EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS
President
Sevtap Schreffler has been a dedicated leader within ATA-DC for many years, bringing deep experience in community building, education, and organizational development. After retiring from a long career as an IT manager, she devoted herself fully to ATA-DC’s mission, playing a central role in strengthening the organization’s cultural, educational, and community presence in the Washington, DC area.
One of her most meaningful accomplishments was guiding the team through the purchase of ATA-DC’s first permanent home—a milestone that fulfilled a long-standing vision. The new space serves as a hub for language classes, cultural programs, community events, and outreach initiatives, greatly expanding ATA-DC’s impact. Under her leadership, ATA-DC has grown to a vibrant community of over 1,000 active subscribers.
Her connection to ATA-DC extends well beyond her presidency. She has served as principal of the Atatürk School, chaired the Membership Committee, and supported flagship events including the Turkish Festival, concerts, and educational workshops. She is especially proud of coordinating a major charity event following the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye, where maNga performed to raise funds for prostheses for children who lost limbs.
Deeply committed to preserving and sharing Turkish culture, Sevtap Schreffler continues to focus on expanding programs, promoting educational initiatives, and nurturing a connected and empowered Turkish-American community.
Vice President
Secretary General
Özge Övün-Sert has been an active board member of ATA-DC since 2018 and was elected Secretary General in 2023. She previously worked as a freelance journalist and TV reporter based in Washington, DC. Özge anchored Batı Yakası, a 60-minute news program on TRT Haber, where she interviewed U.S. officials and prominent global figures, including Noam Chomsky and Russell Crowe. Prior to that, she worked at Voice of America (VOA), where she hosted various television and live radio programs, conducted interviews, and produced feature stories and news reports. She was also the anchor of VOA’s first Turkish-language TV show, Gündem, for more than eight years.
Özge holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Marmara University’s School of Communication and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland. Recently, she transitioned into the field of IT security and currently works as a Cybersecurity Analyst at an IT company headquartered in the Washington, DC area. In addition, she is a licensed real estate agent in Virginia.
She is married to Yalçın Sert, a well-known member of the Turkish-American community. They reside in Fairfax, VA, with their two children, Duru and Bartu.
Treasurer
Patsy Jones is a native Washingtonian who has degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics and is currently working in high performance computing at the National Institutes of Health.
She has been an ATA-DC Board member since 2001 and has served as both Treasurer and Secretary. Patsy has been actively involved in many of ATA-DC’s functions including Teacher’s Workshops, Turkish Festivals, 23 Nisan Celebrations, Turkish Heritage Month activities, the Ataturk School and Bayram Lunches.
Patsy is interested in furthering greater dialogue and understanding between the Turkish and American peoples through ATA-DC programming activities. As a board member, she can continue her efforts in promoting Turkish culture in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and beyond.
BOARD MEMBERS
Atilla Ozdemir is an entrepreneur lives in the DMV area for the last 11 years. He has over 25 years of management and food industry experience in various positions. He is the co-owner of Fairfax Bakery American and Mediterranean Café in Fairfax, VA since November 2018 besides importing Turkish food products from Turkey. He earned Tourism and Hotel Management from Bilkent University and Hospitality Management from UCF and Business degree from Seminole State. He currently lives in McLean, VA with his wife, son and daughter. He has been an ATA-DC board member since 2019.
Aylin is from İzmir and holds a degree in Food Science and Engineering from Ege University. For 20 years, she worked in the food industry as a Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and Operations Coordinator across Türkiye, Russia, and Kazakhstan. After moving to the U.S., she continued her career and currently serves as a Food Safety and Quality Specialist for Wegmans.
Beyond her professional life, she has been an active contributor to the Turkish American community. Over the past year, she has been a part of the DMV Turkish Music Ensemble, through which she performed at the Turkish Festival and the “Tribute to Atatürk” concert in collaboration with ATA-DC. She also volunteered in the past to help organize festival volunteers and enjoys engaging in community involved activities.
Her connection with ATA-DC strengthened when her daughter joined ATA-DC’s Young Cultural Ambassador Program (YCAP). Through this program, she learned how important cultural programs are for young people and became passionate about helping the young generation stay connected to their heritage.
She hopes to help expand youth engagement and promote inclusive, meaningful cultural events that reflect the Turkish American community. She also looks forward to contributing to ATA-DC’s mission by organizing both social, cultural, and educational activities to bring the Turkish community members and other cultures together.
In her personal time, Aylin enjoys singing, exploring new places, sailing with her family, and going on nature walks.
Aynur Kahveci-Özdemir is a culinary professional based in the DMV area, specializing in Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine. She began her culinary career after completing her culinary education and working at the Ankara Hilton before relocating to the United States.
Aynur is the owner of a boutique catering and private chef business, providing weekly home-cooked meal delivery, in-home cooking experiences, and catering services for special events, corporate functions, and private gatherings. In addition to her culinary enterprise, she co-manages Sicilian Pizza, a family-owned restaurant in Washington, D.C., together with her husband.
She currently resides in Bethesda, MD with her husband, son, and daughter. Cooking remains a deeply rooted family tradition, and Aynur continues to honor this heritage through a passion for wholesome, handcrafted, and culturally inspired cuisine.
Aynur has been serving as an ATA-DC board member since 2024.
Berk Somer was born in Istanbul. He holds a Bachelor’s in Engineering from Sabancı University and a Master’s in Data Science and Analytics from the University of Maryland. He has professional experience in data analytics within the pharmaceutical industry, and he also has an educational background in artificial intelligence and cloud computing systems. Berk is passionate about technology, culture, and community engagement and is dedicated to building strong connections within the Turkish-American community. He enjoys bringing energy, enthusiasm, and a strong commitment to active participation in organizational activities. He speaks English, Turkish, French, and German, and lives in Leesburg, VA with his wife.
Burcu Yuksel is an energetic and athletic Physical Education teacher with over 6 years of teaching experience at the middle and high school levels. In addition, she’s a former basketball player, whose career spans over 15 years, having played at the high school, collegiate and professional levels in Turkey. Ms. Yuksel also holds basketball officiating licenses in both Turkey and the United States, and has over 15 years of refereeing experience – 12 years in the Turkish Professional League and 3 years at the high school varsity level in the United States.
Ms. Yuksel holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Physical Education Teaching Department of the prestigious University of Kocaeli’s Sports Academy in Turkey. She additionally holds an Associate Degree in Sport Management from Howard Community College and MBA from Bay Atlantic University in DC. Ms. Yuksel current job position is Manager and Designer at Kitchen and Bath Shop Timonium.
Busra Kayı Tarhan was born and raised in Istanbul Changir. She completed her Academic Education by graduating from Golden Horn University, American Language and Literature. Afterwards, she worked as an English teacher meanwhile when she was in Turkey.
As an art lover She took part in many branches of art such as painting, music, fashion design and photography.
Apart from these branches of art, music became more different when she decided to go to conservatory at Müjdat Gezen art Center. This school inspired her too much on this path and shed light on her as well. After the conservatory, she now has the opportunity to perform at many Turkish community events and festivals which organized by ATA DC of Washington. Now she is actively reach her listener with her acoustic live performances on her youtube channel. She has been Washington D. C almost 10 years with her family husband and one lovely son who’s name is Barış which means “peace ” Peace at Home, Pease in the World” Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Demet is a development finance and partnerships specialist with more than 20 years of experience in the World’s largest Multilateral International Development Agencies, including the World Bank and the IMF. Born in Istanbul and raised in Tekirdag, Demet moved to the US in 1996 to continue her education. She has been a Board Member of the American Turkish Association of Washington, DC since 2003 and served as its President for three terms between 2007 and 2013. Demet has been involved in the organization of the award-winning DC Turkish Festival since its inception and has held one of the critical leadership roles in growing and expanding the festival into a vibrant DC tradition. During her Presidency, she launched the Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant week, Turkish Heritage Month and ATA-DC networking happy hours as well as ATA-DC’s International Women’s Day Activities that raise awareness of domestic violence and honor crimes against women and raise funds for organizations that deal with these issues. Most recently, she has been leading ATA-DC’s Young Cultural Ambassador Program. Demet served as the Capital Region VP for the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) between 2008 and 2013. Demet is a co-founder, active dancer and instructor of the Kardelen Turkish Dance Ensemble. Demet holds a BS degree in Management Engineering from Istanbul Technical University. She earned a Joint MBA/MA Degree in International Affairs and International Business and a MS Degree in Finance from George Washington University
Elvan Ramazanoğulları currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors at ATA-DC, now entering her fourth year of service to the organization.
Born and raised in the DMV area, Elvan has been deeply engaged in the Turkish-American community from a young age. She attended ATA-DC and MATA’s Turkish schools growing up and spent many years volunteering with Turkish Children Foster Care, a U.S.-based nonprofit. Her commitment to community extends beyond cultural lines—Elvan is also active in her local community in Virginia.
Elvan currently works for Fairfax County Public Schools. She is also a digital creator and a former sales and marketing professional, having spent over 10 years with a major international hotel chain. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
On the ATA-DC board, Elvan serves as Chair of the Social Media Committee, where she uses her expertise to expand the organization’s outreach and community engagement. Her work supports ATA-DC’s mission to foster cultural understanding and strengthen connections between Turkish and American communities.
Her goal is to give back through active service and to promote cultural exchange, understanding, and empowerment.
Erin Özlem graduated from Istanbul University with a degree in Philosophy. After completing her studies, she worked as a teacher in Turkey before moving to London, where she spent four years pursuing further education and gaining international experience. For the past 18 years, she has lived in the United States, where she has worked in various fields and remained actively involved in the Turkish-American community. She currently serve as a volunteer with ATA-DC and teach Turkish at the Atatürk School. She is married and the proud mother of three children.
Feriha Istar is a longtime member of ATA DC and has been a Board Member since 1995. Over the years, she has worked with ATA-DC and ASIRT on numerous beneficial projects and an Advisory Board Member at Turkish Coffee Lady Foundation
Feriha strongly believes that all Turks and Turkish Americans living outside of Turkiye should join and actively support their local associations. She has been among one of the most active person responsible for bringing Turkish Culture and proudly represents our society with Americans and Turks alike.
Since she became a Board Member, Feriha chaired various committees including the Republic Day Ball, Bayram Luncheons, Teachers Workshop, and Fundaising Dinner Parties. She has been awarded ATAA – Distinguished Service Award (1991), the Daughter’s of Ataturk Award (2001), ATAA -Meritorious Service Award (2002), ATAA President’s Awardand ASIRT Community Leadership in Road Safety (2006) She is graduate of Izmir -Türk Kolleji and Buca Egitim Academy. She retired from Turkish Embassy Tourism Counselors Office after 29 years. She is married and she has two children (Selman and Melis) and two grandchildren Landon and Layla.
Gamze Cakmak is a long-standing Board Member of the ATA-DC and a key contributor behind several of the organization’s flagship programs and community initiatives.
She is an accomplished management consultant, executive trainer, and instructional designer with a global portfolio that includes leadership and organizational development programs for major international corporations and federal institutions. Her work has supported the U.S. Department of State, the Department of Defense, and leading companies across the automotive, finance, aviation, and technology sectors.
Gamze’s multidisciplinary background spans international affairs, human resources development, global management, and computer science, strengthened by professional certifications in project management and technology. She currently works in the AI industry as a QA Engineer and remains committed to advancing Turkish-American community engagement and educational initiatives.
Guclu is a seasoned technology entrepreneur and advisor with a proven track
record of seamlessly integrating business strategy with technological innovation. He has played a pivotal role in scaling startups and fostering growth in the tech ecosystem.
In 2013, Guclu founded a successful Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) startup,
secured venture capital funding, scaled, and was successfully acquired in
2020.
Before his entrepreneurial journey, Guclu spent 15 years at global organizations such as Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, and Vodafone, where
he acted as a key bridge for business stakeholders, shaping corporate strategies.
Currently, Guclu is dedicated to nurturing early-stage startups as the Managing Director of Founder Institute Washington DC (fi.co), where he leads efforts to accelerate high-potential technology ventures. He is also the
Managing Partner at ConnectOp Consulting (connectop.co), helping
startups expand in the East Coast US by providing access to critical resources, strategic partnerships, and investor networks.
With equity stakes in over 50 startups, Guclu is deeply committed to fostering
connections, driving business growth, and strengthening the startup ecosystem. He actively manages two accelerator cohorts annually and hosts regular in-person panels to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and
industry leaders across the Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia region.
Nile Karaman has 25 years of experience as a banking professional at individual and corporate division. She served as a Branch Manager of 3 different branches for 12 years at Türkiye İş Bankası A.Ş.
Ms. Karaman holds a BA degree in Economics from Marmara University. She is currently working at Bank Of America as banker. She is also licensed Mortgage Loan Originator in Virginia.
Nile married to another well-known member of the Turkish-American Community, Serdar Karaman. The couple lives s Fairfax, VA with their 3 children Efe, Alp and Ata.
Pelin Tanyeri Koç was born and raised in Izmir, Türkiye. She earned her bachelor’s degree in American Culture and Literature and went on to complete a Master’s in Marketing Communication and Public Relations. She later pursued an MBA with a focus on Entrepreneurship and is currently continuing her professional development with a degree in IT Management.
Pelin has built her career over the past 12 years in the marketing, events, and communications fields, working across various international brands and industries. She remains a partner of a corporate event company based in Istanbul, where she continues to contribute her expertise to large-scale productions and brand experiences. Currently, Pelin serves as the Manager and Lead Designer of Kitchen and Bath Shop Georgetown, where she combines design, operations, and client relations in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
As the newest member of the ATA-DC Board, Pelin is honored to serve the Turkish American community and is deeply committed to strengthening cultural ties, supporting community initiatives, and contributing to the organization’s mission with passion and dedication.
Seda Arik is a native of Bursa, Türkiye. She is an attorney at law and holds a law degree from Istanbul University. She also earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the University of Minnesota and is currently pursuing an MBA.She was elected and served as a city council member in Bursa, Türkiye, and has held board positions in several associations.
Seda has been an active member of ATA-DC since 2021 and currently serves both as a board member of ATA-DC and as the Capital Region Vice President of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA). She continues to actively support and advocate for the American-Turkish community. Her goal is to contribute to the community through her experience, leadership, and strong relationships with Türkiye.
Selçuk Oflaz is a Civil Engineering B.Sc. graduate from Yıldız Technical University in Istanbul, supported by an exchange program at University of Portsmouth, England. His career includes diverse international experiences in Greece, Qatar, and Türkiye, where he contributed to projects across engineering and management disciplines.
After relocating to the DMV area in the United States, Selçuk continued his work in project management, leveraging his technical expertise and multicultural perspective to deliver successful outcomes in complex projects. Selçuk currently works as a Project Manager (PMP) for a private utility contractor company.
A married father of two daughters, Selçuk enjoys spending time with his family exploring the region, playing music, swimming, and doing crafts with his children. He has been an active member of ATA-DC for four years, becoming a board member in June 2024. He also served as the 2024–2025 School Principal for ATA-DC Atatürk School for Children, and continues to support the school committee. Selçuk is enthusiastic about the future initiatives and applications of ATA-DC, continuing his commitment to community and cultural engagement.
Mrs. Sema Yelken serves as a Board Member at ATA-DC and is actively involved in several committees, including the Atatürk School Committee, Events Committee, and ATANews Magazine
Committee. As the School Principal of The ATA-DC Atatürk School
for Children, Mrs. Yelken oversees the management and curriculum development of the Atatürk School for Children. She holds the position of Kids Tent Coordinator for the Washington D.C. Turkish Festival. She provides quarterly Atatürk School updates for ATANews Magazine. Her objective is to promote cultural exchange, understanding, and empowerment through dedicated service.
She has significant experience in retail banking and wealth management from a leading private bank in Istanbul, holds a Master’s Degree in Finance from American University, Kogod School of Business, and is currently a finance director for a private company.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Finance from American University, Kogod School of Business. She works as a Finance Director at a privately-owned company.
Mrs. Yelken was born and raised in Adana, Türkiye, as the daughter of an engineer
father and an educator mother who were founding members of ADD – Atatürkçü
Düşünce Derneği (Atatürkist Thought Association). She attended ADD meetings with
her parents, growing up with Atatürk’s ideology.
Mrs. Yelken and her husband are raising two trilingual children, emphasizing Atatürk’s
principles, secularism, civic responsibility, and Turkish heritage, while encouraging hard
work and global citizenship.
Dr. Umut Burak Geyikci is an experienced corporate finance executive and published academic. He contributes strategic insight and governance experience to the American Turkish Association of Washington, DC (ATA-DC) board. He also works within the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of his academic or community career. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys strategic activities like chess, music, and time with his family.
Meet Yasemin, a friendly face you might already know from around Virginia! She’s been working as an English teacher at Fairfax County Public Schools for the past 15 years. She earned her Master’s degree from George Mason University and her BA from Bilkent University.
Before her teaching career, Yasemin also served our community at the Turkish Embassy Consular Office. For years, she’s been a familiar presence at many ATADC events, often with her family by her side. For the past 2 years, her two teens have been a member of Atadc’s Young Cultural Ambassodor’s program. Now, feeling a deeper connection to our Turkish American community, Yasemin believes it’s the perfect time to step up and contribute even more directly.
Beyond her professional life, Yasemin has a vibrant artistic spirit! She loves to sing, enjoy playing percussion instruments, and has a genuine passion for all kinds of music. You might even recognize her from her involvement with the talented DMV Turkish Music Ensemble!
Yasemin is a firm believer in lifelong learning and is enthusiastic about projects that uplift and empower others. She’s particularly passionate about helping Turkish Americans find their voice and make a stronger impact culturally and politically within American society.
With her long-standing ties to Virginia, her dedication to education and community, her artistic spirit, and her desire to empower, Yasemin is excited about the possibility of serving on the ATADC board and working alongside you to strengthen our Turkish American community.
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