Fatih Yanik

President

As President of the Fethullah Gulen Legacy Foundation, Fatih Yanik leads the board, oversees media relations, and provides vision and direction for the organization’s programs and outreach. He has served as an intra-faith and interfaith dialogue coordinator in multiple states and has volunteered for over seven years as a youth mentor within the Hizmet Movement, organizing camps and activities across the United States.

Fatih holds a bachelor’s degree in Creative Media from the University of Hawaii and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Islamic Studies at Respect Graduate School. Professionally, he spent three years at ʻŌlelo Community Television, a nonprofit public-access tv station, and now works as a Senior Broadcast Engineer at PBS, a nationally recognized nonprofit media organization.

As the youngest founding member Fatih has an energetic and fresh demeanor. With extensive experience in nonprofit media and years of grassroots coordination in the Hizmet Movement, Fatih brings a unique blend of technical expertise, leadership, and community engagement to his role at the Foundation.

Murtaza Ozdemir

Secretary

Educational Technologist • Computer Programmer • Data Specialist

Murtaza Ozdemir is a lifelong advocate of the Hizmet Movement, having first encountered its principles of education, service, and justice as a middle school student in 1983. Deeply inspired by the teachings of Fethullah Gülen, he has devoted his career to advancing education through thoughtful leadership, data-informed decision-making, and the ethical use of technology. With more than 30 years dedicated to education and the Hizmet philosophy, Murtaza has committed himself to the meaningful task of nurturing and empowering youth across diverse communities. After graduating with a B.S. in Mathematics from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul in 1995, Murtaza immediately set out abroad to dedicate his life to education across international borders. Since then, he has lived and worked continuously outside of Turkey, moving from one educational institution to another, always in service of fostering learning, character development, and cross-cultural understanding. He later earned a Master’s in Educational Technology from William Paterson University in New Jersey, USA. With decades of experience in both classroom instruction and educational leadership, Murtaza has consistently worked at the intersection of academic excellence and civic responsibility—guided by Hizmet’s mission to serve humanity through knowledge. His professional journey has included impactful roles at both national and international institutions, including:

• SMU Pribadi, Jakarta, Indonesia

• Horizon Science Academy, Ohio, USA

• Wisconsin Career Academy, Wisconsin, USA

• Paterson Charter School for Science & Technology, New Jersey, USA

• Bergen Arts and Science Charter School, New Jersey, USA

• iLearn Schools, New Jersey, USA

Throughout these roles, Murtaza has become known for his commitment to educational innovation, fostering inclusive and collaborative learning environments, and empowering educators through the strategic use of technology and data. His leadership reflects a deep moral commitment to service, paired with a student-centered, future-focused approach. He remains a devoted advocate for equitable, values-based education, and views every project as an opportunity to fulfill Hizmet’s core ideals—uplifting individuals through knowledge, compassion, and purposeful contribution to society.

Mustafa ParDane

Treasurer

As Treasurer of the Fethullah Gulen Legacy Foundation, Mustafa ParDane leads the board’s financial governance. His responsibilities include maintaining oversight of all financial assets, budgets, and reporting, and advising the board on financial strategy and risk management. He also oversees the preparation of financial statements, IRS Form 990, and audits, while developing financial policies and internal controls for the organization.

Mustafa considers himself “born in Hizmet,” having heard the word from his earliest years. His father gifted him Kucuk Sozler in Barla before he could read, and he first saw Fethullah Gulen in Erzurum around age three. He is a graduate of the Hizmet-affiliated Aziziye College, which he attended from K-12. Mustafa holds a bachelor’s degree from Bogazici University, where he served in several roles within the Hizmet Movement throughout his college years.

After moving to the US in 2015, Mustafa transitioned into a career in software engineering. He joined Google, where he currently works as a Software Engineer in Boulder, Colorado. Drawing on one year of non-profit board experience and a lifelong connection to the Hizmet movement, Mustafa brings a unique blend of analytical expertise and dedicated service to the Foundation.