Alhamdilallah, it's completed.  Finally!  We appreciate your indulgence on this matter - finding someone willing to accept and complete this work was not easy.  Apparently, labor shortages extend to CPAs, too, at least when it comes to a small non-profit like us.

We engaged Reginald Sherman, CPA to perform financial reviews dating back to 2012.  Attached are his report and findings.  In the past, we have received some improvement recommendations from the persons completing the reviews.  Reginald did not have such recommendations; however, we have identified areas in our financial record-keeping that could be improved to facilitate future reviews.  

Since the last financial review, banking practices have changed.  They are virtually all online now.  Bank transactions are automatically downloaded from the bank to ABI's Quickbooks.  We also have utilized different vendors - Paypal, AffiniPay, and Stripe, to name a few - and each of these have their own, unique reporting format. We get what they give us. Some transactions downloaded directly to Quickbooks are done in batches, with little to no identifying information included.   Adding the corresponding FM numbers to the Quickbooks expense entries following the downloads will provide clarity for future reviewers. 

Again, thank you for your patience and your interest in ABI's fiscal responsibilities. If you have any questions, please contact us via email at board@aramco-brats.com.

Thank you, 
Your ABI Board

Marharba, Brats! Aramco Brats, Inc., began a new term, November 1, 2023. We are proud to present our board for the 2023-2025 term:

Liz Germani​ (RT '84). President
Paul Allen ​(DH '89) , Vice President
Tom Littlejohn​ (DH '84), Treasurer
Raidah Ziadeh-Hudson (DH '77) , Secretary
Debbie Hendricks-Kheiry (DH '84), Reunion Oversight Director
Jeffery (Jeff) Neal (DH '86), Director at Large (Nominations)
Dawn Kolb ​(DH '92), Website and Database Director 
Marie Littlejohn-Dunn ​(DH '77), Director at Large
Cynthia (Cindy) Metcalfe ​(DH '84), Publications Director

We'd like to thank Sandra Kerr-Louchard​ (DH '84, Vice President),  Amber Perkins-Neal ​(DH '86, Secretary), Bridget Halpin ​(DH '84, Reunion Oversight Director),  and Selma Zein ​(DH '06, Database Director) for their work.  We are grateful for their dedication to the Board and  Brat community over the years.  We will miss working with them and can't wait to see them at the next reunion.  Give them some love next time you see them - well deserved!! 

Congratulations to Paul Allen (DH '89), your new Vice President.  Paul needs no introduction to most Brats - if you've been to one reunion, you know Paul!  We look forward to the energy you bring in all you do!  

Aramco Brats, Inc. welcomes 3 first-time board members:

Raidah Ziadeh-Hudson (DH '77) ​ was elected to the board as Secretary. Raidah, the eldest of the four Ziadeh girls, was born in Dhahran. Her father Jamil joined ARAMCO as a 19-year-old recruit from Jerusalem in 1951. In1961 when he went back to his hometown in Palestine, got married and brought his unsuspecting wife to Arabia. The Ziadehs lived in several houses, but Raidah remembers the 313 portable across the street from the school most fondly. She also remembers her parents' friends, Arab Aramcons from all over the Middle East, who became family to her and her parents. Raidah lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city with a beautiful river and gorgeous urban park system. She has been a dentist managing a solo practice for her entire career. She enjoys the fast pace of dentistry, helping people improve their health and interacting with folks across all demographics. Raidah loves to cook and host friends at her home; she loves to travel like a local and has enjoyed sharing the travel bug with her two college age sons.

Dr. Debbie (Hendricks) Kheiry is joining the board as the appointed Reunion Oversight Director.  She and her family moved to Dhahran in 1975, where they first lived in a row house before moving into a lovely pink stucco C-3.  After four years in Saudi, they took a break and went back to the states for almost two years before again returning to the Kingdom, this time to North Camp, where they resided in one of the fine-quality, doublewide trailers.  Their stay, this time, was less than two years before returning home to deep south Louisiana.  In 2016, Debbie reconnected with one of her DH Brat childhood friends, Jamal Kheiry, via social media (thank you Facebook!). They married in 2019 and reside in Findlay, Ohio.  Dr. Deb is a small-animal veterinarian and Jamal is a Corporate Communications Manager for Marathon Petroleum.  They enjoy CrossFit, walking, reading, travel, dining out and love their dog, Chuckie, brought home by Dr. Deb in 2020. 

 Jeffrey (Jeff) Neal is joining the board as the Nominations Director. The Neals arrived in Dhahran from Houston, TX in August 1979…spending the first two years in North Camp before relocating to the Hills on Safaniya Drive at the start of Jeff’s 5^th grade year. Jeff was a competitive swimmer with the Dhahran Youth Swim League (DYSL), and he also became a frequent scuba diver during the Neal’s stay in-Kingdom. They returned to the U.S. in November 1985 prior to Jeff completing 9^th grade at Dhahran Junior High School (DJHS).
Pivotal as Jeff’s childhood Aramco experience was, that lightning struck again when Jeff had the amazing good fortune of reuniting with a fellow classmate, Amber Perkins (DH ’86), during their collective first Aramco Brat Reunion in 2011. They were married two years later after Jeff and Amber blended their families together in a home near Dallas, TX affectionately coined, “Snap Ranch”. Their Brat connections only grew from there through Amber’s 2015-2023 board service as Database Director and Secretary, while Jeff coordinated Reunion bowling events starting in 2017. Jeff is a Senior Program Manager in the Transportation Department of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), one of the country’s largest and most progressive Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs).

The results of the 2023 Woodlands Reunion Satisfaction Survey are available for your reading pleasure.  Thank you to all who provided responses! 

2023 Woodlands Satisfaction Survey Results.pdf

The minutes from the Reunion Board meeting and the 19th Biennial Town Hall Meeting held at the Woodlands Resort on June 10th can be found here.  You can also, ALWAYS, find ALL the ABI financials, meeting minutes, and FMs (Formal Meetings) there.   The Bylaws are located here. We encourage any Brat with questions or concerns to contact us at board@aramco-brats.com.    

We have signed an Engagement Letter with Reginald Dewayne Sherman, CPA (A. L. Bean & Company - Consulting, Tax & Accounting). He has agreed to perform reviews of the expense side of the ABI’s income statements from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2022 .  We have asked for the review of the 2012 - 2022 terms' expenses to be completed in 3-months and will provide updates as we receive them.  

Keep an eye out for a reunion survey - whether you attended or not, we want to hear from you!  Weren't able to attend? Let us know what held you back!  Hung out in the Oasis in the Pines?  Let us know what a great time you had! 

We're ALREADY thinking about the 2025 20th Biennial Reunion and have a feeling it'll be YUGE!  Want to Chair THE 20TH REUNION??  Put your mark on BratHistory by planning the "Roaring 20th"! (If you don't like the sound of that, Chair the committee and come up with the theme!) You don't have to live in the host city to Chair the event!  Contact board@aramco-brats.com.

Have a great summer! 

Here are the results of the 2023 Aramco Brats Board of Directors election which were announced at the reunion banquet on June 11th. We had 382 ballots returned - record participation! Shukran for participating in choosing your elected officers for the 2023-2025 term!

How Brats Voted

Per ABI's bylaws, the winner was determined by simple majority. The election data and results have been reviewed and ratified by Penny Dougharty-Maher, DH '72 and Cynthia Metcalfe, DH '84.  Full election results and description of voting processes can be viewed here.

Questions regarding nominations process or other volunteer opportunities should be directed to Paul Allen.

  Voting for the ABI Board of Directors remains open! If you are eligible to vote (i.e. you're a Brat!) and have provided a valid email address, you should have received an email with a secure link to vote electronically.  Can't find it?  Check your SPAM folders and/or contact us. 
If you can’t vote online, you may submit your ballot at the reunion.  Get the details and candidate statements here: VOTE.  If you have any questions, please contact Amber Perkins Neal.

Don't wait until you're standing in line at registration, download the Wild Apricot Member App* today and get to the lazy river faster than a camel spider can run!! Check out Sid's demo video for helpful tips!

*UPDATED APP LOGO!  

Shukran for participating in the 2023 Early Registration Raffle, our most successful early registration raffle, yet!  All proceeds go toward the reunion at The Woodlands Resort.  

And the lucky winners are...

Friday's Emir for a Day (Cabana for 6) - Jeffery Lamb
Saturday's Emira for a Day (Cabana for 6) - Susan Shepard
Sunday's Emir for a Day (Cabana for 6) - Jamal Kheiry
Camel Quilt - Tina Scherrer-Zadow
Khobar Special (coaster)- Deana Fleck

Ghutra-licious Swag - Michael LeTellier

Prizes can be collected at registration.

Congratulations to our winners, and thanks again to all who participated!

Now is a great time to replace your favorite reunion shirt with the unsightly mustard stain, get another reunion tote, or load up on some BrAt drink wear. The reunion Registration Shop is now open for 50% off past reunion swag!  Quantities and sizes of some items are very limited, so don't wait until you get to the reunion to order. Order now* for pickup at Registration, and we'll bag it in a free ghutra bag!**

*Prices valid for reunion pickup ONLY and must be placed using the Registration Shop order form.  (Prices on form are already discounted 50%.)

 **Order by Sunday, June 4th to receive free ghutra bag. 

Swag catalog can be viewed on Suq page, but, please, do NOT place order through Suq if you want to take advantage of this offer. Use the Registration Shop order form.