Advisory Council

Staff Chaplain, NYU Langone Medical Center, Manhattan

Dr. Ahmet Atlig began his career at the Imams and Preachers Seminary in Izmir, Turkey, where he was ordained as an imam and Muslim cleric. He received his doctorate in philosophy from the Theology Department at the University of West Coast, and then served as the imam of New Peckham Mosque, in London. After relocating to the United States, Dr. Atlig completed the Clinical Pastoral Education program at VA New York Harbor Healthcare System and became a board-certified chaplain with the HealthCare Chaplaincy Network in 2019. Before joining NYU Langone, he was a chaplain at various New York City hospitals.

Imam Ahmet Atlig has dedicated his professional career to providing spiritual guidance to asylum seekers in New York City from Turkey. Through the Interfaith Center of New York, he has been involved in a community-based project with members of the clergy traveling across New York City to meet with immigrants who are seeking resettlement and providing them with grief counseling and support, crisis ministry, referrals for financial struggles, and mental health issues.

Sandra Baer
Chief Executive Officer, Personal Cities

Sandra Baer is an expert in fostering creative collaborations between the public and private sectors, with over 20 years of experience working with city leaders and innovative city companies globally. As the CEO of Personal Cities, she helps strengthen city branding, social inclusion, equity, and the acceleration of technology investments. Baer has held leadership positions at notable organizations such as ATT, Discovery Channel, Sprint/Nextel, Ridge Global, and Bloomberg Government. She has also served on several advisory boards, including Leading Cities, Cityzenith, and the UN Foundation. She has been an advisor and board member at EEI, CIVIQ Smartscapes, Nektria, UrbanLeap, Citibeats, The GreenBiz Group, Friendship Place, and the Washington Bach Consort.

Baer was recognized for her work with the Smart City Leadership Award in 2019 and has spoken at conferences worldwide, including in the US, Europe, India, and Latin America. After living and working in Europe from 2016 to 2019, she returned to Washington, DC, in 2020. Baer is also a sought-after speaker and has been featured on podcasts like “Wirelessly Yours,” “Tomorrow.City,” and “Been There, Done That.”

Emre Celik
Executive Director, Peace Islands Institute, New York

Emre Celik, originally from Sydney, Australia, is the Executive Director of Peace Islands New York. He served as the president of Rumi Forum Washington, DC, from 2009 to 2019 and has been the Chairman of the International Festival of Language and Culture (IFLC USA) since 2016. Emre has played a key role in interfaith and community-building initiatives, including coordinating the first Holocaust Education Project for Muslim students and engaging in various interfaith dialogues.

In April 2024, the Paulist Fathers honored Emre Celik with the Spirit of Isaac Hecker Award for his commitment to interfaith collaboration. In June 2024, he had an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Emre is pursuing a PhD in Islamic Studies and has lectured at prestigious universities like Harvard and Georgetown. His work focuses on multiculturalism, diaspora Muslims, religious freedom, and community activism. He has also been featured in major media outlets such as the NY Times and Washington Post and is an advisor to the North East Islamic Community Center.

Peter Kovach
(Ret.) Senior Foreign Service and Public Diplomacy Officer

Peter Kovach is a seasoned United States Diplomat with over 30 years of experience as a creative strategic planner, negotiator, mentor, and senior manager in cross-cultural, international environments. He currently serves as the Director of the Office of International Religious Freedom and the Global Strategic Engagement Center, leading a team of strategic communication experts at the Department of State. Peter’s career includes diplomatic postings, teaching history of religions at the university level, and mentoring junior staff, particularly in careers supporting America’s foreign relations.

With expertise in communications, Peter has managed live cross-cultural encounters, cultural exchanges, performing arts events, and political events such as State visits. His background in strategic planning and implementation of creative international programs is complemented by extensive HR experience in recruiting and deploying staff. Peter holds advanced degrees from institutions including The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and UC Berkeley. His passion is using religion and spirituality as uniting forces in communities.

Kelly Moltzen
Convener, Interfaith Public Health Network

Kelly Moltzen is a passionate advocate for the intersection of food, faith, and social justice. As a Program Manager at the Institute for Family Health, she leads the Bronx Health REACH initiative, which addresses health disparities related to obesity and diabetes, mainly through food systems efforts to improve access to healthy, affordable foods. Kelly has been managing the Creating Healthy Schools & Communities program since 2015, a multi-sector initiative coordinated by the New York State Department of Health to increase access to nutritious foods and opportunities for physical activity in underserved school districts and their communities.

In addition to her role at the Institute for Family Health, Kelly is a Consultant with Church World Service, working on strategies related to hunger, nutrition, youth engagement, and sustainability. She is also the Interfaith Public Health Network co-convener and has been recognized as part of Hunter College’s NYC Food Policy Center 40 Under 40 Class of 2020. She is also a Fellow at Abrahamic House and a member of the Ecumenical/Interfaith Committee of the USA Secular Franciscan Order, where she brings faith voices to global food systems discussions.

Imam Talib M. Shareef, Ph.D.
President, Masjid Muhammad, The Nation`s Mosque

Imam Dr. Talib M. Shareef is the President and Imam of Masjid Muhammad, The Nation’s Mosque in Washington, D.C. A retired U.S. Air Force member with over 30 years of service, Imam Shareef holds a Doctorate in Islamic Studies and has taught at Global Oved Dei Seminary and University, where he also serves as the Director of the Interfaith Council. He has been a key figure in interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding, representing Islam at major international forums and religious freedom discussions in Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey.

Imam Shareef has received numerous awards for his leadership, including the U.S. Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and Morocco’s highest Royal Medal for interfaith leadership. He was the first imam in military service to open a session of the U.S. Congress, and he has appeared in major media outlets like CNN, Fox, and The Washington Post. Imam Shareef’s strategic vision led to a nearly $50 million Islamic legacy project in D.C. honoring Sister Clara Muhammad. He advocates for countering extremism, religious freedom, and human rights, and serves on various councils, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Faith-Based Security Advisory Committee.

Simran Singh Stuelpnagel
IRF Secretariat

Simran Stuelpnagel is a distinguished human rights advocate, social entrepreneur, and executive advisor with a deep commitment to religious freedom, defense, and human rights. He serves as Vice Chair of the IRF Secretariat, leading global initiatives on freedom of belief and human dignity. As Head of its Corporate Council, he fosters collaboration between the 43-nation Article 18 Alliance, corporations, and the religious freedom movement. His work has earned recognition from global leaders, including a National Peace Medal in 2023 and a commendation from the British military for his humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

An accomplished musician, Simran trained in classical Indian music, recorded with Grammy-winning artists, and became the first European to perform devotional hymns at the Golden Temple. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Hebrew College. Organizations such as Parity NYC have honored him for his interfaith advocacy. His work continues to bridge faith, security, and social impact across the globe.

Pim Valkenberg, Ph.D.

Dr. Pim Valkenberg is a distinguished scholar of Christian-Muslim relations, interreligious dialogue, and comparative theology. Born in the Netherlands, he studied theology at Utrecht State University and the Catholic Theological University of Utrecht, specializing in dogmatic theology and the phenomenology of religion. After serving as a research fellow and adult education specialist, he earned his doctorate with a dissertation on Thomas Aquinas and the use of Scripture in theology.

His research explores Abrahamic partnerships, medieval theology, and contemporary interfaith engagement. He has authored works including Words of the Living God, The Three Rings, and Sharing Lights on the Way to God, which examines figures such as Rumi, al-Ghazali, and Fethullah Gülen in a comparative theological framework. His recent projects include a study on the Hizmet movement and a collaborative commentary on Qur’anic texts concerning the “Scripture People.” His scholarship continues to shape global interfaith discourse.