Dr. Tarakji is the President of SAMS as well as a current Board member of the SAMS Foundation. Dr. Tarakji is a cardio-thoracic surgeon in California, and a former clinical assistant professor at Stanford University. As SAMS, he spearheads and participates in numerous initiatives, including providing trauma and critical care courses for Syrian physicians and nurses, overseeing SAMS's advocacy work, chairing the two previous SAMS International Conferences in Turkey, the International Conference in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and the most recent National Conference in Boston. Dr. Tarakji leads SAMS partnerships with UN agencies and NGOs to expand the Whole of Syria (WoS) response plan and efforts to address medical emergencies in Syria. Dr. Tarakji also leads SAMS partnerships with universities in the U.S. and Europe to establish education, relief, and post-crisis rebuilding programs for Syria.