Introducing our NEXUS Class of 2024!

Chloe recently moved to the Greater Washington area from Northern New Jersey to start her career in government consulting. She studied Chinese and business at Washington University in St. Louis. Chloe is a fitness enthusiast, an avid podcast listener, and a big fan of mac and cheese. Her favorite Jewish holiday is Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). Chloe is excited to join NEXUS and help cultivate a stronger Jewish community! 

Gillian is originally from Miami and moved to DC after graduating with a degree in marketing from Tulane University. She currently works as a senior account manager at SmartBrief, a leading digital publishing company. When she’s not working, she can be found with her goldendoodle, Quinn, riding her Peloton, sprinting at Barry’s, or trying DC’s newest restaurants. She’s excited to join NEXUS to connect with other rising Jewish leaders and empower the community! 

Andie is from New York but moved to DC last May from Colorado for physician assistant school at George Washington University! She graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2021 where she majored in sociology. Andie loves to ski, do things with friends and family, travel, and try new things. 

Originally from Pittsburgh, Rebecca has lived in DC since 2020. She works at JPMorgan Chase providing communications support to the Global Head of Corporate Responsibility and previously served as Press Secretary for Senator Amy Klobuchar. Rebecca is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied political communication and sociology. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and powerwalking, both with a Diet Coke in hand. 

Aaron is originally from the Chicago suburbs and moved to DC about a year ago after graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. While in Madison, Aaron was very active with Jewish life, Greek life, and the university sailing club. He sails here in DC, and on summer evenings, you can find Aaron on the Potomac and Anacostia rivers if there’s good wind. He has also done his best to stay active with Jewish life in DC, and is part of JNF’s young professional group, JNFuture, where he is a board member (ask him about getting involved!). Aaron is super into music and trivia and makes iPhone apps in his free time. Aaron’s latest app is for practicing and learning Hebrew, but he also has one for the NYT Spelling Bee and a sailing weather app, too. 

Joel is a strategy consultant dedicated to serving federal clients on their IT transformation journey. Joel brings leadership experience from various roles within the Jewish community, including Shabbat Cluster Coordinator, Moishe House Without Walls Host, and most recently, the founding Board President of ConnectJew, a new tech-based nonprofit serving the DC area. Beyond work, Joel channels his Texan roots into crafting Texas-smoked BBQ for friends, and fosters puppies through a local rescue. 

Joey brings close to a decade of experience in the financial service industry. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with the Bell Broseker Group at Morgan Stanley. Outside of the office, Joey serves as an active alumnus of both Goucher College and the Park School of Baltimore. Joey graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Goucher College, where he was a two-time equestrian national champion. After time in Philadelphia, followed by time in Minneapolis, Joey relocated back to the Greater Washington area in 2022 with a newfound passion for advocating and educating his community on behalf of the Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities. They are a part of the Israel Policy Forum’s 2023 cohort of Charles Bronfman IPF Atid Conveners and The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore’s Young Leadership Council. 

Ben is the Associate Director for Policy & Advocacy at Maryland’s Office of Overdose Response. He received his bachelor’s in social work at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro and his Master of Science in addiction policy and practice at Georgetown University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Ben moved to the DC area in 2021 from Greensboro, North Carolina, where he was a team member with a community-based harm reduction organization, facilitating syringe services and overdose education, and naloxone distribution for people at risk of overdose. He has always found meaning and connection in the Jewish community wherever he has lived and looks forward to being part of NEXUS. In his free time, Ben enjoys snowboarding, playing the guitar, and spending time with his cat, Ketzel. 

Blair is originally from Baltimore, Maryland and graduated from Elon University in 2020 where she studied marketing with a minor in communications and sport management. She also played for four years on the Division I Women’s Lacrosse team. Now, she is living in DC as an account manager at Cvent, an event management software company. Blair enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to the beach, and trying new restaurants in DC. 

Maxwell is a macroeconomic and political analyst focusing on low-income countries. He is dedicated to improving his local community through empirical research and interpersonal capacity building. As a former Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine, he advised civil society organizations on American management practices, including for Jewish-led NGOs. In his spare time, Maxwell enjoys rock climbing and writing about architecture. 

Ilana is from Baltimore, Maryland and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in biopsychology, cognition, and neuroscience and minored in Judaic studies. After graduating, she received a master’s in human nutrition from Columbia University and is now in her first year of medical school at George Washington University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, traveling, and running. 

Julie currently lives in Arlington, Virginia, but is originally from the Philadelphia area. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 2022, and now works in marketing for a healthcare nonprofit where she enjoys making an impact in her day-to-day work. Outside of work, Julie loves traveling, reading, and trying new restaurants around the city. She grew up going to and working at a Jewish overnight camp and is hoping to grow her Jewish community in the DC area! 

Aaron dreams of a united, diverse, and proud Jewish community. Professionally, Aaron works at BlackSea Technologies as Head of Autonomy Technology. He has worked at technology startups across multiple industries including finance, healthcare, and machine learning. He has conducted research in robotics and artificial intelligence in academia and government labs, published research articles, and given talks on the subject internationally, to both technical and general audiences. In his spare time, he enjoys writing and playing squash. In a volunteer capacity, Aaron serves on the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Associate Board of DC, is a Moishe House Without Walls (MHWOW) Host, and is founder and leader of Herut: Choose Freedom DC (HCF:DC), a nonpartisan grassroots Zionist community in DC (part of Herut North America). Aaron always has a spot open at his Shabbat table for you! Find his website at www.aaronmroth.com. 

Alexis was born in Bogota, Colombia and raised in Costa Rica and has two older brothers. She graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in special education with a focus on severe disabilities. Alexis is currently working in DC public schools as a special education teacher. She is passionate about what she does and loves spending time with friends and exploring new restaurants. Alexis enjoys listening to music and dancing, and loves meeting new people and making connections. 

Rachel works in media relations with a focus on technology and higher education. Originally from Pittsburgh, she spent six years working in film publicity in Los Angeles before relocating to the DC area in 2020. Growing up, Rachel was very involved in her Jewish community. She attended and was a counselor at Camp Ramah in Canada and participated in USY. She just returned from a ten-day trip to Israel where she spent her time volunteering for the war-efforts. She now plans to bring her passion to combat antisemitism back to her local community. 

Christine currently lives in Washington DC with her husband, Alex, and their small dog, Ruby. In 2020 Christine began her Jewish journey and fully embraced Judaism when she converted in June 2023. Christine and her husband now actively participate in the Washington Hebrew Congregation and have built a wonderful community there. Professionally, Christine manages marketing automation systems at the National Retail Federation while also teaching at Pure Barre part-time. Beyond work, Christine’s interests encompass reading, writing, wine appreciation, travel, running, and puzzles.