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).

Brie Loskota, (Vice-chair), Managing Director, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, brieloskota@hotmail.com
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.

Nicholas Merkin, Senior Associate Attorney, Wolf Rifkin Shapiro Schulman & Rabkin, Los Angeles, CA
Nicholas Merkin is aSenior Associate Attorneywith the law firm ofWolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin, LLP, where he specializes in business and real estate litigation. He received his Juris Doctor from Columbia University Law School where he served as Managing Editor of the Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems and was recognized as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He received his Bachelor of Arts in History and Jewish Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Nick is an alumnus of the 2007 New Ground fellowship and remains involved in New Ground activities. Nick also serves in a leadership role in several other communal organizations. He was recently awarded a position as a Glass Fellow (2010-2011) with the Anti-Defamation League and serves as a mediator with the pro bono panel of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Nick is also a member and former chairperson of the Adult Education Committee at B’nai David-Judea Synagogue and a member of its Youth Committee. Additionally he is a former Executive Board Member of the Jewish Free Loan Association of Los Angeles.

Arash Nematollahi, Civil Litigation Attorney, Pond North LLP, Los Angeles, CA
Arash Nematollahi was born and raised in Iran. His family migrated to the United States in 1989. He obtained his B.A. in Near Eastern Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a law degree from Southwestern University School of Law. Currently, he is a Civil Litigation Attorney and was recently named one of California’s “Rising Stars” by SuperLawyer Magazine. Although he was born into a Muslim family, he accepted Islam in the United States and has been an active member of several community organizations including the Iranian Muslim Association of Northern America (IMAN), the Islamic Center of Southern California and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). Mr. Nematollahi has also volunteered as a youth counselor. Mr. Nematollahi is a New Ground alumnus and has remained actively involved with the program since 2007.

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.