Jennifer Ardizzone-West (Executive Director) Prior to joining Blue School, Jeni worked at Blue Man Group for 13 years, most recently as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Development. In addition to developing the Human Resource and Organizational Development functions for the organization, she grew the company infrastructure to support what started as a small company with two productions to an international phenomenon with 5 domestic companies, a record label and recording studio, and separate international and special appearances divisions (from 200 to over 650 employees). Throughout her tenure with BMG, she developed multiple organizational structures and processes to meet the ever changing goals of the organization, created the foundation for BMG as a learning organization, oversaw the creation and implementation of the BMG’s mission, vision and strategies, oversaw multiple different operational functions, served as chief spokesperson for labor negotiations, and most recently led the organization through a difficult reorganization in order to ensure the survival of the Blue Man Group brand and its work in a dramatically changed economic environment. Passionate about learning and improving education, Jeni took on a special project in 2006 partnering with the founders to develop the business models and infrastructure for the Blue Man Creativity Center (now called Blue School).
Prior to joining Blue Man Group, Jeni worked with a variety of not-for-profit organizations including The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center Inc, and Playwrights Horizons. Jeni received a Masters degree from Brooklyn College in Performing Arts Management, and is certified as an Executive and Organizational Coach from NYU. Jeni lives in Yonkers with her children Hudson (8) and Lucca (6), and her supportive and loving husband Jason, an architect who is currently pursuing an MFA in Set Design at NYU.
Brad Choyt (Head of School) comes to New York from Bali, Indonesia where he served as the Founding Director of Green School, a pre-K through Grade 8 international school based on the principles of sustainability. Over the last two years, Brad helped to build Green School on a 20-acre site in the middle of a jungle with 20 faculty who now serve over 110 students.
Brad has devoted his professional life to working with students and teachers to expand and refine their relationship to learning and has a deep commitment to experiential and holistic education. He began his teaching career over 15 years ago at Miss Porter's School in Farmington, CT. From 2000-2005, he taught both art and humanities at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH. And from 2005-2007, he was the Director of Education at the Rubin Museum in New York. In each of these positions, Brad concentrated his efforts on bridging disciplines and nurturing the special gifts of each child. Whether working with young children or those at the secondary level, Brad loves creating a joyful environment where students and teachers can learn together.
Brad's prior experience with building educational programs began in the 1990's, as he developed and supervised many study abroad programs. In 2001 Brad co-founded Global Learning Across Borders (Global LAB), a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring new generations of people to become responsible and committed global citizens.
David Kelly (Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy) After completing a degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, David worked as an exhibition designer for a children's museum in the Chicago area. There he had the good fortune to meet Loris Malaguzzi, the philosophical founder of the Reggio Emilia approach. Following this encounter, David worked for eight years as an Atelierista (studio teacher in the Reggio approach) to develop the program within early childhood schools in Chicago Commons in the City's south and west side. After earning his MA in Child Development from the Erikson Institute in 2000, he moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan to work as a Pedegogista (pedagological coordinator) at the early childhood center for Aquinas College. He also helped to open the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center, a Kindergarten through 5th Grade public charter school that served as a lab school for Grand Rapids. During this time, David served as a faculty member in the School of Education at Aquinas College. One of the guiding principles of his work is the belief that the best educational approach and the most rewarding teaching occur when the children's inquiries are at the center of the process. When this happens, quality, compassion, joy and innovation are the natural result for all those involved.
David is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Calgary, Canada. In addition to education and learning, David's interests include antique photography, gardening, and spending time in nature.
Richard Sudock (Director of Finance and Operations) joined Blue School following 15 years as CFO of MJM Creative Services, a Manhattan-based marketing communications company. At MJM, he oversaw the company's Financial, Accounting, Human Resources, IT and Administrative functions. He served on the company's Executive Committee and Senior Leadership Team as revenue grew twenty-fold, staff grew from 15 to 100 (plus 300 freelancers) and the company established offices in London, Detroit and Washington, DC.
Richard has sought to empower people to do their best work and believes this is achieved through consistent values, clear communication and working collaboratively. In an independent Conde-Nast survey of nearly 1,200 freelancers, MJM was ranked 6th in New York City as a best place to work in the communications profession.
Prior to MJM, Richard was involved in real estate development and management with residential, office, retail and industrial properties.
He is a member of a temple choir, takes photographs, makes music, draws and has played in a local basketball game since 1990.
Hali Lee (Director of Development) was born in Seoul, Korea and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated from Princeton University, studied Buddhism at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand, and received a Masters in Social Work from New York University.
Professionally, Hali has worked in many capacities, often combining a love of learning, the arts and social change. She was the executive director of a domestic violence services organization in Queens. She also served as the Director of Advancement at an independent school founded on the principles of the Civil Rights Movement. Most recently, Hali directed a small non-profit she founded, the Asian Women Giving Circle, which raises funds to support Arts and Activism in NYC. Hali and her husband made a documentary film, “Prom Night in Kansas City,” which premiered at the Walter Reade Theater and was aired on TRIO TV. Hali has served on several Boards, including the New York Women’s Foundation where she chaired the Celebrating Women Breakfast which raised over $1 million for New York City’s women and girls.
Hali lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and 3 children.
Karen Sylvester (Director of Admissions) has been very involved with the BMCC since its inception. As the Parent Liaison she coordinated parent involvement in the classroom, ran summer playgroups, and helped plan many school events. Karen has a BFA in Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. She was owner and director of East Village art gallery, Cash/Newhouse, during the 80's. Karen continued to show her own work at 303 Gallery in NY and abroad. Her twins are currently enrolled in 2nd Grade at Blue School.
Lindsey Russo (Curriculum Specialist) earned her doctorate in Early Childhood Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from SUNY New Paltz and B.Ed., with honors, from the University of Liverpool, Great Britain. She has extensive experience in all fields of education and holds British teaching certification for grades K-6 in general education, 6-12 biology and mathematics, K-12 physical education and NY State certification B-6 general education, 6-12 biology and, K-12 physical education.
Lindsey was born and raised in Great Britain where she began her career in education teaching 12th grade biology. After relocating to New York, Lindsey continued teaching science and social studies for a number of years in a middle school before finally spending 12 years teaching at a private preschool in Upstate NY. On completion of her M.S.Ed., Lindsey became an Adjunct Professor at SUNY New Paltz where she taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. For the past five years, she has been a member of the Department of Curriculum and Teaching faculty in the Early Childhood Education/Special Education program at Teacher’s College, Columbia University.
Lindsey’s research interests include all aspects of play and its role in education, peer cultures and socialization, social/emotional learning, brain development in early childhood, and mentoring novice teachers. She has published and presented research papers on these topics, the most recent at an International Ethnography Research in Education conference at the University of Pennsylvania. Her latest research addresses play, peer relationships, and academic learning.
Lindsey is delighted to be a part of the educational team at the Blue School where creativity and play are valued as an integral and fundamental element of the learning process. She welcomes the opportunity to experience and contribute to an environment where research is finally being put into practice.
Kimberly Bush, M.F.A., ATR-BC (Child Development Specialist / Art Therapist) has been working creatively with children, teachers, and parents for over 20 years. She is a visual artist, a NYS licensed Creative Arts Therapist, and Certified Child Life Specialist. In addition, she has just completed her third year as psychoanalytic candidate at the Westchester Institute for Training in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. In her role as Developmental Specialist, she will combine many aspects of her training to offer families support and guidance to assist their child's development and early educational experiences. Her education includes a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.F.A. from Parsons School of Design. She is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Pratt Institute's Creative Arts Therapy Departmen
Alice Mangan, MS (Literacy Consultant) is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Program at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. In addition, Alice maintains two active private practices in the New York City area, as a learning specialist and parent consultant working with children and adolescents with learning disabilities, and as an educational consultant working with public, charter, and independent schools. Until the summer of 2007, Alice was a member of the graduate faculty at Bank Street College of Education in the Special Education Department, where she was an instructor, advisor and researcher. Prior to joining the Bank Street College faculty in 2001, Alice was a special education teacher at the Mary McDowell Center for Learning, an independent Friends school in Brooklyn for children with learning disabilities and a third grade teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools.
Odey Raviv, Ph.D. (Learning Specialist) is an educational therapist who has worked for over 30 years with students facing academic challenges. He has always been committed to the notion that all children can learn and thrive. After receiving his Master's in Elementary Education from Hofstra University, Odey began his career by teaching in some of the toughest neighborhoods in New York City. He then pursued a doctoral degree in the education of exceptional students while minoring in early childhood education at the University of Florida. Odey was granted a doctoral fellowship and researched the relationship between learning/behavioral differences and social acceptance. After receiving his Ph.D., Odey resumed and broadened his work in education by developing a career which encompasses being a learning specialist, professor, administrator, consultant, mentor, and coach at schools throughout New York City and Long Island. Odey spent over 20 years as a resource teacher in a Bayside, Queens public school where he initiated a summer program and a therapeutic sports program.
Focusing his work on students encountering learning differences, attention deficits, executive function disorder, inconsistent motivation, and memory weaknesses, Odey enjoys demystifying the learning process by teaching alternative strategies. He stimulates each student's awareness of his or her particular strengths so those strengths can be put to use to overcome or compensate for areas of weakness. In his private practice, he specializes in working with student-artists and student-athletes. He helps these individuals face the challenge of adjusting to the demands of a seemingly impossible schedule. Odey teaches them the individualized skills that will enable them to be life-long independent learners.
Odey is excited to join the educators at the Blue School. Being part of a dynamic and caring school community is certainly one of life's most rewarding and pleasurable experiences.
Ashley Hughes (Operations and Communications Coordinator) is in her second year with Blue School. Prior to joining the administration team, she was a stay-at-home mother and a theatre director. Theatrically, her focus is on creating original, socially-relevant, movement-based work. Her projects have been seen at PS. 122, Dixon Place, and other downtown venues. She continues to offer her services as a director and dramaturg to projects that inspire her. She has also worked for the Cirque du Soleil in various front-of-house capacities while she and her husband toured with Cirque for two years. She holds a BFA in Drama from New York University and an MFA in Theater, Contemporary Performance from Naropa University in Boulder, CO. Her daughter, Eleanor, is currently thriving in the 3s PM class.
Heath Dykstra (Maintenance /Security Avenue B)After receiving his BA in History in his home state of Iowa, Heath spent 3 years overseas in 12 countries (maintaining a home base in the Czech Republic) able to stay officially by teaching English for two years at a preparatory school and one year in Moravia at University Palackeho . In the summer months Heath lived and worked in Italy, Austria, and Germany doing a variety of work. After returning state side and writing an award winning article on his hitch-hiking tour through war-torn Croatia, he moved to New York City where he completed his Masters degree in International Education from New York University. After working as business coordinator for the Czech Consulate and later for an NGO at the United Nations, Heath has found Blue School a nice respite; working with great people while looking forward to his life's next adventure.