Executive Council

The Executive Council, consisting of the 6 Executive Board members plus 7 alumni who are not Directors, supports the PIAA by implementing policies of the International Board of Directors, providing guidance to and aiding the establishment of new alumni chapters or sections, providing oversight, advice and guidance for alumni engagement and communication efforts, career networking, and events.  

The 7 non-Director seats on the Executive Council are selected by the President in consultation with the PIAA Executive Board from among the most active alumni and section/chapter leaders.

Executive Council Members

• Mohamed Aboshihata
• Henry Bertoni
• Norbert Bikales
• Johnny Lai
• Frank Namad
• Rosa Yaghmour

Executive Council Members

Mohamed Aboshihata

Class of ’04 Business and Technology Management

Mohamed Aboshihata is an experienced business analyst, project manager, and strategist for eBusiness. Prior to starting his own consulting firm, Mohamed was a technology and business strategy consultant for Internet Golf Multimedia, specializing in developing disruptive technologies that spurred many innovations in today’s edutainment, mobile, sports and information commerce markets. He holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Business and Technology Management from Polytechnic and holds certificates in Kerzners’ Approach to Project Management and Kepner-Tregoe’s Problem Solving and Decision Making. He is a mentor and active member of Association for Computing Machinery, the Technology Managers Forum and Project Management Institute both NY chapter and international.

Henry Bertoni

Norbert Bikales

Class of ’56; ’61 Chemistry

Dr. Bikales is an expert on watersoluble polymers used in water clarification, e.g., for drinking water and in pollution control. Norbert Bikales received twenty-six patents for his inventions of water soluable polymers, chemically modified natural materials and mineral processing aids. He is a former program director for the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. Dr. Bikales was in charge of a multi-million dollar grants-awards program in polymer science. His position is a key decision-making one that influences the direction of the national research effort in this discipline. Having lectured internationally, Dr. Bikales is perhaps most widely known for his editorship of the world-renowned eighteen-volume Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology. A noted expert in polymer chemistry, Dr. Bikales has served as chairman and councilor of the Division of Polymer Chemistry of the American Chemical Society. He is currently a member of the steering committee of the Alumni Association's Washington D.C. chapter and serves on the board of directors of the Society of Plastics Engineers. Additionally, he was chairman of the Gordon Conference on Polymers. Dr. Bikales received the Great Medal of the City of Paris for his professional achievements and his role in fostering Franco-American scientific relations.

Johnny Lai

Class of ’85 Electrical Engineering

Johnny Lai has been working in the telecommunications and high-tech industry since his graduation from Polytechnic. Lai holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA. Currently Lai consults on technology management, engineering, and design.

Frank Namad

Rosa Yaghmour

Class of ’98 Mechanical Engineering

Rosa S. Yaghmour is an Associate at Choate Hall & Stewart LLP. Previously, she was an IP Attorney at IBM. Ms. Yaghmour serves in the Board of Directors and Executive Council of the Polytechnic University Alumni Association, where she chairs the scholarship committee.  She is a member of the New York Intellectual Property Law Association and the White Plain International Institute, a not-for-profit organization aiming to support international educational programs in the White Plains City School District in New York.  She is married to Shafik Yaghmour.