Nader Rastegar

Nader Rastegar

"Born in Iran, Mr. Rastegar attended the Kingswood Boarding School in Bath, Sommerset, UK, and continued his higher studies at University of Wisconsin. Upon returning to Iran, while working as a geologist-mining engineer in the family conglomerate of Mining Operations, he participated in the Special Joint Plan of the Imperial Iranian Army and the Iran Chamber of Commerce. "A veteran of the Iraq-Iran war, Mr. Rastegar also worked as the Editor of the Foreign News at Kayhan Daily, Iran's leading Newspaper, but resigned in protest against the policy of censoring news of the hostage taking and the violation of the US diplomatic compounds.

"Mr. Rastegar fled Iran in the early 1980’s after the Iranian government expropriated all the Rastegar family's business operations which included Calcimine Co, the second largest lead-zinc mineral operations in the World; Bafgh Co], the eighth largest such operations in the world; Rena, the Middle East's largest truck assembly operations; and Zamiyad, Iran's largest pick-up assembly operations. Nader was deprived of his Iranian citizenship soon after arriving in the US, and he has been a citizen of the United States since 1990.

"Mr. Rastegar is a private investor and philanthropist and he serves on the Board of several Private Equities companies.

"He has been an ardent advocate of preserving the Iranian language and culture, and has helped bring about the initiation and the expansion of Persian studies programs at various educational entities. Mr. Rastegar currently resides in Atlanta, where he is intensively involved within the Iranian-American community.

"He has been an ardent advocate of preserving the Iranica Heritage through promoting the Persian language and culture, as well as Armenian and Central Asian cultures; and has helped bring about the initiation and the expansion of the Persian studies programs at various educational entities. Mr. Rastegar currently resides in Atlanta, where he is intensively involved within the Iranian-American Community." 

He serves on the advisory board for the National Iranian American Council.