Omar Fattal, MD, Vice President

Dr. Fattal is a 1999 graduate of the American University of Beirut (AUB) Medical School. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from AUB. He completed his residency in Psychiatry at the Cleveland Clinic in 2005. Dr. Fattal is currently the Deputy Medical Director at the Office of Behavioral Health at NYC Health and Hospitals. He is also a Clinical Associate Professor in the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

Dr. Fattal has published several articles and book chapters. He is currently a member of the editorial board of the LGBT Health journal. He has also given several talks to medical students, residents, staff physicians, hospital staff, and the general public. He has focused his academic interest on cross-cultural psychiatry and cultural competence in healthcare. He worked closely with the Office of Diversity at the Cleveland Clinic on several initiatives to increase awareness regarding diversity concerns in health care. He served as the co-chair of the LGBT Employee Resource Group for the Cleveland Clinic. He is also a member of the LGBT advisory council at Bellevue Hospital.

Dr. Fattal was the fundraising officer and a member of Helem, a Lebanese LGBT rights organization from 2004 until 2008. He is also a member of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA). He is a founder and past president of the Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH).

Richard Desroche, treasurer

Richard Desroche is an art professional who owned and directed a highly successful contemporary art gallery in New York City for over 25 years. He and his partners discovered, nurtured and helped establish the careers of dozens of artists, many of whom are now prominent on the international art scene. Among others his gallery hosted the first exhibition in the United States of the first female modernist in Lebanon, Saloua Raouda Choucair.

Richard brings to Friends of LebMASH years of experience raising money for needy organizations in New York. He has helped raise millions of dollars for Good Shepherd Services of New York which provides essential care to over 30,000 at-risk children, teens and young adults.

He is an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ community and is particularly interested in helping promote awareness of health issues for the community both at home and abroad. Richard holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in political science, art history and education from Boston University. He has lived and worked in New York City for over 40 years.

Nayla Hadchiti, PRESIDENT

Nayla Hadchiti is a New York-based Art Advisor, Creative Director and Philanthropist. With a background in Advertising and Contemporary Art, she has been a Patron of the Arts and a strong supporter of Middle East initiatives. Behind the scenes, she supports artists and art professionals in their career growth. She is a board member of the Saloua Raouda Choucair Foundation opening in 2020 in Lebanon. Nayla served as the consultant to bring in international visitors and sat on the fund-raising committee of the Marrakech Bienniale 6th edition, a non for profit art exhibition in Marrakech, Morocco. Among the causes she has works tirelessly to promote is Social and Economic Action for Lebanon (SEAL) where she served on the board and acted as the creative director and art auction curator for their annual benefits, as well as a contributor to the vision and future of the organization. She holds Bachelor's degrees in Business Administration and Advertising from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon and The New School, Parsons, New York respectively and a Master's degree in Contemporary Art from Sotheby's Institute of Art in NYC.

CARLA CHAMMAS, BOARD MEMBER

Carla was born in Beirut Lebanon. She attended University in the United States and later became a US Citizen after living and working in New York City for several years.

Carla has academic degrees in Art History and Political Science, attended Sotheby’s Art Course in London, and has been working in the Contemporary Art World since the Eighties. She owned and operated an art gallery in New York City for over 27 years and helped nourish the careers of artists from the States, the Middle East, South America and Europe.

Carla was one of the founders of Ashkal Alwan, The Lebanese Association for Plastic Arts, a non-profit organization based in Beirut, Lebanon. Carla supports and promotes many contemporary Lebanese artists and is actively involved in various social, cultural, and charitable foundations. She currently curates art shows and works as a consultant in the contemporary art field.