Bryn Mawr Club of Washington, D.C.

We are currently in need of Members at Large. Contact bmcdcnomcomm@gmail.com to join the team!

2024-2025 Bryn Mawr Club of DC Board of Directors
President: Liz Newbury ‘07
Vice President: Yona Park ‘97
Treasurer: Bhakthi Sahgal ‘13
Secretary: Susan Welti ‘97
Programs Co-Chairs: Holden Davitian ‘24 and Sonja O’Brien ’21
Membership Chair: Heidi Winkel Bogacz ’07
Communications Chair: Elle Thompson ’23
VP of Junior Alumnae Club: Lydia Sanchez ’20 and Alexis McDonald Ismaeil ‘17
Nominating Chair: Maya Wilson ’02
Senior Outreach Co-Chairs: Jessica Wade ’03
Member at Large: Pam Koger-Jesup
Book Club Chairs: Jill Coogan, Katherine Dixon-Peugh, and Tam Voynick
Lantern Bookstore Coordinator: Susan Flinn

President

Liz Newbury ’07

Vice President

Yona Park ’97

Yona Park is a DC attorney who lives in MD with her husband and daughter. She moved to DC after graduating from Villanova Law School in 2004. She has worked in litigation for top 100 law firms as well as in-house counsel in data analytics specializing in licensing, acquisitions, and corporate governance. Yona is eager to bring her organizational and leadership skills to the table as she helps to provide DC Alums with a taste of Bryn Mawr again in alumni events and connections. 

Treasurer

Bhakthi Sahgal ’13

Bhakthi Sahgal, MPH (she/her) is a DrPH Candidate at The George Washington University School of Public Health with a focus on care delivery innovation, patient experience, health equity, and systems design. She is the co-founder of Oncovana, an early-stage startup dedicated to improving the oncofertility experience, and previously served as the Director of Design and Client Impact at Beytna Design, where she applied Liberatory Design to tackle complex equity challenges. Bhakthi’s extensive experience includes strategic roles at the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute and as a legislative aide on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Bhakthi graduated from Bryn Mawr in 2013 with a BA in Political Science, and is deeply committed to service and supporting Bryn Mawr students and alumnae/i. She previously served as Programs Chair for the Bryn Mawr Club of DC and the BMC Committee on Leadership Development, and was a member of the GOLD committee for nearly a decade, where she volunteered her time to the college and mentored numerous recent graduates and early career public health professionals on their journeys to becoming impactful changemakers.

Secretary

Susan Welti ’97

Programs Chairs

Holden Davitian ’23 and Sonja O’Brien ’21

Holden was born and raised in Georgetown and currently teaches First Grade French at her alma mater, the Washington International School, a K-12 institution founded by two Bryn Mawr alums. Holden received both her BA and MA in French and Francophone Studies from Bryn Mawr in December 2023 and is excited to be back home in the city! In her free time, she enjoys volunteering at DCPS’ Brookland Middle School and The Lantern Bookshop. Holden is passionate about international pedagogy, language acquisition and fashion.

Sonja O’Brien ’21

Membership Chair

Heidi Winkel Bogacz ’07

Heidi has spent the last 15 years in the education arms of 4 membership associations. Never one to turn down a brunch, Heidi spends her free time brunching with friends, volunteering for the college, and leading two ministries in her church community. Heidi graduated with a double major in Math and English in 2007. A military brat, Heidi is from nowhere/everywhere, and graduated high school in Seoul, South Korea. Heidi moved back to the DMV in 2009 and has been here ever since, which is the longest she’s lived anywhere by about a dozen years.

Communications Chair

Elle Thompson ’23

Elle is passionate about building relationships and organizing spreadsheets, which is why she does both as Member Engagement & Program Coordinator at the Schools Health and Library Broadband Coalition (SHLB). Elle was born in California to two D.C.-area transplants, and promptly undid their work by moving right back to their hometown. Outside of work, Elle reads a lot of speculative fiction and writes a weekly political and cultural newsletter at ellexamines.substack.com. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and English from Bryn Mawr College. She currently lives in D.C. with two close friends and their cat, Banjo.

Junior Club Chairs

Lydia Sanchez ’20 and Alexis McDonald Ismaeil ’17

Lydia Sanchez ’20
Lydia is an analyst with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is a part of the Department of Homeland Security. Passionate about public service, Lydia responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by working in a leadership role in the National Response Coordination Center. In her regular role, Lydia works with the FEMA Administrator’s National Advisory Council and the FEMA regions throughout the U.S. Her major in Political Science and concentration in Public Policy and Political Formation propelled Lydia towards this federal role. Moreover, her Bryn Mawr education allowed Lydia to compete for the State Department Boren scholarship, making her a National Service Alumna within the federal government. In undergrad, Lydia served as the student representative to the Board of Trustees, advocating for diversity in both the student body and faculty in addition to more direct funding for first generation students. Additionally, Lydia served on the Class of 2018 Senior Gift board, motivated by Bryn Mawr’s commitment to need sensitive admission.

Alexis McDonald Ismaeil ’17

Nominating Chair

Maya Wilson ’02

Maya Wilson is a Senior Business Development Analyst at a provider of Cybersecurity, Software Development and Cloud services to federal, state, and local government agencies, and serves as the Director of a language program in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Having immensely enjoyed her time at Bryn Mawr College, where she developed amazing lifelong friendships that she continues cherish and nurture, Maya looks forward to working with fellow members of the Bryn Mawr Club of Washington, D.C. to champion and continue to cultivate Bryn Mawr College’s values of connection, intellectual enrichment, and sense of community in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Maya moved to the Washington, D.C. area to pursue her graduate studies at American University. She holds a M.A. in Political Science from American University’s School of Public Affairs, and a M.A. in International Affairs from American University’s School of International Service.

Senior Outreach Chair

Jessica Wade ’03

Jessica Wade is an Alabama native and moved back to Washington DC a few years ago after mostly living abroad (mainly London) since graduating. She got her MSc in International Development at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and then worked in Credit Risk at several different investment banks in London and NY. She now works at MIGA, an organization within the World Bank Group which is focused on mobilizing private capital into developing economies. After being away from the East Coast for so long, and having two kids within the last four years, she’s looking forward to reconnecting with Mawrters in the DC area.

Member-at-Large

Pam Koger-Jesup

Pam Koger-Jesup recently retired and lives in Alexandria. She worked in market research and has volunteered in her neighborhood for years. She started volunteering at The Lantern Bookshop this year and is really enjoying meeting more Mawrters and getting more engaged in the alumni community. She spends her free time knitting and has recently discovered a passion for visible mending. She also loves to watch birds with her husband.

Book Club Chairs

Jill Coogan, Tam Voynick ’78, and Katherine Dixon-Peugh
Jill Coogan was a Political Science major. She works as an attorney for federal government and has lived in DC for decades.

Tam Voynick was a Chemistry major. She is a retired chemist and editor and recently moved to the DC area from Austin, Texas.

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Looking to get involved with the Club Executive Board? We are looking for volunteers to help out in any capacity! Email bmcdcnomcomm@gmail.com for more information.