Board of Directors

The business of this organization is managed by a board of directors consisting of 4-7 members, together with the founding officers of this organization. Elected and founding board members shall serve for any amount of time deemed interested unless a member has engaged in misconduct or is in violation of the laws that constitute. The executive director shall hire and fix the compensation of any and all employees which they in their discretion may determine to be necessary in the conduct of the business of the organization.

Samira Sharif~ Founder • Chief Executive Officer

Samira Sharif is an early childhood educator and a philosopher in the child development field. Ms. Sharif holds the title of Director and is an activist and leader in the field of education and development for sustainability. Samira has extensive training in environmental education and policies, agriculture, gardening, and sustainable architecture and design. Raised in Tehran by her Mexican/American mother and Iranian father, Samira’s foray into Child Development (ECE) began in the year of 2003. After working as a lead art instructor at a Montessori school, although she was fascinated by the "practical life" components of this philosophy, she felt the need to expand her professional development and growth by tapping into other successful models and holistic theories such as Dewey, Gardener’s Multiple Intelligence and Rudolf Steiner's Waldorf Method.

In the year 2007, after a decade of working in the education field under institutionalized school philosophies, their setting(s) and the strict academic programs enforced on the children, she left teaching in pursuit of developing a new philosophy in the field of education and chid development and it’s theories. Samira has worked within many diverse preschool settings in Marin County, CA, where she found many of these philosophies too strict and persistent on their own belief system(s), and unadaptable to the intellectual needs of it’s participants, the environment, and the society as a whole. After groundbreaking insights and her interest in metaphysics in her personal life, Samira embarked on a new endeavor. In 2009 she founded this nonprofit and organized the team board members, in the hopes of presenting to the world, a new philosophy and way of life.

"Now it is my turn to pay it forward."

Malek Sharif~ Vice President

Dr. Malek M. Sharif is an Iranian-American mathematician and scientist. He is the co-founder of the Lotus Tribe project as well as an active member of the board. Coordinator, and Chairman of the Department of Mathematics at Al-Zahra University (Tehran, Iran). Dr. Sharif holds the title of Vice President. He comes to the project with over a decade of experience as a professional in the Education field. He is also in charge of developing an adaptable Mathematic curriculum that addresses and takes into consideration the intellectual cognitive development of every child, as he believes that each child perceives the world in a different way, one that can easily be influenced by culture and heritage, as well as the environment the child has grown up in. This is where his research and studies in the "Ethno-Mathematic" area has lead him to adopt this concept and apply it to the center's mission of every child achieving Mathematic Excellence through a curriculum that is "ethno-diversified" and multi-cultural. Dr. Sharif earned his bachelor's with a major in mathematics and a physics minor from California State University and a master's degree in pure mathematics. "Concentration on the Art of Mathematics Teaching" was the core area of Dr. Sharif's post-master work at Idaho State University. In 1983 he earned his Ph.D in mathematical sciences/bio-mathematics from Loma Linda University. He has taught pure, applied, and applicable mathematics at Riverside Community College, Tehran University, Polytechnic University.

Michael Gushard~ Chief Financial Officer • Creative Director

Michael Gushard serves as the Treasurer and Creative Director of Lotus Tribe. He began drawing in kindergarten and his love for art led him to a career in graphic design in 1986. His experience ranges from the corporate to private, non-commercial and non-profit projects. An active musician and producer, Michael also studied at the Trebas Institute of Recording Arts in Hollywood, CA, majoring in Record Producing, Audio Engineering, and Music Business Management. Michael produced his first release album "Innerface" in 1999 and since then has worked on numerous collective efforts and group creative projects.

His recent studies and research in the area(s) of sound and healing, harmonics and emotion, nature’s frequencies, and the power of musical thinking in the developing brain of young children, contribute to both cognitive field studies as well as child development theories.

"If we can change the way our children see the world and each other, teaching them that they are powerful enough to create the world they want, then we can truly change their future for the better."

Alicia Durazo~ Center Administrator

Alicia Durazo’s career as an early childhood educator began with her involvement in organizing child care centers for the migrant farm workers in Idaho trying to provide quality care and education for the disadvantaged. Experience, special training, attending seminars and workshops in Child Care and Education at Idaho State University advanced her administration skills as she was then given the title Center Administrator at the Idaho Migrant Council in Blackfoot. She is former head start director for the Utah Migrant Council in Salt Lake City, where she successfully established a strong network linking migrant children to prospective schools, and hopes to play a strong role in the governing board of Lotus Tribe Center. Alicia holds position of "Center Administrator" and her presence on the board serves the purpose of strengthening bilingual communities, families, and the ESL children who are at great risk of failing in schools across the nation.

Eric Stetson~ Secretary and Public Relations Editor-in-Chief

Eric Stetson is the founder and CEO of 60 Best, Inc., an online media company that helps people find the best news sources, blogs, and trending articles on various topics. Before entering the for-profit sector, Eric was an ordained minister and served as executive director of the Christian Universalist Association, an international, ecumenical spiritual organization founded in 2007. Eric holds a B.A. in Religious Studies and Philosophy from the University of Virginia and has worked as the assistant to the director of Voice of America, the United States international broadcasting agency. He is also the author of a 2008 book, Christian Universalism: God's Good News For All People. He believes passionately in the need for people of all national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural and religious backgrounds to learn from each other, and work together to build a world that values the perspectives and contributions of all. His dream is of a global civilization of peace, prosperity, and harmony with the natural environment -- a future society in which wise and inspired people from all backgrounds and fields will share their knowledge and ideas using modern technology, to promote the ongoing education of the public.