GABR Fellows 2022

Alen Amini
Management Consultant, Boston Consulting Group
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH Age: 35

Alen Amini is a Management Consultant at Boston Consulting Group. Born in Ohio, Amini was a math teacher and Vice Principal in Arkansas and has experience running a rug business and a food truck. Alen has a passion for geopolitics and is a Council on Foreign Relations term member and was a Fulbright scholar. Amini is an alumnus of Harvard University (where he was a Center for Public Leadership Fellow), earned his MBA at Dartmouth College, and earned a Computer Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

7th October 2022

Crawford Horan
Director of Operations, Ervin Graves Strategy Group
Hometown: Alexandria, VA Age: 27

Crawford Horan is currently Director of Operations at Ervin Graves Strategy Group, a government relations firm in Washington, DC that serves clients from all business sectors. Prior to this role, she taught English at a multilingual primary school in Galicia, Spain working to improve student communication skills through cultural learning. Horan graduated cum laude from Sewanee: The University of the South where she focused in International Relations and Southern Appalachian Studies. Growing up outside of Washington allowed her early and constant exposure to politics, fostering an interest for global affairs from a young age.

7th October 2022

David Guhl
Recent Graduate, Oxford University
Hometown: Germantown, MD Age: 30

David Guhl recently served as a diplomat at the American Embassy in Beijing, where he was assistant to Ambassador Terry Branstad. The State Department recognized Guhl’s contributions to public service with a Superior Honor Award for heroism in repatriating over 800 U.S. citizens and their families during the coronavirus pandemic. Before moving to China, Guhl helped launch the world’s largest ride-sharing company DiDi Global in Latin America and was also a Fulbright Scholar in Mexico City. In 2016 he went to Nepal to volunteer with earthquake relief efforts and lived in Cuba organizing UNESCO International Jazz Day with thousands of students and renowned jazz musicians. Guhl is a graduate of Cornell University where he received a B.S. in Applied Economics. He also holds a Master of Public Policy from Oxford University and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.

7th October 2022

Harley Adsit
Communications Director, Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01)
Hometown: Norfolk, VA Age: 25

Harley Adsit is a Communications Director in the office of Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01). In this role, she is responsible for writing press releases, prepping the Congressman for interviews, running social media, and coordinating the office’s franked mail operations. After graduating from the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture with a BA in Urban Planning and Media Studies, she spent time working at the Department of Housing and Urban Development as Press Assistant to then-Secretary Dr. Ben Carson. She then moved to Capitol Hill, working for the House Education and Labor Committee as a Press Secretary. Adsit has also has a certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education and experience in local radio.

7th October 2022

Jack Lincoln
Legislative Director and Deputy Chief of Staff, Congresswoman Connie Conway (CA-22)
Hometown: Chico, CA Age: 31

Jack Lincoln is Legislative Director and Deputy Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Connie Conway (CA-22). In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the development of the Member’s legislative objectives as well as managing all activities and staff in the Washington, DC office. He serves as the chief policy and political advisor to the Congresswoman. Prior to this position, Lincoln worked as the Federal Government Affairs and Member Programs Manager for the Northern California Power Agency where he lobbied Congress and the Executive Branch on a broad array of energy-related issues such as permitting reform, tax incentives, and infrastructure investments. Lincoln holds a Master's degree in Global Communications from the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from California State University, Chico.

7th October 2022

Jeremy Pesner
Senior Technology Analyst, Bipartisan Policy Center
Hometown: Montclair, NJ Age: 35

Jeremy Pesner is the Senior Technology Policy Analyst for the Bipartisan Policy Center, where he conducts research and writes informational reports on topics ranging from broadband, artificial intelligence, data privacy and more. He is an active member of several communities and professional organizations, including the Internet Law and Policy Foundry, the New Leaders Council, TheBridge and the Royal Society of Arts. Pesner was fortunate to spend a year in Israel working as a technology analyst for Start-Up Nation Central, while learning about the religious, cultural, and political issues facing the country and the larger region. Pesner recently placed in the Journal of Science Policy and Governance's competition on the future of science policy with his work on the impact of science research. Pesner earned his BS in Computer Science from Dickinson College, his MA in Communication, Culture & Technology from Georgetown University, and completed graduate work at Carnegie Mellon University.

7th October 2022

Kathleen Hagan
Chief Operating Officer, FGH Marine Engineering, Inc.
Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ Age: 32

Katie Hagan is the Owner and Chief Operating Officer of FHG Marine Engineering Inc., a yacht and ship maintenance company in South Florida. She co-founded FHG at age 28 in 2018. Hagan is on the Board of Directors for the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) and is on the Board of Young Professionals in Yachting (YPY) USA as the Volunteer Chair. She also serves as an Ambassador for She of the Sea advocating for diversity and inclusion in the yachting industry and is a member of Women's International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA). Hagan graduated from the University of San Diego summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelors in International Relations and Minor in Asian Studies. While studying at USD, she sailed around the world at age 19 with Semester at Sea aboard the M/V Explorer. She later lived and worked abroad in Chongqing, China. Before joining the maritime industry, Hagan was involved in humanitarian diplomacy working for several years with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as Head of Chancellery at the ICRC Delegation to the United Nations and as Chancellery Assistant at the ICRC Regional Delegation in Washington, D.C. She is from Scottdale, Arizona.

7th October 2022

Lukas Wenz
Deputy National Outreach Director, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ Age: 28

Luke Wenz serves as Deputy National Outreach Director, Western Region for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), a broad-based bipartisan coalition of over 500 businesses and NGOs that advocates for strong U.S. global leadership through development and diplomacy, alongside defense. In addition to his work with USGLC, Wenz serves as the President of Big Stick Consulting, LLC, an Arizona-based strategic consulting firm, focusing on public relations, strategic communications, and government affairs consulting. Earlier in his career, Wenz served as Deputy District Director and Campaign Manager for U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska, with stints both in Nebraska and on Capitol Hill. He also spent time living and working in Amman, Jordan and the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, where he primarily focused on the radicalization process of religious extremism and worked in refugee camps. His areas of expertise are American political philosophy and the geopolitics of the Levant.
Wenz serves as the Vice President of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations and is a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. In addition, Wenz serves on numerous local boards and commissions and was a Fellow at the African Middle Eastern Leadership Project. A native Phoenician, Wenz attended Nebraska Wesleyan University, studying Political Science and Religious Philosophy.

7th October 2022

Kellie Quinn
Director & Small Business Program Supervisor, International Rescue Committee Small Business Development Center
Hometown: San Diego, CA Age: 32

Kellie Quinn is the Director of the International Rescue Committee Small Business Development Center (IRC SBDC) in San Diego, CA, where she oversees a diverse portfolio of federal, state, local, and private programs. In her position, Quinn aids residents of San Diego in establishing or expanding their businesses through advising, training programs, and access to capital. In addition to her role at the IRC SBDC, Quinn lectures at San Diego State University in the School of Public Affairs. Her courses are focused on nonprofits and government, research methods, and introduction to public administration.

Quinn previously worked in various coordinator and research positions at San Diego State University.  As a coordinator, she worked in the Office of International Programs (OIP) to promote international education through short-term study abroad programs and grant opportunities such as Fulbright. Following OIP, she worked as a financial coordinator for the School of Communication.  As a researcher, Quinn worked on projects ranging from diaspora philanthropy, homelessness, and racial equity policy implementation across the United States.

Quinn was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Casablanca, Morocco. She taught in the Université Hassan II in the Faculty of Law, Economics and Social Sciences.  Quinn obtained her B.A. in Religious Studies with a double minor in International Studies and Italian and her Master of Public Administration from San Diego State University. She is currently pursuing her Doctoral Degree in Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University for Peace in Costa Rica.

7th October 2022

Marielle Becker
Communications Assistant, National Gallery of Art
Hometown: Walnut Creek, CA Age: 24

Marielle Becker currently serves as the Communications Assistant at the National Gallery of Art. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Communication and a minor in Art. Her honors work focused on the role of social media and its impact on American art museums during social unrest. She put forth best practices for crisis communication that museums can utilize. She now implements these strategies daily, addressing real-time concerns in the National Gallery’s Communications Office. Becker works with media outlets, documentary film crews, curators, and fellow staff to make the museum's collection widely accessible, allowing the public to create deeper connections with art. She is passionate about elevating art as a tool for social change and a catalyst for conversation. Becker spent her early years in California and South Africa.

7th October 2022

Pascal Rathle
Associate, Council for Inclusive Capitalism
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL Age: 27

Pascal is an Associate at the Council for Inclusive Capitalism, an international movement dedicated to mobilizing private and public sector leaders to create a more trusted and sustainable economic system. Prior to joining the Council, he worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Pennsylvania, served as a City Year AmeriCorps Member and Policy Assistant to a Mayor’s administration and is the Founder of a local nonprofit, Global Shapers Jacksonville Hub. Rathle has been selected as a CSPC Presidential Fellow, European Forum Alpbach Scholarship Holder, AEI Leadership Network Millennial, Caravan For Democracy Fellow, Salzburg Global Fellow, and presented to former UNSG, Ban Ki-Moon on two occasions. He holds a Master in Law from Penn Carey Law, an MS in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania, and an Executive Certificate from Harvard Kennedy School. Fun Facts: He had a trial in the Bundesliga, played NCAA Division I soccer (futbol), and writes poetry.

7th October 2022