Lori Wood
Founder, Fez Medina
California & Fez, Morocco

Lori Wood founded Fez Medina in 2000. She has an extensive background in the field of artist residency programs, arts and social entrepreneurship. Lori directed the Villa Montalvo Artist Residency Program in California from 1991-1995 and served on the boards of both the Alliance of Artists Communities and Res Artis: The International Network of Residential Arts Centres. During this period she was based in Fes, where she studied Arabic at the Arabic Language Institute. Sometimes from the edge of the Sahara desert and sometimes in the traditional house she was renovating in the medieval medina of Fez, she was in contact with residency programs around the world. Since 2006 she has worked with the National Steinbeck Center, directing the Steinbeck Festival and founding the Steinbeck Festival International Fringe Fest, with partners in Cities of Letters around the world, including Cairo, Buenos Aires, Paris, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, HaNoi, Port-au-Prince, and other locales. From 2009-2013, she is coordinating a series of worldwide residencies for Arab writers under the age of 39, in partnership with the Alliance of Alliance Communities and Beirut39, a project of the Hay Festival in Wales.

Lori holds a BA in Literature from Harvard College, an MBA from The Wharton School, and a Masters in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Lori's U.S. base is in California.

Aicha Ouali Alami

Aicha Ouali Alami acts as the first point of contact for Fes Medina guests, coordinating all aspects of their stay in Fes prior to their arrival. Aicha speaks Arabic, French and English. Aicha also works as a secretary for Restore Plus, a company that provides restoration and renovation services in Fes, from traditional houses to the walls of the medieval medina.

Aicha received her degree in international trade from ETIGE, the Technical School of Computer Science and Electronics in Fes. She also studied at ISTA, the Institute of Applied Technology in Fes. She completed internships in the transit office at IBTITEX clothing company, at ZURIKH ASSURANCE insurance firm, and at SAIMACO company, specializing in olives and pickles. She trained at AMSSF, the Moroccan Association of Solidarity without Borders, and at ODEP, the Office of Port Operations in Casablanca, and worked as an executive assistant at the Sbai Family Import-Export Company.


Hafid el Amrani
Manager, Pasha Baghdadi Massriya
Based in the Fez Medina

Hafid el Amrani is the Manager of Fes Medina, and the main point of contact for Fes Medina guests once they arrive in Fes.

Hafid el Amrani also is the Founder of Restore Plus, a company that provides restoration and renovation services in Fes. Over the last seven years, Hafid has restored 15 traditional houses in the medina of Fes, and worked with ADER to restore the walls of Bab Makina. Hafid is also the owner of Dar Jnane.