Crew

RACHEL Alkon
Communications Consultant

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RACHEL Alkon
Communications Consultant

Education
New York University, MA
University of Wisconsin-Madison, BA

Favorite Ingredient
Bananas
What I love about WITS
Our role fighting the obesity crisis and inspiring the next generation to establish healthy behavior
Get in Touch
rachel@wellnessintheschools.org

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JASON Bryson
Program Director, Florida

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JASON Bryson
Program Director, Florida

Education
Culinary Institute of America

Favorite Meal
Green Papaya Salad
Super Power
Healing animals by touch
Get in Touch
bryson@wellnessintheschools.org

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JOAN Chung
Administrative Assistant

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JOAN Chung
Administrative Assistant

Education
Boston College, BA

Favorite Ingredient
Tahini
Guilty Pleasure
Eating too many slices of fresh sourdough
Get in Touch
joan@wellnessintheschools.org

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SUSAN Edgerley
Director of Operations and Special Projects

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SUSAN Edgerley
Director of Operations and Special Projects

Education
Kansas State University, BA

Favorite Ingredient
Capers. Or butter.
Guilty Pleasure
2 apps -- Headspace and Lumosity. And the Turkish breakfast at Tekoá in Cobble HIll, Brooklyn.
Get in Touch
sedgerley@wellnessintheschools.org

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HOLLIE Greene
Program Director, California

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HOLLIE Greene
Program Director, California

Education
French Culinary Institute
University of South Carolina, Masters of Human Resources Management

Spirit Animal
Hummingbird
Guilty Pleasure
A homemade biscuit stuffed with a juicy summer tomato and slathered in mayo
Get in Touch
hollie@wellnessintheschools.org

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PATTY Intrator
Director of Development

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PATTY Intrator
Director of Development

Education
New York University, MA
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, BA

Favorite Ingredient
Aleppo pepper
Guilty Pleasure
Homemade popcorn with butter
Get in Touch
patty@wellnessintheschools.org

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ALLYCE Perret-Gentil
Senior Program Coordinator, Florida

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ALLYCE Perret-Gentil
Senior Program Coordinator, Florida

Education
Florida Gulf Coast University, BSN

Spirit Animal
Cheetah
Favorite Workout Song
Danza Kuduro by Don Omar
Get in Touch
allyce@wellnessintheschools.org

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RODRIGO Rabanal
Coach for Kids Coordinator

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RODRIGO Rabanal
Coach for Kids Coordinator

Education
DePauw University, BA

Spirit Animal
Red panda
Favorite Meal
Aji De Gallina (Peruvian Dish)
Get in Touch
rodrigo@wellnessintheschools.org

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MATHEW Randolph
Executive Assistant

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MATHEW Randolph
Executive Assistant

Education
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, BS

Favorite Workout Song
Rocky theme song
Super Power
To be able to find whatever he's looking for
Get in Touch
mateo@wellnessintheschools.org

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WENDY Siskin
Senior Program Director

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WENDY Siskin
Senior Program Director

Education
Louisiana State University, BS
Certifications: ACSM, IYCA – YFS

Spirit Animal
She sees herself as a lion, but others see her as a giraffe.
Favorite Workout Song
Get On Up by James Brown
Get in Touch
wendy@wellnessintheschools.org

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MALLORY Stellato
Development and Outreach Manager

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MALLORY Stellato
Development and Outreach Manager

Education
Cornell University, BS

Favorite Ingredient
Cinnamon
Guilty Pleasure
House Hunters International
Get in Touch
mallory@wellnessintheschools.org

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JULIANA White
Cook for Kids Program Coordinator

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JULIANA White
Cook for Kids Program Coordinator

Education
The New School, MS
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, BS

Spirit Animal
Lion
Favorite Superhero
Katniss Everdeen
Get in Touch
juliana@wellnessintheschools.org

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MARJORIE Wolfson
Managing Director

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MARJORIE Wolfson
Managing Director

Education
SUNY Purchase, BFA

Favorite Meal
Linguini with Clam Sauce
Guilty Pleasure
Organizing containers
Get in Touch
marjorie@wellnessintheschools.org

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Program Managers

ERROL Anthony Valentine Jones
Program Manager

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ERROL Anthony Valentine Jones
Program Manager

Education
British Army, Royal Engineers

Favorite Workout Song
Uptown Funk
Favorite thing about WITS
He gets to have fun every day as he grows older!

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DEBORAH Soffel
Program Manager

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DEBORAH Soffel
Program Manager

Education
Baruch College
Natural Gourmet Institute

Favorite Ingredient
Fresh vegetables in summer and lots of fresh herbs grown in her little backyard in Queens.
Favorite Book
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

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ANNE Williams
Program Manager

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ANNE Williams
Program Manager

Education
Salem College
New York University
French Culinary Institute

Spirit Animal
Jack Russell Terrier because of her high energy and restlessness.
Favorite Workout Song
Anything by Bruce Springsteen or Billy Joel. Aretha Franklin works for her too.

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MARION Williams
Program Manager

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MARION Williams
Program Manager

Education
College of New Rochelle
Natural Gourmet Institute
The New School

Favorite Meal
Lobster, lobster, lobster!
Super Power
She would make everyone eat five fruits and veggies a day.

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Chefs

LEONOR Azpurua
WITS Chef, Florida

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LEONOR Azpurua
WITS Chef, Florida

Education
Johnson & Wales University

Favorite Book
Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Super Power
She wishes she were a mindreader.

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VICTORIA Baluk
WITS Lab Instructor

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VICTORIA Baluk
WITS Lab Instructor

Education
University of Delaware
American Fitness Professionals & Associates

Favorite Meal
Wood-fired pizza, arugula salad with shaved Parmigiano and a bright lemon dressing, accompanied by a glass of dry Italian red, preferably eaten in Italy.
Super Power
Physically duplicating herself. Dozens of times a day she wishes out loud that there were at least two of her.

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LAURIELLE Clark
WITS Lab Instructor

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LAURIELLE Clark
WITS Lab Instructor

Education
Howard University
Institute of Culinary Education

Favorite Ingredient
Fennel pollen
Guilty Pleasure
Chocolate bacon bars

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KATIE Cook
WITS Chef

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KATIE Cook
WITS Chef

Education
Loyola College
Institute of Culinary Education

Favorite Book
An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski
Favorite thing about WITS
Watching students discover new foods, whether it is during WITS Labs or at a WITS Café Day. She loves seeing their skepticism at first only to then watch them devour multiple samples.

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LAURA Culbreth
WITS Chef, Florida

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LAURA Culbreth
WITS Chef, Florida

Education
University of Georgia, BFA

Spirit Animal
House cat
Guilty Pleasure
Watching 30 Rock

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JENNY Ecclestone
WITS Chef

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JENNY Ecclestone
WITS Chef

Education
Queen’s University (Ontario)
University of Western Ontario
Institute of Culinary Education
Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science

Favorite Meal
Ribollita, a delicious Tuscan soup of beans, bread, and veggies
Favorite Book
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

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KISHA Figueroa
WITS Chef

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KISHA Figueroa
WITS Chef

Education
City College of New York
Institute of Culinary Education

Favorite Book
What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Southern Cooking by Abby Fisher
Super Power
Walking on water, soaring through the sky, and the ability to make everything taste like a cinnamon roll.

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YADIRA Garcia
WITS Chef

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YADIRA Garcia
WITS Chef

Education
NYU, BS
Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Certified Health Coach
Natural Gourmet Institute

Favorite Ingredient
Sofrito
Favorite Workout Song
Get Right by Jennifer Lopez

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KENT Gifford
WITS Chef

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KENT Gifford
WITS Chef

Education
Florida State University
Institute of Culinary Education
Natural Gourmet Institute

Favorite Meal
Duck Confit
Favorite thing about WITS
Seeing children who have never eaten from salad bars before try vegetables and like them.

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REBECCA Johnson
WITS Chef

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REBECCA Johnson
WITS Chef

Education
College of New Rochelle

Spirit Animal
Blue Jay
Favorite Book
Beloved by Toni Morrison

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CATHY Loup
WITS Chef Liaison

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CATHY Loup
WITS Chef Liaison

Education
Barnard College, BA

Favorite Workout Song
Anything Michael Jackson
Favorite Book
M.F.K. Fisher's "The Art of Eating"

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GISSELLE Madariaga
WITS Chef

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GISSELLE Madariaga
WITS Chef

Education
Rutgers University, BA
Hudson Community College, BS in Culinary Arts

Spirit Animal
Mongoose
Superhero
I wish I could be Captain Improv and pull ideas from the air.

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LAUREN Nilsen
WITS Chef

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LAUREN Nilsen
WITS Chef

Education
Institute of Culinary Education

Favorite Meal
Anything with shellfish or potatoes
Favorite Book
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

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SHANI Porter
WITS Chef

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SHANI Porter
WITS Chef

Education
St. John’s University
Institute of Culinary Education

Spirit Animal
Blue-Ringed Octopus because she is a great multi-tasker.
Favorite Meal
Simply cooked seafood dishes

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ANDREA Sperling
WITS Chef

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ANDREA Sperling
WITS Chef

Education
Rutgers College
Natural Gourmet Institute

Spirit Animal
Curious cat
Favorite thing about WITS
Building new relationships and knowing that everyone at WITS has her back!

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IRBANIA Tavares
WITS Chef

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IRBANIA Tavares
WITS Chef

Education
Hunter College, BA
The Natural Gourmet Institute

Spirit Animal
Owls, for their symbolism of wisdom.
Super Power
Wonder woman, I love her elegance and strong figure.

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Coaches

ADAM Arenas
WITS Coach

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ADAM Arenas
WITS Coach

Education
National School of Sports, Colombia
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico

Favorite Workout Song
What’s Up by 4 Non Blondes
Favorite thing about WITS
Positively influencing the lives of kids.

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JAMEL Brundidge
WITS Coach

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JAMEL Brundidge
WITS Coach

Education
Missouri Western State University

Favorite Ingredient
Cheese
Favorite thing about WITS
Knowing that the students look forward to the time that the coaches spend with them during recess.

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PJ Cody
WITS Coach

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PJ Cody
WITS Coach

Education
Adelphi University, BS
Adelphi University – Sport-Based Youth Development Fellow, Candidate for Masters in Sports Management

Favorite Workout Song
The Hum by Dimitri Vegas
Favorite Meal
Eggplant Parm and Pasta

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DAYON L. Floyd
WITS Coach

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DAYON L. Floyd
WITS Coach

Education
College of New Rochelle

Spirit Animal
Horse
Favorite thing about WITS
He loves seeing the kids and smiles on each and every one of their faces.

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ALBERT Gonzalez
WITS Coach

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ALBERT Gonzalez
WITS Coach

Education
SUNY Brockport
Adelphi University – Sport-Based Youth Development Fellow, Candidate for Masters in Sports Management

Favorite Meal
Mangu (plantains) with salami, eggs, and fried cheese.
Super Power
Hyperthymesia

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JORDAN Mustapher
WITS Coach

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JORDAN Mustapher
WITS Coach

Education
John Jay College

Favorite Book
The Secrets of a Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
Super Power
Superman

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KATHLEEN Perez
WITS Coach

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KATHLEEN Perez
WITS Coach

Education
Ithaca College
Adelphi University – Sport-Based Youth Development Fellow, Candidate for Masters in Sports Management

Spirit Animal
Kangaroo
Favorite Book
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

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STEVEN Putkowski
WITS Coach

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STEVEN Putkowski
WITS Coach

Education
Manhattan College
Adelphi University – Sport-Based Youth Development Fellow, Candidate for Masters in Sports Management

Spirit Animal
Turtle
Favorite Book
Never Let Go: A Philosophy of Lifting, Living and Learning by Dan John

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ROB Sanders
WITS Coach

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ROB Sanders
WITS Coach

Education

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ARIS Troy
WITS Coach

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ARIS Troy
WITS Coach

Education
Adelphi University – Sport-Based Youth Development Fellow, Candidate for Masters in Sports Management

Favorite Workout Song
Lose My Breath by Destiny's Child
Favorite Ingredient
Coconut Oil

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TYARI Wilson
WITS Coach

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TYARI Wilson
WITS Coach

Education
SUNY Canton University

Guilty Pleasure
Listening to Taylor Swift
Super Power
Super speed

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LEVON Wims
WITS Coach

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LEVON Wims
WITS Coach

Education
John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Favorite Meal
Chicken Parmesan and Baked Ziti
Super Power
The power to control space and time

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