Meet the team.

Interfaith Atlanta Staff

  • Judaism

    Samantha (she/her) joins the Interfaith Atlanta community as the Executive Director. With a deep-desire for bridge building and a better world, she felt that representing a more cohesive Atlanta was the clear next step. Samantha is the recent recipient of a Master's degree in Jewish Professional Studies. For much of her career, she has served as a professional in the synagogue and social justice world. When she isn't working, you can find her out exploring with her husband, Tyler, and two goldendoodles, Izzy and Max!

Executive Director

  • Christianity - Roman Catholicism

    Matthea Boon recently joined the Interfaith Atlanta team as an intern. She is currently a fourth-year undergraduate student at Emory University majoring in History with a concentration in law, economics, and human rights. Originally from Nebraska, she joined Interfaith Atlanta after being exposed to the power of this work through Emory’s Inter-Religious Council.

Intern

Board Members

  • Judaism

    Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser is in her third year as president of Interfaith Atlanta. She works for the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and is the part-time rabbi for Congregation B’nai Israel in Fayetteville, Georgia. Ellen was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1993.

President

  • Christianity — Roman Catholicism

    I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1965, and was raised Roman Catholic. I moved to Atlanta right after graduating from the University of Dayton in 1987. I am married and have two adult children. Early in my career, I worked as a house parent and later, after obtaining my Master of Social Work, as a therapist at a residential treatment facility for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties. I was also a youth minister at Sacred Heart Catholic Church (now the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus), when my children were young. For the past 22 years, Jackie has been a middle school religion teacher at Christ the King School, and is an active parishioner at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King.

    Jackie is dedicated to inter-religious dialogue and increased understanding and cooperation between various faith traditions.

    I’ve participated in the Bremen Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum’s week-long “Teaching the Holocaust” class and the “Bearing Witness” program. Last year, I participated in the 13-week, “Children of Abraham” class offered at Ignatius House, and participated in Interfaith Atlanta’s training to become a speaker. I also volunteered as a committee co-chair for IA’s Fall Festival.

Vice President

  • Christianity

    Since 2013, Rena Marroquin has served as Interfaith Atlanta’s treasurer. She also serves as the treasurer for Compassionate Atlanta and previously volunteered as Account Manager for the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs (AAASP). Now retired, Rena was the Retired Financial Aid Director at the Art Institute of Atlanta after over 18 years there.

Treasurer

  • Buddhism

    Valerie Morvan has long served on Interfaith Atlanta’s board and currently serves as secretary. One of her favorite projects is coordinating the organization’s Midday Respite, a weekly online contemplative program exploring peace, kindness, and compassion. She is an active member of the Shambhala Meditation Center, a Buddhist community.

Secretary

  • Judaism

    David is a near-native Atlantan who practices business, international and trusts, and estates law from his home in Buckhead. He has served on the Board of Interfaith Atlanta for almost two years and is the Chair of the Interfaith Speakers Network (ISN). David is active in his synagogue Temple Sinai, previously served as president of Second Helpings Atlanta, and recently became a member of the Board of Actors Express.

Interfaith Speakers Network Chair

  • Judaism

    Robin is new to Interfaith Atlanta. She has been in the Atlanta area since 1998. She is a retired educator and has volunteered her time doing interfaith activities with her synagogue and Interfaith Atlanta. In 2023, she became the chairperson of the Interfaith Festival.

Interfaith Festival Chairperson

  • Christianity

    Ellie Glynn is new to the board of Interfaith Atlanta as of early 2023. She is originally the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has lived in Atlanta for the past few years after some time spent in Madison and Saint Paul. Ellie studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and she currently works as a public health cartographer and spatial epidemiologist.

Board Member

  • Shi’a Ismaili Muslim

    A teacher educator, a teacher for secondary-level students for over 20 years,  Early Childhood facilitator, in her faith community,  Ambreen Sohani is passionate about civic service, youth projects, and community building. 

    Ambreen is an active volunteer of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community of Local Atlanta, where she serves as a member of the Ismaili Council. She has joined Interfaith Atlanta in 2020 with the aim to encourage dialogue and awareness of diversity and collaboration among communities. Blessed to be living with her spouse, 2 boys and parents in law. 

Board Member

  • Sikh

    Parminder Singh is a prominent community leader servicing the Sikh community of Atlanta and southeast US nonprofit institutions through continuous learning, volunteer programs and humanitarian efforts. Born and brought up in India, Parminder migrated to the USA in 1997 to reunite with the family. Parminder has lived and served the Atlanta communities and neighboring states for the last 25 years. Currently, he is serving as the Board member of Interfaith Atlanta and he is also one of the founding Trustees of Guru Nanak Mission Society of Atlanta, a Sikh Gurdwara located in Norcross GA.

Board Member

  • Christianity

    After a decade in higher education as a professor of Spanish-language literature, history, and culture, Rev. Dr. Chris RayAlexander completed an MDiv at Emory’s Candler School of Theology and dove into a full-time career in interfaith relationship building. His current research focuses on the intersection of pluralism, practical theology of religions, and youth spiritual formation. He is passionate about creating a more humane and unified world through interfaith advocacy, education, and community cultivation. He is Program Director at Interfaith Children’s Movement, a Board Member of Interfaith Atlanta, Support Chair for its youth organization, Interfaith Atlanta Youth (IAY), and the Minister for Interfaith Engagement at First Congregational Church of Atlanta, UCC. Chris serves as an interfaith consultant in his community, and in his free time he translates philosophy as a member of the French Metaphysics Translation Project. He lives in Atlanta with his partner, their son, and a pile of philosophy and theology books that constantly remind him of his own mortal finitude.

Board Member

  • Unitarian Universalist

    Rev Dr Gregory McGonigle is Dean of Religious Life and University Chaplain at Emory University. He reports to the President of Emory and as a member of the President's Leadership Team, his duties are to support all religious and philosophical life at the university, to lead the team in the university's Office of Spiritual and Religious Life, to provide pastoral care, and to promote interfaith engagement initiatives on Emory's campus, in Atlanta, and beyond.

Board Member

  • Hindu

    Ashwin Ramaswami was born and grew up in Johns Creek, GA. and is a second-generation immigrant. He is an Indian American, and is an engineer  with a career in software engineering, election security, and technology law  and policy research. Ashwin has over seven years of experience working to  build tech startups; has worked in the federal government on cybersecurity  for three years; and currently runs a consulting company around software  architecture, technology law and policy. He attended Georgia Tech, Stanford  University, and Georgetown University Law Center. Ashwin is a practicing  Hindu.

Board Member

  • Christianity

    Stephanie Merling has a deep commitment to fostering interfaith relationships, which began in 2001 following the challenges faced by Muslim friends in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.  Since then, she has actively learned about and engaged with the Muslim  community. Stephanie’s dedication extends to understanding and participating  in various Jewish traditions,  participating in multiple seders,  contributing to her understanding and appreciation of Jewish faith  traditions. Additionally, she has contributed to the longstanding  relationship between her church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the American Jewish Committee through dialogue and collaboration.  Stephanie has also expanded her understanding of different faith traditions  by touring a local Hindu temple, recognizing the commonalities that unite us  all. Within her own church, Stephanie has held various leadership positions,  including roles in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, such as Cub Master, as well as  active involvement in youth programs, children's programs, early morning  seminary, and Sunday school teaching. As the mother of 5 children, she believes strongly in exposing and educating youth to appreciate, learn about,  and engage with multiple faith groups, and supports religious liberty for  all.

Board Member

Board Member

  • Sunni Muslim

    Sister Shahidah Sharif has an extensive background in Islamic education and community service. At a young age, she began working with organizations such as Muslim Youth of North America and Clara Mohammed School of South Florida and Oakland, CA. Sharif has also worked with the Islamic Society of the University of Miami and United Youth Leadership Forum of the Bay Area, where she organized and coordinated many events to serve the Muslim and non-Muslim community. She studied for three years at the Abu Nour University in Damascus through the Mosque Cares Study Abroad Program with a focus on the Arabic language and the Islamic Sciences. She currently serves as president on the Board of Sisters United in Human Service, Inc, as the Program Director of the Faith Institute of the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam, and is co-founder and COO of Professional Hajj and Umrah Guides, LLC, organizing delegations annually with her husband for the Hajj (pilgrimage) to Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

  • Buddhism

    Gareth is a meditation teacher and co-founder of Red Clay Sangha. He has maintained a committed meditation practice for over 25 years in the Zen and Vipassana Traditions, and integrates over 10 years of interfaith engagement as well as teachings from other Buddhist traditions into his practice and life.

    Gareth received dharma transmission in the Thai Forest lineage of Ajahn Chah, Jack Kornfield and Lisa Ernst. He lives in the Atlanta area with his wife and their dogs, chickens and bees. He has two adult children. 

Board Member

Interfaith Atlanta Youth
2024 Officers

Aleeza B.

President | Shi’a Muslim

Aashritha K.

Vice President | Hindu

Maya S.

Social Media Manager | Jewish

Katie M.

Communications Manager | Christian from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Simran K.

Secretary | Hindu

Yusuf N.

Event Coordinator | Sunni Muslim

Macey G.

Outreach Manager | Jewish