The GSPM community gathered on May 15 for a special opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our 2024 Alumni Achievement Award Winners and toast the graduating students.
The annual Toast the Network event brought together members of the community to network and forge new connections, while celebrating the newest members of the GSPM alumni community. Attendees included CPS Dean Liesl Riddle, faculty, alumni and GSPM advisory board members.
The 2024 Alumni Achievement Award winners were announced at the Toast the Network reception. The award is given annually to alumni who exemplify GSPM’s values through their career accomplishments, contributions back to their communities, GSPM, or GW. This year’s GSPM Alumni Achievement Awards were presented to Emily Berret, GSPM '13 and Jules "Jay" Hurst, GSPM '22.
Emily Berret, GSPM '13, Senior Advisor to House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries
- About Emily
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Emily Berret currently serves as a Senior Advisor to House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Previously, Emily led the transition team for House Democrats following the 2022 mid-term election. Emily served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Speaker Nancy Pelosi since 2021 and as the Director of Operations for the Speaker and Democratic Leader since 2013. Prior to her service in the Capitol, she served in the Obama Administration in roles in the White House Office of Management and Administration and the Council of Economic Advisers. Emily received her Master’s degree from The George Washington School of Political Management ’13 and Bachelor’s degree from Alvernia University ’11. She also is an alum of the Washington Center Internship Program ’09 and ’10. Emily received the Washington Center’s Alumni Impact Award in 2019 and Alvernia University’s inaugural Four Under Forty Achievement Award in 2019.
Jules “Jay” Hurst, GSPM '22, Legislative Director & Defense Advisor to Speaker Mike Johnson
- About Jay
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Jules “Jay” Hurst serves as the Legislative Director and Defense Advisor to Speaker Mike Johnson. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve. He has previously served as a liaison between the US Army and Congress, a Strategist serving on the Department of the Army Staff, and as a Project Manager for DoD AI systems. He has deployed to Afghanistan four times as the Senior Intelligence Officer for a Joint Special Operations Task Force. He holds master’s degrees from Georgetown and George Washington University, and has published broadly on autonomous systems, great power competition, and warfare.
Toast the Network Photo Gallery
