Senior Leadership & Advisory

CREW CHIEF COUNCIL

PRESIDENT: Merritt Hayes

Merritt is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Neurobiology and minoring in Economics. With two years of experience in EMS, he currently holds the role of President and has previously served as Treasurer and Assistant Director of Training. Passionate about healthcare, Merritt intends to pursue a career in the medical field.

CAPTAIN: Tharun Potluri

Tharun is a junior in the School of Health majoring in Human Science. With five years of experience in EMS, he currently holds the roles of Captain and Crew Chief at GERMS, having previously  served as President last year. Tharun also actively rides with Montgomery EMS in his hometown in New Jersey, where he is a consistent top responder. Having been accepted into Georgetown’s Early Assurance Program, Tharun will be matriculating into Georgetown’s School of Medicine upon his graduation in 2025.

VICE-PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS: James Cole

James is a junior in the Walsh School of Foreign Service studying International Politics and focusing on Security Studies. With three years of experience in EMS, he holds roles as a Crew Chief and Vice President of Operations, having previously served as the Director of Ambulance Operations. Passionate about the role of Homeland Security and Public Safety, James aims to pursue a career in this field.

VICE-PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION: Hannah Locke

Hannah is a junior in the School of Health majoring in Human Science. She has three years of experience in EMS, and is currently the Vice President of Education. She was previously a Director of Training for the GERMS EMS Basic Certification Course and Director of Recertification for GERMS. Hannah plans to continue pursuing healthcare and research as a clinical researcher in the future.

VICE-PRESIDENT OF STAFF: Manya Reddy

Manya is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Biochemistry. With three years of experience in EMS, she currently holds roles as Acting Crew Chief and Vice President of Staff, having previously served as Director of Personnel. Passionate about healthcare, Manya intends to pursue a career in this field in the future.

VICE-PRESIDENT OF DE&I: Munasip Ertakus

Munasip is a junior in the School of Health majoring in Human Science and minoring in Disability Studies from Tacoma, Washington. She is currently the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and previously served as a Director of Federal Work Study and Director of Alumni Relations. She is passionate about bringing healthcare to low income and disadvantaged communities through her work with GERMS and beyond. Munasip intends to pursue a career in emergency medicine and is currently on the Pre-Physician Assistant track.

SENIOR-MEMBER-AT-LARGE: Kara Wilcox

Kara is a sophomore in the College majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies and minoring in Mathematics. She joined GERMS in the spring of 2023 and is currently the Senior Member at Large. She is a Driver/EMT for GERMS and has previously served as the Director of Scheduling and Retreat Director. Kara is passionate about women’s health and gender equity in medicine and hopes to pursue a career in those fields.

JUNIOR-MEMBER-AT-LARGE: Emily Taylor

Emily is a junior in the College majoring in Biology of Global Health and minoring in Medical Humanities. A member of GERMS for over six semesters, she is currently the Junior Member at Large, previously having served as the Director of Probationary Members. She hopes to pursue a career in healthcare focused on pediatric oncology, given her passion for improving quality of life and patient-provider communication across the cancer continuum. Her favorite part of GERMS is getting to know all our amazing new members! 

TREASURER: Alice Currie

A sophomore in the School of Heath majoring in Human Science, Alice has been a member of GERMS for four semesters and worked in EMS for the past three years. She is currently serving as Treasurer and Acting Crew Chief, with previously held positions of Director of Standbys, Assistant Director of Training, and Observation Hours Coordinator. Alice is a pre-medical student and aims for a future working in healthcare.

SECRETARY: Thomas Ostberg

Thomas is a junior in the McDonough School of Business studying Operations, Analytics, and Marketing. With seven years of experience in EMS, Thomas currently serves as a Driver/EMT on the ambulance and as the Secretary and Director of Electronic Systems off the ambulance. Thomas aims to pursue a career at the dynamic intersection between healthcare and business.