About Us

About
Pars Place

The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is home to an estimated 85,000 vibrant Iranian-Americans, who form a community spanning many generations, ethnic groups, and religions.
The Iranian-American Community Center (IACC) is a registered, non-profit organization with a 501 (c)(3) designation from the IRS. IACC’s vision is to share and preserve the Iranian culture in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area through the creation of a community and a center that serves as a hub for educational activities, cultural events, and community services.

Our goals

Our Heritage

The Iranian-American community in the U.S., rooted in a rich 6,000-year history, is committed to preserving Persian cultural heritage while seamlessly blending Eastern and Western traditions. Recent surveys estimate the Iranian-American population at 448,722, though the actual number is likely closer to 1 to 1.5 million.
Washington, DC is home to the third-largest Iranian-American community in the U.S., which is ethnically diverse, including Persian, Turkish, Armenian, and Kurdish Iranians, among others. The community also represents various faiths, such as Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Judaism, Baha’i, and both Shia and Sunni Islam.
Education is highly valued within the community, with 51% of Iranian-Americans holding a bachelor’s degree, and over one in four possessing a Master’s degree or higher. One of the most comprehensive surveys on the community was conducted by MIT in 2005.
Heritage
Community at IACC

The Team

Roya Khosrowshahi Chadab
Roya Khosrowshahi Chadab
Art Director

Born and raised in Iran, Roya Khosrowshahi Chadab earned her B.A. in studio art at Smith College before continuing her education in French civilization, art history, and pastry arts in Paris.

After working in international consulting, she founded EuroCommerce, LLC, an importing company specializing in European gourmet foods, with products distributed nationwide and featured in major publications.

Since 2008, she has returned to her roots in the visual arts, exhibiting her work nationally and internationally. Roya lives in McLean, VA, with her husband and is the proud mother of two daughters.

Sue Nassiri
Sue Nassiri
Executive Director

Sue Nassiri brings over two decades of leadership and experience in project management, specializing in developing strategies that deliver tangible results. Prior to joining IACC, she led complex projects at Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft, and worked with various government agencies in the IT space.

Throughout her career, she has been deeply involved in planning and implementing projects, successfully leading policy and procedure initiatives that enhance organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Sue is passionate about strengthening collaboration, improving processes, and contributing to the organization's success.

Sue is dedicated to supporting the Iranian-American community and puts her leadership and expertise to work helping IACC reach its goals and make a difference.

Marjan Mobasser
Marjan Mobasser
Director of Programs and Programming

Marjan Haghani Mobasser is a graduate of American University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. Since joining IACC in 2016, Marjan has been deeply committed to promoting Iranian culture and heritage.

Driven by a passion for celebrating Iranian traditions, she is dedicated to fostering a stronger sense of community through programs that connect people and build meaningful relationships. Her work is focused on creating opportunities for cultural exchange, understanding, and collaboration within the community.

With a strong blend of creativity, organization, and strategic thinking, Marjan continues to inspire and unite people, making a lasting impact on both cultural appreciation and community development.

Shahin Shakibi
Shahin Shakibi
Operations Director

Shahin Shakibi is a well-known figure in the Iranian-American community, celebrated for his extensive work in acting, directing, and producing. With a career in theater that began at the age of thirteen, Shahin has brought decades of experience to stages across Iran, Austria, and the United States. He holds a Master’s degree in Theatre Directing and Acting from the Vienna Art University and has led over fifteen productions across North America, including the acclaimed English-language monologue Dirt.

His deep understanding of leading events comes from years of hands-on experience in producing and directing theatrical performances, coordinating teams, and engaging diverse audiences. With his visionary leadership and proven track record of managing complex productions, Shahin is highly skilled in organizing large-scale events. His visionary leadership and commitment to excellence make him an invaluable asset to the Iranian-American Community Center’s operations.

The Board

Roshan Ardalan Alavi
Roshan Ardalan Alavi
Treasurer

Roshan Ardalan Alavi has built a very successful career in the mortgage lending profession while also managing a household and family. She was born in California and spent most of her youth in Iran, returning to the USA in 1980. Roshan and her husband, Hamid, have raised two amazing sons who are very proud of their Iranian heritage.

Roshan attended George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, graduating in 1987, with a BS in Public Administration. She has enjoyed over 30 years of hands-on mortgage lending, operations and management experience.

She is currently Senior Vice President of Operations at First Heritage Mortgage LLC, in Fairfax Virginia.

Bahar Alsharif
Bahar Alsharif
Director

Bahar Alsharif spent 31 years at the World Bank Group's private arm, the International Finance Corporation, focusing on treasury operations and portfolio management. Until 2016, Bahar served as IFC's Deputy Treasurer in London, overseeing Treasury's global expansion. Prior to her move to London, Bahar was in charge of Cash Management Desk, managing a quarter of IFC's $40 billion liquid asset portfolio in short term investments. Since retiring , Bahar has enjoyed learning French, improving her tennis skills, and engaging with her local community. Until 2019, she served as the COO of Project Turquoise, a non-profit working to empower families. She continues to mentor the next generation of women leaders in the global finance industry.

Farhang (Fred) Aryan
Farhang (Fred) Aryan
Chair

Farhang (Fred) Aryan born in Iran, Fred moved to the United States when he was 16 years old. He completed his BS degree in Electrical Engineering at the

University of Maryland Engineering School. Shortly after graduating Fred and a couple of his friends started a small parcel delivery business and successfully grew the business to be the largest parcel delivery company on the East Coast. He is on the board of few non-profit organizations and is a firm believer in giving back to his community especially to the Iranian American community which is part of his heritage. In his spare time he loves to take part in triathlon races and has completed few Marathon and triathlon events.

Mojdeh Bahar
Mojdeh Bahar
Director

Mojdeh Bahar is a patent attorney and technology transfer professional in the public sector and is the recipient of numerous professional awards. She is also a certified mediator. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University Of

Maryland School of Law where she concentrated in Health Law, holds a Master of Arts degree from New York University and a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in Chemistry and French from Dickinson College.

She is passionate about Persian language, literature and culture and hopes to pass this love on to the next generation of Iranian Americans.

She lives in Maryland with her daughter, Tina.

Amir Golalipour
Amir Golalipour
Director

Amir Golalipour was born in Mashhad, Iran in 1987. At the age of 18, he was accepted into the College of Civil Engineering, at University of Tehran. He was also elected as a representative of the Civil Engineering Student Association, which continued for three years. In spring 2010, he graduated with a BA in Civil Engineering and moved to the United States in summer of 2010 to pursue his Master and PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He served as the vice-president and president of Persian Student Society (PSS) at University of Wisconsin during his graduate school. He graduated with doctorate degree in 2013. He shares a lot of passion for producing art works that he is involved with Radio Iranshahr and Quartet Studios in producing podcasts, short movies, and theater programs.

Hossein Noshirvani
Hossein Noshirvani
Director

Hossein Noshirvani has been on the Board of IACC since December 2013. Hossein is a 20-year technology executive and entrepreneur . He is currently the CEO of Meddbase(www.meddbase.com), a company that provides SaaS EHR to hospitals and large medical practices. He lives in Bethesda, MD with his son and dog. As a father who wants to pass on the traditions and language of Iran to his children, being involved with the IACC is a unique opportunity to maintain the heritage for his family.

Sheila Matini
Sheila Matini
Director

Sheila Matini is a highly accomplished professional with a diverse background and a passion for community development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Economics from Tufts University, Massachusetts.

With over 30 years of experience, Sheila has proven herself to be a dynamic and motivated individual. She possesses excellent communication skills and has consistently achieved all business objectives throughout her career. Sheila's expertise lies in successfully launching businesses and effectively managing large teams, having overseen over 200 employees.

In addition to her professional achievements, Sheila is deeply committed to giving back to her community and is a firm believer in the importance of community development. She has actively participated in several nonprofit organizations and has contributed to her children's schools and colleges in various capacities, including serving as a board member, fundraiser, volunteer, and event planner. She has successfully organized a wide range of events throughout her working career and motherhood, including charity galas, and community festivals.

Sheila's Iranian heritage holds significant meaning to her, and she embraces it as an integral part of her identity. She cherishes her cultural roots and actively promotes the rich traditions and values of her heritage.

Youth Representative

Aidin Lotfi
Aidin Lotfi
Director of Youth Programs

Aidin Lotfi is a sophomore at St. Albans School in Washington D.C. He’s an active member of the community and is the co-founder of the Middle Eastern Cultural Club (MECC) at St. Albans School and the Director of Community Outreach for the Immigrant & Refugee Outreach Center (IROC, a local nonprofit organization). Aidin enjoys skiing, scuba diving and his grandmothers’ gheymeh! He’s passionate about his cultural heritage and sharing it with others.

Get Involved

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Doostān-e Pars Place

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Donating

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Volunteering

Give back by volunteering at Pars Place. Help with events, education, and cultural programs in the DMV area.

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