Emerging Professionals Committee

Agazeet Haile | Committee Chair

Agazeet Haile grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and currently works as a Grants and Development Coordinator and an Advocacy and Development Specialist. In the future, she would like to create and implement cultural heritage practices and policies in regions of the world that currently lack ongoing support for the field, especially those affected by conflict and natural disasters. 

As the Chair of the Emerging Professionals Committee, Agazeet would like to create an organizational foundation for this committee and relevance amongst cultural heritage professionals within the U.S. for opportunities and mentorship. Within that, she would also love to focus on bridging the disconnect between developing heritage professionals and create new pathways for their professional growth.

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Luka Nedzbala | Committee Vice-Chair

Luka Nedzbala is an American-Slovene architect specializing in the protection of built cultural heritage. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Luka has lived and worked in several countries across Europe, Asia, and North America. He graduated top of his class from the Università degli studi di Torino in Turin, Italy, with the Masters degree Cultural Property Protection in Crisis Response. Since then, together with a colleague, he founded Bruns Nedzbala Heritage Solutions, to date advising clients on projects in Greece and Slovenia. His current work primarily deals with the complex interactions between cultural heritage sites and projects for tourism and development. In future, he aims to particularly focus on protection of built cultural heritage in post-conflict, post-disaster scenarios.

As part of the Emerging Professionals Committee, he looks forward to playing a part in the creation of improved resources to better communicate potential opportunities for emerging professionals, as we take the first steps to build lasting, meaningful careers in the cultural heritage sector.

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Emelia Lehmann | Communications Officer

Emelia Lehmann is a Presidential Management Fellow appointed with the National Park Service in Washington DC. In this role, she documents historic structures and researches climate impacts and mitigation strategies for cultural resources. She holds a master’s degree in Urban + Environmental Planning and certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Virginia School of Architecture and a bachelor’s degree in History with Honors from the University of Chicago. Previously, she worked at the Haven Art Group (now PURE Art Services, a division of PURE Insurance) as a fine art collections manager and licensed insurance adjuster. She has also held positions with the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at UVA; the Smart Museum of Art; the Terra Foundation for American Art; and the University of Chicago Campus & Public Art Collection. 

As a member of the Emerging Professionals Committee, Emelia looks forward to developing a forum to share resources and expertise and promote networking and professional development opportunities among young and emerging professionals. She is eager to meet and learn from peers working in different disciplines, locations, and professions, and to join a growing national and international community supporting and uplifting the next generation of cultural heritage work!

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Ina Sthapit | Social Media Manager

Ina Sthapit is from Kathmandu, Nepal and is currently pursuing her PhD at Colorado State University. Her research focuses on Mixed Reality and Digital Twins, and she aims to pursue an academic career centered on these interests. As part of the Emerging Professionals Committee, Ina is eager to collaborate with fellow professionals who share her enthusiasm for heritage conservation.