Joe Azzarello
GVPT'08
Director of Development, Thread, Inc.

Joe Azzarello is currently the Director of Development for the Baltimore non-profit Thread. As the first head of development for the 18-year-old organization, Joe is building a fundraising apparatus from the ground up to support an already robust grant funding system. Joe previously worked as the Assistant Director of Development for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and prior to that as a District Director with the Boy Scouts of America in Baltimore, MD.

Joe earned his B.A. in Government and Politics with a Minor in History from the University of Maryland as well as a M.S. in Public Relations from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Joe is also a life member of the UMD Alumni Association, President of the Broad Creek Alumni Association and a member of the Baltimore Area Council’s Strategic Plan Committee. He currently lives in Laurel with his wife Melissa, a Howard County Public Schools teacher. 

Maria Ball
GVPT'12, Account Executive, Salesforce 
Vice President - BSOS Alumni Chapter Board

Maria Louzon Ball is an account executive at Salesforce in Orange County, CA. She is a devoted volunteer, previously serving as the President of the Seattle Terp Alumni Network, and is currently a member of the Junior League of Seattle. She earned her Bachelors of Arts in Government and Politics in 2012.

On the Alumni Chapter Board, Maria will serve as the Vice President of Alumni Programming and will assist the Board with its social media presence. She will also serve on the Social Committee and is thrilled to empower BSOS alumni around the globe to get more involved! 

Ryan Belcher
(GVPT & ENSP)'15, 
Treasurer - BSOS Alumni Chapter Board

Ryan Belcher is a Real Estate Development Associate at the Moinian Group. Previously, he worked in political fundraising in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. Ryan graduated in 2015 with dual degrees in Government and Politics and Environmental Science.

At Maryland, he served on the BSOS DSAC as Vice Chair of Student Services. He also held a variety of leadership roles in the Student Government Association. In his senior year, Ryan represented BSOS undergraduates in the University Senate and represented the entire undergraduate population on the Senate's Executive Committee.

On the Alumni Chapter Board, Ryan will serve as the Vice President of Finance and on the Professional Development Committee. He is excited to advance BSOS' mission and build relationships between students and alumni.

Adwoa Boateng  
(GVPT & ECON)'18, Analyst, SIGAR

Adwoa Boateng is an analyst at SIGAR. Adwoa graduated with a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in Government/Politics in 2018. She was a BSOS Ambassador, an at-large representative on the Deans Student Advisory Council, and later served as the Chair of DSAC. She was also involved in Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity, the Sigma Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, and the Student Alumni Leadership Council.

On the Alumni Chapter Board, Adwoa will serve as the Vice President of Administration and on the Professional Development Committee.

Brandon Cole is currently a Principal Cyber Security Analyst with the U.S. Army and an 18 year member of the Intelligence Community. He previously served in engineering roles with Boeing and the U.S. Department of State. He and his wife also own and operate Choice Clinical Services, a group mental health practice with offices in College Park and Greenbelt serving the UMD community.

The Coles established an endowed scholarship supporting the Department of
Psychology in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences in 2018. The Taylor and Brandon Cole Student Experience Scholarship supports undergraduate student stipends for experiential learning opportunities.

Mr. Cole is a life member of the UMD Alumni Association, serves as the current President of the BSOS Alumni Chapter Board and as the BSOS College Representative on the Alumni Association’s Board of Governors. He and his wife are both graduates of BSOS, The University of Maryland and have great passion for all things UMD. Go Terps!

SaintClair Edmunds III '15 (PSYC & Philosophy)
Consultant, Duty First Consulting

SaintClair Edmunds III is a consultant at Duty First Consulting (DFC). He is primarily staffed on the Integrated Public Housing Database Business Support Services Contract for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH), Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) He provides data alignment solutions and develops methods to analyze risks found in HUD’s public housing data.

He is a Co-Chair for DFC’s GIVE (Get Involved for Veterans) program. It is DFC’s community involvement program that affords them the opportunity to volunteer together to support military and Veteran-related causes. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Philosophy. While at the University of Maryland he was a member of the CIVICUS Living and Learning program and a member of the University Student Judiciary, Student Honor Council.

On the Alumni Chapter Board, SaintClair will serve on the Professional Development Committee.

Jeremy Katz
GVPT'90
Partner, Audit Services US, LLC

Jeremy Katz has over 30 years’ experience in government related marketing and sales of business process outsource, information technology management and auditing related services to federal, state and municipal government entities. Jeremy is presently part owner of Audit Services US, LLC (ASUS) based in New York City, where he oversees all aspects of state government business development, as well as client service delivery to its 45 state government clients. Prior to joining ASUS in 2016, Jeremy worked for PRA Government Services (now called Avenue Insights an Analytics) and with the Xerox Corporation for 20 years (by way of several acquisitions including that of Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) and the National Abandoned Property Processing Corporation (NAPPCO) where he served as the Chief Operating Officer for Xerox State Business Solutions.

Jeremy actively participates as a corporate affiliate of the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) and is now serving a second term on the NAST Corporate Affiliate Board. Jeremy previously served two terms on the NAST Foundation Board and served as the lead faculty advisor for the National Institute of Public Finance Treasury Management Program at Pepperdine University. Lastly, Jeremy served as an observer to the Uniform Law Commission with respect to its revision of the 1995 Uniform Unclaimed Property Act and frequently provides input to the states’ unclaimed property programs with respect to matters of legislation and litigation. Jeremy graduated from the University of Maryland in 1990 with a B.A. in Government and Politics, and has focused his continuing professional education in the areas of business and marketing management at Johns Hopkins University.  

Paul Mavrikes' 18 (GVPT)
Director of Business Operations, the Bush School of Government and Public Service

Paul G. Mavrikes is the Director of Business Services at the Bush School of Government and Public Service in Washington, DC. Under the banner of Texas A&M University, the Bush School’s new DC center opened in the summer of 2020. In his current role, Paul oversees all aspects of the Bush School DC’s business operations, managing Information Technology, Human Resources, Facilities, Operations and Administrative Service Departments as well as the business office. A member of the Bush School DC Leadership Team, Paul works with the executive leadership in both Washington, DC and College Station, Texas to craft the long-term strategic goals of the institution.

A graduate of Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, Paul is a member of the School’s Board of Trustees and is Chairman of the School’s Alumni Board. He also serves on the Young Professionals Council of The First Tee of Greater Washington and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Alumni Board at the
University of Maryland, College Park. Paul is an avid golfer and active with numerous local and national charitable organizations. He also is an avid enthusiast of golf course architecture.

Paul earned a B.A. in Government and Politics with a Minor in History from the University of Maryland, College Park. While at Maryland, Paul served on the University Senate’s Committee on Student Conduct, and the Sigma Alpha Pi National Honor Society.

 

Mike Mellor
SOCY'00
Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, Pryor Cashman

Mike Mellor is the Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer for Pryor Cashman, where he works to identify, develop, and execute strategies to both drive new business for the firm and increase brand awareness. In addition to providing strategic and marketing direction for the firm, Mike also oversees the firm's marketing department, which is responsible for planning, public relations and communications, client development, digital and social media, and events. Mike's nearly 20-year career has spanned various roles, working at such firms as Paul Weiss, Katten, and KPMG. His passion is creating clarity and game plans for attorneys around the firm by implementing rigor and process to drive efficiencies and encourage collaboration. By serving as the "voice of the client" and listening to both internal and external stakeholders, he seeks to connect dots within the firm's ecosystem to help Pryor Cashman's clients to achieve their business goals.

A self-defined process junkie, Mike is also heavily involved in developing internal methodologies and processes, preparing attorneys for pitches, and directly assisting the firm's clients to help align them with the optimal resources and attorneys at Pryor Cashman. He is a big believer in using data and employs numerous individual, practice, and industry KPIs to constantly tweak and refine his approaches. A frequent author and speaker around the country, he loves live music, sports, and exploring different cultures. Mike is also a lifetime member of the University Maryland Alumni Association and previously served on the Alumni Associations’ Board of Governors.  

Shaba Nassar '10 (ECON & Finance)
Community Affairs Strategist, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Secretary - BSOS Alumni Chapter Board

Shaba Nassar is a Public Engagement Strategist at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) where she manages the Director’s engagement with community stakeholders to inform the Bureau’s regulation of the financial market.

She has served in numerous roles within the CFPB, including developing supervisory guidance for financial institutions, counseling leadership on regulatory proposals, and investigating financial institutions’ noncompliance with the CFPB’s laws and regulations. She also founded the CFPB Women’s Employee Resource Group to promote workplace inclusion and increase professional development opportunities for 1500 staff members.

Previously, Shaba Nassar was a Policy Advisor at the Department of the Treasury where she managed President Obama’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans, and the Financial Literacy and Education Commission. Shaba Nassar received a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center where she litigated landlord-tenant cases; worked as a law clerk at Pepco Holdings, Inc.; and authored a publication in the Georgetown Journal of Law and Critical Race Perspectives. She received her Bachelor of Science in finance and economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.

On the Alumni Chapter Board, Shaba will serve on the Philanthropic and Service Committee.

 

Jordan Obleton
ECON'19
Forecasting Analyst, Insider Intelligence

Jordan graduated with a BS in Economics in May 2019. He currently works as a Forecasting Analyst Insider Intelligence, where he researches digital market trends and predicts how those markets will grow in the coming years. While at UMD, Jordan tutored local middle and high school students in Mathematics and SAT/ACT prep through various programs.

Previously, Jordan worked as a data analyst at an education specific insurance company, where he analyzed claims and policy data to help reduce risk on school campuses. Jordan is passionate about data storytelling and using insights to solve real world problems.  

Jeremy is a Partner at the Bethesda, Maryland law firm of Bulman, Dunie, Burke & Feld, Chtd., where his legal practice focuses on estate and trust planning/administration, as well as civil and estate litigation.  Following graduation from the University of Maryland in 2002, Jeremy earned a J.D. with honors from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law. Jeremy has been in the private practice of law since 2007.  He has served multiple terms as an elected officer of the Montgomery County Bar Association, serves on the Executive Committee of the Montgomery County Inn of Court, and participates in many professional mentor-mentee organizations.  Jeremy was recognized with the prestigious Leadership in Law award from the Maryland Daily Record in 2016 and 2019. His proudest Maryland moment (aside from being at the Georgia Dome on April 1, 2002) was receiving the Tyser-Gottwals Award from the University of Maryland Alumni Association in 2022.  Jeremy previously served as the Vice President of the Honors College Alumni Network, Vice President of the Gemstone College Alumni Board, and is excited to enter his third and final term as a member of the BSOS Alumni Board.  Jeremy and his wife Emily (a fellow BSOS grad, class of 2003) live in Brookeville, Maryland, and their pride and joy is raising their daughter to love the Terps!

Bishop Sakyi ’11 (CCJS)
Attorney, Prince George's County Office of Law
President - BSOS Alumni Chapter Board
  
I am a first-generation Ghanaian, born here in the United States. I enjoy travelling as much as possible. Recently, I have travelled to Ghana, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Canada, Mexico, Paris and Amsterdam. I graduated from University of Maryland, College Park in May 2011, with my Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. While at the University of Maryland, I served as President of the African Student Association and I was able to volunteer with an organization called Justice for D.C. Youth. After graduating from University of Maryland, I attended the Charlotte School of Law and graduated in December 2015. I was voted as the Class Speaker during the graduation ceremony and was honored to deliver a well-received speech during the commencement.
While in law school, I was a Student Ambassador, held the Social Chair position of the Black Law Student Association, and Secretary of the Sports and Entertainment Law Association. I am a recent member of the Maryland State Bar Association. Currently, I am an Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist with the United States Department of Agriculture's Office of Civil Rights. Additionally, I recently joined the D.C. Volunteer Lawyer's Program, allowing me to handle family law cases for underprivileged residents of D.C. Recently I became an active participant of a nonprofit organization called Distant Relatives to transport and provide basic essential items to the citizens of Ghana, each season of the year. Within the next 3-5 years, I plan to open my own law firm.

Brian Vincent ’03 (ECON)
Partner, Economics Partners, LLC.

Brian graduated with a BA in Economics (Departmental Honors) in May of 2003, writing a senior thesis describing a model which analyzed a revenue-neutral corporate tax reform policy. He was twice an Economics Department Distinguished Scholar and received the Dudley Dillard Prize for Most Outstanding Economics undergraduate student. Brian served on the Education committee of the University Senate, in multiple leadership roles within Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, on the University of Maryland Interfraternal Council Executive Board and as President of the Order of Omega Greek honor society. Brian was a member of the Sigma Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Professionally, Brian is a Partner with a transfer pricing and valuation consulting firm called Economics Partners, LLC based in Washington, DC.
He received an MBA from The George Washington University School of Business in 2011 and is currently working on a second Master's, a Masters of Studies in Taxation Law from New York University School of Law. Brian is a frequent speaker at transfer pricing and international tax conferences and a member of the International Fiscal Association, American Economic Association and the National Association for Business Economics. Brian is the current Alumni Corporation Board President for Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity at Maryland, serves as a National Foundation Ambassador for the National Delta Sigma Phi Foundation and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee.

Amanda Woodson
GVPT'20
Government Relations Specialist, Amputee Coalition

Amanda Woodson is the Government Relations Specialist for the Amputee Coalition. The Amputee Coalition is the only national nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. representing the limb loss and limb difference community. In her role, she works with her colleagues in the Government Relations Department to maintain and grow the grassroots program. and develops organizational policy positions on issues impacting the limb loss and limb difference community. She also sits on a number of national multi member coalitions as a representative of the Amputee Coalition.

Amanda graduated from the University of Maryland College Park in December 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in a dual major of Government & Politics and Public Policy with concentrations in International Relations and Foreign Policy. During her time at Maryland, she was a member of the University of Maryland Pre-Law Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta. She served as co-president of the University of Maryland Chapter of the Roosevelt Network. She is a proud alumna of the University of Maryland Global Communities living-learning program. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering as a member of the Junior League of Annapolis, experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes, and spending time with family and friends. 

 

Ryan Zelinsky
ECON'18
Financial Advisor, Northwestern Mutual

Ryan graduated from the University of Maryland in 2018, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics. Professionally, Ryan started Northwestern Mutual’s internship program the day after graduation and later that summer transitioned to full time as a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual. Ever since becoming full time Ryan has continued to grow and learn so he can be a better resource for his clients. He provides comprehensive financial planning to a diverse set of clients and their families. Personally, Ryan grew up in Burlington, NJ. On the weekends Ryan enjoys hanging out with friends, exercising at the gym, traveling back home to NJ, and cheering on his Philadelphia sports teams! Since Ryan isn't from the Maryland area, he loves exploring DC and Baltimore. Whether it be a nice restaurant in DC or an Orioles game at the infamous Camden Yards, Ryan loves to explore these vibrant cities.