Paul Burke’s academic experience at GMU provided a foundation for life-long military, public and non-profit service, leading organizations to accomplish their missions. After GMU, he completed Infantry Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, serving in Vietnam as a combat signal officer and was twice awarded the Bronze Star. He received a Master’s Degree from George Washington University. Mr. Burke’s public service includes the White House Office for Drug Abuse Prevention and the Department of Energy, Assistant Administrator of Petroleum Operations. His duties expanded to include coordination with the International Energy Agency, alternate energy, and Chairman, Renewable Fuels Association. From 1984 – 2007 he helped lead different non-profit organizations focused on critical areas of concern to Americans: White House Young Astronauts International, Special Olympics, United Cerebral Palsy, and the National Childhood Cancer Foundation. Burke became CEO of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation in 2007. After his retirement in 2017, he continues to serve on multiple charitable Boards.

George Mason University has been a part of Joe Costantini’s life for over 50 years. He has a two year associate’s certificate, an MS in engineering, and a PhD in Information Technology from George Mason, as well as a BA and a MEd from the University of Virginia. While at the University, he met his wife, Carol, and they will soon celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Having raised 2 children, they now have four grandchildren. Costantini retired after 30 years in the Intelligence Community having worked at the NSA, DIA, CIA, and the FBI participating in the growth of a new field called cyber security. As a result of his work, Costantini received the Director of National Intelligence’ (DNI) Career Intelligence Medal (CIM) and the CIA Bronze Medal as well as 22 Exceptional Performance Appraisals and a CIA fellowship to George Mason to pursue a Doctorate in Information Technology. After his fellowship, he was offered a teaching position at GMU as an adjunct professor in Computer Security and found that he really enjoyed teaching interested adults. After retiring from the CIA, he secured a Visiting Professorship with a major commercial university and continued that for 13 years, retiring in 2017. Costantini now works part time as a subject matter expert (SME) for a small business. In those 51 years, Joe Costantini attended GMU for three degrees (AA, MS, and PhD), the University of Virginia for two degrees (BA and MEd), and has used that learning to teach others; contribute to a new and increasingly important field (cyber security), and raise a family. As he said, “I have been very fortunate, some would say blessed, in my career and I owe much of that blessing to GMU, its professors, and its programs. Thank you GMU.”

Helen Montague Prichard Foster, M.D., Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, is a writer and retired psychiatrist. She graduated from George Mason in 1969 with a BA in English and has been married almost fifty years to fellow George Mason graduate, Thomas C. Foster, a retired lawyer. They were the first married couple to graduate from George Mason. Dr. Foster received her MD and completed psychiatric residency training at the Medical College of Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University. She worked in private practice in Richmond, Virginia until her retirement in 2016 at age seventy and was a clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University, supervising psychotherapy and teaching advocacy to residents. She volunteered at the Fan Free Clinic in Richmond, VA. Her poems have appeared in JAMA, Hektoen International, Rattle, and The Pharos. Dr. Foster and her husband have two children and four grandchildren.

Jay Coakley received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education in 1978 and his master’s degree in Educational Leadership in 1993 from George Mason University. Jay is currently in his 36th year of teaching in Fairfax County. He spent 28 of those years at Lake Braddock Secondary School where he taught PE, mentored student teachers from GMU, and served as the assistant to the Director of Students Activities. After one year of retirement Jay went back to teaching PE at Woodburn Elementary School. It was there that he met a very special kindergartener named Ellie who at the time was battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. For the Christmas of 2013, Jay decided to collect some hats for Ellie and her friends who were also battling cancer. This inspired Jay to start a non-profit organization, Ellie’s Hats, to donate hats to children battling cancer. Coakley and his wife, an elementary school principal in Fairfax County and a GMU Grad, have two grown children.

Richard E. Gardiner is a judge of the Fairfax County Circuit Court, having been appointed by the General Assembly in 2017 after a temporary appointment by the Governor in 2016. Prior to that, Judge Gardiner served on the Fairfax County General District Court from 2013 to 2016. Before going on the bench, he practiced law for nineteen years. Based in Fairfax, he focused on criminal defense, civil litigation, and administrative law. Judge Gardiner graduated in 1978 from what is now the Antonin Scalia Law School of George Mason University. He has regularly volunteered and served as a judge in the Law School’s student moot court competitions where students have an opportunity to hone their advocacy skills. Judge Gardiner has been married for 31 years to Malgorzata Gardiner; they have two adult children, Thomas and Joanna. He has lived in Fairfax County for almost 40 years.

Michael Kutsch has over 35 years of entrepreneurial experience identifying successful business ideas and creating the infrastructure and processes to execute against them. His broad background includes founding, building, and acquiring various business interests and generating substantial value through effectively managing the operational and financial aspects of dynamic businesses. Most recently, he co-founded and served as COO and CFO of Saracen Energy Advisors in Houston where he was responsible for creating and managing all operational and financial aspects of an energy commodity hedge fund which peaked at over $1.7 billion in assets under management and over 100 employees. Prior to Saracen, Kutsch spent the majority of his career in Boston as President, CEO, and founder of Vitol Gas & Electric. Vitol Gas & Electric was the largest privately held multi-commodity energy marketing and trading company in the country with over $4 billion in annual turnover and 100 employees prior to being sold to Avista Corp. Following Vitol Gas & Electric, he created and managed a $25 million investment fund focused on funding and mentoring early state technology companies with innovative technologies requiring commercial assistance. Prior to Vitol Gas & Electric, Kutsch served as EVP and CFO of Yankee Companies, Inc., a publicly traded diversified energy and financial services company with business activities in oilfield services, oil & gas production, and energy commodity marketing and trading. He holds both a B.S. degree in economics from Mount St. Mary’s College and an M.B.A. in finance from George Mason University.

From working as a young boy in the tobacco fields of Annapolis, Maryland, to becoming a dealer principal with one of the largest minority-owned commercial truck and school-bus dealerships in North America, Stephen W. Neal is CEO of K. Neal International Trucks, Inc. and K. Neal Idealease, Inc. Prior to his current role, Neal worked for Giant for over 25 years as a retail executive with in-depth experience leading and managing all associated functions of the chain including; Operations, Strategic Planning, Finance, Administration, Customer Service, Sales and Marketing all while overseeing more than 26,000 employees. In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Board of SHABACH! Ministries, Inc., he also serves as a board member for Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition, Board of Visitors of Bowie State University, Maryland Governor’s Workforce Investment Board, and Maryland Comptroller Franchot’s Business Advisory Board. Neal’s success was built on several foundations that he learned while attending George Mason University, and he is a proud patriot! He has been a resident of Prince George’s County for over 45 years, residing in Bowie, MD, and is the father of two adult children, Kandyce and Korey Neal.

Dr. Omary is Executive Vice-Dean for Research at the University of Michigan Medical School, Chief Scientific Officer of Michigan Medicine, and Professor of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, as well as
H Marvin Pollard Professor of Gastroenterology Professor, Internal Medicine. Dr. Omary’s areas of interest are: His laboratory has worked on intermediate filament proteins since 1989, and our work focuses on understanding the disease association, function and regulation of keratins and lamins in digestive organs. A related relevant area of focus is drug screening to identify potential compound that may have therapeutic benefit for the more than 70 intermediate filament associated diseases for which directed therapies are completely lacking. Two other major areas we are involved with are aimed at defining biomarkers for acute and chronic liver and pancreatic diseases, and pursuing molecular understanding of porphyria pathogenesis and related therapeutic approaches. He received a PhD from the University of California San Diego in 1980 and his MD from the University of Miami in 1984.

Patrick Walters is currently Inova Health System’s EVP - Chief Human Resources Officer. He has been a member of Inova’s senior leadership team for more than 25 years. His responsibilities have included executive leadership of multiple Inova Hospitals and operating entities; Inova construction, zoning, and real estate strategies; hospital mergers and acquisitions; development and operations of multiple joint ventures; strategic planning; and disaster preparedness. Mr. Walters’ early career included executive and financial leadership positions in other healthcare organizations in the northern Virginia region. For this, he credits Mason: “George Mason prepared me well for my career by providing broad exposure to business fundamentals and advanced analytics; respect and appreciation for multiple points of view; understanding of the strength and value of flexibility in a rapidly changing environments; experience working with and supporting colleagues; and significant enhancement of my written, oral, and presentation skills.” Walters lives in Annandale with his wife Linda, BSN `96 and MSN `98. They have 2 children, their spouses, and one grandson, all of whom live in the metro area.

Shaza L. Andersen is Vice Chair of the Board of Sandy Spring Bank. Prior to joining the Board, Ms. Andersen founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of WashingtonFirst Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of WashingtonFirst Bankshares, Inc. Andersen’s leadership grew the Bank from a single De Novo branch to over $2 billion in assets, with 19 branches in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.  Sandy Spring acquired WashingtonFirst in January 2018 in a transaction valued at $447m. Andersen is also a member of the Board of Directors of Amalgamated Casualty Insurance Company and a past member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, where she was the Vice Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee, a member of the Housing Committee and also served on the Treasury Board of Virginia. Andersen founded the WashingtonFirst Youth Foundation (WFYF), a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to enriching the physical, social, and mental well-being of children.

Anousheh Ansari is an Iranian-American engineer, co-founder and chairwoman of Prodea Systems. Her previous business accomplishments include serving as co-founder and CEO of Telecom Technologies, Inc. (TTI). The Ansari family is also the title sponsor of the Ansari X Prize. On September 18, 2006, a few days after her 40th birthday, she became the first Iranian in space. Ansari was the fourth overall self-funded space traveler, and the first self-funded woman to fly to the International Space Station. Her memoir, My Dream of Stars, co-written with Homer Hickam, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2010. At the 89th Academy Awards, Ansari accepted an Oscar for “The Salesman,” Best Foreign Language Film, on behalf of Iranian director Asghar Farhadi.

Sima Assefi was born in Tehran, Iran and fled her home country following political unrest. She and her sister fled to attend secondary school in Kent, England. She worked in bakeries, at a taxi company, and as a waitress and bartender to pay her way through school and help support her younger brother, studying in the UK. Today, Dr. Assefi is Supervising Physician for MedExpress, and a traveling physician dedicated to serving in medically under-served rural areas of Pennsylvania. She has worked more than 4,000 hours at 22 urgent care centers and has treated more than 12,000 patients from rural areas. Assefi received the Consilium Staffing 2017 Distinguished Service Award.

 Mrs. Cauffman is the Earth Science Division Deputy Director at NASA HQ. She provides executive leadership, strategic direction, and overall management for the entire agency’s multi-billion-dollar Earth Science portfolio. Prior to NASA HQ, she worked at the NASA GSFC serving in a variety of roles: Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series Deputy Systems Program Director; Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission Deputy Project Manager; Flight Projects Directorate Assistant Director, and others. She is the recipient of the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals, four NASA Acquisition Improvement Awards, and other numerous awards. She joined NASA in 1991. Mrs. Cauffman is a Senior Fellow on the Council for Excellence in Government. She is an Honorary Member of the National Academy of Sciences, Costa Rica. Cauffman received a double B.S. Physics and Electrical Engineering and a M.S. Electrical Engineering, all from George Mason University. She was born in Costa Rica.

Karen Dale is the Market President for AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia (DC), one of the largest Medicaid managed care organizations in Washington, D.C. Prior to leading AmeriHealth Caritas DC, Dale served as Executive Vice President of Health Care Management at DC Chartered Health Plan Inc. (Chartered). At Chartered, she led key initiatives that strategically positioned the organization as a market leader with innovative solutions for the critical challenges faced by its members. Dale is a highly skilled, visionary leader who has dedicated her entire career to helping others and ensuring equal health opportunities for populations at risk. In addition, her philosophy that all persons deserve access to the right care, without barriers, starting where they are, has led to several collaborative relationships with providers, community partners, philanthropists, and businesses to develop evidence-based population health strategies. Karen Dale holds a Master of Science degree in psychiatric mental health nursing from The Catholic University, Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from George Mason University. She was a member of the Leadership Greater Washington Class of 2003. She serves as Board Chair for CommonHealth ACTION and as a board member for both Volunteers of America National Services and the Volunteers of America National Board.

Suzanne Devlin retired from the Fairfax County Police Department where she served the Acting Police Chief as Lieutenant Colonel in charge of Special Operations, Major Crimes and the Northern Virginia Regional Intelligence Center. Currently, she is employed by Loudoun County Public Schools and is in charge of Safety and Security for 90 Schools with a population of over 81,000 students. Her primary duties are overseeing Emergency Planning and the physical infrastructure and personnel supporting safety and security. Ms. Devlin spent 15 years as an adjunct instructor for both Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University. She has published several articles related to Mass Casualty, and has completed and published research for the USDOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing. In 2016, she was noted for her contributions to Community Oriented Policing in a book by NPR Reporter, Tom Gjelton: “A Nation of Nations, A great American Immigration Story.” Previously, Devlin was a Senior Principal Intelligence Analyst in the Global Analysis Division of BAE Systems and worked as a Senior Law Enforcement Advisor at the Department of Homeland Security. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and a Master of Science in Conflict Management from George Mason University, and she is a certified Public Manager and recent graduate of FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute. Devlin is married, has two children, two grandchildren, and resides in Fairfax Station, Virginia.

Lee Glazer is curator of American art at the Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler Galleries and is an expert on late-nineteenth-century American painting. Since joining the museum in 2007, she has organized many exhibitions, including “Peacock Room REMIX: Darren Waterston’s Filthy Lucre,” which won the Smithsonian Secretary’s Research Award in 2016. She is the author of a number of books, most recently Charles Lang Freer: A Cosmopolitan Life (2017). In 2011 she reinstalled the renowned Peacock Room to its appearance in 1908, when its shelves were filled with ceramics from all over Asia, and she is the author of the accompanying publication The Peacock Room Comes to America (2012). After earning a BA with distinction from George Mason in 1984, Lee received her MA in English literature from Yale University and PhD in the history of art from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives on Capitol Hill with her husband, Evan Pehrson, and has three nearly-grown children.

Al Johnson has served as President of Allen F. Johnson & Associates (AFJ) since 2005 a global business and consulting firm. Previously he was an Ambassador in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in the Executive Office of the President. Johnson was responsible for all U.S. agricultural negotiations globally and resolving bilateral issues and disputes with U.S. trading partners. He has been EVP of Hauck & Associates, President of the National Oilseed Processors Association, President of the American Coke and Coal Chemicals Institute, Consultant for Marakon Associates, and CEO of the Iowa soybean growers’ association and promotion boards. He also served as a Legislative Assistant to Senator Charles Grassley. He has been on several boards and involved in various entrepreneurial and philanthropic activities. In addition to his BS in Business Management from GMU, he has an MBA and MA in Food Research from Stanford University. He grew up working on farms in Long Grove, Iowa. He and his wife, Sandra, have 4 children and live in McLean. He is currently a Member of the GMU School of Business Dean’s Council. While at GMU, he was President of the Student Government, Chairman of the College Republicans, member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and active in many other student organizations. The education, leadership and social opportunities available at GMU were essential to his professional and personal development. GMU provided a strong foundation for his understanding of business, problem solving and community service.

Lieutenant Colonel Tracy Russillo was drawn to a career in law enforcement through her desire to serve others. Realizing the challenges facing law enforcement professionals, Lieutenant Colonel Russillo knew the genesis of a successful career starts with a solid educational foundation, which she found at GMU because of its well established reputation, innovative approach and the opportunity to learn from highly respected law enforcement leaders. Russillo graduated from GMU in 1988 with a B.S. in Law Enforcement Administration and began her career with the Virginia State Police in 1989. During her 28 year career with the Department, Russillo rose through the ranks to attain her current position as Deputy Superintendent, the second in command and highest ranking woman in the Department’s history. She credits GMU with providing her the ability to embrace challenges and expanding opportunities for the betterment of Virginia’s communities.

Muna AbuSulayman has had immense experience in the field of development, women empowerment, and poverty alleviation. She was appointed by the UNDP as the first Saudi Arabian woman to become a Goodwill Ambassador, as well as UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador. Ms. AbuSulayman also built the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation from the ground up and served as the Secretary General and Executive Director.  She focused on four areas; promoting East/West dialogue, women empowerment poverty alleviation and disaster relief.  In addition, AbuSulayman’s role as co-host of the Arab world’s #1 talk show has served as a public platform to discuss social issues. She serves as board member for Gloworks, a social enterprise to assist Saudi women find jobs. She is a Regional Expert for the UN World Humanitarian Summit, and advisor/board member for several other socially driven establishments. AbuSulayman has been named one of the “100 Most Powerful Arabs” by Gulf Business Magazine for her work on Entrepreneurship and Humanitarian Development. She is only the second Saudi woman to be included on this gender-neutral list, alongside 24 other Arab and Arab Diaspora women.

Hala Gorani is an anchor and correspondent for CNN International and is based in London. She anchors Hala Gorani Tonight, a show that brings viewers into the heart of CNN's International newsgathering operation and immerses them in the latest stories of the day. In addition to her anchoring duties, Gorani often goes into the field to report on major breaking news stories. Most recently covering the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon in 2014. Hala also covered the 2012 Egyptian Elections and has previously reported extensively from Jordan and Egypt. She was instrumental in CNN's coverage of the Arab Spring. Gorani, one of CNN's most experienced international journalists, has reported from every country in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. She was instrumental in CNN International's coverage of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in 2006, for which CNN won an Edward R. Murrow Award. Gorani was also one of the CNN journalists awarded a News and Documentary Emmy for the network's coverage of the 2011 Egyptian revolution that led to the ousting of the country's then president, Hosni Mubarak. In 2017, she was named “One of the World’s 10 Most Powerful Women” by Forbes Middle East. As a Mason student, Gorani wrote editorials and movie reviews and covered events for the campus newspaper, Broadside.

Brigadier General Joe Berger currently serves as the Commander, U.S. Army Legal Services Agency and Chief Judge, U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals. A graduate of the U.S Military Academy, he received his JD from the George Mason University School of Law in 1998 and transferred to the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps. Career highlights include serving as the senior legal advisor for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), the Joint Special Operations Command, and the Army's Cyber Command. During the Iraq "surge", he mentored Iraqi judges and prosecutors and later represented the Army's interests to Congress as the senior lawyer for the Army's Chief Legislative Liaison. BG Berger has deployed to Somalia, Kosovo, and numerous times each to Iraq and Afghanistan. He and his wife, Brenna, have two children.

Charniele Herring represents the 46th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. She is a former chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia and currently serves as Chair of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus. A resident of Virginia for over 30 years, Mason’s STEP program helped her attend college after a bout of homelessness as a teenager. Since then she has been an outspoken advocate for women and young people, fighting to make the Commonwealth a great place to live and work. An attorney, she currently works as COO of Admin Logistic, Inc and is in the process of launching her own mediation practice based in Northern Virginia.

Following her graduation from GMU in 1992, D. Noelani Kalipi has focused her professional career on influencing positive social change from grassroots advocacy to all levels of government through activities associated with federal policy, social justice, community-based economic development with native communities, social enterprise development, and non-profit education programs. After receiving her law degree in 1995, Ms. Kalipi served on active duty in the U.S. Army JAG Corps. She later served as Counsel to U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka and was promoted to Democratic Staff Director for the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Since 2006 Kalipi has been engaged in making Hawaii’s clean energy and sustainability goals a reality through wind and solar energy. She has worked to strengthen community-based economic development in native communities and is currently the Executive Director of the Kohala Institute, an entity focused on deepening connection and human collaboration for a sustainable world.

Edward G. Lengel received his B.A. in History from George Mason University in 1991, and in 1998 he received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, where he directed the Washington Papers Project for many years. He served as Chief Historian of the White House Historical Association from 2016 to 2018. Lengel has written several books on George Washington and World War I, and his next book, titled Never in Finer Company: The Men of the Great War’s Lost Battalion, will be published in September 2018. Lengel leads history and battlefield tours throughout Europe and the United States. He writes regularly for Military History Quarterly, American History and other periodicals, and has made television and radio appearances on The History Channel, Fox News, SiriusXM, and National Public Radio. He also appears on the World War I Centennial Commission’s weekly podcast.

Andy Levin has worked on the legal, finance, and public policy sides of the media and entertainment industry for nearly 30 years. He is a lawyer and a CPA, and has helped close business transactions of many shapes and sizes. As general counsel of Clear Channel Communications, he led the IPOs of Live Nation and Clear Channel Outdoor, and managed the sale of the company to private equity in a $24 billion leveraged buy-out, then the third largest transaction of its kind in history. Levin currently serves as general counsel of Relativity Media, a film production company in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Relativity, Levin worked as a public policy adviser, serving in Washington as U.S. head of government affairs for T-Mobile.  Before joining the private sector, Levin served as counsel to Chairman John D. Dingell on the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee. As committee counsel, Levin helped write key legislation that continues to govern the industry today, including the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. 

The Honorable Petula C. Metzler serves as a judge on the Prince William General District Court in Manassas, Virginia. She presides over traffic cases, bond motions, misdemeanor and felony criminal offenses, protective order hearings, and all manner of civil litigation including personal injury cases, landlord/tenant matters, and contract disputes. Before becoming a judge, Metzler was a civil litigation, land use & zoning, and eminent domain attorney. She also served as a guardian ad litem: an attorney appointed by the court to represent children in cases where justice demands that the child have his or her own attorney. Metzler was president of the Prince William County Bar Association, an organization of nearly 400 attorneys. She also served on the distinguished faculty of the Virginia State Bar Professionalism Course, a select group of prominent Virginia attorneys and judges appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia to teach new Virginia lawyers about their ethical obligations. Metzler received her law degree from Catholic University Columbus School of Law and her B.A., in English, with distinction, from George Mason University. Metzler is a veteran of the U.S. Army, a hospice volunteer, a former officer in her local Kiwanis Club, and a former foster parent.

Manal Omar is the founder and CEO of Across Red Lines. She has a certification in Global Mental Health – Trauma and Recovery from Harvard Medical School, and is currently a student at Sex Coach University.  She has studied with many spiritual leaders over the last several years to combine the medical and neuroscience of trauma with spiritual practice. Her experience as a humanitarian worker and peacebuilder for over 20 years has connected her with women’s rights groups across the globe. She is a Truman National Security Fellow and an inaugural Foreign Policy Interrupted fellow dedicated to including women in foreign policy and peacebuilding. Previously, she was Associate Vice President for the Middle East and Africa Center at US Institute of Peace.  Omar served as an international advisor for the Libya Stabilization Team in Benghazi in 2011. Prior to that, she served as a regional manager with organizations like Oxfam-GB, Women for Women International, World Bank, and United Nations. Omar was named among “Top 500 World’s Most Influential Arabs”  by Arabia Business Power in 2011 and 2012. She was also recognized among the “500 Most Influential Muslims in the World” by Georgetown University and The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in 2009.  In 2007, Islamic Magazine named Omar one of the ten young visionaries shaping Islam in America.

From 2002 until her retirement in 2015, Dr. Saperstone served as provost of the Annandale Campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), the largest institution of higher education in Virginia and the second largest multi-campus community college in the United States. The Annandale Campus is the largest of the six NOVA campuses, serving over 21,000 students in one of the most diverse areas in the nation.  As provost, she was the chief academic officer and chief administrative officer of the campus. Saperstone was at the Annandale Campus of Northern Virginia for 35 years. In addition to her provost responsibilities, she supervised the Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program, a college access and student success initiative serving more than 7,000 students from 48 high schools.  She also supervised the college Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Saperstone received her D.A. from George Mason University in 1994, an M.S. degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1973, and a B.S. degree from the University of Maryland in 1970. Since Saperstone’s retirement in 2015, she is learning about and engaging in family genealogy research, enjoys knitting for charity, volunteers in her community, and especially relishes spending time with her family.  

Rhea Seehorn is an actress best known for her role as Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul. She is also known for prior roles in NBC’s Whitney, ABC’s I’m With Her and TNT’s Franklin & Bash. Ms. Seehorn’s film credits include roles in the independent features Riders and Floating, and independent shorts The Pitch, The Gentlemen, and The Case Against Karen. Her theater credits include the Broadway production of 45 Seconds from Broadway, as well as roles in The World Over, All My Sons, Stop Kiss, How I Learned to Drive, Freedomland and Marat/Sade.

As CEO of Zelman & Associates, Ivy Zelman, holds roughly 27 years of experience covering housing and housing-related industries. Founded in October 2007, Z&A provides analyses across all aspects of the housing spectrum.  Ivy’s concept for the firm remains strongly rooted in the ability to perform thematic research overlaid with proprietary surveys to produce unparalleled differentiated value added research. For the past 23 years, Institutional Investor has recognized Ivy as one of the most preeminent figures within the housing industry.  Most notably, Institutional Investors - America Research Team rankings placed Ivy and her team with eleven 1st place rankings.  Ivy achieved this record over the years, most notably when she called the top of the housing market in 2005.  In addition, she reinforced her dominant reputation in the industry by calling the bottom of the housing market in January 2012.

Michael Akindele is an entrepreneurial product designer. As a consultant for companies like Bloomberg, Fannie Mae and USAID, he oversees the design and development of database-driven web products and mobile applications. Mr. Akindele earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Information Technology from the Volgneau School of Engineering, with a minor in Business Administration. He began his career with Accenture and thereafter joined a team that developed, produced and distributed an 18-week reality show, The Apprentice: Africa, in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. He was also the Director of Experience Planning for a startup smartphone manufacturer and digital content provider, heading a team that offered 20 million songs and over 1,000 hours of video programming from Sony, Disney, Time-Warner and independent content producers. Michael’s new company, JohnRhoda, is a community of designers, entrepreneurs, engineers and researchers. The company believes design can be utilized as a strategic management tool to create positive impact and is focused on providing exponential solutions to solve tomorrow’s challenges.

Dr. M. Brian Blake is the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Nina Henderson Provost at Drexel University. As the highest ranking academic officer, he oversees all academic programs across the 15 schools and colleges and over 25,000 students. Dr. Blake also held faculty positions at Georgetown University, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Miami.  As a Distinguished University Professor, Dr. Blake has served as advisor for 15 postdoctoral fellows and graduate students and more than 30 undergraduate researchers. He has (co)authored over 200 journal articles, books/book chapters, and refereed conference/workshop papers and he is Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Internet Computing.  He is most known for his contributions to the areas of adaptive, inter-organizational workflow and web services. Dr. Blake’s scholarly activities have been funded by more than $10 million.  Dr. Blake is an ACM Distinguished Scientist and a Sr. Member of the IEEE.

Chris Dibona is the Director of Open Source at Google Inc. and an internationally known and long-time advocate of open source software and related methodologies and “Linux evangelist.” His teams oversee license compliance and supports the open source developer community through programs such as the Google Summer of Code and through the release of open source software projects and patches. Additionally, he runs Google Making Science, an emerging scientific outreach program focused on the maker movement. For Google Ideas, he oversees Uproxy and Project Shield, two projects that try to help people living under repressive regimes. Dibona is a visiting scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management and a member of the US Commerce Department’s Data Advisory Council.

Mary Ann Friesen, PhD, RN, CPHQ is Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ). She serves as the Chair of the Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice (EBP) council at Inova, has been a Principal Investigator for numerous research studies and serves on the Institutional Review Board. Dr. Friesen has system oversight for the Nursing Evidence Based Practice Fellows Program, coordinates nursing research studies for five hospitals and mentors students from various colleges conducting research studies at Inova. The majority of her career has been focused on the improvement of care delivery and developing processes and systems to promote person centered care and optimal outcomes. She has presented at numerous professional conferences and published in various journals. Friesen serves on the Advisory Board for George Mason University College of Health and Human Services. In 2016 she received the Distinguished Alumni Award for George Mason University College of Health and Human Services.

Sasha Hollinger received her BFA in Dance, magna cum laude, from George Mason University in 2009. During her studies she performed the works of choreographers Laura Dean, Susan Marshall, Daniel Ezralow, Kate Skarpetowska, Larry Keigwin, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, Patrick Corbin, Elisa Monte, and David Parsons. Professional work: dancer on “Man in the Mirror” International Tour; a Michael Jackson Musical tribute show (2010), Yolanda/red dress girl in the Second National Tour of Broadway musical “In the Heights” (2011-2012), swing/tree understudy in the musical “FLY” at Dallas Theater Center in Dallas, TX (summer 2013), “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” National Tour as ensemble/Mrs. Potiphar cover (2014-2015), and is currently a member of the Broadway cast of “Hamilton: An American Musical” as ‘the bullet’ (2016-present). Commerical/TV includes work for Adidas, Reebok, “Boardwalk Empire”, “One Life to Live”.

Nicole Lynn Lewis serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Generation Hope, an organization which she founded in 2010. Generation Hope reduces poverty one family at a time by surrounding motivated teen parents and their children with the mentors, emotional support, and financial resources that they need to thrive in college and kindergarten, thereby driving a two-generation solution to poverty. As a former teen mother, Nicole has created a unique organization that is gaining national attention for its focus on college completion and early childhood success for D.C. area young families. As a testament to her work, Nicole has been named a CNN Hero, a Minority Business Leader by the ​Washington Business Journal, and a “Top 40 Under 40” by ​ Washingtonian Magazine. Nicole holds a Master’s degree in Social Policy and Communication from George Mason University and a Bachelor’s degree in English from the College of William & Mary.

Franziska Moeckel is the Assistant Vice President, Personalized Health at Inova. In this role, she oversees the strategy development for genomic test integrations at Inova’s Center for Personalized Health. Ms. Moeckel is the co-creator of MediMap® – Inova’s innovative pharmacogenomic testing program and the institution’s first trademarked product line. With more than ten years of healthcare experience and a deep understanding of precision medicine integration, she is a respected thought leader in the field and consults on best practices for many national organizations. Moeckel earned her Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from George Mason University’s School of Business. She earned her Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland, as well as a certificate in genomic medicine and bioeconomy from the Harvard School of Public Health. She has been published in peer-reviewed journals and trade magazines, quoted in industry-related books, and served on multiple scientific and medical panels. In her free time, Moeckel enjoys traveling to exotic destinations, jumping out of small airplanes, and dancing with the Maasai.

Min Zaw Oo is currently serving as Executive Director at Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security that implements policy research and analysis supporting the peace dialogue and security transition. He set up the first joint-ceasefire mechanism in Myanmar to implement the multiple ceasefire agreements as the Executive Director of the Technical Secretariat Centre of the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC). He is also an adviser to the Peace Commission that reaches out to ethnic armed groups to implement the peace process. He was the Director of Ceasefire Negotiation and Implementation at Myanmar Peace Centre to facilitate the negotiation to achieve historic Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. Min Zaw Oo worked in various international posts, including Afghanistan, before returning to Myanmar. He received a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University, M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University, M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University.

Rose Previte is an award-winning restauranteur in Washington DC. She’s passionate about creating spaces that are true gathering places for a community. She believes deeply that a restaurant is about so much more than food and drink - it’s about the story, the journey, and the collective experience.  Rose comes from a food loving Sicilian-Lebanese family. She spent years helping to run her mother's catering business and restaurant in rural Ohio. Rose spent over a decade working in bars and restaurants and during this time received her master's degree in Public Policy from George Mason University. The dual paths pointed to her goal to both own restaurants and serve and fight for the community and people around her.  Rose married David Greene, an NPR journalist, and joined him when he was posted in Russia. In almost three years’ time the couple traveled to 30 countries, absorbing their street and market foods, and the energy of diverse cultures. These travels reinforced her desire to offer people the chance to taste delicious foods and discover the meaning behind them, which inspired the opening of Compass Rose in 2014. In the first year it was open, Compass Rose was on every best restaurant list in D.C. Compass Rose has been on Eater's 38 Essential Restaurant list since opening and has been mentioned in local and national media including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Food & Wine and Bon Appetit. The restaurant won a 2017 RAMMY for best casual restaurant. Rose was also featured in the April 2017 issue of Washingtonian magazine as one of D.C.'s “40 Under 40” top professionals to watch. And in 2017 she became host of “Check Please, DC”, a popular WETA television show that highlights restaurants in DC, Maryland and Virginia.  Working with her business partner, Mike Schuster, to open Compass Rose fulfilled a lifelong dream of having her own place in her neighborhood. She recently opened her new venture, Maydan, in the same neighborhood. Maydan is an Arabic-rooted word meaning “town square” or “gathering place” and that’s exactly what the restaurant is - a warm, welcoming open space with chefs over a central open flame working on recipes from North Africa, Iran, the Caucasus and beyond. Within its first few months, Maydan has already been named one of the top 20 restaurants in DC by Washingtonian. James Beard also named Maydan one of 28 semifinalists for best new restaurant in the United States. Rose and her husband live a bi-coastal life with homes in D.C. and Los Angeles.

Nathaniel Provencio is the principal of Minnieville Elementary in Prince William County, Virginia.  During his tenure, Minnieville has become a highly successful and celebrated Title 1 school.  Under Mr. Provencio's leadership, Minnieville has been recognized as a PWCS School of Excellence, Virginia Distinguished Title 1 school, and national model Professional Learning Community.  Provencio is frequently sought out to present at regional, state and national conferences on educational topics such as collaborative literacy practices and family engagement. In addition to his work as a school administrator, Provencio is an active member of the V.O.I.C.E. (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) organization which works to empower disenfranchised and under-served communities.  In 2017-2018, Provencio was recognized as the Prince William County Principal of the year and the Washington Post principal of the year.  Provencio earned his Master's degree in education leadership from George Mason University in 2007.

Rion Amilcar Scott’s short story collection, Insurrections (University Press of Kentucky, 2016) was awarded the 2017 PEN/Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction as well as the 2017 Hillsdale Award from the Fellowship of Southern Writers. His work has been published in The Kenyon Review, Crab Orchard Review, PANK, The Rumpus, Fiction International, and Confrontation, among others. He lives in Silver Spring, MD with his wife, Sufiya Abdur-Rahman and his two sons, Samaadi and Madiba. Presently, he teaches English at Bowie State University.

Dr. Alexandra Sims is originally from Richmond, VA. She attended George Mason University, and pursued a bachelor's degree in anthropology while simultaneously completing the prerequisites for medical school. She started her medical career at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, where her interests in patient advocacy and marginalized populations were supplemented in the Community/Urban Health Track. While at GW, Dr. Sims served as a leader in the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) locally and regionally. Dr. Sims completed her Pediatrics Residency at Children's National Health System in Washington, D.C., and served as Chief Resident for the 2016-2017 academic year. Dr. Sims is currently a Children’s National General Academic Pediatrics Fellow 2017-2020 and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her academic interests are in adolescent health, education and learning, justice involved youth, and social determinants of health. 

As Fire Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia, Adam Thiel runs one of the largest “all-hazards” fire and emergency services agencies in the U.S., protecting more than 1.6 million residents in the nation’s fifth-largest city. His 26 years of experience spans five states and includes roles as chief fire officer, incident commander, company officer, fire and emergency services instructor, hazardous materials team leader, paramedic, technical rescuer, structural/wildland firefighter, swift-water rescuer, and rescue SCUBA diver. Mr. Thiel completed his MPA, along with doctoral coursework in public policy, at George Mason University (GMU). Before coming to Philadelphia, Thiel held posts including deputy secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the Commonwealth of Virginia and fire chief in Alexandria, Virginia. He is a former chair of the National Fire Academy Board of Visitors, a GMU Schar School adjunct faculty member, and a 2018 Eisenhower USA Fellow.

Ryan Arnold is the African Operations Director for CARE for AIDS in Kenya, working with HIV-positive parents with the mission of orphan prevention.  Mr. Arnold grew up with adopted and foster siblings. Growing up in this context taught him about love, acceptance, common humanity, and helping those in need. The summer after graduating high school, he lived in Djibouti. There, Arnold met and worked with refugees and people living in slums, and tutored university students in English. It was a formative experience that led him to choose to study Global Affairs at George Mason University. GMU was the perfect place to study global affairs and economics because of the diverse student body and excellent academics.  After graduating, he joined the Peace Corps and served two years in Cameroon. While there, he had a heavy focus on HIV/AIDS, which led to his current role in East Africa. 

Mark Friese heads the Merrill Lynch Special Needs Group (SNG) based in Washington D.C. His group has helped clients and their families plan for their financial futures since he joined Merrill Lynch in 1987. SNG’s focus is to help families navigate the complex world that households with special needs members live in. SNG solutions incorporate multi-generational planning as well as collaboration with Special Needs Attorneys and CPAs and health care workers. SNG are advocates, they have testified in front the U.S. Senate to get new laws passed to help empower special needs citizens. Mr. Fiese’s Mason degree is one of the few degrees in the country focused on Financial Management for Special Need Families. Mark has also earned Certified Special Needs Advisor (CSNA) and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) designations CRPC®. This expertise is particularly powerful in the cash flow planning for special needs situations, which is often multigenerational. Friese has appeared on local T.V. and cable and helps with a radio show that focuses on providing resources and information to the special needs community. He is a board member for many organizations that focus on helping the special needs community, including Shared Horizons, the Special Needs Pooled Trust in Washington D.C., Autism Society of America’s Northern Virginia Chapter and Alexandria Virginia’s Commission on Persons with Disabilities. Friese also serves as a committee member for Autism Speaks and has worked with the National Disabilities Institute in marketing and planning. He has personal experience dealing with special needs children. His son Christopher is autistic. Friese lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

With a background in early education, juggling dozens of tasks is a talent Grace Langham developed while leading a classroom of first graders for years. Now she spends her time orienting tenants and owners to the world of boutique property management as the CEO of Nest DC and part owner of its sister company, Roost DC. Grace leads the strategic direction of Nest and keeps the management efforts running smoothly. She promotes a focus on stellar client services, happy employees, and a healthy workplace that has led to company recognition over the years.  Grace also volunteers as a tutor and serves as board member for For Love of Children, a DC based nonprofit focused ensuring that regardless of zip code, skin color, or family status, every child’s potential is unlocked with the opportunity to achieve a college education. While Teach for America and George Mason brought her to the east coast from Seattle, the people and vibrancy of DC have kept her here!

Fatima M. Smith works at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) as the Associate Director of The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute. Previously, she served as the Assistant Director of Sexual & Intimate Partner Violence, Stalking & Advocacy Services and adjunct professor at VCU. Ms. Smith is a consultant for the University of Richmond Family Law Clinic and a radio show host of Common Thread on WRIR 97.3. Fatima has a passion for anti-violence work, racial justice, and engaging folks in dialogue that ignites action for progress. She was recognized as Richmond Times Dispatch Person of The Year honoree and VCU’s Top 10 Under 10. Smith is a graduate of GMU where she received a B.S. in Administration of Justice and where she founded the Mr. & Miss Black GMU Scholarship Pageant. She received her Master of Social Work from VCU. She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc (Zeta Omicron Chapter) and is married to Julian L. Marsh II.

Christopher A. Miller is a 2015 graduate of the School of Nursing and an active member of George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services Alumni Chapter Board. He currently works as an RN Unit Supervisor in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Inova Fairfax Hospital. His experience includes working as an Emergency Department Registered Nurse at The George Washington University Hospital, ten and a half years in the United States Army as an Infantryman, and four years in the United States Army Reserves as both a Surgical Technician and a Combat Medic. During his military service, Miller deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for a total of twenty-nine months in combat. Some of his notable recognitions are: The Bronze Star Medal, The Combat Infantryman Badge, Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice, two Daisy award nominations, and graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Chris Savage is a 2011 Volgenau School graduate with a degree in Electrical Engineering.  Following his passion for entrepreneurship, in 2014 he founded True Honey Teas, a natural beverage company focused on producing high quality single serve honey & tea blends. Using his engineering knowledge and Mason resources, he developed custom machines to create new packaging able to hold raw honey and tea together.  His company has been featured in the Washington Post, Nova Magazine, and he has given a TEDx talk on his startup journey.  The company continues to grow with products sold in Whole Foods, Amazon, and various boutique outlets across the US and Canada. Since graduation, Chris has maintained a strong connection with the Mason community.  He engages in various activities with the business school including Innovation Lab Startup member, working with law students on patents, assisting and training students in the physics machine shop and even producing custom Mason teas using honey from GMU’s apiary.

Daniel Velasquez credits his degree in Global Affairs with a concentration in International Development and minor in Business as the foundation he needed to get where he is today. During his senior year at Mason, he started a small business called CAMPESINO SPECIALTY COFFEE which has grown to become a leader in sourcing high quality coffee out of Colombia. Campesino works directly with coffee farmers in towns around Colombia, purchasing their coffee and selling it directly to coffee roasters around the world.  “By working directly with the farmer, we are able to offer premiums much higher than market price (and very deserving) in addition to operating completely transparent and offering traceability down to the exact lot of each coffee. These premiums lead to sustainability not only at farm level, but within the communities, as well. Thanks to Mason for staffing such talented and experienced professors who, in addition to God, my family and friends, have provided me with the tools to continue to work hard to make a difference in this world.”