Board of Directors
Co-Founder, President
Benjamin is a Senior Financial Analyst at a U.S. Government agency, located in Washington, DC. He previously worked at Merrill Lynch and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Benjamin received BA in Economics and MA in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University. He completed a Graduate Specialization in Financial Planning and Wealth Management from American University and is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Georgetown University, Class of 2027.
Benjamin was born in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and currently resides in Washington, DC.
Secretary
Syed is a senior technology executive currently serving as the Deputy Chief Information Officer at a U.S. federal agency in Washington, DC. He brings over 17 years of leadership experience in enterprise IT, digital modernization, and public sector innovation.
Syed has held pivotal roles across multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security as Enterprise Architect and the National Archives and Records Administration as Chief Cloud Architect. His work has spanned enterprise modernization, cloud strategy, cybersecurity, and emerging technology adoption.
He holds a Master’s degree in Information Technology Management and is actively engaged in national initiatives focused on digital transformation and interagency technology strategy.
Syed resides in Washington, DC.
Ambassador Liaison
Vanesa is a Vice President of Recovery and Resolution Planning at BNY, based in Pittsburgh. She has held multiple roles at BNY, gaining broad experience across the organization.
Vanesa received her BA in International Business and Business Management from La Roche University, complementing her studies with a minor in Finance and a certificate in German.
Vanesa was born in Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA.
Honorary Board Member
Vehid is a Senior Scientific Project Manager at the University of Maryland – School of Medicine. He has over 15 years of cross-functional experience in biotechnology industry working in the research, development, and manufacture of vaccines and other biological therapeutics.
Vehid received his BS in Chemical Engineering from University of Zagreb – Croatia, MS in Biotechnology from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and completed Non-Degree Program in Biochemistry at George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Vehid was born in Kozarac (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and is a co-founder of the Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina based in Washington, DC.
Co-Founder, Honorary Board Member
Sarah is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at George Washington University. She earned her PhD in anthropology from Harvard University, a Masters of Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and an AB from Dartmouth College.
Sarah is the author of To Know Where He Lies: DNA Technology and the Search for Srebrenica’s Missing (University of California Press, 2008) and co-author with Lara J. Nettelfield of Srebrenica in the Aftermath of Genocide (Cambridge University Press, 2014), published in Bosnian as Srebrenica nakon genocida, trans. Senada Kreso (Institute for History, University of Sarajevo, 2015).
Sarah was born in Winnipeg, Canada, and currently resides in Washington, DC.
Co-Founder (Former Treasurer)
Negra served as Co-Founder and Treasurer of IMBiH, where she played a central role in building the organization’s financial and operational framework. Her leadership and dedication were instrumental to IMBiH’s formation and growth. Negra concluded her tenure in December 2025 and remains recognized for her enduring contributions as a Co-Founder.