Leon Shahabian serves as Vice President & Treasurer of Layalina Productions, Inc., positions he has held since January 2004. In addition to managing administrative and outreach initiatives at Layalina and accounting for its expenditures, Leon has served as executive producer of the first 12 episode season of Ala al Tariq fi Amrika (On the Road in America) (2006-2007) a cross-cultural reality travelogue series produced by Layalina in association with Visionaire Media Inc. of Los Angeles. Leon has also executive produced the cross-cultural Windy City, White City (2004) documentary, narrated by Sally Kellerman, as well as the first episode of Layalina’s discussion show Araeh (Opinions) (2003), which featured Tom Friedman of the New York Times. He has served as executive in charge of production for Layalina’s Ties that Bind, Issues that Divide (2003) reel which featured Former President George H. W. Bush, Layalina’s Honorary Chairman.
Leon also serves as Senior Editor of Layalina’s Bi-weekly Press Review on Arab Media and Public Diplomacy, a publication in its third year that reaches 5,000 readers internationally. He joined Layalina in March 2002 as a founding staff member. He served as a Project Associate before being promoted to Assistant Managing Director in December 2002.
Mr. Shahabian is a working group member of the Global Intersections Initiative (GII), a project of the Center for the Study of the Presidency (CSP). The GII working group has been tasked by Congress with writing the business plan for the proposed Foundation for International Understanding (FIU), a grant making non-profit organization, which will assist media providers from around the world by funding thoughtful programs and serious gaming initiatives that help increase cross-cultural understanding.
Prior to joining Layalina, Mr. Shahabian served as a Teaching Assistant for the Student Affairs Executive Internship Program at Penn State. He has interned with the Penn State Office of Judicial Affairs, the press office of the U.S. House Committee on Commerce, The Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA), The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Penn State University with Bachelors of Arts degrees in International Politics and French Language and Literature, Leon was born in Beirut, Lebanon, where he lived for 17 years. He is fluent in Armenian, Arabic, and French. |
