GW Alumni Council Welcomes 16 New Members

The George Washington University welcomed 16 new members to the GW Alumni Council on July 1.

The council serves as a volunteer leadership body for GW Alumni, representing a global community of more than 350,000 alumni and helping strengthen connections between graduates and the university.

Here is a look at the council's newest members:

Latoyia Harris Allen, B.A. '01, is director of individual giving at Malala Fund, where she leads major donor strategy to support girls' education worldwide. A nonprofit executive and philanthropic strategist with more than 20 years of experience, Allen has worked with national and international organizations to advance gender equity, social justice and global development. She is also an active civic leader in Washington, D.C.

Alex Baghdjian, B.B.A. '13, is co-founder and partner at Funday, a branding and advertising agency that has worked with clients including Denny's, Edible Arrangements, 7-Eleven and Microsoft. Previously, Baghdjian worked in artificial intelligence solutions for the financial services industry at SymphonyAI and IBM Watson, where he led product and strategy teams.

Avery L. Brown, M.P.A. '22, is a global public policy manager at Adobe, where he works on issues at the intersection of technology, government and society. He previously held public policy roles at TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) and earlier served in the federal government and U.S. House of Representatives.

Emmanuel Caudillo, M.P.P. '08, is a management and program analyst at the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Finance and Operations. He previously served as a senior adviser to the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics under three presidential administrations, helping advance national policy priorities in education and workforce development. Earlier, he was a budget analyst overseeing the Office of Federal Student Aid account.

Zena I. Chapman, Ed.D. '06, is a longtime educator and administrator who spent more than 30 years with Fairfax County Public Schools and continues to support the school system as a consultant. Chapman has served on the GW Black Alumni Executive Board since 2019 and as its chair since 2022, leading efforts to strengthen alumni engagement and celebrate Black excellence.

Serafina Lobsenz, M.P.H. '96, has dedicated much of her career to public service and pro bono work. In 2011, she co-founded the pro bono program at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters and later provided support to DHS component representatives in establishing their own pro bono programs. Lobsenz was a member of the first entering class of the GW School of Public Health and earned her Master of Public Health in health policy while working as an attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Annalise Parks Luna, M.B.A. '21, is an ownership zone manager at Ford Motor Company, where she works with dealership executives on strategic growth and customer experience across Southern California. She is an active volunteer with the GW Alumni Network in Los Angeles and previously served on the Lake Forest College Alumni Board and as director of alumni engagement at the Santa Monica College Foundation.

John McGurl, B.S. '84, is a physician who spent his career at the VA Medical Center in Richmond, Va. After attending medical school and completing his residency at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, he worked with refugees through an international aid organization on the border of Thailand before returning to Richmond. McGurl is also a supporter of GW and numerous cultural and educational institutions in Virginia.

Peter Morin, B.A. '81, is a retired attorney who worked for a number of state agencies before transitioning to municipal government, where he has held executive roles for the past two decades. He currently serves as council president in Braintree, Massachusetts.

Travis Nesbitt, B.A. '99, began his career in international relations, studying and working in Paris before transitioning to education. He has taught at the secondary and university levels in the U.S. and France and earned a Ph.D. in international and comparative education. After working as a researcher and school administrator, Nesbitt now teaches upper-level French and a senior seminar in international relations at the Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles.

Luis Otero, B.B.A. '20, M.S. '21, is a senior consultant at Guidehouse, where he advises financial institutions on strategy, risk and organizational transformation. An inaugural Posse Scholar and first-generation college graduate, Otero recently concluded four years of service on GW's Board of Trustees. He also serves as treasurer of the Hispanic Organization Promoting Education, which supports educational opportunities for Hispanic students.

Lauren Krinker Polansky, B.B.A. '15, is a manager at Bloomberg LP, where she oversees a team working with institutional asset management clients. Since joining Bloomberg in 2015, she has held sales and leadership roles across the company's sell-side, hedge fund and buy-side groups, most recently holding a COO role before moving into her current position. While at GW, Polansky was a coxswain on the men's Division I rowing team.

Sarah E. Prather, B.A. '13, J.D. '17, is a senior associate in the complex litigation practice at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. She represents companies in commercial disputes and mass tort and product liability matters across industries including life sciences, energy and transportation. A double GW graduate, Prather also contributes to pro bono work involving special education, transgender rights and immigration rights.

Jaclyn Rothenberg, B.A. '10, is a senior vice president at Avoq, where she advises brands and organizations on high-profile communications, reputational challenges and audience engagement. She previously served as director of public affairs and chief spokesperson at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and as senior communications adviser to the White House National Climate Advisor. Earlier in her career, Rothenberg held senior communications roles with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.

Patricia C.A. Sasser, M.A. '12, is the ninth head of school of Solebury School in Pennsylvania. During her 20-year career in education, she has worked in student affairs, academic affairs and advancement at several independent schools. Before entering education, Sasser worked as an associate producer at ESPN, where she was a two-time Emmy nominee and a 2006 Emmy Award winner.

Josh Scharfberg, B.B.A. '04, is chief revenue officer at Adams Outdoor Advertising, where he oversees sales, marketing and enterprise growth strategy. During his two-decade career in media and advertising, Scharfberg has held senior sales leadership positions at Clear Channel Outdoor, Allvision, Titan and NBC Universal. He graduated from GW with a degree in finance and sports management.