IAWF NorCal Hosts Successful "Preschool to PhDs" Event

August 2016 Newsletter

Issue II

IAWF Women's Leadership Conference Returns to Orange County

The Iranian American Women Foundation is excited to return to Orange County for the 11th Women's Leadership Conference! The Conference will take place on October 30th, 2016 at Hotel Irvine and will include influential speakers, an exhibit hall and many networking opportunities. The conference will also feature an array of diverse and empowering stories and various opportunities to connect with fellow members of the IAWF community. If you are interested in becoming a Conference exhibitor or sponsor, contact [email protected]. Find the full schedule here. We look forward to seeing you at this event!

Preschool to PhDs Event Brings Together Iranian American Women in the Field of Education

On Sunday August 21, the Northern California Chapter of IAWF successfully hosted, "Preschool to PhDs: The Future of Education," a multidisciplinary panel event and book signing with some of the Bay Area's most celebrated educators. More than 120 people were in attendance, including local university and high school students, men and women with an interest in education. The panel focused on emerging trends in education, child and youth development, mentorship, and the importance of educational systems that place primacy on developing compassionate students through empathy-based education. Held at Berkeley's beautiful David Brower Center, the event was a testament to the NorCal Chapter's community-building and thoughtful curation of leaders on diverse panels, across critical topics. The panel was moderated by Anita Amirrezvani, and featured panelists Persis Karim, Yalda Modabber, Ana Homayoun, and Mana Kharrazi, who each spoke about the current successes and challenges in the education sector, their experience as educators and mentors, and gave words of advice for the next generation. Attendees gathered for a book signing at the end of the Q&A portion of the panel discussion, where they had the opportunity to meet the speakers, ask questions, network, and sign up for IAWF's new Mentorship Program. Special thanks to IAWF NorCal chapter members, volunteers and community members for supporting IAWF's mission and vision to inspire, empower, connect.

Chapter Member Spotlights


Sara Jazayeri New York Sara Jazayeri is an IAWF member and a part of the New York planning committee. Shaped by years of globetrotting and passion for her practice, Ms. Jazayeri is an award- winning Licensed Architect and Certified Interior Designer with 20 years of experience in firms both in Europe and the United States. As a young adult, Sara sought out every opportunity to refine and apply her aesthetic sensibilities by apprenticing at a number of France's most prominent design firms. Upon graduation from the Sorbonne, Sara obtained a Masters Degree in Architecture from École Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Paris Lavillette. Sara's unquenchable curiosity has led to her continual participation in architectural and interior design programs, most recently the Leadership Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. As Head Designer at Studio 360, Sara has spent the last decade spearheading high profile residential and commercial projects throughout the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. Visit Sara's IAWF profile here.	Nahal Iravani-Sani Northern California IAWF would like to express its deepest gratitude to Nahal Iravani-Sani, Deputy District Attorney in Santa Clara County and a mentor in IAWF's Mentorship Program. She has been a criminal prosecutor with the office since 1995, having been the sole lead trial attorney on a variety of felonies through all levels of the criminal justice system. She is currently assigned to the Sexual Assault Unit where she prosecutes rape, child molestation, human trafficking cases, and sex offenders for failing to register pursuant to Meagan's Law. She has served in leadership positions on key non-profit and professional community organizations, including the boards of Pars Equality Center, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans and the Iranian American Bar Association, including serving as its President from 2011-2012. Nahal has been recognized by the San Francisco Minority Bar Coalition with a Unity Award for her work in promoting the cause of diversity in the legal profession. V isit Nahal's IAWF profile here.	Aggie Afarinesh Southern California We would like to congratulate one of our dedicated committee members and OC conference speakers, Aggie Afarinesh, on her new position. Aggie has more than 12 years of human resources experience and currently serves as the Manager of Human Resources at Metrolink in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Metrolink, she served as the Recruitment Manager for the City of Irvine and also worked as an Executive Recruiter with Alliance Resource Consulting. She also serves as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Southern California, teaching professional development and career advancement to graduating students. She has extensive experience interviewing candidates from executive to entry levels and has a passion for helping people maximize their career potential. Aggie also served as the Vice President of the Municipal Management Association of Southern California for two consecutive years and was recently awarded the J. Michael Summit Award for her contribution to the organization. Visit Aggie's IAWF profile here.

Circle of 1,000 Featured Member: Halé Behzadi

Halé Behzadi is a managing director and region head for Citi Private Bank, Southern California and Arizona. She is responsible for managing the Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Orange County and Phoenix offices. Halé serves on Citi's California Leadership Team and is a member of the Citi California Market Strategy Steering Committee. Prior to her role as region head, Halé served as the Western Region Global Market Manager directly managing the Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Orange County and Phoenix offices as well as overseeing the management of the Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Denver and Houston offices. Prior to joining Citigroup in 2002, Halé enjoyed a long and distinguished career with Bank of America, where she was a senior vice president directing a team of private bankers in Beverly Hills. In 2003, she opened a new office for Citi Private Bank in Beverly Hills. Halé is a graduate of Georgetown University with a BA in economics. Throughout her career in financial services, she has played an active role in numerous charitable organizations that provide social services, education and health care in the local community. Currently, Halé is a Trustee of the board of directors of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce and Viewpoint School. She also serves on the development committee of Camp Max Straus, a nondenominational summer camp for children in inner cities. V isit Halé's IAWF profile here.