Board of Directors

Faisal Saleh

Faisal was born in 1951 in El-Bireh (Ramallah, West Bank) to a Palestinian refugee family with 10 children.  Originally from the village of Salamah (Jaffa), the family was displaced in the aftermath of the 1948 Nakbah. Faisal grew up in the West Bank and attended public schools through 11th grade when he came to the US to pursue further education. He received a scholarship to complete his senior high school year at George School (Newtown, PA). Faisal later attended Oberlin College and received an MBA from the University of CT.

Faisal’s professional field is employee benefits. He began his career working at the Travelers Insurance Co. and held other related positions in the service and corporate employee benefits industry. In 1979 he began publishing a magazine on employee benefits serving as editor and publisher for 13 years. In 1985, Faisal started a software company (BeneSoft, Inc.) to develop benefits administration systems for use by corporate clients. In 1998 the software company morphed into a benefits administration outsourcing firm (Aliquant Corp.) In 2010 Aliquant, which at the time served 85 major employers and employed 200 professionals, was acquired by the global HR consulting firm Willis Towers Watson. Since then, Faisal has been a half owner of the Washington DC boutique consulting firm Hager Strategic which advises major corporations on benefits and HR outsourcing strategies and vendor management. More recently Faisal has reitired from the employee benefits practice effective March 31, 2023, to focus on leading the Palestine Museum US.

In addition to the HR field, Faisal is currently involved with businesses in real estate, Aviation, and more recently in a medical hi-tech startup, Plasmotica, that is dedicated to developing portable diagnostic devices based on advanced fluidics technology.

 Read a full profile of Faisal Saleh here.

Amal Irshaid

Amal Irshaid was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents from Jenin (father) and Haifa (mother) who witnessed the 1948 displacement of Palestinians from their homeland. Amal came to the US in 1981 to pursue higher education. She received a BSc in Civil Engineering and a Master of Civil Engineering from North Caroline State University.

Amal worked in Transportation Design in Florida before moving to Connecticut in 2000. Her commitment to high quality education for children had her switch paths to join academic support services in the school system.

Although not formally trained in the arts, Amal grew up immersed in the artistic practice of her beloved late uncle, renowned sculptor and painter Mohammad Bushnaq, who shaped and guided her passion for the transformational power of the arts.

Amal has been an active volunteer in Palestine Museum US since its launch in 2018 and wholeheartedly believes in its mission to tell the Palestinian story through all creative practices – from visual art and photography, to poetry and film. She believes that art has the power to open hearts and change perspectives, and is honored to be a part of the museum’s vision for the future.

Khaled Abusitteh

My name is Khaled Mohammad Abusitteh. My father was born in Beer El-Sabe’ and my mother in Jaffa. I was born in Kuwait but I have been living in the United States since 1979 and have been residing in CT since 1997.

I am a professional engineer licensed in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. I work for private consultants doing business with Departments of Transportations. I have served in the roles of Construction Manager, Resident Engineer and Chief Inspector on many Bridge and Highway projects in CT and NY.

My goal in life was similar to my father’s goal which is to provide the best education to his six children. Ultimately, I lived up to my goal having all my six children earn college degrees, and pursue professional careers with major U.S. firms.

My biggest achievement was resolving conflicts on a high profile job which five others failed to do. I was able to resolve two years of outstanding issues and bring the project to a close satisfactory to all stakeholders. My biggest personal achievement has been maintaining a happy marriage for over 35 years while enjoying the upbringing of my children.

I was gifted with athletic abilities in the sport of soccer. I was elected to the Jordanian national team when I was 14. I continued to play soccer until five years ago, at the age of 56. My children followed suit and my son was elected to the Connecticut High School All- Star team.

My family has deep-rooted in work for Palestinian causes. My two uncles Hamid Abusitteh and Dr. Salman Abusitta have placed our family’s name at the top of the Palestinian national honor list. I have participated in assisting the U.S. Museum when needed. I plan to continue to help the Museum achieve its mission.

I am guided by the ethics instilled in me by my parents. My father was the first surgeon in Jordan and he believed in upholding values and ethics above everything else. I am proud of my heritage and will strive to add value to all that I do.