CAL SOUTH PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, September 2, 2009

CAL SOUTH SRA GEORGE NOUJAIM ANNOUNCES NEW STATE REFEREE COMMITTEE SELECTIONS

State Director of Instruction - Nasser Sarfaraz
State Director of Assessment - Arturo Angeles
State Director of Assignors - Dan Goldmann
State Youth Mentor Program - Toros Kibritjian
State Referee Committee Secretary - Dan Sobieski

FULLERTON, CA (Wednesday, September 2, 2009) - Cal South State Referee Administrator George Noujaim announced today his selections for the new Cal South State Referee Committee, who will combine to administer and nurture the various levels of the Cal South Referee Program, as well as serving the entire Southern California referee membership.

Those newly named to State Referee Committee (SRC) positions are State Director of Assessment Arturo Angeles, State Director of Instruction Nasser Sarfaraz, State Director of Assignors Dan Goldmann, State Referee Committee Secretary Dan Sobieski, and Toros Kibritjian as the Director of Cal South's State Youth Mentor Program. The now completed State Referee Committee also includes current sitting State Youth Referee Administrator Larry Yee.

"It was important for us to assemble a team which would not only allow us to expand the reach of our programs, but to also maintain the highest level of service to our members," said Noujaim. "Judging from their extensive credentials and combined experience across the soccer spectrum, the new Cal South State Referee Committee will prove itself to be the benchmark for excellence in referee development."

"Speaking for the Cal South Board of Directors, we are very pleased with George's selections for the State Referee Committee," said Cal South President Gregg Falk. "The choice of Arturo, Nasser and the rest point to the great leap forward Cal South is seeking to make in developing its referee program into the future. We wish them the greatest success in their efforts."

New State Director of Assessment Arturo Angeles comes to the Cal South State Referee Committee with a wealth of officiating experience at nearly every level of the soccer world. This includes refereeing for the MLS (1995-1998), the 1994 World Cup, the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the U.S. Cup and the U.S. Armed Forces World Cup through the 1990s, the U19 World Cup and the Maccabean Games in Israel in 1989, the NASL (North American Soccer League, 1980-1984), and at numerous US Youth Soccer tournaments (1975-1998).

New State Director of Instruction Nasser Sarfaraz has served as a National-level assessor, instructor and referee inspector for US Soccer, with whom he also holds an "A" level coaching license. Dan Goldmann, the new State Director of Assignors, has been a soccer referee assignor for the past 25 years. He was a USSF National Soccer Referee for nine years, and actively refereed in the ASL, the NASL, and the MISL (Major Indoor soccer League).

Toros Kibritjian, the new Director of the State Youth Mentor Program, served on the FIFA Referee Panel from 1968 through 1983, and officiated in 49 full international and CONCACAF championship games throughout his career. He has also served as a USSF National Assessor and lecturer, a state referee instructor, and as an NISOA National Assessor. New SRC Secretary Dan Sobieski is a USSF State Emeritus Referee who has also served on the national level with NISOA and AYSO, as well as a high school referee.

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CAL SOUTH PRESS RELEASE - Wednesday, August 21, 2009

CAL SOUTH SELECTS GEORGE NOUJAIM AS THE NEW STATE REFEREE ADMINISTRATOR (SRA)
The SRA position promotes and carries out all USSF National and Cal South Referee Development
programs for all affiliated soccer in Southern California

Fullerton, CA (August 21, 2009) - Cal South (the California State Soccer Association - South) officially announced today the naming of George Noujaim as their new State Referee Administrator (SRA).

Cal South was named an official "joint" Youth and Adult State Association back in March by the U.S. Soccer Federation and along with this comes the responsibility of having all of the State Referee Committee activities falling under the Cal South umbrella which includes the facilitation of all US Soccer Referee certifications and national referee development programs.

"We were thrilled with the quality of candidates that applied for the position," said Cal South President Gregg Falk. "George has a well thought-out vision and possesses the perfect blend of referee credentials, leadership and a professional background that will serve him well in guiding and growing the Cal South Referee Programs going forward."

Cal South has long been the progressive leader in referee development on the youth side with its Referee Mentor program; R9 USSF Referee courses; youth referee camps and the high-level referee assignments and assessments that occur throughout the State and National Cup competitions. Noujaim has not only been tasked with continuing and growing Cal South's success in these areas, but also will look to implement new programs and work cooperatively with the referee and soccer community throughout all of Southern California.

"I am honored to serve the board and the referees in Cal South," said Noujaim. "I will bring common sense, integrity, and loyalty to the game. I am gratified to be joining Cal South in order to help shape the destiny of the referee community, so they may excel on and off the field of play for years to come."

Noujaim arrives at his new Cal South post with an impressive list of credentials, which led to his induction into the NISOA (National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association) National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001. Starting out as a player for Chico State University, where he was a member of the NCAA Division II Championship Team in 1971, Noujaim went on to a prominent National USSF-ranked refereeing career which includes over 25 full international game assignments before being named to a FIFA Panel in 1992, when he was assigned to officiate in the World Cup preliminary games in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico, as well as several assignments at the CONCACAF Championships.

Noujaim was also selected as a referee for ten consecutive years at the local, regional and national NCAA Divisions I, II and III Men's and Women's Collegiate Final Four. He officiated six times at the National Finals of the NAIA Men/Women Division, and four times at the World Collegiate Championships held in New Mexico. He is currently certified as holding National Assessor status with the USSF and NISOA; as a State USSF Instructor; and as an NISOA National Clinician. Noujaim is also a member of the NSCAA, appearing frequently at their conventions as a guest speaker.

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LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

If you are planning on upgrading to and/or maintaining a state level grade, we have obtained official approval to:

- Extend the deadline for completing the assessments for the 2009 registration year into 2009.
- Waive one assessment. This is just a one-time action that applies only to the 2009 registration year. The waived assessment willnot have to be done later.

We thank Mr. Brooks McCormick, National Referee Committee Chairman, for considering and acting on our requests that will help our state referees meet their requirements for 2009.

Referees please submit your registration application, paperwork ASAP, as we're tracking your progress in meeting the requirements.