Our Board of Directors

Dr. Reza Karkia is the president of American Institute of Higher Education Resources (AIHER). He is Emeritus Executive Director of Academic Affairs at California State University, and has more than 30 years’ experience in education, senior management, and leadership. He is an involved and participating community member of Orange County at large in all areas of education, businesses, and constructive politics. Dr. Karkia has served the State of California under four recent Governors as Commissioner, California Council on Criminal Justice (CCCJ). As a ranking member of CCCJ, he has advised the Governor and legislator of the State of California on policy direction to California’s Office of Homeland Security, Board of Correction, and Office of Emergency Services. Within CCCJ Dr. Karkia has served as Chair, California Drug Treatment Task Force & Chairman of California criminal Justice planning bylaw committee.

Behzad is an educator with more than 20 years of experience in teaching and research. He has served as an assistant/associate professor of Biological & Agricultural Engineering at the University of Idaho, Moscow for 9 years. His responsibilities included teaching engineering courses, conducting research, advising undergraduate and graduate students and presenting and publishing papers. He is serving the Computer Information System/Business division of the Cypress College as a professor since 2002. His responsibilities include teaching basic and advanced computer networking courses, managing grant funding and preparing students for employment through internship and other opportunities.

Atoosa Vakili is the founder and managing attorney at the Law Office of Atoosa Vakili, US Immigration Legal Services, based in Irvine, CA. She specializes in employment and investment based visas and green cards as well as in consular processing. Atoosa obtained her law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and was admitted to the California Bar and the 9th Federal Circuit in 1989. An active member of the California Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the Iranian American Bar Association (IABA), she currently serves as Advocacy Liaison for the Southern California Chapter of AILA and on the Consular Committee of the Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) section of AILA. Atoosa is active in community service and philanthropy and serves on the boards of the CHILD International.