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| Guest speaker: Haider Ajina |
Guest speaker: Haider Ajina
◼ September 17 is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day and Haider Ajina has quite a story to tell on this important day. A sought-after speaker, he brings a unique - and often calming - perspective to the topic of the Middle East and Iraq. Around 2003 he began translating and disseminating articles from Iraq into English, to give us a better understanding of what it was like over there. Some of his pieces were featured in the now-defunct Eureka Reporter.
In a 2005 North Coast Journal article he said, "I compared that to what my dad was reading over there -- he went over in January or February of '04. I started asking him what the papers looked like over there, and they were identical. So I said, O.K. -- if I look at the PDF files of these newspapers, that's exactly what the Iraqis are reading. So I started translating those articles."
He was born in Baghdad, Iraq, to an Iraqi father and German Mother. His primary education was in Iraq and Germany and he finished high school and his first year of college in England.
Haider came to HSU to study Environmental Engineering in 1983. He married Claire in 1985 and they have 3 sons: Nyle, 29, Zaid, 27, Hadi, 25, and a daughter Alia, 18.
Prior to starting as a financial consultant with Smith Barney in 1992, Haider's occupation was exporting fresh produce to Europe. In 2009, he and his business partner, Mark Morgan, moved to Wells Fargo Advisors and formed Ajina & Morgan Financial Group, where he is now Vice President of Investments.
Haider is a Rotarian and Past President of The Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka, Past President of the Trinidad Chamber of Commerce, 10-Year Director of the Trinidad-to-Clam-Beach Run & Walk, co-founder and 7-year Director of the Tour of Trinidad (Bike Tour), co-founder and volunteer at The Humboldt Bay Paddlefest, and 5-Year Treasurer of the Humboldt State Alumni Association. He served on the boards of The Greater Trinidad Chamber of Commerce, Humboldt State Alumni Association, Rotary Club of SW Eureka, Eureka Big Brothers Big Sisters, as Treasurer for Humboldt Youth Soccer, and as Treasurer for Rotary District 5130 Youth Exchange.
His joys are being a father and husband, refereeing soccer, doing civic work, and giving talks about Islam and the Middle East, especially Iraq.
JOIN US FOR LUNCH - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th
11:30 a.m. Lunch 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. 445 Herrick, Eureka
Lunch & Speaker ~ $14.50 (Tax and tip included)
Beverage & Speaker ~ $4.00 Payable to HRWF
THIS MONTH - Please RSVP to Annette 839-5538 by Friday September 11
Early RSVP lunch reservations are VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!
