IRANIAN AMERICAN ELLIS ISLAND HONOREES

The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is presented by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) to honor the contributions made by immigrants to the United States, their home countries and traditions, and the legacy they leave behind for the next generations. According to NECO, the honorees, who include native-born and naturalized U.S. citizens from diverse backgrounds, are said to “exemplify outstanding qualities in both their personal and professional lives, while continuing to preserve the richness of their particular heritage.”  The Ellis Island Medals of Honor have officially been recognized by the United States House of Representativesand United States Senate Honor.

Approximately 100 Medalists from different countries are honored each year. Each Medalist’s name is read into the Congressional Record. Six Presidents, as well as Nobel Prize winners and leaders of industry, education, the arts, sports and government, have been recognized as Medalists in the past. Numerous Iranian Americans have been honored by NECO as Medalists for their contributions to this country and their desire and ability to keep the Iranian history and culture alive. We are honored to include their names here.

Iranian American Honorees from inception to 2013 (in alphabetical order):

Dr. Kaveh Alizadeh – President of Long Island Plastic Surgical Group

Goli Ameri – Former Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs
Cyrus Amir-Mokri – Senior Advisor at U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Anousheh Ansari – Cof-ounder and Chairman of Prodea Systems, Inc.
Hamid Ansari – Co-founder and President of Prodea Systems, Inc.

Michael S. Ansari – Founder, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of M.I.C. Industries, Inc.
Hushang Ansary – Chairman of the Parman Group
Farhad Azima – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aviation Leasing Group of Companies (ALG)

Hamid Biglari – Vice-Chairman, Citicorp

Bita Daryabari – Founder & Executive Director of Pars Equality Center and Unique Zan Foundation

Ali Ebrahimi – Ersa Grae Corporation

Jamshid Ehsani, Scientist, global financial expert and philanthropist

Homayoun Firouztash – Partner, Centurion Holdings, LLC.

Dr. Jamshid Ghajar, Neurosurgeon and founder of the Brain Trauma Foundation

Dr. Hossein Gharib, international authority on Thyroid disorders

Vartan Gregorian – President of Carnegie Corporation of New York

Noosheen Hashemi – President and Co-founder of the H.A.N.D. Foundation , Philanthropist, Entrepreneur

Forough B. Hosseini – Executive VP of Information Systems, ICI Homes
Mori Hosseini – Chairman and CEO of ICI Homes

Mr. Yousef Javadi – Entrepreneur, innovator, and PAAIA Board Member

Nasser J. Kazeminy – Chairman of NJK Holding Corporation
Laya Khadjavi – Managing Director, Morgan Stanley
Darioush Khaledi – Chairman and CEO, K.V. Mart Co.; Proprietor, Darioush Winery
Parisa Khosravi – Senior Vice President of International Newsgathering for CNN Worldwide
Bijan R. Kian – Member of Board of Directors of Export-Import Bank of the United States

Mr. Vahid Kooros, founder of Oxus Energy LLC, businessman and philanthropist

Akbar A. Lari – President, Claremont Group

Mr. Farshad Mahjoor – Architect, businessman, industrialist, and philanthropist

Vahid Majidi – Assistant Director, Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate at the FBI
Farah B. Majidzadeh – Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Board of Resource International, Inc. (Rii)
Nooshin Malakzad – Owner, Nooshin Inc.
Fariborz Maseeh – Founder and Managing Principal, Picoco LLC

Mr. David Merage, Principal, Consolidated Investment Group and philanthropist
Mohsen Moazami – Vice President of Internet Business Solutions Group at Cisco
Avid Modjtabai -Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Wells Fargo

Hamid Moghadam – Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, AMB Property Corporation
Dr. Reza Momeni – Plastic Reconstructive Cosmetic Surgeon
Sharmin Mossavar-Rahmani – Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer- Private Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs

Yasmin Motamedi – Executive Director, Middle Eastern Affiars Department at U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Firouz M. Naderi – Associate Director, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Francis Najafi – Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pivotal Group

Vali R. Nasr, PhD – Middle East scholar, foreign policy adviser and commentator on international relations

Younes Nazarian – Founder of Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation

Fereydoun Nazem – Founder and Managing Partner, Nazem and Company

Fred Pezeshkan – Chief Executive Officer, Kraft Construction

Ali C. Razi – Co-founder of The Stratham Group

Ali A. Saberioon – President and Chief Executive Officer, Sabco Oil and Gas Corp.

Dr. Pardis Sabeti, Associate Professor, Center for Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Senior Associate Member of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT

Homa Sarshar – Author, journalist, media personality

Faryar Shirzad – Vice President and Director of International Public Policy at Goldman and Sachs
Dr. Hosein Shokouh-Amiri – Transplant Surgeon
Morris M. Shirazipour – CEO, Aero Toy Store
Taraneh Sohrab – Banker

Reza Vaziri – Founder of the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) and President of Anglo Asian Mining PLC

Mohammad Yahyavi – Vice President and General Manager at Boeing
Mahvash Yazdi – Senior Vice President of Business Integration and Chief Information Officer, Edison International