Edina Lekovic

(Chair), Director of Policy and Programming, Muslim Public Affairs Council, Los Angeles, CA
As MPAC's Director of Policy & Programming, Edina leads the MPAC team of staff and volunteers on strategic initiatives in government relations, media outreach and interfaith collaboration, while also coordinating the organization's approach to domestic and international affairs.  Additionally, Edina acts as a spokeswoman for the American Muslim community to media outlets, government officials, interfaith leaders, academic institutions, and community groups. From 2004-2010, Edina served as MPAC's Communications Director. Edina has appeared on national media outlets, including CNN, BBC, MSNBC, and the History Channel. Since joining MPAC, Edina's work has also been featured in several leading newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, and Los Angeles Times. Edina has also participated in numerous national and international conferences and interfaith dialogues speaking on a variety of issues related to American Muslims. Named one of the Top 500 Influential Muslims in the World in 2009, Edina is a proud graduate of the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, and has participated in conferences hosted by the United Nations as well as the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). 

David Weiner

(Vice-Chair), CEO, Social Studies School Service, Culver City, CA
David Weiner is the CEO of Social Studies School Service, an educational publishing company. Social Studies School Service publishes supplemental curriculum for the K-12 market, and operates several imprints including Interact, Good Year Books, Mindsparks and Storypath.  David was in the first cohort of New Ground, a Muslim/Jewish dialogue program. He is on the American Jewish Committee Los Angeles chapter’s ACCESS Steering Committee and International Relations Committee, through which he represented AJC at the Durban Review Conference. He sits on the Regional Council of the Progressive Jewish Alliance, and serves on the Advisory Council of JDub Records. David was recently elected as a Board Member of the Mid City West Community Council. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Trinity College in Connecticut, a Masters of Public Administration from New York University, and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Brie Loskota

(Vice-chair), Managing Director, Center for Religion & Civic Culture, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Brie Loskota is the managing director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California. In this capacity, she oversees the strategic planning and daily operations of an interdisciplinary research center that conducts 25 research and community-based projects each year. She has contributed to raising and managing CRCC’s annual budget of $5 million. Additionally, she serves as program officer of the USC Pentecostal and Charismatic Research Initiative, sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation, a $3.5 million global program to transform the study of one of the world’s fastest growing religious movements. Leadership development for emerging religious leaders remains one of Ms. Loskota’s central interests. She is co-founder and special advisor to CRCC and Georgetown University’s American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, a program that equips leaders between the ages of 25-40 with skills to enhance civic participation in their communities. Ms. Loskota also serves on the executive committee of the Passing the Mantle Clergy and Lay Leadership Institute, a USC program to develop civic leadership among African American clergy and lay leaders. She received her M.A. degree from Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and completed her B.A. in history and religion from the University of Southern California. 

Rehan Chaudhry

Senior Director for BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Los Angeles, CA
In his role as Senior Director for BNY Mellon, Rehan is responsible for working directly with clients to identify how BNY Mellon Wealth Management’s investment and wealth management capabilities can help them reach their overall financial goals. Rehan has over 12 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining BNY Mellon, he was a Vice President for J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank where he was responsible for advising clients on investment management, financial planning, portfolio construction, asset allocation, tax strategies, credit solutions, trust and estate planning and charitable giving. Rehan is Pakistani, American and has spent most of his life on the East Coast in, New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York and moved to Los Angeles almost 6 years ago.  Rehan is part of various Pakistani organizations and is also a youth mentor for the California Council of Economic Education. He received a bachelor’s degree in finance and information technology from LaSalle University.   

Raisa Sheynberg

Policy Advisor, Treasury Department Office of Terrorist Financing and Intelligence, Washington D.C.
Raisa Sheynberg has been living and working in Washington D.C. for the better part of the last five years.  She currently works at the Treasury Department in the field of illicit finance, focusing on money laundering, terrorist financing and sanctions policy in the Middle East and Russia.  Her responsibilities with the Treasury Department have taken her to Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.  A former teaching assistant to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, she received a Masters of Science in Foreign Service from Gerogetown University in 2008 and a Bachelors of Arts from Lafayette College in International Affairs in 2004.  As a native Russian speaker, prior to joining the Treasury Department, Raisa received a fellowship to work in Moscow, Russia at the Alfa Bank in the Department of Research and Analysis.  In her spare time, Rae likes to travel, hike, run, cycle and cook and eat delicious food.