PSPWN OF DC BOARD MEMBERS
Volunteer Alumni Leaders
NINA WERTAN
President
Ms. Wertan is a 2011 graduate of the College of Agricultural Sciences with a Bachelors of Animal Science and also has a Master’s of Public Administration and Policy from American University. Ms. Wertan has been in the DC Metro area since 2013 and has been an active member of PSPWN since 2016. Currently, she is a global operations program manager for The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine. She also serves on the board of Fiorenza's Food For Friends, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a world without hunger by connecting free sources of food to recipients in need.
WHITNEY STRINGER
Vice President
Ms. Stringer is a 2007 graduate with a Communications Arts and Science degree and the recipient of the 2021 College of the Liberal Arts Outstanding Young Liberal Arts Alumni Award and the 2021 K. David Weidner Diversity Award. Before her role with PSPWN, Ms. Stringer also served on the Penn State Alumni Association Council and the Penn State African American Alumni Organization of the Metro D.C. Area.
Since 2012 Ms. Stringer has served as the principal of Whitney Stringer PR & Events, a culturally competent communications firm based in DC. Ms. Stringer leads the agency in working with regional, national and international brands to shape their public image and raise their visibility. As an extension of the firm, Ms. Stringer also founded the Whitney Stringer PR & Events Wellness Series, health and wellness programming aimed at all women and communities of color built on the principle that every single person is worthy of wellness.
The State College, PA native now resides in Washington, DC and can be found on the tennis court, tasting the menu at the latest DC restaurants or cheering on her beloved Penn State Football team.
CHRISTINE REUBI
Secretary
Ms. Reubi is a 2012 graduate of the College of Engineering with a degree in Nuclear Engineering and a minor in Engineering Mechanics. She currently works at Northrop Grumman as a systems engineering manager, spearheading the team's Agile staffing initiative and supporting experimental technology demonstration satellite systems development and mission planning. Since moving to the DC area in 2015, Ms. Reubi has been an active member of PSPWN and enjoys volunteering, reading, and video games.
LAUREN PIERA JOWELL
Treasurer
Ms. Jowell is a 2004 graduate of the Schreyer Honors College, and attended the Behrend campus in Erie, PA. Ms. Jowell served as Vice President for four years and has been an active member of PSPWN since 2008. She is currently a Supervisory International Relations Officer for the U.S. Government promoting accountability in international technical assistance. She is a runner and an avid OrangeTheory member, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and loves a good spy thriller book.
DANA KYLE
Communications Chair
Ms. Kyle is a 2017 graduate of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications with a BA in Public Relations. Following graduation, Ms. Kyle spent time working as a country music publicist in Nashville before moving to Washington, DC, to pursue a career as an event planner for the United Services Organization (USO), a non-profit dedicated to serving active-duty service members and their families around the world. Ms. Kyle has served as the Communications Chair for the PSPWN since May 2021. In addition to her board role, she actively volunteers with Food for All DC, an organization that delivers groceries on a weekly basis to city residents.
JULIE BARSIC
Membership Chair
Julie graduated PSU with a BS in Biology and moved to Fairfax, VA, to get her MS in Biodefense... a subject that has kept her in the DMV for over 15 years. She has worked as a consultant in the fields of public health and emergency management. She is known by many as an "Excel wizard" and enjoys creating products for clients to organize and analyze data. When she isn't working, she enjoys exploring Virginia's wine country and is always willing to give a recommendation.
KAT STARGAARD JORDAN
Board Member at Large and Past President
Ms. Stargaard Jordan currently lives in Rockville with her husband, son, and pup. As a 2011 graduate of the Smeal College of Business, she works for a biomedical research nonprofit and loves cooking and cheering on Penn State in her off time. Ms. Stargaard Jordan has been lucky enough to head back up to State a few times since graduation, including for her roles supporting PSPWN. In her free time, she loves spending the day with her husband and dog, while biking along trails or trying new restaurants. She is also a die hard Philadelphia Flyers fan and is always down to talk hockey.