foundations based in the U.S. and the Arab world. To request a copy of our 990, please visit guidestar.com or email us.
Board of Counselors President George H.W. Bush Honorary Chairman of the Board Tarek Abdel-Meguid David M. Abshire Richard V. Allen George L. Argyros James A. Baker, III Samuel R. Berger Wayne L. Berman Reginald K. Brack Zbigniew Brzezinski John E. Chapoton Walter L. Cutler Lawrence S. Eagleburger Richard Fairbanks A.H. Farouki Marc Charles Ginsberg Lee H. Hamilton Carla A. Hills Henry A. Kissinger Tom Korologos Maura B. Morey Sam Nunn Paul A. Russo Alejandro Santo Domingo James Schlesinger Brent Scowcroft George P. Shultz Damaris Skouras Jeffrey H. Smulyan Carl Spielvogel Robert S. Strauss John C. Whitehead Frederick B. Whittemore Daniel Yergin Ezra K. Zilkha Team Layalina Richard Fairbanks Chairman of the Board Marc Charles Ginsberg President Leon Shahabian Vice President & Corporate Treasurer Luke Stets Outreach Director & Corporate Secretary Anne Hagood Managing Editor Mirna Oud Assistant Managing Director Phyllis Chesley Executive Assistant Legal Counsel Corporate Legal Counsel is provided, pro-bono, by the firm of Covington & Burling: Michael Cutler, Esq. Corporate Law Kevin Shortill, Esq. Tax Law	Goals Address the negative stereotypes about the United States by providing Arabic-speaking television viewers with programming that is honest, positive, and entertaining. Promote understanding between the Arabic-speaking world and the United States. Provide a forum for the people of the Arab world to constructively air their concerns and opinions. Set, through example, a more professional standard for Arab television by producing and airing a polished product based on the highest international journalistic standards and the best of Hollywood creativity. Board of Directors Ambassador George L. Argyros - Director Ambassador George Argyros is Chairman and CEO of Arnel & Affiliates, a diversified investment company based in California and General Partner of Westar Capital, a private investment company. Ambassador Argyros is a retired U.S. ambassador to Spain, and a former member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations for the U.S. Trade Representative. He has also served as a board member of FreddieMac. Ambassador Argyros is on the Board of Directors for First American Corporation (NYSE); DST Systems, Inc. (NYSE); Doskocil Manufacturing Company; and Igloo Products Corp. He is an International Counselor and Trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC; Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Beckman Foundation; Board Member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Board of Visitors Member of MD Anderson Cancer Center; Member of the Library of Congress Open World Leadership Board; and Founding Chairman of the Nixon Center. Ambassador Argyros is a 1993 recipient of the Horatio Alger Award of Distinguished Americans. He served as President and CEO of the Washington, DC-based Horatio Alger Association and currently serves as Treasurer and Chairman Emeritus. In the 1980s, Argyros was co-owner of AirCal and owner of the Seattle Mariners Baseball Club of the American League. Ambassador Argyros holds degrees in business and economics, as well as an honorary Doctor of Human Letters Degree from Chapman University and an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Pepperdine University. He is on the Board of Trustees for Chapman University and the California Institute of Technology. The Honorable John E. Chapoton - Director John E. Chapoton has been a partner of Brown Advisory, an investment firm based in Baltimore, MD, since 2001. Mr. Chapoton is in charge of the Washington, DC office of the firm. Prior to 2001, he was the managing partner of the Washington office of the Vinson & Elkins law firm. From 1981 to 1984, during the first term of President Reagan, Mr. Chapoton served as Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy of the U.S. Treasury Department. In that position he served as the Administration's principal spokesman before the Congressional tax-writing committees. During his tenure, three significant tax acts were passed: the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981; the Tax Equity & Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982; and the Deficit Recovery Act of 1984. Until his departure from the Treasury Department in August 1984, Mr. Chapoton chaired the task force that developed the initial tax proposals that later became the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Mr. Chapoton graduated with honors from the University of Texas and the University of Texas Law School. A frequent speaker on the subjects of federal taxation and fiscal policy and the political climate for tax legislative initiatives, he is a member of the American Law Institute, the American Bar Association's Tax Section (former Vice Chair) and a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel (former Regent). In addition to Layalina, Mr. Chapoton serves on the Boards of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE) and StanCorp Financial (NYSE). Ambassador Richard Fairbanks - Director Ambassador Richard Fairbanks is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Layalina Productions, Inc. He is also a Counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he was previously President and CEO. During the Reagan Administration, Ambassador Fairbanks served as Assistant Secretary of State, Special Negotiator for the Middle East Peace Process, and Ambassador-at-Large. He was also Associate Director of the White House Domestic Counsel for Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources under President Nixon. Ambassador Fairbanks was a founding partner of Ruckleshaus, Beveridge, Fairbanks & Diamond (now Beveridge and Diamond, P.C.) A former Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, he is currently a Visiting Professor at the University of Miami (Florida). He received his A.B. from Yale University and his J.D. magna cum laude from Columbia University School of Law. Ambassador Fairbanks serves on the Board of Directors of SEACOR Holdings, Inc. (Formerly SEACOR SMIT) and GATX Corporation. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Council of American Ambassadors. Ambassador Marc Charles Ginsberg - Director Ambassador Marc Ginsberg serves as President of Layalina Productions, Inc. He is also CEO and Managing Director of Northstar Equity Group, an affiliate of APCO Worldwide, a global corporate public affairs and communication firm. From 1978-1981 Ambassador Ginsberg served as Deputy Senior Advisor to President Carter for Middle East Policy at the White House and from 1994 to 1998, Ambassador Ginsberg served as U.S. Ambassador to Morocco. He also served as the U.S. Coordinator for Mediterranean Trade, Investment and Security Affairs from 1998-1999. Prior to his public service, Ambassador Ginsberg practiced international commercial and corporate law in the Middle East. He holds a B.A. cum laude from American University, and an M.B.A. (candidate) and a J.D. from Georgetown University. Mr. Ginsberg speaks Arabic, French, and Hebrew fluently. He serves on the Board of Directors of Xybernaut and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Ambassador Tom Korologos - Director Tom Korologos served as United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium from July 2004 through February 2007. From May to December, 2003, Ambassador Korologos was Senior Counselor to Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, Administrator, Office of Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Baghdad and in the Defense Department, Washington, DC. He was also responsible for all CPA Congressional affairs including a key role in the passage of the President’s Iraq reconstruction supplemental budget request. Prior to going to Baghdad, from 1975 to 2003, Ambassador Korologos served as Chairman of the Executive Committee and was co-founder of Timmons and Company, a Washington consulting firm. He served in the Nixon and Ford Administrations as Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs (Senate). He also served nine years under Senator Wallace F. Bennett (R-UT). In 1980-1981 Ambassador Korologos served as Director of Congressional Relations for President Ronald Reagan's transition and served both the Reagan and Bush Administrations as a volunteer assisting in various Senate confirmations. He also was Director of Congressional Relations for the National Bipartisan (Kissinger) Commission on Central America. Ambassador Korologos has traveled extensively overseas as a member and Chairman of the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, and from 1995 to 2002 as a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which has jurisdiction over all non-military US Government radio and TV broadcasting overseas. Earlier in his career, Ambassador Korologos was a journalist with The New York Herald Tribune, The Long Island Press, The Salt Lake Tribune and the Associated Press. Ambassador Korologos has attended every Republican National Convention since 1972, serving several times as Director of Official Proceedings. He was a senior advisor to Senator Dole during his 1996 Presidential bid. In 2001, he served in the Bush-Cheney transition and managed the confirmation of Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense as well as other nominees appointed by President Bush. Ambassador Korologos earned his B.A. at the University of Utah and his M.S. at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he received the Grantland Rice Fellowship and a Pulitzer Fellowship. He was born in 1933 in Salt Lake City, Utah and is married to Ann McLaughlin Korologos, former Secretary of Labor. Ambassador Paul Russo - Director Ambassador Paul Russo is currently President of Paul Russo & Associates, a Washington, DC firm specializing in international trade and government relations. Mr. Russo was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean in 1986. Prior to assuming that position, he was the President of Capitol Consultants, Inc., a Washington, DC consulting firm specializing in government relations and international trade. Ambassador Russo began his services in the Reagan Administration as Special Assistant to the President for Political Affairs at the White House from 1981-1983, and he then became Deputy Under Secretary of Labor. Mr. Russo served in the 1976, 1980 and 1984 Presidential campaign efforts of Ronald Reagan. In 1978, he founded and was named Executive Director and Treasurer of Campaign America, a political action committee chaired by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole. Mr. Russo also served as Special Assistant to California's governor, Ronald Reagan, from 1973-1975. Since 1991, Ambassador Russo has been a faculty member of Georgetown University's School for Continuing Education, teaching a course on the modern U.S. Presidency. A native of Ohio, Mr. Russo holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio State University, with additional studies at Case-Western Reserve University and Georgetown University. Mr. Russo is a member of the Board of Directors of the Council of American Ambassadors and also serves on the Advisory Board of the Eastern International Academy, a private training facility in Amman, Jordan that specializes in training security forces for the Government in Iraq. Active in civic affairs, Ambassador Russo has served on the boards of a number of national organizations and federal advisory councils, including the National Easter Seal Society, the President's National Commission for Employment Policy, and the Federal Advisory Council on Unemployment Insurance. Mr. Frederick B. Whittemore - Director Advisory Director at Morgan Stanley and Company in New York, Frederick B. Whittemore has been with the firm for 35 years, becoming a partner in 1967, Managing Director since the firm's incorporation in 1970, and Advisory Director since January 1989. He has served as Governor and Vice Chairman of the American Stock Exchange, International President of the Pacific Basin Economic Corporation (PBEC), and Chairman of the U.S. National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation. Mr. Whittemore is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Director of Southern Pacific Petroleum, Former Director of the Dome Petroleum and Key Pharmaceutical Corporation, and a member of the American Australian Association, Chesapeake, and KOS Pharmaceuticals. He serves on a number of noncorporate boards, including that of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Aspen Institute, and the Whittemore Business School of the University of New Hampshire. Mr. Whittemore was formerly Chairman of the Board of the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, serves as Chairman of the American Australian Educational Studies, and is Director of the British American Educational Foundation. Team Layalina Ambassador Richard Fairbanks - Chairman of the Board Ambassador Richard Fairbanks is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Layalina Productions, Inc. He is also a Counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he was previously President and CEO. During the Reagan Administration, Ambassador Fairbanks served as Assistant Secretary of State, Special Negotiator for the Middle East Peace Process, and Ambassador-at-Large. He was also Associate Director of the White House Domestic Counsel for Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources under President Nixon. Ambassador Fairbanks was a founding partner of Ruckleshaus, Beveridge, Fairbanks & Diamond (now Beveridge and Diamond, P.C.) A former Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, he is currently a Visiting Professor at the University of Miami (Florida). He received his A.B. from Yale University and his J.D. magna cum laude from Columbia University School of Law. Ambassador Fairbanks serves on the Board of Directors of SEACOR Holdings, Inc. (Formerly SEACOR SMIT) and GATX Corporation. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Council of American Ambassadors. Ambassador Marc Charles Ginsberg - President Ambassador Marc Ginsberg serves as President of Layalina Productions, Inc. He is also CEO and Managing Director of Northstar Equity Group, an affiliate of APCO Worldwide, a global corporate public affairs and communication firm. From 1978-1981 Ambassador Ginsberg served as Deputy Senior Advisor to President Carter for Middle East Policy at the White House and from 1994 to 1998, Ambassador Ginsberg served as U.S. Ambassador to Morocco. He also served as the U.S. Coordinator for Mediterranean Trade, Investment and Security Affairs from 1998-1999. Prior to his public service, Ambassador Ginsberg practiced international commercial and corporate law in the Middle East. He holds a B.A. cum laude from American University, and an M.B.A. (candidate) and a J.D. from Georgetown University. Mr. Ginsberg speaks Arabic, French, and Hebrew fluently. He serves on the Board of Directors of Xybernaut and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Leon Shahabian - Vice President & Corporate Treasurer Leon serves as Vice President & Treasurer of Layalina Productions, positions he has held since November 2003. He is the executive producer of both seasons of the hit reality series On the Road in America, as well as the producer and Executive Producer of Life After Death, an award-winning documentary about families affected by Al-Qaeda terrorism. Leon also executive produced Layalina’s discussion show Araeh (Opinions). Additionally, Mr. Shahabian serves as Senior Editor of The Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media, The Chronicle and Perspectives. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Politics and French Language and Literature, Leon is fluent in Armenian, Arabic, and French. He is a member of the Public Diplomacy Council and joined Layalina as a founding staff member in March 2002. Luke Stets - Outreach Director & Corporate Secretary Luke has more than ten years experience working in international media, news, and online media; managing national, international and grassroots projects for non-profit associations and private industry. Luke is the Executive Producer for Layalina's Al-Sa'at (The Hour), the first international co-production with Al-Arabiya news channel. Prior to joining Layalina, Luke worked with Industry Entertainment in Hollywood and as Chief Project Manager for the Empower Network, the first-ever real-time production management system for the major motion picture industry. Luke has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film from New York University with a minor in Journalism. He is fluent in French and has a working knowledge of German and Portuguese. Anne Hagood - Managing Editor Anne is the Managing Editor of Layalina’s publications: The Layalina Review, The Chronicle, and founder and managing editor of Perspectives. Anne also leads much of Layalina’s outreach efforts. Over the last several years, Anne has gained considerable experience with Middle East issues through her counter-terrorism research at West Point and at the Nixon Center. Previously, she worked for a number of NGOs in programs related to international human rights and women’s rights. A native of France, Anne has a Master’s degree in International Relations from Haute Ecole de Bruxelles, Brussels, and earned her undergraduate degree from Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland. She has lived and traveled extensively throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America, and speaks French, English, German, Arabic and Spanish. Mirna Oud - Assistant Managing Director Mirna is the Assistant Managing Director of Layalina Productions. She has a Master's degree in Organizational Behavior from City University in London. Her thesis examined how high job demands coupled with adaptive / maladaptive perfectionist tendencies and coping skills could lead to employee burnout and hamper their performance. Prior to her current position, Mirna worked as an elementary school teacher in Abu Dhabi for two years. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from American University of Beirut. A native of Lebanon, Mirna is fluent in Arabic and English, with a working knowledge of French. Phyllis L. Chesley - Executive Assistant Phyllis is the Executive Assistant to Layalina's Founder & Chairman Ambassador Richard Fairbanks. She coordinates the daily activities of the Chairman's office and provides administrative support to Layalina's Board and staff members. Beginning in 1998, Phyllis worked with Medstar Physician Partners, first as Assistant Director of Physician Billing Services and later as Director of the same department. Prior to joining Layalina, Phyllis coordinated outpatient operations as the Clinic Administrator for the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Hospital. Early in her career, Phyllis managed various medical practices throughout the Washington, DC area. Phyllis is a graduate of Morgan State University and has more than twenty years of healthcare administration experience.

Layalina Productions, Inc. was inaugurated in March 2002 as a §501(c)(3) non-profit, private sector corporation. Layalina develops and produces informative and entertaining Arabic and English language programming for licensing to satellite and cable television networks throughout the Arab Middle East and North Africa.

Layalina's programming consists of debate, drama, entertainment, and educational shows that forthrightly address the most controversial issues affecting U.S.-Arab relations. Produced in the United States and throughout the Arab world, our shows air in primetime on pan-Arab free-to-air satellite television networks. Layalina's programming reaches a target audience of tens of millions of viewers.

We recruit top talent from the U.S. and the Arab world. Our Academy® and Emmy® award-winning writers, producers, and directors work alongside Arab and American television broadcasters and industry leaders to ensure that our shows are culturally appropriate.

Layalina's efforts represent the first private sector initiative to establish new lines of communication and dialogue with citizens and key opinion leaders throughout the Arab world.

Layalina is funded solely through tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations, and through grants by foundations based in the U.S. and the Arab world. To request a copy of our 990, please visit guidestar.com or email us.

Board of Counselors

President George H.W. Bush
Honorary Chairman of the Board

Tarek Abdel-Meguid
David M. Abshire
Richard V. Allen
George L. Argyros
James A. Baker, III
Samuel R. Berger
Wayne L. Berman
Reginald K. Brack
Zbigniew Brzezinski
John E. Chapoton
Walter L. Cutler
Lawrence S. Eagleburger
Richard Fairbanks
A.H. Farouki
Marc Charles Ginsberg
Lee H. Hamilton
Carla A. Hills
Henry A. Kissinger
Tom Korologos
Maura B. Morey
Sam Nunn
Paul A. Russo
Alejandro Santo Domingo
James Schlesinger
Brent Scowcroft
George P. Shultz
Damaris Skouras
Jeffrey H. Smulyan
Carl Spielvogel
Robert S. Strauss
John C. Whitehead
Frederick B. Whittemore
Daniel Yergin
Ezra K. Zilkha

Team Layalina

Richard Fairbanks
Chairman of the Board

Marc Charles Ginsberg
President

Leon Shahabian
Vice President & Corporate Treasurer

Luke Stets
Outreach Director & Corporate Secretary

Anne Hagood
Managing Editor

Mirna Oud
Assistant Managing Director

Phyllis Chesley
Executive Assistant

Legal Counsel

Corporate Legal Counsel is provided, pro-bono, by the firm of Covington & Burling:

Michael Cutler, Esq.
Corporate Law

Kevin Shortill, Esq.
Tax Law

Goals

Address the negative stereotypes about the United States by providing Arabic-speaking television viewers with programming that is honest, positive, and entertaining.
Promote understanding between the Arabic-speaking world and the United States.
Provide a forum for the people of the Arab world to constructively air their concerns and opinions.
Set, through example, a more professional standard for Arab television by producing and airing a polished product based on the highest international journalistic standards and the best of Hollywood creativity.

Board of Directors

Ambassador George L. Argyros - Director

Ambassador George Argyros is Chairman and CEO of Arnel & Affiliates, a diversified investment company based in California and General Partner of Westar Capital, a private investment company. Ambassador Argyros is a retired U.S. ambassador to Spain, and a former member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations for the U.S. Trade Representative. He has also served as a board member of FreddieMac. Ambassador Argyros is on the Board of Directors for First American Corporation (NYSE); DST Systems, Inc. (NYSE); Doskocil Manufacturing Company; and Igloo Products Corp. He is an International Counselor and Trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC; Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Beckman Foundation; Board Member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Board of Visitors Member of MD Anderson Cancer Center; Member of the Library of Congress Open World Leadership Board; and Founding Chairman of the Nixon Center. Ambassador Argyros is a 1993 recipient of the Horatio Alger Award of Distinguished Americans. He served as President and CEO of the Washington, DC-based Horatio Alger Association and currently serves as Treasurer and Chairman Emeritus. In the 1980s, Argyros was co-owner of AirCal and owner of the Seattle Mariners Baseball Club of the American League. Ambassador Argyros holds degrees in business and economics, as well as an honorary Doctor of Human Letters Degree from Chapman University and an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Pepperdine University. He is on the Board of Trustees for Chapman University and the California Institute of Technology.

The Honorable John E. Chapoton - Director

John E. Chapoton has been a partner of Brown Advisory, an investment firm based in Baltimore, MD, since 2001. Mr. Chapoton is in charge of the Washington, DC office of the firm. Prior to 2001, he was the managing partner of the Washington office of the Vinson & Elkins law firm. From 1981 to 1984, during the first term of President Reagan, Mr. Chapoton served as Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy of the U.S. Treasury Department. In that position he served as the Administration's principal spokesman before the Congressional tax-writing committees. During his tenure, three significant tax acts were passed: the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981; the Tax Equity & Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982; and the Deficit Recovery Act of 1984. Until his departure from the Treasury Department in August 1984, Mr. Chapoton chaired the task force that developed the initial tax proposals that later became the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Mr. Chapoton graduated with honors from the University of Texas and the University of Texas Law School. A frequent speaker on the subjects of federal taxation and fiscal policy and the political climate for tax legislative initiatives, he is a member of the American Law Institute, the American Bar Association's Tax Section (former Vice Chair) and a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel (former Regent). In addition to Layalina, Mr. Chapoton serves on the Boards of Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE) and StanCorp Financial (NYSE).

Ambassador Richard Fairbanks - Director

Ambassador Richard Fairbanks is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Layalina Productions, Inc. He is also a Counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he was previously President and CEO. During the Reagan Administration, Ambassador Fairbanks served as Assistant Secretary of State, Special Negotiator for the Middle East Peace Process, and Ambassador-at-Large. He was also Associate Director of the White House Domestic Counsel for Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources under President Nixon. Ambassador Fairbanks was a founding partner of Ruckleshaus, Beveridge, Fairbanks & Diamond (now Beveridge and Diamond, P.C.) A former Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, he is currently a Visiting Professor at the University of Miami (Florida). He received his A.B. from Yale University and his J.D. magna cum laude from Columbia University School of Law. Ambassador Fairbanks serves on the Board of Directors of SEACOR Holdings, Inc. (Formerly SEACOR SMIT) and GATX Corporation. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Council of American Ambassadors.

Ambassador Marc Charles Ginsberg - Director

Ambassador Marc Ginsberg serves as President of Layalina Productions, Inc. He is also CEO and Managing Director of Northstar Equity Group, an affiliate of APCO Worldwide, a global corporate public affairs and communication firm. From 1978-1981 Ambassador Ginsberg served as Deputy Senior Advisor to President Carter for Middle East Policy at the White House and from 1994 to 1998, Ambassador Ginsberg served as U.S. Ambassador to Morocco. He also served as the U.S. Coordinator for Mediterranean Trade, Investment and Security Affairs from 1998-1999. Prior to his public service, Ambassador Ginsberg practiced international commercial and corporate law in the Middle East. He holds a B.A. cum laude from American University, and an M.B.A. (candidate) and a J.D. from Georgetown University. Mr. Ginsberg speaks Arabic, French, and Hebrew fluently. He serves on the Board of Directors of Xybernaut and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ambassador Tom Korologos - Director

Tom Korologos served as United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium from July 2004 through February 2007. From May to December, 2003, Ambassador Korologos was Senior Counselor to Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, Administrator, Office of Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Baghdad and in the Defense Department, Washington, DC. He was also responsible for all CPA Congressional affairs including a key role in the passage of the President’s Iraq reconstruction supplemental budget request. Prior to going to Baghdad, from 1975 to 2003, Ambassador Korologos served as Chairman of the Executive Committee and was co-founder of Timmons and Company, a Washington consulting firm. He served in the Nixon and Ford Administrations as Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs (Senate). He also served nine years under Senator Wallace F. Bennett (R-UT). In 1980-1981 Ambassador Korologos served as Director of Congressional Relations for President Ronald Reagan's transition and served both the Reagan and Bush Administrations as a volunteer assisting in various Senate confirmations. He also was Director of Congressional Relations for the National Bipartisan (Kissinger) Commission on Central America. Ambassador Korologos has traveled extensively overseas as a member and Chairman of the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, and from 1995 to 2002 as a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which has jurisdiction over all non-military US Government radio and TV broadcasting overseas. Earlier in his career, Ambassador Korologos was a journalist with The New York Herald Tribune, The Long Island Press, The Salt Lake Tribune and the Associated Press. Ambassador Korologos has attended every Republican National Convention since 1972, serving several times as Director of Official Proceedings. He was a senior advisor to Senator Dole during his 1996 Presidential bid. In 2001, he served in the Bush-Cheney transition and managed the confirmation of Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense as well as other nominees appointed by President Bush. Ambassador Korologos earned his B.A. at the University of Utah and his M.S. at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he received the Grantland Rice Fellowship and a Pulitzer Fellowship. He was born in 1933 in Salt Lake City, Utah and is married to Ann McLaughlin Korologos, former Secretary of Labor.

Ambassador Paul Russo - Director

Ambassador Paul Russo is currently President of Paul Russo & Associates, a Washington, DC firm specializing in international trade and government relations. Mr. Russo was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean in 1986. Prior to assuming that position, he was the President of Capitol Consultants, Inc., a Washington, DC consulting firm specializing in government relations and international trade. Ambassador Russo began his services in the Reagan Administration as Special Assistant to the President for Political Affairs at the White House from 1981-1983, and he then became Deputy Under Secretary of Labor. Mr. Russo served in the 1976, 1980 and 1984 Presidential campaign efforts of Ronald Reagan. In 1978, he founded and was named Executive Director and Treasurer of Campaign America, a political action committee chaired by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole. Mr. Russo also served as Special Assistant to California's governor, Ronald Reagan, from 1973-1975. Since 1991, Ambassador Russo has been a faculty member of Georgetown University's School for Continuing Education, teaching a course on the modern U.S. Presidency. A native of Ohio, Mr. Russo holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio State University, with additional studies at Case-Western Reserve University and Georgetown University. Mr. Russo is a member of the Board of Directors of the Council of American Ambassadors and also serves on the Advisory Board of the Eastern International Academy, a private training facility in Amman, Jordan that specializes in training security forces for the Government in Iraq. Active in civic affairs, Ambassador Russo has served on the boards of a number of national organizations and federal advisory councils, including the National Easter Seal Society, the President's National Commission for Employment Policy, and the Federal Advisory Council on Unemployment Insurance.

Mr. Frederick B. Whittemore - Director

Advisory Director at Morgan Stanley and Company in New York, Frederick B. Whittemore has been with the firm for 35 years, becoming a partner in 1967, Managing Director since the firm's incorporation in 1970, and Advisory Director since January 1989. He has served as Governor and Vice Chairman of the American Stock Exchange, International President of the Pacific Basin Economic Corporation (PBEC), and Chairman of the U.S. National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation. Mr. Whittemore is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Director of Southern Pacific Petroleum, Former Director of the Dome Petroleum and Key Pharmaceutical Corporation, and a member of the American Australian Association, Chesapeake, and KOS Pharmaceuticals. He serves on a number of noncorporate boards, including that of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Aspen Institute, and the Whittemore Business School of the University of New Hampshire. Mr. Whittemore was formerly Chairman of the Board of the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, serves as Chairman of the American Australian Educational Studies, and is Director of the British American Educational Foundation.

Team Layalina

Ambassador Richard Fairbanks - Chairman of the Board

Ambassador Marc Charles Ginsberg - President

Leon Shahabian - Vice President & Corporate Treasurer

Leon serves as Vice President & Treasurer of Layalina Productions, positions he has held since November 2003. He is the executive producer of both seasons of the hit reality series On the Road in America, as well as the producer and Executive Producer of Life After Death, an award-winning documentary about families affected by Al-Qaeda terrorism. Leon also executive produced Layalina’s discussion show Araeh (Opinions). Additionally, Mr. Shahabian serves as Senior Editor of The Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media, The Chronicle and Perspectives. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Politics and French Language and Literature, Leon is fluent in Armenian, Arabic, and French. He is a member of the Public Diplomacy Council and joined Layalina as a founding staff member in March 2002.

Luke Stets - Outreach Director & Corporate Secretary

Luke has more than ten years experience working in international media, news, and online media; managing national, international and grassroots projects for non-profit associations and private industry. Luke is the Executive Producer for Layalina's Al-Sa'at (The Hour), the first international co-production with Al-Arabiya news channel. Prior to joining Layalina, Luke worked with Industry Entertainment in Hollywood and as Chief Project Manager for the Empower Network, the first-ever real-time production management system for the major motion picture industry. Luke has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film from New York University with a minor in Journalism. He is fluent in French and has a working knowledge of German and Portuguese.

Anne Hagood - Managing Editor

Anne is the Managing Editor of Layalina’s publications: The Layalina Review, The Chronicle, and founder and managing editor of Perspectives. Anne also leads much of Layalina’s outreach efforts. Over the last several years, Anne has gained considerable experience with Middle East issues through her counter-terrorism research at West Point and at the Nixon Center. Previously, she worked for a number of NGOs in programs related to international human rights and women’s rights. A native of France, Anne has a Master’s degree in International Relations from Haute Ecole de Bruxelles, Brussels, and earned her undergraduate degree from Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland. She has lived and traveled extensively throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America, and speaks French, English, German, Arabic and Spanish.

Mirna Oud - Assistant Managing Director

Mirna is the Assistant Managing Director of Layalina Productions. She has a Master's degree in Organizational Behavior from City University in London. Her thesis examined how high job demands coupled with adaptive / maladaptive perfectionist tendencies and coping skills could lead to employee burnout and hamper their performance. Prior to her current position, Mirna worked as an elementary school teacher in Abu Dhabi for two years. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from American University of Beirut. A native of Lebanon, Mirna is fluent in Arabic and English, with a working knowledge of French.

Phyllis L. Chesley - Executive Assistant

Phyllis is the Executive Assistant to Layalina's Founder & Chairman Ambassador Richard Fairbanks. She coordinates the daily activities of the Chairman's office and provides administrative support to Layalina's Board and staff members. Beginning in 1998, Phyllis worked with Medstar Physician Partners, first as Assistant Director of Physician Billing Services and later as Director of the same department. Prior to joining Layalina, Phyllis coordinated outpatient operations as the Clinic Administrator for the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Hospital. Early in her career, Phyllis managed various medical practices throughout the Washington, DC area. Phyllis is a graduate of Morgan State University and has more than twenty years of healthcare administration experience.