Instructor Bios

Azimi, Henriette

Born in the Netherlands, I arrived in the US in 1980 and worked at the Netherlands Embassy in DC for nearly 10 years. I was taught how to knit and crochet at an early age and I always enjoyed it. In 2013 I became a Certified Knitting Teacher through the Craft Yarn Council of America and have taught knitting (beginners and intermediate classes) at ACL since 2014. Knitting with other people is one of the great joys of life.

Barone, Joseph

Joseph S. Barone has been in the learning/training field for over 35 years, working as a high school social studies teacher, for the NYC Dept. of Records, and The World Bank.  When he started his own consulting business (A Fool for Learning, LLC) in 2019, he decided that one way to market his skills/experience was to podcast.  So, his channel FOOLISH THOUGHTS was born, in which he speaks about training/learning, networking, management, and whatever other foolish thoughts come to mind.   With over 140 episodes under his belt, his goal is to share his thoughts and insights on the things you need to consider, if you decide to embark upon the podcasting adventure.

Bromley, Michael

Michael is a published historian, entrepreneur and high school teacher. He graduated from Hamilton College with a degree in English/Writing and a minor in Anthropology. After college, he built at $12+ mm business representing U.S. consumer product companies in South American markets. When a major U.S. brand took over the business, he wrote two books and numerous academic articles on automotive and political history, and has appeared on various History Channel and A&E documentaries. Michael taught high school for 8 years, and has for the past 12 years worked directly with students and their families via School4Schools.com LLC, an academic coaching service. Bromley & his wife also run School4Schools Foundation, and with it have helped build a school in Liberia. Bromley is passionate about students, education, language, history, and entrepreneurship.

Bucelli, Maria Elena

Maria Elena Bucelli was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but moved to Milan, Italy, at a young age, where she completed her education. Later in life, she moved to the United States and obtained a Master’s degree in Foreign language and literature and a TESL certificate. She taught at Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University, where she was the faculty director for the Study Abroad Programs in Spain, Italy and Latin America. She taught English to Italians, Italian to foreigners, and Spanish to Italians while she lived in Milan for fifteen years. Now a retired teacher of Spanish and Italian of Arlington County Public Schools, she has been teaching for the Community Learning Center for six years.

Cassatt, Jim

After retiring from government service, Dr. Cassatt turned his lifelong passion for photography into a successful second career. He has been taking pictures since high school and learned the basics of photography before anything was automatic. Since dismantling his darkroom he has fully embraced digital technology. He maintains a well-equipped residential studio in Crystal City. He has been teaching with Arlington Community Learning since 2012.

Castellanos, Luis

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Luis is an eLearning, Security and Technology Expert, that has worked in the Systems Engineering and Military fields, developing a successful career as a professor and spokesman in several Venezuelan universities, in undergraduate and graduate programs, in subjects related to Information Technology and Math. He also obtained an eLearning expert,  Teaching Component and Accelerated Learning Facilitator Diploma. In his personal web page writes and publishes papers about personal growth, humor, quotes, management, security, and travel. He is Honoris Cause Doctor, awarded by the Iberoamerican Council in Honor of Excellence in Education. Father of two kids and a poodle. Feels great passion for the good food, photography, meditation and outdoor activities.

Chase, Susan

Ms. Chase was born in Troy, New York, USA but at the age of 4 her family moved to Paris, France, where her father finished his PhD in French Medieval Art History.  She attended the Ecole Active Bilingue in Paris from 1960-61 and 1969-72.  She graduated High School in Providence, R.I., completing a senior thesis that took her back to Paris to study Erte, an Art Deco fashion designer. She received a BA in 1980 in French Literature at N.Y.U and Bennington, College where her senior thesis was on the notion of beauty in Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du Mal.  In 1983-84 Ms. Chase taught French at George Washington University as a graduate fellow working towards her masters in French.  In 1985 she was employed by the World Bank working on poverty reduction in Francophone African countries, earning an MBA at Marymount University at night.  In 2015 Ms. Chase retired and has been a substitute French teacher in APS and a French tutor ever since.   In retirement, she is working toward a United States Figures Skating Association (USFA) Gold Medal in Ice Dance. Ms Chase’s two daughters have both graduated from APS and are into their own careers which is fun to watch!

Chandra, Amit

Dr. Chandra is an emergency physician, public health advisor, and adjunct faculty at Georgetown University. He launched the “Survival Medicine: Beyond First Aid” course in 2019. His clinical practice settings have included a referral hospital in a high HIV-prevalence Southern African nation, a busy trauma center in New Delhi, a New York City emergency department, and a frontier hospital with limited funding on a Native American Reservation. Dr. Chandra was born and raised in Northern Virginia and completed his medical degree at the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. In his free time, he enjoys paddle boarding on the Potomac River and hiking in Shenandoah National Park.

 Cotton, Emily Ann
Learning & DesignSpecialist

I teach Visual Art and help lead equity and diversity initiatives for a public school inArlington, VA.I have a Bachelor’s degree in Art and a Master’s Degree in Learningand Design from Georgetown University. I have created curriculum and coursesinfused with Art as a way to help manage daily stress and heal past traumas.I amalso thrilled to be a published illustrator who is featured in a variety of books.Icurrently being certified as a Therapeutic Art Life Coach.

Contreras, Simon

Simón R.  Contreras is a native Venezuelan.  He earned a B.A and a Master in Education from George Washington University. He taught Spanish for 34 years at the high school level,He teaches Spanish  at Nova, the University of Maryland and The U. S Senate Page Program. He is the author of a novel (Las Hijas del Mastranto, 2005) and a flamenco and ballroom dancer.He also taught Spanish for Educators to a national audience via satellite.

Coonce, Jane
ane McElvany Coonce has been in the art field for over 45 years. She works in oil ,watercolor, pastel, acrylic and in terra cotta. Her works are held by private collectors, and her corporate collectors include the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, the International Country Club of Fairfax, Virginia, Georgetown University, Arlington County Courthouse and the Rickover Naval Academy. She has won numerous awards for both her paintings and her sculptures, including first prize at the International Miniature Society of Washington,D.C. in 2000 and first prize in the plein air competion of Kensington in 2005. She was a featured artist in Elan Magazine, June 2004, with her art work appearing on the cover. In the Spring of 2007, she was the featured artist at NBC News in Washington, D.C. In the summer of 2002, she had a solo exhibit at Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria Campus. One of her paintings was featured on the cover of the Washington Post Magazine, Oct. 14, 2001 and The Olde Town Crier, April 2001. Her work is featured in the newly published book, How Did You Paint That? 100 Ways to Paint Still Lifes and Florals Vol. II , published by International Artist Publishing. Prints and cards by the artist are carried at Georgetown University. In 2005, she was commissioned to do the portrait of Admiral Hyman Rickover, the father of the nuclear submarine. Her work has been represented by The Kevin Butler Gallery in Martha’s Vineyard, MA and in West Hampton, Rehoboth Art League Gallery in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, The Art League Gallery in Alexandria, VA , and the Gallery Underground in Arlington, VA.

She has been an art instructor for Arlington County Adult Education since 1980. She was the founder and president for 9 years of the Arlington Artists Alliance and is the former vice president of the Miniature Society of Painters, Sculptors, and Gravers of Washington, D.C., former 1st Vice President of The Art League  board at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria,Va., former President of the McLean Art Society and former President of the Potomac Valley Watercolorists,  the 2nd Vice President of the Arlington Artists Alliance, and the Executive Director of the Gallery Underground and Gallery Clarendon in Arlington, VA.  She is a Signature member of the Virginia Watercolor Society, the Potomac Valley Watercolorists and the Baltimore Watercolor Society.

Daly, Dave

Dave Daly, a native of Chicago, Illinois, is the Training Director for Astracor LLC.  Prior to that position he taught vocational construction programs for 25 years in Alexandria and supplemented his teaching experience by performing general home improvement projects as a licensed contractor. He was also a Skills USA advisor for 25 years and Chairman of the Virginia State Building Maintenance competition for 10 years.

He has trainer and field proctor accreditation from BPI (Building Performance Institute) in addition to holding the newly recognized DOE NREL Energy Auditor and Quality Control Inspector accreditations. In addition to training and testing DOE Weatherization personnel he currently teaches bilingual home improvement workshops for Arlington Adult Education and bilingual contractor certification courses for Virginia DPOR.

Davidson, Bob

Bob is the CEO of BDA Financial, where he leads his clients’ investment management and planning. He has been in the financial services industry for 35 years and before that, he had a career as a biologist. After spending a decade in developing countries, often without running water or electricity, he was looking for a stable career where he could still give back to others (he spent time in the Peace Corps, as well!). He found financial planning and never looked back. In his time in the industry, Bob has earned many top designations, including being a Chartered Financial Consultant, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, and Chartered Life Underwriter. These three designations show his enthusiasm for learning and serving his clients to the best of his ability. He considers himself a constant learner and always enjoys learning new things and being an important resource for his clients. He is also a natural problem-solver and enjoys learning about his clients’ life experiences, families, and hopes.Outside of the office, Bob enjoys spending time with his close-knit family, including his wife, three children, grandson and granddaughter. He enjoys traveling (even after so many years living abroad) and working on his Spanish.

De Bernardinis, Massimo

BUONASERA! My name is Massimo and I am an Italian guy with a passion for cooking and thisis the reason why I started to teach/share my culinary knowledge with Arlington’s residents in2016. I was born in Turin, Piedmont chief town, and my family and I moved to the US in 2011. If you like Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, ravioli, agnolotti, egg pasta, Barolo, Nebbiolo,breadsticks….you also like the region where I’m from!

I use to teach easy recipes from North to South Italy. Making semolina pasta is my favorite, it’s my anti-stress exercise. As I use to say, there are no secrets! Only practice practice practice and passion! I hope to see you soon in person in one of my classes!!!

BUON APPETITO

Delos Reyes, Richard

A native Arlingtonian, Richard has been performing professionally since the age of thirteen. With multiple shows under his belt, he started to privately teach guitar and bass to friends in his neighborhood. Since then, Richard has taught numerous classes, workshops and camps. Back in the fall of 2014, Richard was approached by the pre-production team of Andrew Lloyd Webber to help their lead Alex Brightman to play and sing guitar for the fall 2015 musical “School of Rock”. The musical opened to rave reviews, and Alex Brightman received a Tony nomination for best male performance. Richie has been teaching for over twenty years and loves to interact and have fun with his students; his bohemian approach to teaching guitar is both infectious and viral.

D’Errico, Asta
A native born Arlingtonian, Asta first started her career as a pastry chef after graduation from the Art Institute of Washington. The survivor of a pedestrian accident that took place in 2015, she switched careers to work in the pet industry as a sitter. After being awarded a settlement, she was hired to manage the law firm that represented her case.

Asta is passionate about advancing women in fields where they are underrepresented. In this spirit, she got her motorcycle license, became a cicerone, and started doing standup comedy. Her introduction to comedy writing and stage preforming came after attending an intensive course with the Coalition theater in Richmond, VA. Following years of open mic nights, she pitched this class so she could share her experiences and continue her comedic adventures. She hopes to provide fellow residents of Arlington with a creative and open outlet to explore their own funny bone.

ElHakim, Omnia

Dr. Omnia ElHakim was born, and raised, in Cairo, Egypt, in the land of the Pharaohs and Ancient Civilizations. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, she moved to the United States- 40 years ago-to obtain her graduate education. Dr. ElHakim received a PhD in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. As a Professor and Researcher, Dr. ElHakim has taught many courses in Engineering while simultaneously raising millions of dollars to create sustainable diversity programs designed to reach and support diverse students in the STEM fields. Dr. ElHakim has worked at Colorado State University, Fort Lewis College and National Science Foundation as Professor, Department Chair and Assistant Dean, and is keen to enhance equity and diversity among students while providing opportunities to advance their research excellence and innovative thoughts. Dr. ElHakim joined the Arlington Community Learning Education Team in 2014 as a Mathematics and Arabic language Instructor. She believes in the value of diversity and enjoys meeting people and teaching mathematics to many students, as she feels a good understanding of mathematics is a key to success in the fields of science, engineering and technology.

Farnham, Ellen

A resident of Arlington, VA for 30+ years this is ‘home’.  For the past 18 years I have been teaching skin care and color cosmetics (using Mary Kay products).  My business has allowed me both financial freedom and flexibility.  Originally from NH I graduated from Southern New Hampshire University (formerly NH College) with a degree in Accounting.  I then went on to achieve my CPA.  Along with teaching skin care and color cosmetics I work as a Controller for an international nonprofit here in VA.  I enjoy both careers and love the balance they provide in my life.  In addition, I enjoy sharing my love for taking care of your skin at any age and applying color cosmetic techniques you can use.

Gerard, Jay Young

Jay Young Gerard received her BFA in Advertising Design from Syracuse University, and holds graduate degrees from The New York School of Interior Design and from The New School (film studies). She has taught art and design at every level including elementary school, college and graduate programs, and private tutoring. Career highlights include her role as VP of Visual Communication for a social marketing firm where projects included the creation of brands and identities, developing strategies and visuals for advertising campaigns, and designing displays and installations for an international clientele; Creative Director for The American Red Cross based in DC; and Art Director for Macy’s New York. Her paintings, collages, photographs and fiber arts have been in numerous solo and group shows, and are held in collections in Canada, Chile, Israel, England and France as well as in the U.S., including the territory of Guam.

Glover, Shenika

ShenikaAG is a founder, consultant, and podcaster. In her spare time, she is a creative director, a communication strategist, and a content creator who is passionate about sharing inspirational stories and empowering others with the tools to follow their dreams. Since graduating with a Master of Mass Communication from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina, she continues to build her ShenikaAG brand and The Vision of a Visionary platform, while consistently sharpening her skillset.

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Gonzalez, Marta

Marta Gonzalez is a native New Yorker of Cuban descent with 30+ years of Career Counseling and Job Coaching. Received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology/Sociology, from the InterAmerican University of P.R. and is a veteran having served in the U.S. Air Force. Instructional experience includes employment subject matter workshops for approximately 25 years  and GED courses for approximately 5 years. My approach to helping the students meet their goals is, to meet them where they are and structure instruction in such a way that will include that. Helping the students with gaining a “can do” attitude is my greatest strength. And my motto is to always ask: “How do you eat an elephant?; one bite at a time”!

Graham, Marian
Marian Graham has a wide variety of experiences with both German language and culture.  She holds a master’s degree in German from the University of Maryland, College Park, and has worked as a teacher and translator both in the United States and Germany.  She returns to Germany summers for professional development, in order to keep her hand on the pulse of German language and culture.  She has lived in Arlington for many years and is a native of the New York metropolitan area.

Gutnick, Tom

Tom Gutnick is a freelance computer consultant, with decades of experience in information security, web-site design, and just about every other aspect of information technology. His specialty is helping people understand and harness appropriate technology. He has taught everything from junior high science as a Peace Corps volunteer to high-level computer seminars for corporate audiences. In addition to personal technology classes for Arlington Adult Education, he teaches information technology for Northern Virginia Community College.

Haddad, Aida

Aida graduated from the American University of Beirut with a degree in Arabic literature and a Teaching Diploma.  She taught Arabic as a native and foreign language in Lebanon, Greece and the US.Aida published her short stories and translations in various outlets (Annahar, Alhayat newspapers, Ghurba magazine, Cultural Studies Quarterly, Al-hakawati, Almukhtar, Mitra, World Bank blogs and others).  Together with Mishka Mojabber Mourani, she co-authored a bilingual book of poems, “Alone Together”, and a short story “Hiatus” published in Lunch Ticket literary magazine, Fall 2019. Aida started teaching at Arlington Community Learning in 2018.

Hamdad, Lamine

Lamine Hamdad wears many hats. He has an Information Systems engineering background, Web Technologies degree, and he is a self-taught artist whose work has been exhibited in numerous venues in the DC metro area.  Most recently, he has overtaken fine art and events photography, and his work was published in the distinguished fashion Mighty Magazine.

He has been teaching at Arlington Community Learning since 2011. In technology, he teaches two WordPress courses, coding languages, algorithmics and Craig’s List to name a few. Being and avid art lover, he also offers an introduction to Classical Drawing and a Portraits Drawing course.

You will also find him at the Arlington Community Learning’s front desk. He helps with general registrations, he assists instructors, and proctors GED placement tests

He welcomes anyone to come by to inquire about our programs, register or just to say hello.

Lamine Hamdad’s courses can be seen on the link below:
UPCOMING COURSES

Hunter, Diane

Diane N. Hunter’s love for sewing began in a Home Economics class as a senior in high school. She went on to graduate from Virginia State University where she earned a Vocational Home Economics Degree. Diane is a recently retired teacher from Arlington County Public Schools. She has been an instructor in the Arlington County evening program for the past few years, where she has served as the Beginning Sewing Class teacher, as well has taught more advanced sewing classes. She also gives instructions on the purchase, use and care of the sewing machine. She makes sewing fun!!!

Huynh, Van
My name is Van Huynh. I was born in Vietnam and have lived in Vietnam for 24 years before I moved to United States to study and work. I graduated from George Mason University in Medical Laboratory Science. Currently I am working as a medical lab scientist in a local hospital. Now i am doing master in individualize genomics and health in Johns Hopkins University. I teach Vietnamese for foreign leaners at all ages with modern method. Learners will learn something after complete each section. Beside working hours, I am doing some podcast based on my own story I write. I hope we will have many opportunities to now about your language and culture. Nice to see you in my class to discover language and culture of the country of peace and friendly.

Johnson, Darrell

I’m a native of the state of Georgia. As a graduate of Columbus State University with a B.A. in Communications, and with work on an M.F.A. degree at Howard University in Washington, D.C., I have over twenty years of experience as an author, screenwriter, independent filmmaker, educational television producer, and technology coordinator. My current projects include a screenplay adaptation and a tv pilot script adaptation of two original Y.A. fantasy series. When it comes to writing, I’m motivated to help others realize their creative dreams with practical, results-oriented methods.

Kacher, Cindy

Cindy Kacher is a licensed Residential Contractor living in Arlington Virginia. She is the owner of Curtis Ventures Custom Homes specializes in one-of-a-kind custom home in Northern Virginia and Washington DC. Cindy works carefully with each homeowner with advanced planning and budgeting to meet their needs and dreams for their new home. During construction phase, Cindy is on site managing every phase, material, and trade allowing the client to continue with their own personal and professional responsibilities. Prior to building her construction business, Cindy’s created a business in wine importing, representing 65 estate grown wineries in France with exclusive distribution in 40 of the United States.

Kagy, Chris

Chris Kagy’s interest in astronomy began as a young boy under rural Ohio’s dark skies. As a member and past President of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (NOVAC), he has supported public activities to learn about astronomy and our night skies for more than 7 years. Chris enjoys visual astronomy (looking through binoculars or a telescope) and astrophotography, and was a member of the 3-person team that discovered the candidate planetary nebula LiKaMa-1 in 2023.

Kauffman, John

John has 20 years’ experience explaining concepts of technology to both specialists and wide audiences. He has taught several hundred courses on four continents and has presented numerous lectures at professional programmers’ conferences. From 1995 to 2005 he wrote six books on the techniques of integrating business data into web sites. His current technology interests include teaching Visual Basic as an introduction to programming, advanced features of Excel, embedded micro controller systems and artificial intelligence in small-scale robotics. Away from the computer he spends time swimming, sailing, drumming and objecting to the use of statistics to lie.

Keplinger, Fallon
CEO Rose Glow Tea Room

I am a special education teacher and avid tea drinker. I received my Tea SommelierCertification in 2018, and in 2019 I had the opportunity to attend the Japanese GlobalTea Master program in Kyoto, Japan. In 2020, Rose Glow Tea Room was a finalist at theWorld Tea Conference for “Best Campaign.” I am currently part of the Autumn 2022Being Tea Teacher Training Cohort. A groundbreaking training program for developingtea education skills. In October 2022, I will be certified in Mental Health First Aid, apublic education program that helps the public identify, understand, and respond tosigns of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

Kim, Hwa
Hwa Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea. She majored in English Language and Literature at Seoul National University and received master’s degree of Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut.
She taught Korean Language to the foreign students enrolled in Seoul National University for 20 years. She participated in writing Korean textbooks for levels 1 through 6 to be used by many university-level Korean Language programs over the world. The series of short-term (60 hours) Korean textbooks, I Love Korean developed by SNU Language Education Center is used for Korean – Beginning 1& 2 at Arlington Community Learning. She loves to teach the Korean language which has become widely popular with the Korean Wave. She also wants to contribute in helping fans of Korean Pop culture enjoy and understand more of K-pop.

Kirchenbauer, James

In 1982, Mr. Kirchenbauer was appointed band director at McLean High School.  After his first August rehearsal, which included only 33 students with one percussionist, the McLean Band grew and matured into one of the most respected instrumental music programs in the nation.  The McLean Symphonic Band made three appearances at the Bands of America’s “National Concert Band Festival” in 1995, 1999 and 2006.  They were the featured performing group at the Virginia Music Educators Conference in 2006 and also in 2002, appearing with the Boston Brass. They performed at the 2006 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago Illinois.  In 2000, the John Philip Sousa Foundation awarded the McLean Symphonic Band the Sudler Flag of Honor, the most prestigious recognition a high school concert band can receive.  Mr. Kirchenbauer is a member of the Music Educators National Conference, the American School Band Director’s Association, National Band Association and the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association.  He served as the Performing Arts Department Chairman at Mclean High School for 20 years and was selected as McLean’s 1996-97 Teacher of the Year.  Mr. Kirchenbauer currently is the Music Director of the Arlington Concert Band, an adult performing ensemble in Arlington, Virginia.  He resides in Arlington with his wife Lisa, and their three sons, John and twins, David and Robert.

In 1982, Mr. Kirchenbauer was appointed band director at McLean High School.  After his first August rehearsal, which included only 33 students with one percussionist, the McLean Band grew and matured into one of the most respected instrumental music programs in the nation.  The McLean Symphonic Band made three appearances at the Bands of America’s “National Concert Band Festival” in 1995, 1999 and 2006.  They were the featured performing group at the Virginia Music Educators Conference in 2006 and also in 2002, appearing with the Boston Brass. They performed at the 2006 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago Illinois.  In 2000, the John Philip Sousa Foundation awarded the McLean Symphonic Band the Sudler Flag of Honor, the most prestigious recognition a high school concert band can receive.  Mr. Kirchenbauer is a member of the Music Educators National Conference, the American School Band Director’s Association, National Band Association and the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association.  He served as the Performing Arts Department Chairman at Mclean High School for 20 years and was selected as McLean’s 1996-97 Teacher of the Year.  Mr. Kirchenbauer currently is the Music Director of the Arlington Concert Band, an adult performing ensemble in Arlington, Virginia.  He resides in Arlington with his wife Lisa, and their three sons, John and twins, David and Robert.

Lambkin, Mary
Mary Lambkin has been baking bread for more than a decade and began specializing in sourdough in 2018. She created her own starter from scratch and since then her starter’s “offspring” has traveled around the country and even to Australia! She loves teaching beginner bakers how to gain confidence in the kitchen and learn to love both the art and science of sourdough. Her beginner sourdough recipe is customized to simplify the complex fermentation process into manageable steps for bakers of all skill levels — without sacrificing the great taste and nutritional benefits of “old world style” bread. In addition to sourdough, Mary enjoys baking just about everything, including white breads, cakes, pastries, pizza dough, naan, and her family’s favorite Swiss roll.

Lane, Gerda

Lane began pursuing her interest in art in 2014 after raising a family and retiring from a career in the US Department of State. She paints in oil, watercolor, and pastel. She has a degree in fine arts and continues to take classes and workshops in northern Virginia to further develop her skills. Gerda primarily paints landscapes and still life scenes, and also enjoys creating whimsical nursery scenes. Her style can be described as impressionistic, choosing colors from a soft French-inspired palette. She is a member of the Arlington Artists Alliance, Program Chair of the McLean Art Society, and the Falls Church Art Society, and enjoys belonging to these communities of fellow artists.

Email: Lanegerda@hotmail.com | Phone: 703-655-1375

Law, Ellen

Ellen recently retired from 23 years of Federal service and 12 years in the private sector as a professional writer. In parallel, she has consulted on resumes and essays for private and public sectors, with a high success rate. She wrote the first brochure on computer careers to distribute at Epcot Center. At the same time, she studied Chinese and Korean martial arts and has developed a practical self-defense class for women that she has presented in companies and through community education programs. She believes that awareness and preparation are fundamental to not being a victim.

Livingston, Andy

Andy Livingston has over 20 years of sales, business development, marketing and technical experience in the commercial, consumer and government markets. He enjoys helping students get up to speed with technology to help them in their everyday life be more connected to their family, friends and community. He has the following qualifications: DCJS Certified (Department of Justice – electronic security); Department of Defense Secret Clearance; Hewlett Packard University certified in desktop/network; Sonitrol Security University certified in security system design; AT&T Wireless Management Training Program; and CompTIA A+ through FCPS ELearnIT program.

Martin, Pamela

Pamela Martin has been in the apprenticeship/training field for the past 7 years. She works in the Ministry of Education of Peru in the training area and in various international organizations located in Washington D.C. in the development of MOOCS courses.She started as an instructor at APSV in 2023 in order to teach a little more about Peruvian and Bolivian culture.

Mattioli, Marion

Bonjour! My name is Marion. I am a French and Portuguese instructor.  I enjoy creating fun lessons that meet each students’ individual needs and goals. My entire career has been dedicated to education and teaching.  I have been teaching for the Arlington Public Schools Adult learning for the past 3 years and before that at Alliance Française, Berlitz, ICA, the Washington Language Center where I  helped numerous students pass their tests at the Foreign Service Institute.  I was born in Brazil but spent most of my life in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The best thing about me is I love to teach and smile. My other loves include my grandchildren and my dog Jack. My hobby is cooking, especially Italian food! In addition to French & Portuguese, I can speak  Spanish and some German.

McCarthy, Lawrence

Lawrence McCarthy has been working in the Arlington woodshop for over 35 years. He has worked professionally as both a civil engineer and a teacher.  He enjoys introducing new students to the wood shop and the basics of transforming rough lumber into a finished project.  He enjoys collaborating with students on project design and on woodworking strategies and procedures to bring their ideas to fruition.

McElvany Coonce, Jane

Jane McElvany has been teaching in Arlington County for 38 years and has been with the Adult Education Program for 31 years. She was awarded her Bachelor’s degree from High Point University and did her graduate work at the University of Virginia. As an artist, Jane works in pastel and in oil paints, but also does portrait sculptures and figures. Her works are held by the National Institute of Health and by private collectors. Her Key Bridge painting appeared on the cover of the Washington Post Magazine.

McGuire, Toni

Toni McGuire teaches piano, violin, guitar, flute, oboe, and music theory privately in Alexandria, Virginia.  For over 25 years she has taught in various cities on the East Coast of America and internationally in China.  She is a string and piano judge for local contests and an international piano judge for a May Day International  Music Festival in Zhengzhou, China, for five years.  She is an international performer, recording artist, and composer.  She is an inspiring and innovative instructor of piano, violin, and music theory for Arlington Community Learning.

McKean, Cressida
Cressida McKean has taught cooking classes since 2016.  She grew up cooking from the family garden and exploring food worldwide. With degrees from Stanford University, the London School of Economics, and Institute of Development Studies, she worked as an economist in Latin America and Asia.  After a year-long Master Class at Culinairie, a DC-based cooking school, and classes with local chefs, she began teaching hands-on cooking classes with Arlington Community Learning seven years ago, and more recently, she taught three virtual cooking courses with Encore Learning.  She loves teaching others how to cook Seasonal Vegetables, Fish and Seafood,  Cooking For Wellness, and Mediterranean Foods.

Mola, Roger

Roger Mola is a freelance writer and photographer whose first publishing experience was with Arlington area newspapers. He has since sold hundreds of national news, travel and technical works. Roger now specializes in the aviation industry and his publishing work has shifted online to photo essays and video. His business is based in Arlington but he is a frequent world traveler.

Molinari, Elizabeth

Lizzy Molinari graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Craft and Material Studies, concentrating in Ceramics in December 2013.  She has been teaching children handbuilding ceramics on and off since 2014 and adults wheel thrown ceramics since 2018.  She currently teaches wheel thrown ceramics for Arlington County Community Learning as well as Fairfax County Parks and Recreation and Alexandria Clay Co-op.  Please check out a collection of her work at www.elizabethmolinari.com

Muir, Pamela

Ms. Muir started practicing and researching swordplay and medieval European martial arts in 2003.  She continues her research and personal training by attending workshops and symposiums across the United States and Canada and expanding her library of reprinted and transcripted medieval fencing manuscripts.  In 2015, she established the Academy of Chivalric Martial Arts to promote the study of historical swordplay and related arts. She has been with Arlington Community Learning since 2017.

Murphy, Diane G.

With over 30 years experience as a real estate broker, Diane demonstrates expertise, experience and education that is highly regarded by her clients.  As an Associate Broker with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, she is licensed in Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland.  Serving both buyers and sellers, she was named  by the Washingtonian Magazine as a “Top Producing Agent”  Her specialties include:  Historic Properties (she has a Ph.D. in American Studies), First time buyers, Over 55 Housing Transitions and a Veterans Certified Specialist.  A sponsor of many non-profit organizations and very active in her community, she would be honored to serve you too!

Nelson-Palmer, Brian

Brian has lived in Northern Virginia several times over the years, and returned in 2010 to make Arlington his home. Brian’s journey as a professional speaker, facilitator, and instructor has spanned over two decades. He founded Productivity Gladiator Training in 2014 because he saw a genuine opportunity to teach work-life balance and productivity tactics to students, employees, front-line managers, and middle managers. He teaches workshops and gives keynotes to groups around the country. His sessions are different because they’re full of real tactics used by real people to create real improvements, and you can start right now. With COVID and remote work becoming more prominent, it’s only further shined a spotlight on this need in society.

Newmyer, Chelsey

After 10 years in the nonprofit world, Chelsey Newmyer started her business, Chelsey Newmyer Productivity, helping people start their nonprofit organizations and supporting busy executives in being more effective and efficient while maximizing limited resources. Additionally, Chelsey Newmyer Productivity teaches personal productivity including how to manage your inbox, set healthy work boundaries, and plan your to-do list to maximize time for the people and things you love. Chelsey loves all things productivity and time management and is excited to teach others. Chelsey is currently a full-time consultant with Graham-Pelton Consulting.

Quiroga, Sandra

Sandra Quiroga Richter.  I was born and raised in Peru, a multicultural country. I studied international business administration, worked in a bank for two years and in the pharmaceutical industry for sixteen years. Then, I move to Washington DC area because I got married, and I had the opportunity to switch my career. Here I studied my second degree at George Mason University, Community Health and Data Science. In the meanwhile, I worked as a language instructor at Berlitz for three years in which I learned how to teach Spanish. Some of my passions is read about sci- fiction and quantum physics. I love to travel and know more about the culture, food, music, etc.

Reilly, Sami

Sami Reilly serves as Director of Contract Meals and Nutrition overseeing DC Central Kitchen’s Healthy School Food program, as well as their community meals and nutrition education programming. Under her stewardship, DCCK provides more than 7,000 scratch-cooked, farm-to-table meals within USDA and HSA guidelines to 19 schools each day. A registered dietitian with degrees from the University of Delaware, Sami joined the Kitchen in 2021 after three years in the Montgomery County Public School system where she had oversight of the day-to-day operations and meal service at 30 school sites. Sami dedicates a portion of her time outside of the Kitchen to teaching culinary and nutrition classes for the Arlington Public Schools Adult Learning Program, and loves to run, hike, play beach volleyball, and hang out with her dog Colby.

Randolph, Charles

Charles over 10 years experience as an Instructional Technology Coordinator (ITC) for Arlington Public Schools. During that time, Charles has worked directly with students, teachers and administration to infuse 21st century Instructional Technology/STEM/CTE skills in the classrooms and schools. Charles has also supported school and county-wide deployments and professional development initiatives.  I am current member of ISTE, ISTESTEM, Edtech Coaches and VSTE educational technology organizations and has served as Lead High School Instructional Technology Coordinator for Arlington Public Schools. Certified Apple Learning Specialist and ETLO (Certified Online Facilitator).

Rodriguez, Rosero Angela

Angela Rosero is a chemical and environmental engineer. She has experience in teaching and providing professional training for students and workers. She provided language education activities for children and adults (Spanish and Italian languages). She is passionate about education and language topics and excited to work in a multicultural environment. She is Colombian and lived in Italy for 8 years, she loves both Latin American and Italian cultures.

Ruble, Adelaide

Ms. Ruble holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Therapy from Shenandoah Conservatory of Music and a Master of Arts in Humanities and Communication. She is a former college instructor in Speech and Human Communication. The APS adult education communication courses that she teaches include Piano I and II, Great Works in Art History, English Pronunciation, Power Point, World Heritage sites and Sacred Sites. All courses are studies in Human Communication. For twenty years, she has provided students with private piano instruction. A former professional freelance writer, she has published in both hardcopy and online. She is a professional band singer of the Great American swing era for the Washington DC metro area. Ms. Ruble finds peaceful moments to draw and paint with charcoals, pastels and oils.

Sarmiento, Josefa

Josie Sarmiento was born in Venezuela where she attended college and earned her bachelors in Spanish. She taught at several language schools before coming to the United States. She has also received an associate degree from NOVA. Her teaching experience includes all levels and all ages. She has taught Spanish for the Oakridge Elementary School After School Enrichment program and was a regular substitute for the Spanish for Educators program. Josie has been teaching Spanish for Arlington Adult Education since 1993.

Schaffner, Michael

Poet, novelist, and retired civil servant, Michael Schaffner has a life-long interest in the American civil war. To this subject, he brings insights from three decades as a federal manager and ten years experience as a re-enactor in many roles and ranks, both blue and gray. Publications include the novel War Boys , the collection The Good Opinion of Squirrels, poems in Shenandoah , Prairie Schooner, Beloit Poetry Journal, Agni, Poetry Ireland, and articles in Columbia’s Torch, Camp Chase Gazette, and the Civil War Memory Blog. He lives in Arlington with his wife Dottie Jacobsen and several precocious pugs.

Schelble, John

John Schelble (pronounced “Shelby”) worked in the Congress for over three decades, fulfilling a childhood dream of public service.  He then went back to graduate school and earned his Virginia teaching license, fulfilling an adult dream of educating young people, helping them to develop their skills, grow into intelligent, responsible adults and take their rightful places in our country, and in the world.  For the past ten years, he has been doing just that, for middle and high school students in Fairfax and Arlington Counties.  He feels strongly that learning new skills and acquiring knowledge is fun, interesting and useful, and makes you feel good about yourself.  His interests include fishing, bee keeping, clock making, song writing, farming, guitar, construction, basketball coaching and writing.

Scheuchenzuber, Lyudmyla

I am a highly experienced Ukrainian and Russian native-speaking educator with a 30-year teaching background in schools across Ukraine and Russia. Holding a Master’s Degree in teaching from the prestigious Kiev State Pedagogical Institute for Foreign Languages, I currently teach Ukrainian and Russian languages at Arlington Community Learning and DLS (Diplomatic Language Services) in DC.

My passion for teaching is unwavering, and my dedication to my students is evident in the lasting relationships I build with them. Over the years, I have developed my own proven program, crafting informative and engaging lessons that captivate my students’ interest.

The evidence of my effective teaching approach is reflected in the loyalty of my students, who chose to stay with me for years. I take pride in fostering a love for languages and continuously seek ways to enhance my teaching methods. In summary, as an educator, I thrive on sharing my expertise and creating a stimulating learning environment that leaves a lasting impact on my students.

Sibilla, Angelo Raffaello

Angelo Raffaello Sibilla was born in the most beautiful country in the world, La Bella Italia ! He was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the Italian Army where he served for more than 35 years. Following retirement, transitioned to life as a language instructor and program manager. He also worked as a Lead Interpreter and Host Nation Liaison for the US Army in Europe and Down-range.In 2018, he moved to Arlington, VA, following his wife’s transfer to the Pentagon. Upon arrival in the DC area, he started to work as an Italian Language Instructor for several Arlington and DC language schools. He easily transitioned to virtual instruction following the onset of COVID and has shared his passion for the Italian language to hundreds of students all over the globe.Due to his wife’s promotion , he moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where the buffalo roamed and the “ Trail of Tears “ ended. This location is rich in history as it was an important military outpost during the expansion West and the conclusion of the Indian wars. The installation has seen and hosted many important historical figures including Geronimo, Quanah Parker, General George Custer and a host of other important figures in American history.Angelo attended the Italian Military Academy and holds an advanced university degree from the University of Torino and an American BA from UMUC. Married to Julia , from Detroit, he has three daughters, Lisa, an executive at an Italian furniture company, Sasha who just completed her time as a Surface Warfare officer with the US Navy and currently enrolled in a MBA program , and Kiki whos’ graduating from WFU and commissioning as reservist in the US Army.

Siekkinen, Steve

With a belief that it’s never too late to begin exploring the art of making music, Steve’s classes are stimulating, fun, and can even be therapeutic. Born and raised in Hibbing, MN, he began playing guitar at the age of 10 and later graduated from Musicians Institute (GIT) in Hollywood, CA. With his project, questions in letters, Steve has performed on stages across the US and has officially released two collections of original material. He has been teaching for over 30 years and for Arlington Community Learning since 2015.

Stevens, Carol

Carol Stevens has spent more than 30 years involved in all aspects writing and editing — both nonfiction and fiction works. She has worked as a reporter and editor for publications including USA Today, the Baltimore Sun, and Washingtonian magazine where she has written about subjects ranging from health care to presidential politics. She currently runs the communications division of a major trade association where she is involved in all phases of media relations from speech writing to media training. Carol graduated from Syracuse University with a major in communications and international relations.

Stoss, Robert

“Roberto” Stoss was born in a small Adriatic coastal town in central Italy. He moved to northern Virginia at the age of 6 weeks. Later, he lived in Naples, Italy for almost 5 years, beginning at the age of eight. He has taught Italian for Arlington Adult Education for 11 years.

Stuart, Gregory

Gregory Scott Stuart, a music professor at Frostburg State University, came to his love of foreign language learning through his exposure to languages as a singer. Fortunate to have had an intensive language study experience on a semester abroad in France, where he earned a prize for the most outstanding student in French at the Institute pour les universités américaines, he brings to the table a keen ear (he speaks French without an accent) and a thorough understanding of the rules of French diction. He delights in deepening daily his knowledge of the subtleties of French grammar, of idioms and of French slang. He has worked in francophone environments. He now also concurrently studies several other languages. As an educator he has trained to teach not only foreign languages, but also singing, theatre and yoga. He has broad artistic experience, encompassing professional engagements as a singer, actor, church musician and stage director. He has sung leading roles in operas locally and regionally and directed several operas and plays including Sadko for Bel Cantanti and the US premier of a French musical, Bigoudi (which he directed in French) at Atlas Performing Arts Center in DC. He was a soloist in world premieres of three oratorios by Paul Leavitt in Washington, Paris and at Lincoln Center, NYC and on CD. As an actor, he’s tread the boards in theatres up and down the East Coast and in the Midwest and performed in many musicals including a national tour of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Ithaca College, and an MFA in Classical Acting from The Academy for Classical Acting at The George Washington University.

Sullivan, Bill

Bill Sullivan has two passions, writing and the outdoors. He has self-published books on practical landscape design and the founding of the New York Mets baseball team. The latter is currently on sale at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. The book won the SABR (Society of American Baseball Research) award for the best writing/research on the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team.  When not writing, you will find him busy with his own residential landscape design/installation business he founded almost 30 years ago. He holds a graduate certificate in the field from the U.S.D.A. Graduate School in Washington, D.C. Bill has taught classes at the City of Alexandria Adult Education Program and for Northern Virginia Community College in the Workforce Development Program.  He joined the ACL staff in 2017.

Swanson, Jennifer

Jennifer Swanson – Jennifer grew up in Los Angeles, CA and studied at UC Diego, earning a BA in Sociology and Master’s certificate in elementary school education.  She lived in Japan for 7 years teaching and consulting, first with the JET program and then other Japanese companies.  Jennifer has a private tutoring business and teaches Japanese and ESOL to adults and children.  She is Vice President and Japanese Education chair of local non-profit SJA (Study Japanese in Arlington) and has been teaching Japanese at Arlington Community Learning for 2 years. In her free time, she enjoys cultural events, traveling, gardening, and adventures with her Jack Russell Terrier, Suzu. よろしくお願いいたします。

Tamburro, Claire

Tamburro Interiors, LLC is a full-service Interior Design firm specializing in the development of singular concepts for the Retail, Food Service, and Hospitality industries and Residential Interior Design. With more than 30 years of experience in the Interior Design, Retail, and Food Service industries, Ms.Tamburro brings a unique perspective to each project with both Front-of-House and Back-of-House experience having worked as a Hospitality and Residential Interior Designer, Director of Design, Educator, Store Manager, Showroom Assistant, Sales Associate, Server, and Hostess to better serve her clients.

Takamatsu, Maki

Maki Takamatsu was born and raised in Japan. She holds a master’s degree in Economics. For seven years, before moving to Arlington in 2013, she worked for a Human Resource company in Japan where she taught Japanese and business protocol to non-native speakers. Cultural exchange is her life’s work. She loves traveling within the US and abroad. Ms. Takamatsu started teaching Japanese for Arlington Community Learning in 2015.

Tierstein, Leslie

Leslie Tierstein has worked in computer technology for several multinational companies. Her duties have included technical translation; developing and delivering computer-based training to international audiences; and writing and editing books and articles on computer programming and methodologies. She has a BA degree in Comparative Literature and MAs in French and Linguistics.

Tordini, Claudia

Claudia Tordini, artist, executive coach and organizational consultant, brings together her background in business, art and creativity to provide coaching and consulting services on leadership and organizational development, team building, and creativity and innovation. She is particularly focused on including art as a powerful tool of communication and learning in non-traditional areas. Claudia’s research on art and learning won her the Faculty Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in the Organizational Dynamics Program at the University of Pennsylvania.Claudia holds a Master of Philosophy in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from The Wharton School and an Industrial Engineer from the University of Buenos Aires.

Tevelin, Sandy
Sandy taught in Arlington County for 40 years, her last 20 in middle school.  After retiring in 2012, she has devoted much of her time to various crafts including creating different types of quilts for her children, grandchildren, and friends, as well as decorative quilted pieces such as table runners, trivets, coloring bags, and eyeglass holders.

Treadway, Tammy

I was born and raised in Arlington, as well earned my undergraduate degree in Nursing at Marymount University. My nursing career has spanned the disciplines of trauma and critical care to hospice and home health and included research at the National Institutes of Health. I am now working in public health and family practice, soon to hold the title Nurse Practitioner. I have taught nursing and certified nurse aide programs, and am an active volunteer with the Arlington County Medical Reserve Corps. I teach American Heart Association courses with Arlington Community Learning, as I am passionate about outreach and empowering the individual through knowledge and associated skill and team building, which leads to positive outcomes and well defines the strength of our community.

Van Buren, Jennifer

Jennifer Van Buren is a native of Flint, Michigan, and holds a Master of Philosophy in Human and Social Services from Walden University.  She also obtained her Masters in Science of Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Administration from Central Michigan University. Jennifer is known as an advocate, caseworker, and teacher to many.  Ms. Van Buren is currently a Program Director for a non-profit organization that assists individuals with disabilities obtain and maintain employment while mitigating crises. Jennifer has over 10 years of experience providing counseling, and working with populations such as homeless, at-risk youth, and individuals living with disabilities.  She is energetic and goal-oriented with a well-documented professional background which consists of consulting, analyzing, and motivating others. Ms. Van Buren has been teaching for Arlington Public Schools Adult Education since 2017 and has a passion for instilling in individuals the importance of lifelong learning.  Ms. Van Buren has a strong foundation in the field of Career Services. Jennifer is a Certified Workforce Development Professional and is affiliated with National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, and The National Career Development Association.  Jennifer is currently working on her Certified Work Incentives Counseling Certification (CWIC) and currently serve on the Arlington/Alexandria Region Workforce Council. Jennifer enjoys volunteering with her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Van Duyn, Katrina

Katrina Van Duyn spent her principal career years as an editor to support her work on Metro area stages. She learned French as a child living in Normandy, and earned B.A. degrees in French literature and theatre before continuing on to complete an M.A. in theatre. Over years of acting assignments, she managed to bring these interests together a handful of times, to play a Carmelite prioress, a French sailor-song-singing damsel, and a Québecois village elder. It’s always been a tug of war! Katrina now enjoys teaching and tutoring French to adults for their grownup purposes of travel and work and to children more interested in playing les jeux de Minecraft et Rocket League. Vive la différence !

Vassilkova, Larissa

Larissa Vassilkova was born and grew up in Kazakhstan,  her family originated from the Central Russia region where they settled down almost two centuries ago.  Her family immigrated to the USA in 2000, she has lived in Virginia since. Larissa continued to share her knowledge of Russian language and culture with the students of Arlington community. She is a graduate of The Kazakh State University and has more than 25 years of teaching experience. Larissa was an instructor in the Technology college and taught a variety of subjects for Food Processing, Bakery and Brewery specialists. Larissa is dedicated to prepare, motivate and encourage students by getting them ready to work. with full level of responsibility in the real life situations and the workplace. Her life experience in the different countries, her hobby to travel around the world, and love of teaching give her exceptional tools to help students to learn more languages and cultures. Larissa has a belief that one of the ways to learn more about the culture of people from different countries is to work or cook together and get knowledge about food, traditions and terminology.

Waters, Dagmar

Dagmar Waters started out as a Virginia high school teacher for German and French and went on to teach diplomats, serve as tester, arrange international meetings, and take on assignments as translator and interpreter. Having had experience with functional German, Mrs. Waters teaches beginning students how to survive with geographical and in-country knowledge, as well as communicating basic requests.

Weick, Yoshki

Ms. Yoshki Weick was born in South Korea, and later moved with her parents and sisters to Japan in 1971.She lived there for 34 years with husband and daughters. She is fluent in Korean and Japanese. In 2004 she accepted an invitation from the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC and began her residency as an Artist. She has taken part in numerous group shows in Japan, China, India, France and throughout the United States. She has exhibited individually in Tokyo, New York, Washington DC and Chicago. She has received a number of awards for her artwork. She is an author of numerous publications. She teaches oriental brush art (sumi) and Japanese & Korean languages.

Widhalm, Eva

Eva Widhalm grew up in Germany and has been a flower lover ever since. She joined Arlington Public School’s Community Learning program as a floral design instructor in 2019 leading classes in basic floral design and special occasion flower arrangements. She is the owner of a small floral design studio in Arlington and enjoys sharing what she learned over the years on how to create appealing arrangements using both readily available flowers as well as some less known florals. Eva aims to instill confidence in the students that with the knowledge of flower selection and floral care, design elements and techniques they too can be designers. Eva has attended numerous design classes and is a member of the Washington National Cathedral Flower Guild. Believing that learning never ends she especially likes to listen and watch her students exhibit their talents.

Winchell, Dale

Dale Winchell is a full time automotive instructor at the Arlington Career Center. He holds an Associates Degree in Automotive Technology from Northern Virginia Community College. He is ASE Master Certified and also Advanced Engine Performance (L1) Certified. He has 28 years of experience in the automotive industry working at JKJ/Koons Chevrolet Chrysler as an Intern, Technician, and then Shop Foreman.

Wingo, Andrea

Andrea L. Wingo, originally from Youngstown, Ohio, retired as a Chief Warrant Officer Three after serving 23.5 years in the United States Army. Residing in Arlington, Virginia, she is on track to earn her Doctor of Science in Cybersecurity from Marymount University in 2024. Andrea holds an M.S. in Cybersecurity from Webster University (2020), an MBA from Touro University International (2007), and a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Troy State University (2004), supplemented with an associate in criminal justice (1989) and a Project Management certificate from DeVry University (2012) and working towards a grad certificate in Data Analytics from Youngstown State University (2024).

Currently, Andrea is a Government Contractor serving as a Security Systems Engineer (ISSE) supporting the Intelligence Community. She boasts an impressive array of top cybersecurity certifications including CSM, CASP, CySA+, and Security+. Andrea is a dedicated mentor at Thinkful’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp and the UC Berkeley Master of Engineering Program. She also educates future professionals as an instructor at Arlington Community Learning, focusing on cybersecurity careers.

Committed to her community, Andrea is a Senior Deacon at Harvest Life Changers Church, an Ambassador for the Prince William County Community Foundation, and serves on the Information Technology Advisory Commission for Arlington County. Her passion for service is evident in her volunteerism, including her role with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women of Northern Virginia.

Hobbies include traveling, relaxing, spending time with family and friends, investing money, sports and shopping.

Young, Cynthia

Cynthia Young is thrilled to be the Director of The Arlington Community Chorus!  Motivated by a passionate belief in the power of collective singing to build community and create joy, Cynthia has founded and directed community choirs around the world, including in Burkina Faso, South Africa, Gabon, Turkey and Virginia.  Cynthia believes that choral singing is one of the most fun, healthy, and life-affirming activities there is for all ages, and she loves to bring people together to experience the beauty and joy of singing in community with others.  Cynthia is a private voice and piano teacher, and is the music director at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston.  She holds a master of arts degree in music from The American University and a bachelor of arts degree in music from Wake Forest University. Cynthia has two adult daughters and is married to David Young, a wonderful bass singer in the ACC!

Yang, Maria

Maria Yang is a knowledgeable and experienced Chinese language instructor, with more than 40 years of teaching experience in both college and government. She received her BA in English Language and Literature and her MA in Chinese Language and Literature and completed coursework in a Ph.D.Program in Applied Linguistics. The education she received has prepared her to be a qualified Language and Culture Instructor.She has taught beginning-, intermediate-, and advanced-level Chinese language courses at Georgetown University, George Mason University, the University of California at Davis, San Francisco State University and as a government contractor through Centra Technology Inc. She is currently teaching Mandarin Chinese language at Arlington Community Learning Program and Chinese literature at George Mason University.

Zambrano, Robert

Dr. Zambrano for 38 years taught at Gallaudet University, the only college for the Deaf to award a Liberal Arts degree. Retired, he now provides interpreting services for Arlington County and churches in the area. He has introduced children and adults to the world of the Deaf and taught them to use American Sign Language to communicate in it.