Board of Directors

Adri Hamael
Founder & Executive Director
 Open/Close Bio

Adri Hamael is a proud Canadian citizen. He is 39. He was born In Jordan 5 years after his family was displaced by the 1967 War between the Jewish and Arab Armies. His family currently lives near Ramallah-Palestine under Israeli occupation.

Adri is currently the Founder and Executive Director of One Team United for Development and Peace Soccer Society (ONETEAM) www.oneteamunited.ca

(ONETEAM) is a not for profit, non partisan Canadian Society. ONETEAM exists to promote social change and global peace through Soccer (football).

ONETEAM currently runs four soccer programs: An Annual International Soccer Tournament, an Annual International Soccer camp for women from war torn regions, a local and International Soccer equipment program, and a Vancouver -Based feed the athlete program catering to disadvantage soccer communities.

Adri is an avid soccer player and organizer. Adri played soccer since he was able to walk. After years of dedication, he graduated from the Al-Arabi Football Club Soccer Academy in Jordan. His dedication and hard work earned him a spot on the Al-Arabi Football Club Premier team. The club is currently one of Jordan's top 10 premier teams. In Canada, He played for Westward United FC (WWU FC). WWU FC won the North Shore Men Soccer League 5 years in a row.

For the past 16 years since Adri Hamael has immigrated to Canada from Jordan, he has continued to demonstrate a passion for promoting intercultural relations through creative mediums close to his heart; a passion that started long before making Canada his home.

In 2003 Adri started a multi cultural dialogue group aiming to promote intercultural understanding, and to bridge the gap of hatred between Canadians of Arab and Jewish backgrounds. Adri was so inspired by the power of the discussions that were happening within this group that in 2004 he co-found Peace it Together Society www.peaceittogether.ca The aim of the society was to empower Palestinian and Israeli youth from the Middle East and Canadians here in Canada to promote peace through filmmaking and dialogue. During the program here in Canada, the youth were taught dialogue and filmmaking techniques. In culturally mixed groups (Palestinian, Israeli and Canadian), the youth were asked to make films about the conflict using their recent teachings. After the program, Adri travelled throughout Canada with many of the Canadian youth supporting them to show their films with the rest of the country in over 200 screenings. The Canadian youth, of a multitude of cultural backgrounds, and Adri delivered a powerful message during these screenings of peace and tolerance. To date the Canadian youth have continued to be inspired and many have travelled to other areas of the world promoting these messages, begun university with focuses on peace education, and continue to use the films as a tool to promote cultural understanding. Under his leadership at Peace it together, the organization was awarded the Vancouver Cultural Harmony Award and United Nation Association and BC human Rights award. Adri served as Peace it Together Co Executive Director from 2004-2009.

Adri's knowledge of the intercultural relations and history of Middle Eastern affairs has positioned him as a local resource for Canadian media and groups and individuals interested in Canadian, Jewish, Arab affairs. He has been asked to speak on radio and television programs, to news media.

Since he immigrated to Canada, Adri has raised more than half a million dollars in cash and in-kind contributions to multicultural, and humanitarian causes. Most recently he was asked to speak at the Global Civic forum where he was selected as one of the fifteen most interesting contributors to the cultural life of Vancouver.

Adri has contributed many volunteer years since coming to Canada. For 5 years he served as a big brother for Big Brothers and Sisters Canada, where he mentored a child from a male absence home. Adri Joined big brother because Big Brothers embodies the principles of diversity and welcomes participants regardless of race, religion, and culture.

For an additional 5 years, he served as a wish granter for the Make -A- Wish Foundation where he granted wishes to children with life threatening illnesses. In his years with this inclusive organization, Adri granted wishes to Canadian children from different religions, races, and cultures diverse backgrounds.

Adri is married to Melanie Hamael and they are currently expecting their first child.


Melanie Hamael
Director
 Open/Close Bio

Melanie Hamael has traveled throughout the Middle East, including Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, and Egypt. She graduated from SFU in 1994 with a BA in Archaeology and Anthropology. It was during her first trip to Israel in 1992 to do archaeological excavations (in collaboration with the Haifa University) that her interest in Israeli-Palestinian relations was sparked. After graduating, she taught English to a multi-national group of young children in Egypt, and then spent time with her in-laws in the West Bank and Jordan. It was with them that Melanie became more aware of the daily struggles of Palestinians in the region. Her passion to be part of Peace it Together comes from the many conversations with people from the region who want peace, and sometimes feel they have no voice. Melanie currently works as a bank manager in Canada and is the Chair Women of Peace it Together.


Adam Kahnamelli
Director
 Open/Close Bio

Adam Kahnamelli is excited to continue with the One Team United Society this year both on the field with the Vancouver International Soccer Festival as the Tournament Coordinator and in the boardroom as one of the One Team United Directors.

Having been involved in soccer as player and coach for many years, Adam has seen first hand the power that sport can have to unite people of very different backgrounds. With personal values strongly related to those of the Society, Adam looks forward to being able to contribute to the team and help spread the vision of global peace and social change through soccer. Adam is looking to use his experience in the local soccer community to help the Vancouver International Soccer Festival to continue to grow and make lasting impressions on the lives of athletes from all around the world.

Adam brings experience from varying parts of the soccer community including work with Special Olympics Soccer, local youth soccer clubs and academies, and UBC Metropolitan FC, where he is one of the Club Co-Founders and Club President.


Kate Samaratunga
Director
 Open/Close Bio

Kate Samaratunga, a Fine Art Photographer and Business Woman, strongly supports the values of the Vancouver International Soccer Festival and the mission to promote global peace and social change through soccer. This is the second year she has worked for the Festival and is very proud of what it represents and feels privileged to be a part of the organizational team.

"I believe that sports can bring a healthy balance to life. The friendships forged during international competitive sporting serves to unite people. Sport is more than competition. Sport can promote mutual understanding, and facilitate dialogue between different communities."

Kate held a position on the Board of Directors with the high performance club Omega Gymnastics for several years. Kate has extensive experience coordinating sporting events and fund raising initiatives relating to sports.


Barbara Mulleder
Director
 Open/Close Bio

Barbara Mulleder is a full time Legal Assistant and busy mother of two girls who play soccer. She has many volunteer positions including U12 Age-Group Coordinator for the North Shore Girls Soccer Association. Barbara was thrilled to be invited to become a member of the Board for the One Team Society and Vancouver International Soccer Festival and is very much looking forward to being directly involved in the Society and Festival "I played soccer for a few seasons and I have spent many proud, rainy, early weekend mornings on the sidelines watching my girls. I know by watching that soccer promotes teamwork and really does not have a language barrier. It can bring many different walks of life together as well as people from all over the world successfully, just as it will at the Festival and the society programs"


Neal Samaratunga
Director
 Open/Close Bio

Neal is proud to be a part of the One Team United and the VISF steering team. As a leader in the community, Neal brings a great deal management experience in both the corporate and sporting realms. Neal is passionate about sport serving as a foundation for healthy communities and people: "I hold a deep belief that sport has the capacity to unite people in a way that nothing else can. Sport transcends genders, generations, and politics. Sport builds a bridge where no bridge was thought possible. The love of soccer crosses borders, languages, and cultures, and brings people together as one; united in their passion for the 'Beautiful Game'."

Along with his leadership role with a global management development firm, Neal has served as a leader and advisor for numerous not for profit organizations.


Catherine Winckler
Branding Adviser
 Open/Close Bio

Catherine Winckler is a Partner and Creative Director of Switch United, formerly Fleming Creative Group. Switch is a multi-disciplinary design studio based in Vancouver specializing in entertainment and lifestyle markets. Catherine has over two decades of experience developing advertising and marketing strategies for corporate, academic, political, and not-for-profit clients. She is a passionate entrepreneur, a member of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, the International Women's Forum, and was a past Canadian Business PROFIT 100 Women nominee. At Switch United, Catherine is primarily responsible for multi-platform campaigns for clients in the TV and film industries.


Blair Pocock
Branding Adviser
 Open/Close Bio

Blair Pocock is a Partner and Creative Director of Switch United (formerly Fleming Creative Group), overseeing a talented team of designers on large-scale corporate campaigns and multi-touch digital architectural installations. Blair has over 25 years' experience in the design field and brings his wealth of industry knowledge to the growing area of interactive installations for environments including museums, galleries, special events, themed attractions, and more. Blair is also involved hands-on with one of the company's most valued and longstanding clients, Nintendo of Canada. (And yes, he does get first dibs on all the new game software.)


Dr Imtiaz Hassam
Health Adviser
 Open/Close Bio

Dr. Imtiaz Hassam has over 12 years of experience as a Family Physician and is also a member of the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine, certified in sport medicine. During this time, he has established two family practice clinics and spent time volunteering in Central Asia training physicians and building a sustainable healthcare model in this region. Imtiaz's love of sport made him a valuable addition to the Olympic Speed Skating Medical Team during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Imtiaz is currently owner of Yaletown Medical Clinic and Highgate Medical Clinic.

Soccer has been a lifetime companion to Imtiaz, playing since he could walk -and he has passed the bug on to his two young sons. Dr. Hassam is excited to be back again as healthcare advisor for VISF and a player of the beautiful game!