Nate Looney

Director of Community Safety & Belonging , Jewish Federations of North America

Nate Looney is Director of Community Safety and Belonging at Jewish Federations of North America’s Center for Jewish Belonging. A U.S. Army veteran, social entrepreneur, and diversity strategist, he brings a multidisciplinary approach to strengthening Jewish communities across identity, security, and inclusion. Nate leads initiatives in antisemitism response, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and community resilience.

Nate’s early career includes service in the U.S. Army National Guard beginning in 2003 as a military police soldier stationed in New Orleans, where he played a vital role in post–Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts and earned the Army’s Meritorious Service Medal. He later deployed to Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. After leaving the military to complete his education and begin his gender transition, Nate earned a B.A. in Business from American Jewish University and launched Westside Urban Gardens, a hydroponic and aquaponic agricultural venture.

After the murder of George Floyd, Nate shifted his focus to Jewish communal work, developing creative equity solutions. As Manager of Racial Justice at Avodah, he designed and launched JOC Bayit, a residential social justice cohort for Jews of Color in Brooklyn. In his current role, Nate leads international missions that build cross-cultural solidarity and belonging across diverse Jewish communities.

In June 2025, Nate served as lead organizer of the Jewish Federations’ historic LGBTQ+ Pride Mission to Israel, guiding nearly 100 North American LGBTQ+ Jewish leaders to engage with Israeli queer activists, survivors of October 7, and President Herzog, who, along with the First Lady, made history by attending Jerusalem Pride. Nate’s leadership on this mission underscored the resilience of LGBTQ+ Jews in expressing their full identity without compromise. He also serves on the boards of Jewtina y Co and JQ International and is a Wexner Field Fellow and alum of the Jeremiah Fellowship and Bend the Arc Selah Leadership program.