Board of Directors

Michael Lynch

Michael LynchMichael Lynch is an International Consultant and serves on the Board of People to People International, Delaware Chapter, the Cecil College Multicultural Student Advisory Board and he is a member of the Delaware African Coalition. Mr. Lynch has coordinated numerous programs with the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, DC to foster better understanding between the Indonesian Community and diverse organizations in Maryland and Delaware. Mr. Lynch has and is currently working with the Maryland Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs to foster better understanding and engagement with the Asian Pacific Community residing in the US. He also consults and advises the chairman of the Governor’s Delaware African Caribbean Affairs Commission and its members. Mr. Lynch has engaged with dignitaries from South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, and Liberia regarding a number of initiatives. He has coordinated events and programs with the Namibian Embassy to promote better understanding, trade and commerce. Mr. Lynch is an outspoken advocate for doing business in Africa and he foresees Africa as contributing significantly to the global economy. A graduate of North Georgia College, Mr. Lynch was commissioned as an Officer in the US Army where he served in numerous capacities in the United States, Europe and South West Asia. He currently resides in Newark, Delaware where he is extensively involved in promoting positive international relations and engagement.

Ping Xu, J.D.

Born and raised in Shanghai, I received my Bachelor of Arts in English. I came to Delaware in 1988 and I have received the degrees of Master of Marine Policy (MMP) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from University of Delaware and J.D. from University of Maryland School of Law. Public service is my passion. I served as the President of Chinese Students and Scholars Association at University of Delaware. For over 20 years, I have been hosting Dumpling Parties for the newly arrived Chinese students and scholars at my residence. I currently serve as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Chinese American Community Center. I also served as the Principal of Chun Hui Chinese School. I was in the Financial Planner business and still hold a Certified Financial Planner® designation. As a Realtor®, I have been assisting clients in the buying/selling and renting homes since 2003. I am also a licensed attorney in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. People to People is a great organization for me to join and serve the community. “A sprinkle of grace received shall be retuned with fountain flow of thanksgiving.” I have benefited from the help from other people upon my arrival in Delaware and during my difficult times here. It is time for me to give back to the community. I live with my wife and our ten-year-old daughter in Hockessin, Delaware. My wife is a CPA.

Mohammed AlHajjar

Saudi national who has traveled the world promoting peace at birth. His mother-tongue is Arabic. He has volunteered at many PTPDE events and can always be counted on to help with set up, tear down, and manning the tables.

Sharon Cooper

Sharon is a clinical social worker and was a partner at Alliance Counseling, an outpatient mental health practice in Newark and Wilmington, Delaware for over 20 years. She served as the PTPDE VP of Membership for many years. She specialized in the psychology of women, eating disorders and mindfulness techniques. She provided both individual and group psychotherapy, as well as workshops on body image and stress reduction. Sharon graduated cum laude from Duke University in North Carolina, with a double major in nursing and psychology. She received a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Columbia University in New York City. She is recently retired from practice. Sharon is pleased to join the People to People Board in Delaware, as it provides new avenues to promote non-violence and compassion in this diverse world through positive engagement with our US and global neighbors. Other interests include pickleball, acrylic painting and travel.

Barbara Theiss

Barbara Theiss is honored to be a member of PTPDE for several years. She served many years as the Secretary of PTPDE. She is a native New Yorker and has lived in Delaware for over a dozen years. She joined PTPDE because she has a strong belief in our goal that through communication and interaction, we can get to know people of diverse backgrounds and cultures and help promote global friendship, respect and understanding. She graduated from Suffolk College on Long island, New York, became Assistant Vice-President with Enterprise Savings Bank in Illinois, was Human Resource Manager for Barnes & Noble Bookstores and owned a Nationwide Insurance Agency in New York, together with her husband of over fifty years. She retired to Delaware where she works as a Staff Agent with State Farm. She was a Docent at Brookfield Zoo in Illinois, creating and presenting tours and programs for visitors and groups. She was on the International Student Host Committee and hosted international high school students for Rotary and with The American Field Service and NASAL French exchange program.

Mona Batish, PhD

Dr. Mona Batish has been a researcher for over 14 years. She holds a BS and MS (honors) in Microbiology from India, and a Doctorate from Rutgers University. She began as Assistant professor at Rutgers University and moved to University of Delaware in 2017 where she is currently working as Associate Professor. She is a cell Biologist and has an active research lab along with teaching Biotechnology and Molecular Diagnostics in the department of Medical and Molecular Sciences at College of Health Sciences in University of Delaware. She participates actively in numerous peer review and panels for grant proposals for both federal and private foundations along with leading international task force on RNA biology. She has won numerous awards for research and teaching and currently serves on the Biotechnology advisory board of Newark Charter high School.

Ashton Ilyas
Ashton Ilyas is a student at Newark Charter High School. He has earned Distinguished Honor Roll every trimester, and is a member of the National Honor Society. Additionally, he is an active player of several different sports, including soccer and volleyball, and he heavily contributes to multiple student projects. He led an engineering group to first place in Delaware for Architectural Design for the Technology Student Association and assists with financial record-keeping at his local mosque, the Islamic Society of Delaware. Some awards he has earned include a Scholastic Gold Key for his Personal Essay and the National Amercian History Award for a documentary. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games with his friends and playing sports with his brother. He believes in the mission of promoting peace through understanding and enjoys meeting new people and learning about different perspectives.