Staff

Lee Allen

Lee Allen joined JBANC in February of 2024, helping to connect Baltic communities through Baltic Advocacy Days and inform Congress on the legislative priorities of the Baltic diaspora community.

Lee received his master’s degree from Riga Stradins University, graduating with a degree in International Governance and Diplomacy. He wrote a thesis on the role of Congress in foreign policy, using Ukraine aid as a case study.

Managing Director

Igne Savickas

Igne Savickas is a Lithuanian American from Detroit, Michigan, currently pursuing a graduate degree in Global Governance, Politics, and Security at American University, with a concentration in Global Security and Transatlantic affairs.

She has remained actively engaged in the Lithuanian community and has completed internships with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vilnius and the Embassy of Lithuania in Washington, DC. Igne is also an active member of the Lithuanian scouting organization as a leader. Her hope, during her time with JBANC, is to bring more Lithuanians to join in our advocacy efforts.

Outreach Coordinator
Research & Policy Liasion

Liisa Jalakas

Liisa Jalakas is an Estonian American from Connecticut and the New York City area. She is completing her Bachelor of Science in International Affairs with a concentration in Security Policy, along with a minor in Data Analytics, at the George Washington University, where she will graduate in the spring of 2027.

Her academic and research interests center on cybersecurity, transatlantic security cooperation, and the evolving threat landscape facing the Baltic region. She has worked on projects examining EU and NATO cybersecurity frameworks, Russian hybrid attacks, and regional resilience, deepening her interest in how American and European policy approaches can reinforce one another.

Chair Emeritus

Karl Altau

With the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) since 1997, Karl Altau has helped conduct extensive advocacy on behalf of the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian central organizations in the United States. This includes the period of NATO accession for the three Baltic countries and the campaign for Magnitsky sanctions against human rights violators in Russia. He has addressed the Baltic parliaments and the United States Congress on the work of the Baltic-American communities.

A native Virginian with a degree in journalism from Radford University, Altau has lived and studied in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and at Indiana University. Altau has served on the boards of the Maryland-Estonia Exchange Council, which helps promote the Maryland Sister States Program and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation from 2004-2017. He spent three years with the consular section of the Embassy of Estonia in Helsinki, Finland from 1992-1995.

Previous Staff

The Joint Baltic American National Committee hosts fellows and professional interns through our parent organizations and exchange programs. JBANC also provides work experience through our Baltic Freedom Fellowship Program. See our past fellows by their affiliation below.

  • Karl-Heikki Jõks (Stony Brook University, 2024)

    Jack Rosswurm (remote – Indiana University Bloomington, 2023)

    Sophie May (remote – University of Buffalo, 2022)

    Wilson Daily (remote – University of North Carolina, 2021)

    Kristine Maurina (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 2019)

  • Anna Maria Flausino (2025)

    Liene Craft (2024)

    Maksis Beķeris (2023)

    Lija Lusis (2022)

    Vilis Sīmanis (2021)

    Grants Blumbergs (2021)

    Madelena Miniats (2020-2021)

  • Markuss Kozlinskis (Research & Policy Liaison 2024-2025)

    Hindrek Pärg (Program Manager 2023-2024)

    Karīna Rozena (2022)

    Eduards Ozoliņš (2019-2020)

  • Priit Grabbi (2020)

    Sven Wichman (2019)

  • Alo Kuusik (2025)

    Kertu Niit (2024)

    Sandra Võsaste (2023)

    Emilīja Linda Mendelsone (2021)

  • Yunchae Lee (2024)

    Younghyen Jeon (2023)

    Youngwoo Kim (2022)

    Donghyun Kim (2022)

    Yeoun Choi (2018-2019)