Moe understands better than most that Columbia is a special place. He came here from Beirut 40 years ago to escape the horrors of Lebanon’s civil war. He was a frightened teenager, but the people here welcomed him with open arms.

He knew right away that Columbians were the kindest, absolute best people you’ll find anywhere – and that this was the place he wanted to forever call home.

At that early age Moe learned the value of hard work as he embarked on his pursuit of the American Dream. He pushed himself to learn the language and the customs, enrolled at Midlands Tech, and got a job to pay his way through school. He transferred to USC’s School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management, where he earned a b.s. degree and would later earn my masters.

At age 26, hard work paid off: Moe bought his first business and began a business career. He also made a commitment to always do his part to make his city a better place; he began volunteering as a firefighter and became active in the community.

Years later, after the birth of his first son, Moe pursued a different kind of service: He ran for City Council. He saw it as a way to better serve his community, and felt his business experience would give him a valuable perspective on Council.

Today, Moe is the proud father of two amazing boys, Eli and Zeke, and more committed than ever to preserving our quality of life and creating a better, brighter future for Columbia. He wants his sons to have the same opportunities he was blessed with, and to know the Columbia he fell in love with long ago.

And he remains dedicated to making Columbia the best city it can be. On Council, he has championed strong public safety, sound financial policies and quality of life improvements such as flood relief. Aside from his elected service, his community involvement includes serving as chairman of the Rosewood Crawfish Festival and volunteering in support of organizations such as the Mental Illness Recovery Center Inc. (MIRCI), and local charities and schools.

In 2014 he was received an Alumni of the Year award from School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, where he received his b.s. and masters degrees. Moe and his two boys are huge Gamecock fans.