MPSN Board Members 2023 / 2024
Reema Samara
President
Reema is a Palestinian American who was born and raised in the Midwest part of the U.S. Like a true midwest girl she enjoys the outdoors and you can often find her biking, hiking, or camping with her husband and four children.
She left behind a career in politics and communications to move to the UAE with her family in 2016 and has been with MPSN since its inception, having previously served as New Members Director. She now serves as its President.
Reema spends her time volunteering and serving on multiple boards and committee groups that strive to help the community around them.
058 283 3269
Mahwish Hamid
Vice President
Mahwish is a Pakistani American who migrated with her husband and children from San Francisco, California and has been living in Abu Dhabi since 2014.
She has a degree in Electrical Engineering and has worked for over 14 years at Genentech/Roche as a Unix/Linux system Administrator in the research department. In her free time she loves combat training , traveling and baking.
Mahwish joins the MPSN board this year as the VP and is here to support MPSN in achieving its mission.
123-456-7890
Ryan Ames
Executive Director
Ryan resides in Abu Dhabi with his wonderful wife and two beautiful children. He and his family became part of the CCAD community in 2017 after relocating from Columbus, Ohio. He currently serves as MPSN's Executive Director.
With a background in Industrial Engineering and experience across a multitude of industries, Ryan founded LeanEx Consulting here in Abu Dhabi with the mission to establish Lean Healthcare Enterprises, aiming to continuously improve business efficiency and deliver maximum value to patients.
Through his strong commitment to excellence, Ryan strives to make a positive impact in both his personal and professional life.
052 566 8652
Michelle Ahmed
New Members Director
Michelle began her journey as an expat in the Philippines and later accompanied her husband, Naveed (DDI) on relocations from NYC to Cleveland, OH, to Jackson, MS, and finally to the here in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
She has two children: a 17-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy. Michelle has a fondness for forging new friendships and connections with families, and she takes pleasure in being helpful. In her previous career, she worked as a Physical Therapist / Pathokinesiologist.
052 989 0236
Neelum Patel
Activities Director
Neelum moved from Toronto, Canada with her husband and 3 daughters in July 2023.
Previously, Neelum has worked as a Pharmacist, as a Consultant in a Medical Device company and also a visiting Scientist in elementary schools. She has always volunteered on Parent Councils and Community Leadership Boards to bring communities together.
With no family or friends in the area, the MPSN community was instrumental in making her transition to a new country a smooth one. This inspired her to join so that she can give back to new members and help them feel settled as well.
As Activities Director, Neelum is excited to explore all Abu Dhabi has to offer. She is always willing to try new things and enjoys planning any event you want to see or do - likely it's on her bucket list too!
052 125 7893
Kevin Kowlessar
Communications
As a retired pilot, Kevin has been blessed to be able to take his beloved wife to wonderful holiday hotspots such as......Basra.
Originally from London, he’s been living in the region for 12 years. Prior to this he enjoyed stints living in Tanzania, Caribbean and US.
His Interests include politics, history , learning languages , saxophone, music : jazz , classical and world , furniture design, cooking, and cycling.
056 973 8327
Sumiah Aduib
Advisor
Sumiah is a Libyan American who migrated from Los Angeles, California and has been living in Abu Dhabi for seven years with her husband and three kids. She has a degree in Print Journalism and currently enjoys working as a Personal Stylist and Personal Shopper in the UAE. She enjoys spending her free time working on her book of short stories as well as working out and horseback riding.
Sumiah is an advisor to the MPSN Board has been involved with MPSN for 5 years and enjoys contributing positively to the CCAD community. She believes that a sense of belonging is key to feeling ‘at home’.
056 890 7117
Cristina Guzman
Advisor
Cristina was born and raised in Argentina and moved to Abu Dhabi with her husband in 2017 after living many years in the US. Following a career in Pharmacy, she re-discovered her love for literature and worked in academia for ten years before coming to the UAE. She finds fulfillment in exploring the Emirates and its surrounding regions and culture, volunteering as the Explorers Chair of the American Women’s Network (AWN) in Abu Dhabi, and working remotely as a professional medical and legal translator. Cristina is passionate about learning and her main interests include history, linguistics, and psychology.
She is honored to serve as an Advisor to the MPSN Board, serving as the liaison between CCAD leadership and MPSN Board while striving to make CCAD families feel connected to their CCAD community. Cristina and her husband have two grown children who live in the US.
