Maura joined the Y&S Nazarian Center in 2010 and brings to her role a strong background in non-profit management and a knowledge and love of Israel.  As Executive Director, she coordinates the center’s course offerings, manages its many public programs on diverse aspects of Israel, and serves as chief administrative officer.  Her professional career includes extensive experience in development, including positions at the Arthritis Foundation, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, and the UCLA International Institute, as well as in government and the private sector.  She served as a Legislative Aide to US Senator Alan Cranston (senior Senator from California) in Washington, D.C. and as a Marketing Manager at Mattel Toys. 

Maura is a native of Los Angeles, but attended high school in Jerusalem, graduating from the Hebrew University Secondary School (Tichon L’yad Ha’universita).  She maintains close ties to Israel through friends and family around the country, and through her professional work.  She is a member of the international Association for Israel Studies and a former trustee of Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles and member of its annual "Yom Limmud" (Day of Learning) committee. She also supports the Polyphony Foundation, a non-profit based in Nazareth, Israel, as a member of its West Coast advisory committee. (The Foundation works to bridge the divide between Israeli Arab and Jewish communities through world-class classical music training, music education in K-12 schools, and cultural exchange.) 

Maura holds a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University (Connecticut) and an MBA from UCLA.