HAFFAR, Rif K. 1955-

PERSONAL:

Born August 14, 1955, in Damascus, Syria; U.S. citizen; son of Kamal (a farmer and poet) and Najwa (a writer and editor; maiden name, Shahine) Haffar. Education: Portland State University, M.B.A., 1990. Hobbies and other interests: Motorcycling, travel, soccer.

ADDRESSES:

Office—P.O. Box 30161, Seattle, WA 98103-0161. E-mail—rhaffar@yahoo.com.

CAREER:

Electric Lightwave, Inc., Vancouver, WA, director of sales and operations, 1991-94; GST Telecommunications, Vancouver, WA, vice president for operations, 1994-95; WinStar Communications, Inc., Falls Church, VA, senior vice president for engineering and network operations for WinStar Telecom, 1996-2000; Lexent, Inc., New York, NY, executive vice president for marketing and business development, 2000-01; writer, 2001—.

MEMBER:

North American Travel Journalists Association, Publishers Marketing Association.

WRITINGS:

Away from My Desk: A Round-the-World Detour from the Rat Race, the Tech Wreck, and the Traffic Jam of Life in America, Ameera Publishing, 2002.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Research for a book about Canada.

SIDELIGHTS:

Rif K. Haffar told CA: "I have written for as long as I can remember, but Away from My Desk: A Round-the-World Detour from the Rat Race, the Tech Wreck, and the Traffic Jam of Life in America is my first published work. Having crossed Canada by motorbike, now I intend to write a book about the experience, showcasing Canada's natural wonders and social identity. It is not writing that attracts me as much as doing something worth writing about. The book follows almost effortlessly."