We are proud to present our brand new Advisory Board. Read on to learn about what each of our amazing Advisory Board members are doing in our community!

Iraj Khademi
Iraj Khademi is a poet, writer, researcher, retired attorney, and founder and director of the Persian Poetry and Music Workshop of Seattle. He is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the University of Washington’s Department of Persian and Iranian Studies, and a contributor of articles in such publications as Encyclopedia Iranica, Rahavard journal, Payam and Pajouheshnameh. He has also authored a number of academic theses, two collections of poetry, and a few yet to be published books.

Shahrzad Shams
Shahrzad Shams is a Lecturer of Persian Language and Literature at the University of Washington, and also teaches Persian at the City University of Seattle. She received her Masters Degree in Linguistics from California State University-Fullerton. She is also the Liaison between UW and the Iranian-American community. Shahrzad serves on the advisory council of Associates in Cultural Exchange, and is also an active member of ACTFL (American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages) and AATP (American Association of Teachers of Persian).

Mandana Afrassiabi
Mandana Afrassiabi moved from Iran in 1990 with a background in English Literature and Translation. She graduated from Eastern Washington University in 1996 from the Dental Hygiene Program with a Bachelor of Science degree. She believes that before expecting much from our community, we need to give our best to it. For this reason, since 1999, along with her husband and family, she has been supporting Persian culture and education through the “Afrassiabi Endowment” for the Department of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington. An annual lecture on Iranian literature, history and culture open to the public, and many scholarships have been awarded through this Endowment to students.

Mandana has been inspired by IACA since the 2008 Iranian Festival at Seattle Center, and by the great sense of unity, community and diversity that IACA has evoked. She started by motivating children and families to get involved in annual Iranian Festivals, and she promoted persian culture by organizing classes for children and youth. Mandana has been a strong supporter and advocate of IACA since its inception and she has been involved with many Nowruz celebrations, community ventures and fundraising events.

Shabnam Entezar
Shabnam Entezar is privileged and honored to serve as a Member of IACA’s Advisory Board. She is an architectural designer and a linguist fluent in five languages. In 2007, she moved to Washington from California with her family and got involved with IACA’s Iranian Festival. She admires IACA’s excellent performance in introducing and presenting Iran’s rich culture, art, and music through its annual festival. Through organizing children & youth performances, cultural plays and fashion shows, she has been trying to engage younger members of the Iranian American community in this beautiful Festival of love and raise their awareness of their ancestral culture. Shabnam is the founder and president of kAnoon Seattle, an institution for languages, music, and the arts.

Gazalle Zatolyan
Gazalle Zatolyan received her Master’s in Education with Endorsements in reading, special education and language arts, and is currently a High School Special Education teacher in Renton. Gazalle fell in love with IACA during the 2008 Festival Fundraiser when she saw all the positive energy and the Iranian American community coming together. Being involved with the IACA as a member of the Board of Directors was an amazing experience and has provided her with an appreciation and a sense of pride in her Iranian American identity that she never fully had. Gazalle is extremely excited to return as an Advisory Board Member and to be a positive part of this community, especially in the eyes of the children who are extremely impressionable and are constantly seeking for a sense of identity.

The Iranian American Community Alliance is sad to see one of our Board Members, Gazalle Zatolyan, leave to move on to bigger things in life. However, we are also extremely excited to start 2013 with Ghazal Torres, the newest person to join the Board of Directors!

You can check out her bio here: http://iaca-seattle.org/about/ghazal-torres/