MOSAIC INTERFAITH YOUTH ACTION - Key Persons
Azra Ozgur is a dedicated Youth Advisor at Mosaic: Interfaith Youth Action. With over two years of experience in the organization, Azra is passionate about making a positive impact in communities and fostering meaningful change. Her commitment to Mosaic aligns with her values of inclusivity, collaboration, and creating a brighter future for all. As a Youth Advisor, Azra is excited to continue supporting Mosaic's mission of empowering youth and building bridges across diverse communities through interfaith action and social justice initiatives.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President
- President of Kids4Peace Boston
Bob Lurie has been President of Kids4Peace Boston for eight years after over 25 years as a healthcare industry management consultant. There he advised CEOs, Medical Directors, Board of Directors, and government in over 40 states and 200 markets in the US. He often was instrumental in bringing hospitals, physicians, and health insurers together in developing and implementing integrated solutions for improving health care delivery, affordability and quality.
Previous to becoming a consultant, he was a leader in health care delivery and financing. He spent three years as administrator of a start-up neighborhood health center in Roxbury/Jamaica Plain bringing needed health care services to an urban population and then, for 14 years, as an executive at a Harvard Medical School sponsored multi-specialty health plan, then one of the top rated in the US. Subsequently he was co-founder and Group Vice President of a joint venture management company which returned $150 million to its CA owners.
He has been an innovator in the use of technology in health care, initially as chief architect of the first successful electronic medical record in the US, in using data analytics to improve patient outcomes and, subsequently, in facilitating breakthrough telehealth solutions for innovative health care delivery working with one of the first telemonitoring companies. Additionally, as a marketing executive he developed the first paid media advertising and market research programs in the healthcare industry, subsequently growing the customer base by 15% annually over six years.
After more than a 45 year career in health care, he joined the Board of Kids4Peace Boston. He believes that his experience building bridges in the healthcare industry to improve collaboration and outcomes could be applied to an even broader purpose of helping people from diverse faith and cultural backgrounds come together to break down societal divides, reduce hate and celebrate our common humanity.
Brad Seligmann has spent over a decade working on interfaith dialogue initiatives, primarily in higher education. He is currently the Director of Religious & Spiritual Life at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Most recently he served as Campus Minister for Interfaith Engagement at the University of Dayton, creating opportunities for students to engage in dialogue and discussions across difference as well as supporting Jewish and Muslim student life on campus. He has also served in roles at Georgetown University and the University of Michigan. Additionally, he has held voluntary leadership positions with the International Council of Christians & Jews and served on the advisory board of the Dorothy Day Center for Faith & Justice at his undergraduate alma mater, Xavier University. He holds a Master's in Interreligious Studies from the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, a member of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, where his research focused on hospitality and inclusion of non-Christian students within Catholic higher education.
Carter is an intern with Mosaic: Interfaith Youth Action for the 2024-2025 school year and a Master of Theological Studies student at Boston College's Clough School of Theology and Ministry. They graduated cum laude from Saint Anselm College with an Honors Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, minoring in Philosophy, Theology, and Medieval Studies. Carter brings a wealth of experience in community service, having worked as a Franciscan Volunteer Minister at St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia, where they coordinated and served alongside volunteers and supported social justice initiatives. Carter is passionate about fostering interfaith understanding and youth engagement, and has a background in research, writing, and organizing community events. Carter is excited to contribute to Mosaic's mission of empowering young people to create positive change.
Cynthia N. Perry (She/Her) is an aspiring womanist theologian who calls Washington, D.C. home, where she previously worked in health and fitness. She earned her Master's of Divinity degree with a Religion and Conflict Transformation certificate from Boston University School of Theology in 2023. She works full-time for a faith-based nonprofit in Boston, working toward racial and economic social justice. She has previously worked with high school and college students in different capacities and enjoys being a mentor to future generations of social change agents.
Harriet Goldin, an enthusiastic supporter and advocate of Mosaic: Interfaith Youth Action, has served on its Board of Directors for 5 years. Harriet has been a teacher, administrator, and consultant at all levels…early childhood through graduate school. She is founder and President of the Goldin Foundation for Excellence in Education, a non-profit started in 1990 that recognizes "unsung heroes," educators who have been recognized for their positive impact in classrooms, schools, and communities: The foundation is dedicated to attracting new teachers, retaining quality teachers, and sharing best practices. Its current national and international initiative gives Exemplary Projects Awards to programs that are creative, transformative, inspiring, and replicable. Harriet is actively involved in other initiatives: Needham League of Women Voters, Temple Beth Shalom of Needham, Jewish Arts Collaborative, and environmental groups. Her passion for travel includes teaching English as a 2nd Language to teens in 4 Eastern European countries and, Israel. Harriet's interests include watercolor painting, which she exhibits, dance, and reading.
Jeremy Carter is a well-known figure in the life science community who currently leads Veeva Systems Commercial MedTech business. In his prior role, he led Veeva Systems Pharmaceutical & Animal Health businesses. Prior to his role at Veeva, Jeremy led the Boston office for Axtria, a leading life science consultancy where he built and led teams working with the leading life science companies globally.
With a proven track record as a distinguished leader and an expert in digital transformation, Jeremy has forged and guided high-performance teams across sales and delivery realms. His proficiency spans the globe, encompassing the US, EU, LATAM, and APAC regions. His unwavering commitment to innovation continuously shapes and advances discussions within the life sciences sector.
Jeremy holds an MBA from Northeastern University, Graduate Certificates in Business Analytics and Healthcare Law from UPenn Wharton, and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Salve Regina University.
Jeremy currently holds several board positions across his professional and charitable networks. He is an Advisory Board member for LatchBio, Board Member for Assembly Consulting Group, Board Member of Boston Technology Group, and Chairman for the Carter Foundation.
Jeremy is passionate in his belief: Understanding differences brings us closer together. He is committed to advancing Mosaic's mission in achieving this goal.
Job Titles:
- Director of Programming for Mosaic
- Director of Programs and Strategy
Passionate about education, community engagement, and creating positive environments, Kimberly Mack is a dedicated professional with a Master's in Educational Leadership and Policy Development from Boston College's Lynch School of Education. Kim's educational journey began with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, complemented by a Minor in Social Work, from WTAMU.
In her role as the Graduate Alumni Coordinator for the Urban Outreach Initiative program at Boston College, Kim actively contributed to the advancement of students from underrepresented multicultural backgrounds. Beyond coordination, she collaborated extensively with various departments across Boston College, identifying, analyzing, and, in some instances, developing resources tailored to the specific needs of Urban Teachers and students within the greater Boston area.
Matt Anderson brings over 13 years of invaluable experience working with youth in diverse settings, including schools and group homes. Matt embodies the core values that propel Mosaic's mission -…
Throughout his career, including nearly 15 years associated with the American Youth Foundation across summer and year-round program and operations roles at both Miniwanca and Merrowvista, Matt has found himself drawn to energetic, values-driven communities who seek to make the world a better place. Matt thrives when supporting teams that make mission-driven work possible.
Matt enjoys connecting with those who value vulnerability over bravado and is happiest when working with children and teens. He strives to work within a diverse team of colleagues who challenge one another toward their collective growth and is honored to get to support so many young people working to make the world a better place; fueled by the abundance of power, wisdom, and passion found within each of their Best Selves.
Peggy Stevens has been a teacher, a leader in the professional development of teachers, a summer camp director, author of a book for middle school teachers called Creating Classroom Communities, a researcher and director of programs in urban schools for over 35 years. She was active in a Boston area interfaith group of women called Daughters of Abraham and founded Kids4Peace Boston in 2010 after a trip to the Jerusalem area with that group. For her work in Kids4Peace, she has received a number of awards such as the Christian Science Monitor's "Difference Maker" and the American Youth Foundation's "Visionary Award."
Job Titles:
- Associate Pastor
- Member of the Board
Reverend Carrington George Moore is committed to cultivating an environment that is validating and affirming of every community he has the privilege to serve in. Carrington has served as a thought leader across the country in the areas of leadership cultivation, workforce development, youth engagement and educational equity. Carrington has led collective impact initiatives across the greater Boston community dedicated to increasing college access, building sustainable vocational pathways, and creating equity within institutions and systems.
Carrington is the Associate Pastor of discipleship and families, at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Boston, Massachusetts. He previously served as a Program Director with the Massachusetts Council of Churches where he directed a leadership initiative funded by the Lilly Endowment to support pastors and faith communities across Massachusetts.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a double major in political science and philosophy from Youngstown State University. He earned a Master of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology. Carrington is an ordained Baptist minister.
Fr. Mark is an Episcopal priest. Now retired, he is adjunct instructor at General Theological Seminary and serves as part time clergy associate at St Thomas Church Fifth Avenue and Trinity Wall Street in Manhattan. Since moving to New York City in 2016, he has enjoyed participating in an interfaith clergy group that meets for breakfast every Tuesday. His interest in Kids4Peace-now Mosaic-stems from his fifteen visits to Israel/Palestine, mostly as chaplain to groups of pilgrims to the Holy Land. He is a former member of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist in Cambridge, MA.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Secretary
- Professor of Humanities
Ronald R. Bernier is a Professor of Humanities in the School of Sciences and Humanities at Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT) in Boston, where he teaches art history, religious studies, and other humanities courses. From 2011 to 2020, he served as Department Chair of Humanities and Social Sciences at WIT, where he provided leadership for the largest and most diverse department on campus. Prior to Wentworth, Dr. Bernier has served on the faculty at a number of universities in the U.S. and abroad, including Rice University, Sussex University, and the University of Maine system. He is also a seasoned museum administrator, having served various leadership roles at both public and private art museums and exhibition spaces.
Bernier received his MA and PhD in Art History and Theory from Essex University in the U.K., his MBA from the University of New Hampshire, another MA in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Scranton, and his MS in Higher Education Administration from Bay Path University. He has also completed graduate study in Theology at Episcopal Divinity School. His undergraduate degree is from Vassar College. Bernier is the author of numerous exhibition catalogues and scholarly essays in peer-reviewed journals, and has published three books, with a fourth to be released in the spring of 2023, all with major scholarly presses and all dealing with various topics on art and religion. When he is not in the classroom (on either side of the lectern), he is an avid runner. He has competed in marathons around the world and is one of fewer than 10,000 people worldwide who've completed the Six-Star Abbott World Majors Marathons (Boston, NYC, Chicago, Berlin, Tokyo, and London). He currently lives in Salem, MA, and spends the majority of his summers in Maine, his home state. Ron was drawn to the critical mission of Mosaic, as he sees in his own college-age students a growing desire for and passionate commitment to interfaith dialogue, communication, and collaboration. He looks forward to contributing to Mosaic's continued growth and success.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Healthcare Strategy and Operations Executive
Runa Islam is a healthcare strategy and operations executive with a passion for driving social impact through business leadership. Throughout her career, she has harnessed the power of collaboration among people with diverse skills, experiences, and perspectives to push through transformative change.
Most recently, Runa served as Chief of Staff to the CEO of BestLife Holdings, a private equity-held company specializing in longevity and healthy aging services. Prior to this role, she spent over seven years at CVS Health and Aetna, where she led innovative digital health and wellbeing initiatives for both B2B and B2C markets during the post-Affordable Care Act era. At Aetna, she also served as Chief Operating Officer for the newly established enterprise Marketing department, overseeing resource management for 500 employees and a $200 million operating budget.
Before her tenure in corporate America, Runa held various roles in the professional services team at Medallia, a pre-IPO Silicon Valley company that provides enterprise customer feedback management software. She began her career in academia as a health services researcher, utilizing data, mathematical modeling, and advanced analytics to address major public health challenges such as the HIV epidemic and pandemic influenza preparedness.
Runa holds a BA in Biological Anthropology from Harvard College, an MS in Health Policy and Management from the T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health, and an MS in Biomedical Informatics from Stanford University. She resides in the Boston area with her husband and two children.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Board
Saadia Ahmad (she/her/hers) is the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Community Teamwork, a community action agency based in Lowell, Massachusetts that provides social and financial services to over 50,000 clients. She is also an Ombud at the Milwaukee Area Technical College. Saadia brings over a decade of experience in interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) as a mediator, conflict coach, dialogue facilitator, teacher, and writer. Having first become involved in this work during her undergraduate years as a Muslim at a Catholic college facilitating interfaith dialogue and advocating for racial justice and religious pluralism, Saadia has since worked in education, nonprofit, government, and corporate contexts at the local, national, and international levels. Saadia holds a master's degree in conflict resolution with special honors from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a bachelor's degree from Providence College, where she is also an adjunct professor. She has written for publications such as The Boston Globe, America Magazine, and The Richmond Times.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Experience and Digital Interaction Designer
Sarah Henry is a User Experience and Digital Interaction designer who focuses her work on empowering nonprofits to tell their story and maximize the impact of their mission. Sarah has partnered with over 40 nonprofits across the Americas, helping them determine how to best make use of the technology available to them to empower their community to take action, implement their programming, or garner support. Sarah has worked in all forms of media including film and photography, immersive digital media, and video games. Through it all, Sarah seeks to understand how people interact and relate to new technologies and how tech can be designed to add value to our lives.
Sarah received a B.S. in Psychobiology with a minor degree in Film, Television, and Digital Media from UCLA. In her spare time, she enjoys studying new languages, traveling, and understanding cultures from around the world. Embracing the remote-first lifestyle, Sarah is currently based out of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and can often be found in the mountains of Patagonia or out and about with her dog, Koda.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Partner at DLA, LLC
Scott Levy is a Partner at DLA, LLC and serves as the New England Practice Leader. Scott has more than 35 years of professional experience advising clients on business and accounting issues ranging from business planning and equity compensation to mergers and acquisitions. He has extensive experience, SEC Reporting, SEC Filings, U.S. GAAP, and SOX Compliance with a focus on serving public and private companies in the technology, biotech, healthcare, distribution, and manufacturing industries. Scott specializes in working with both public and private companies and has taken numerous companies public, as well as assisted in raising money for public and private offerings.
Prior to joining DLA, Scott was the Northeast Regional Audit Practice Leader and New England Managing Partner for Grant Thornton LLP. His responsibilities were focused on delivering client service, business development, and managing the business operations. In addition to his role as Audit Partner, Scott performed engagement and office quality control reviews and was significantly involved in resolving complex accounting matters. Scott also advised companies on structuring transactions and understanding the financial reporting requirements.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer
Seeme has a strong passion for social justice and humanitarian causes and continues to volunteer with several organizations working towards these goals. Seeme is also very active in her mosque (Islamic Center of Boston in Wayland) where she served on the board as Secretary. She has been actively involved in Interfaith initiatives, both within her mosque and outside. For 10+ years she has been a member of the Daughters of Abraham book club which she considers to be an ongoing source of learning and friendships. Seeme has a strong background in Finance and Accounting which she has been able to utilize in her capacity as Treasurer on the Board. She and her husband live in Winchester where they raised 2 daughters. When she is not volunteering, she loves to travel, and spend time with her friends and family.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Vice President of Sustainability
Vinayak Gorur is the Vice President of Sustainability and ESG at Sonic Healthcare, a leading global healthcare and diagnostic lab company. He oversees the company's strategy and direction for ESG, leading a large team tasked with embedding ESG in business operations, increasing employee engagement, and spearheading community initiatives. Prior to his current role, Vinayak has spent 8 years in corporate sustainability consulting and academic research, helping lead and advise Fortune 500 companies on sustainability, regulatory frameworks, and technical engineering.
A proud Army veteran through his service as a combat medic, he has tenure in various tactical and healthcare leadership roles. In his spare time, Vinayak can often be found with his hands (or head) buried in his garden. He leads a large community based garden education program focusing on the intersection of food and health equity. He also serves on the board of numerous non-profits, all within the community empowerment and ESG space. Vinayak will gladly debate how his dog is the world's greatest.