About » Board and Staff

With the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) since 1997, Karl Altau has helped conduct extensive advocacy on behalf of the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian central organizations in the United States. This includes the period of NATO accession for the three Baltic countries and the campaign for Magnitsky sanctions against human rights violators in Russia. He has addressed the Baltic parliaments and the United States Congress on the work of the Baltic-American communities.

A native Virginian with a degree in journalism from Radford University, Altau has lived and studied in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and at Indiana University. Altau has served on the boards of the Maryland-Estonia Exchange Council, which helps promote the Maryland Sister States Program and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation from 2004-2017. He spent three years with the consular section of the Embassy of Estonia in Helsinki, Finland from 1992-1995.

Year: 2023 Spring – Fall / Program Manager

Program: Korea WEST

Bio:

Younghyen is a native of Jeonju, South Korea, and is in the United States courtesy of a Korea WEST program scholarship operated by Cultural Vistas. Younghyen is JBANC’s fourth Korea WEST intern. He graduated with a degree in Political Science and Diplomacy / Media and Communication from Jeonbuk National University. During his university studies, he served in the military for two years at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea. He worked with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (Football Club) in 2021 – 2022, where he conducted market research for product pricing, and responded to customers about club events. Additionally, he also participated in YouTube planning while in that position.

At Jeonbuk National University, he worked in the Professor’s Association. He earned a work scholarship as an assistant there, organizing meetings and supporting the office’s administrative work. His goal is to become a marketer and with that in mind, Younghyen believes it is important to have various broad experiences to excel in that field. Based on his prior work experience, he will help promote what he does at JBANC through communication channels such as Instagram, Facebook, the JBANC website and other social media platforms. Together with the JBANC team, he hopes his efforts will inform and help wider audiences understand the positive effect of our organization’s work.

Year: 2023 Summer / Program Manager

Program: ALA

Bio:

Maksis Beķeris is an American-Latvian working with JBANC as a summer intern through a scholarship provided by the American Latvian Association. He is currently enrolled in his third year at Colorado State University, majoring in Political Science with a focus on Global Affairs and a minor in Legal Studies, with his larger focuses being comparative politics and analyzing corruption, as well as the strengths and shortcomings of legal systems abroad. Being Latvian, he is especially interested in the security and politics of the Baltics and other Eastern European countries.

Experiences in living across the Midwest and West Coast of the United States and in Vancouver, British Columbia, has been one of Maksis’ biggest motivators in pursuing work and education in the political world. Maksis wishes to one day work in foreign policy, finding JBANC an excellent opportunity to develop skills and experience in policymaking, advocacy work, and interacting with different levels of government.

Year: 2023 Summer / Program Manager

Program: TFAS

Bio:

Sandra Võsaste joins JBANC this summer through The Fund for American Studies, for which she was awarded a scholarship from Aldona Wos and Louis DeJoy for participating in the TFAS summer program.

Back in Estonia, her home country, she is a law student at the University of Tartu, where she has a special interest in international criminal law. During her Bachelor studies, she was a member of team Estonia in the International Criminal Court Moot Court Competition, and the president of the local branch of European Law Students’ Association (ELSA). In addition to her studies, she is working part-time in Ellex Raidla, one of the biggest law firms in the Baltics.

Sandra spent an exchange year in Vienna, Austria and volunteered for six months in South India. Interning for JBANC in Washington, DC, she is seeking to expand her international experience in the fields of politics and diplomacy to support her professional development.

Year: 2023 Summer

Program: JBANC Remote Intern

Bio:

Jack Rosswurm graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Indiana University, where he is currently also earning his Master of Arts in European Studies. Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Jack is interested in studying liberalism in the EU and European integration. Since beginning to learn Estonian in the Summer of 2022, Jack has found a special interest in the Baltic states. After Russia launched its renewed unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Jack became particularly interested in the perspectives of Baltic Americans and how the Baltic states contribute to the European security architecture. 

Jack hopes to use his time with JBANC to expand the organization’s congressional outreach and to write about current issues facing Europe and the United States from the Baltic perspective.

Year: 2022 Fall-Winter / Program Manager

Program: Korea WEST

Bio:

Youngwoo graduated in Political Science and International Relations / Social Innovation at Hanyang University in Seoul. She is a native of Ulsan, South Korea, and is in the United States courtesy of a Korea WEST program scholarship operated by Cultural Vistas. Based on her interest in various cultures, she studied at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Spain, in 2020 as an exchange student. She also participated in several student exchange programs taking her to France, Vietnam, and Thailand.
Her dream is to become an expert in international development cooperation and human rights, particularly in the areas of gender, disabilities, and refugees. She believes the collective impact of cooperation in society is important for our future. Therefore, Youngwoo is giving her best to experience the cooperation between the United States and the Baltic countries and to play a role as a JBANC member in the international community. Based on her experience at JBANC, she hopes to help encourage political and economic cooperation between South Korea and the Baltic countries and serve as a facilitator for it.

Year: 2022 Summer

Program: ALA

Bio:

Lija graduated with a degree in Public Health from George Mason University in December of 2020. With strong ties to the Baltic communities due to her American-Latvian upbringing, Lija has been involved in Baltic activism since 2014 and volunteered with JBANC multiple times. Outside of her JBANC experience, she has worked as a policy intern in a health lobbying firm, served as the Government Liaison for the American Latvian Youth Association, and currently serves as the Vice President of the American Latvian Youth Association. Lija is excited to continue growing in policy and working to further the betterment of the Baltic states!

Year: 2022 Spring

Program: Korea WEST

Bio:

Donghyun is currently studying Political Science and International Relations at Chung-Ang University. She hails from Seoul, South Korea, and is in the United States thanks to a stipend courtesy of the Korea West program and Cultural Vistas. To compliment her interest in foreign affairs and the American political system, she participated in an exchange program at California State University, East Bay, in 2019. Her dream is to become an expert in international cooperation and playing a role in helping bridge relationships between countries. This motivation has led her to join the JBANC team. She is expecting to have field experience by actively working with the Baltic communities in the United States and delving further into current developments as the Baltic countries face major challenges that have arisen due to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Furthermore, Donghyun looks forward to finding connections in South Korea for future active relations with the Baltic countries.

Year: 2022

Program: BAFF

Bio:

Karīna Rozena has joined the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) as part of her Baltic-American Freedom Foundation (BAFF) Scholarship. Her academic portfolio combines studies of strategic communications mastered at Rīga Stradiņš University and a degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Riga Graduate School of Law. Before joining the JBANC team, she has worked for most of her professional career in private consultancies, supporting her clients’ public affairs including media relations, government relations, and social media presence. Her main clients were involved in the fields of transportation, retail, energy, and telecommunications.  
Karīna has also spent some time in Tallinn, Estonia, as part of her Erasmus internship learning more about Baltic cooperation and Estonian public diplomacy efforts. Her current professional interests cover community and partnership-building to support JBANC advocacy initiatives.  

Year: 2022

Program: JBANC Remote Intern

Bio:

Sophie May is a senior at the University of Buffalo studying political science, French, and history. Her academic interests center around Eastern European politics, and the Baltics are of particular interest to her due to their remarkable resilience through centuries of various regional and imperial affiliations, foreign occupation, and wars. At her university, Sophie is the President of the French Club and the Vice President of the Political Science Association as well as a research assistant for two different departments. As a 2022 recipient of the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship, Sophie will be entering the Foreign Service in 2024 after two years of graduate school.
At JBANC, Sophie hopes to develop relevant skills and regional expertise that will help her succeed and adapt to life abroad, preferably someday in a Baltic state.

Year: 2021 Summer

Program: ALA

Bio:

Vilis Sīmanis is going into his fourth year at Loyola University Chicago as an international studies major and philosophy minor. After graduating from the Latvian School of Chicago, and Garezers Summer High School in 2018, he has remained an active member of the Latvian-American community by participating in Latvian song and dance festivals, congresses, and recently joining the “Fraternitas Rustikana (Rustikāni)” Latvian Student Organization. His main interests lie in comparative politics, human development, and corruption patterns and hopes to eventually pursue journalism and documentary work on corruption abroad. He is an avid traveler and devoted practitioner of stoic philosophy. He is not only excited about the experience of working in Washington, DC but hopes to continue supporting JBANC’s Baltic advocacy mission well after the summer’s end.

Year: 2021 Summer

Program: ALA

Bio:

Grants Blumbergs joined JBANC in June of 2021 as a summer intern. Grants is studying foreign affairs and history at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and is expected to graduate in 2023. At UVA, Grants writes for the student newspaper, The Cavalier Daily and is involved in the leadership of his fraternity, Sigma Nu. As an active member of the Latvian community in Washington, Grants has taken an interest in the politics of the Baltics and Eastern Europe and has participated in Baltic Advocacy Days on Capitol Hill. At JBANC, Grants hopes to learn more about the inner workings of policymaking in DC. After graduating college, he hopes to work either on the Hill or in consulting, before considering a career in law.

Year: 2021 Summer

Program: JBANC remote intern

Bio:

Wilson Daily is a graduate student in the Transatlantic Master’s Program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Focusing his studies on Eastern European security and defense policy, Wilson’s undergraduate and graduate research examines CEE defense infrastructure and the political motivations behind it. His interest in the Baltic states stems from study and individual research, along with strong friendships formed with people in the Baltic community during his three semesters of study in Germany. While interning at JBANC, Wilson hopes to build a foundation for a career in Eastern European and transatlantic affairs.

Year: 2021 Spring

Program: TFAS

Bio:

Emīlija Linda Mendelsone is joining JBANC in Washington, D.C. as a George Viksnins scholarship recipient with The Fund for American Studies. She will graduate from the University of Latvia this Summer with a degree in International Economics and Commercial Diplomacy.
Her academic portfolio also includes studies of International Business Management from the University of Applied Sciences North-Western Switzerland, Erasmus+ courses in the moderation of multicultural dialogue, a NATO-sponsored political leadership development course, and other educational opportunities.
While interning at JBANC, she hopes to learn advocacy nuances, advance her diplomatic skills, dive deeper into the aspects of policy making and advance her research capabilities.
In her free time Emīlija is a passionate traveler who loves new cultures and learning, and aspires to dedicate her life to the international efforts to improve the global quality of life.

Year: 2020-2021

Program: ALA

Bio:

Originally born and raised in NYC, Madelena Miniats graduated from Bard College in May 2019 with an international relations degree and wrote her undergraduate thesis on Russia’s use of cyber warfare in Estonia, Georgia and Ukraine. Having grown up in the thick of the American-Latvian community, her life has been largely centered around being involved in the community. Two consecutive summers, she interned in Latvia, at Transparency International – Delna and as an assistant to journalist Ansis Bogustovs. Looking back this trajectory somehow led her to JBANC. After participating in JBANC’s Baltic Advocacy Day this past November, she realized that she wanted to continue to be involved in Baltic advocacy. She’s excited to start this new chapter having just moved to DC and work at JBANC!

Year: 2019-2020

Program: BAFF

Bio:

On October 1st, 2019, Eduards joined the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC), as part of his Baltic-American Freedom Foundation (BAFF) Scholarship. Previously, he has gained experience in the public sector and media, including work at the State Chancellery of Latvia, where he was involved in various communication campaigns, for instance, promotion of media literacy and whistle-blower protection legislation.
Before moving to Washington, DC, he worked at the European Commission Representation in Latvia, focusing on digital communication. He holds a master’s degree in politics from University of Latvia, with additional study experience in France and Belgium.

Year: 2020 Spring

Program: EANC

Bio:

In January of 2020, Priit Grabbi joined the JBANC team in conjunction with a requirement for his Masters Degree studies. He is currently completing his M.A. in International Relations at Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia. Priit previously received his B.A. in the same field at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. There he rowed in college, winning a national championship, and continues to row in Washington, DC with the Potomac Boat Club. 
Priit is a local DC-area Estonian American, whose family has long been involved in the Estonian community. Priit’s great grandfather, Herbert Grabbi, was the military Adjutant to President Konstantin Päts before the Second World War, and grandfather, Hellar Grabbi, was a renowned writer and journalist.

Year: 2019 Summer

Program: JBANC

Bio:

Natalie is originally from Kansas City, Missouri. Two years ago, she packed her bags and headed to Montreal, QC, Canada to study Political Science and World Islamic & Middle East Studies at McGill University. When’s she’s not buried under stacks of books in one of McGill’s many libraries, Natalie is also an avid participant in Model United Nations and is involved in leadership for her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi. After her time at McGill, she plans to attend graduate school in either Peacebuilding or a Conflict Resolution program and hopes to pursue a career in Foreign Service.
This summer, Natalie wanted to explore some different interests and get involved with the Baltic-American Community, which led her to join the JBANC Summer Team. While her family is very  involved with the Lithuanian-American Community, Natalie wanted to learn about how her heritage relates to a larger Baltic cause. Natalie says getting to investigate and advocate for Baltic issues right in the center of the nation’s capital has been a  true honor and privilege. 

Year: 2019 Summer

Program: TFAS

Bio:

Annija Streile is from Piņķi, Latvia. Annija recently graduated from University of Latvia, where she studied International Economics and Commercial Diplomacy. Upon returning to Latvia this fall, Annija plans to resume her studies and begin her working towards her Master’s degree. Before she embarks on that new journey, however, Annija has joined the JBANC Summer Team right here in Washington, DC! She is taking part in The Fund for American Studies summer program as stipendiary of the George Viksnins Scholarship Fund. While working to advance the interests of the Baltic American councils at JBANC, Annija is also studying International Affairs at George Mason University.
When Annija is not busy studying or advocating on behalf of JBANC at the Hill, one of her favorite things to do is travel. Annija has traveled to several countries in Europe and Africa; she has also lived and studied in Bilbao, Spain for a brief period of time. Annija told the JBANC Team that this experience was one of the best of her life, because she was able to meet new people and learn Spanish while studying a subject she was passionate about. Although this is her first time in the United States, Annija admits that she’s fallen in love with the District. Everything from the monuments, to the beautiful gardens, to the architectural masterpieces amaze her and make her excited to be here for the Summer. She’s already looking forward to coming back someday!

Year: 2019 Summer

Program: UW-Eau Claire

Bio:

Kristine Maurina is from Riga, Latvia. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Riga Technical University in Latvia and the University of Huelva, Spain. During the 2018-2019 academic year Kristine studied at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC), as a recipient of the Dr. Aina Galējs scholarship and was voted CFO for Baltic Student Organization in Eau Claire. During her business studies in UWEC, she and her team took part in the startup competition StartUp48 with an agricultural drone project, in which they also got into the state final in Milwaukee. Kristine is currently continuing to work on the idea with her team.
In Latvia, Kristine has banking and finance experience from working for the second largest Swedish bank Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEB) as Operations Specialist and later on in a Compliance Officer role. Kristine arrived at the end of May to intern with the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC).
Kristine Maurina is from Riga, Latvia. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Riga Technical University in Latvia and the University of Huelva, Spain. During the 2018-2019 academic year Kristine studied at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC), as a recipient of the Dr. Aina Galējs scholarship and was voted CFO for Baltic Student Organization in Eau Claire. During her business studies in UWEC, she and her team took part in the startup competition StartUp48 with an agricultural drone project, in which they also got into the state final in Milwaukee. Kristine is currently continuing to work on the idea with her team.
In Latvia, Kristine has banking and finance experience from working for the second largest Swedish bank Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEB) as Operations Specialist and later on in a Compliance Officer role. Kristine arrived at the end of May to intern with the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC).

Year: 2019 Summer

Program: EANC

Bio:

Sven Heiti Wichman is a former spring intern at JBANC. He graduated from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada with a degree in Animal Biology. After graduation, he decided to volunteer his service to Estonia’s Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion, 2nd Brigade, based in Võru, Estonia. His year abroad allowed him to connect with his Estonian heritage, all while gaining experience in military training and camaraderie. This experience translated well during his time at JBANC, as fortuitously the National Guard in his home state of Michigan has a military partnership with Latvia, and his current state of Maryland has ties with the Estonian Defense League (Lithuania is partnered with Pennsylvania). The final exercise of his year of service in Estonia, called “Kevadtorm” (Spring Storm), featured many NATO allies including members of the Maryland National Guard. Sven reports that he enjoyed his new work with JBANC and was happy to explore the beauty that Washington, DC has to offer.

Year: 2018-2019

Program: Korea WEST

Bio:

JBANC was  very happy to host our 2018-2019 professional intern, Yeoun Choi. She hails from Seoul, South Korea, and was in the United States via sponsorship of the Korea West program and Cultural Vistas. Yeoun completed her bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies and Journalism at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. She participated in an exchange program and lived in Iran for a year and is interested in foreign affairs and sanctions policies. In between, Yeoun has traveled extensively in Europe, including many countries in Central Europe. She looks forward to becoming an international relations expert through her experience in the U.S., which has included event-planning, management of social networks, and active participation in events and meetings as part of the JBANC team. We were very excited to have her on the team!