Project Interfaith Staff

Beth Katz, Founder and Executive Director

Beth@projectinterfaith.org

Twitter: @bethkatz

Beth Katz is the founder and Executive Director of Project Interfaith.   Beth got bitten by the interfaith bug in college, where she first got involved in interfaith work as the co-founder of a student interfaith group. Her passion for creating a world where people of all faiths  beliefs and cultures are valued and included led her to come back to her hometown of Omaha after graduate school to start Project Interfaith.

Beth frequently speaks and writes on interfaith issues and work, including writing a monthly column "The Accidental Theist" on the blog Omaha.net. She presents on Project Interfaith’s mission and work at local, national, and international events including at the Istanbul Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, and at the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Beth is an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha where she has taught courses on international conflict resolution for the Political Science department and religious diversity issues in the schools for the College of Education. She is a 2011 Ariane de Rothschild Fellow  and is on the board of the Center for Catholic Thought and Culture at Creighton University. She also is a member of the Nebraska Medical Center's Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Consultation Committee and has served on the Mayor’s Clergy Advisory Board in Omaha since being appointed in 2008.

Beth holds a Master of Public Policy and a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan as well as a Bachelor of Science in Education from Creighton University.

Tom Laird, Development and Communications Director

Tom@projectinterfaith.org

Twitter: @trlaird

Tom Laird is Project Interfaith's Development and Communications Director.  Tom holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Benedictine College where he received the Madonna Gamper Award for academic excellence.  Tom began working as a volunteer with Project Interfaith in early January of 2009. A desired change of career path into the non-profit world has changed Tom's status from volunteer to intern to staff member.  During his time with Project Interfaith, Tom hopes to gain more experience with and understanding of the non-profit world.  Tom enjoys reading, music, biking (bicycle, not motorcycle), and skiing (snow, not water).

Sierra Pirigyi, Program Coordinator

Sierra@projectinterfaith.org

Twitter: @spirigyi

Sierra Pirigyi is Project Interfaith's Program Coordinator.   She is currently a junior at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, double majoring in Organizational Sociology and Spanish.  Sierra is also working on a TESOL  Certificate and pursuing certification through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.  She has attended the University of Colorado-Denver and Metropolitan Community College as well.

Sierra previously worked as an Administrative Assistant for Project WISE, a Denver, Colorado non-profit working with low-income women.  This is what first sparked her interest in not-for-profit work.  Sierra began interning with Project Interfaith in February 2010, assisting in various fields until discovering her passion for programming.  Although currently undecided about her exact career plans, Sierra intends to continue working in the non-profit field, hoping someday to do humanitarian work with children and youth in Latin America.

Sierra enjoys learning about history, religion, philosophy and politics.  In her spare time, she likes to read and write.  

Rema Nair, Intern

Rema@projectinterfaith.org

Twitter: @rpnair_eda

Rema Nair is a Development and finance Intern at Project Interfaith. Rema holds a Bachelor's degree in General Studies from University of Nebraska at Omaha, and also a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Bombay - India. During her time with Project Interfaith, Rema hopes to gain more experience with and understanding of the non-profit world. Rema is married to Pradeep Nair and has two daughters Shruti and Gayatri. Rema enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her family. Rema is currently concentrating on getting her Masters Degree in Accounting from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Kaitlyn Hayes, Intern

Kaitlyn@projectinterfaith.org

Twitter: @kaitlynmhayes

Kaitlyn Hayes is a program intern for Project Interfaith. She is currently studying Sociology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and is also pursuing nonprofit certification through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. Kaitlyn is also involved with another nonprofit, Fine Lines, and is an officer for Circle K International (a community service organization). Through her time with Project Interfaith, Kaitlyn hopes to learn as much as she can about the nonprofit sector, as well as the diversity of our community. She enjoys people, learning, traveling (when she can), writing, and reading.

Joshua Campbell, Development Intern

joshua@projectinterfaith.org

Twitter: Joshua has not yet joined Twitter but it's only a matter of time...

Joshua graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2011 with a degree in International Studies and Political Science. After studying abroad in Japan and South Korea, he volunteered extensively with the UNO international community. During this time he earned Nonprofit Leadership Alliance's National Certification in Nonprofit Management and Leadership. With a passion for nonprofit work and a dedication to engaging issues concerning cultural and religious diversity, Joshua felt Project Interfaith was a natural place to start his career and help the community.

Mary Shorun, Communications Intern

mary@projectinterfaith.org

Mary is a Communications intern for Project Interfaith. She is currently studying Information Systems at Bellevue University, and is also involved with another nonprofit, Taking it Global, where she currently volunteers as online magazine editor and guest blogger. During her time with Project Interfaith, Mary hopes to gain valuable insights into the nonprofit sector while also learning about cultural and religious diversity. At some point in her life, Mary hopes to dive fully into the nonprofit sector. She enjoys cooking, writing, reading, and taking road trips.