2022 Walt Whitman Birthplace Long Island Poet of the Year. Author of Pushcart-nominated poetry collection, A THOUSAND DOORS (2011) and RAVEN WIRE (2016), finalist for the 2017 Eric Hoffer Book Award. Editor, Writers Program Curator, Keynote Speaker & Conference Workshop Facilitator whose poems have appeared in 50+ journals and 11 print anthologies. Have been a featured reader at over 35 venues, including CW Post on Long Island, Cornelia Street Café in New York City, Shakespeare & Co. in Missoula, Montana, the Walt Whitman Birthplace in Long Island and SOMOS in Taos, New Mexico.

Senior member of English Department. Have taught 9th to 12th grade, specializing in Creative Writing, Poetry, AP Language & Composition, AP Literature & Composition, Mythology, and IB English HL. Named New York State Teacher of Excellence in 2003 by the New York State Education Council. IB training at Rice University in Texas, Lake Tahoe, California & UNIS World School in New York City. Have also earned 75 credits beyond Masters through Fresno Pacific University and Dellecave Institute.

Presenter at Bay Shore High School’s annual, nationally recognized writing conference The Ethnic Pen and have run workshops for the Long Island Language Arts Council (LILAC), New York State English Council (NYSEC), Herricks English Scholars Program, Long Island Authors Group @Heckscher Museum of Art, Long Island Authors & Writers Society @Barnes & Noble, and was a guest author and facilitator at the Central New York Pen in Hand Student Writers Conference from 2014-2018. Also taught a Continuing Ed. Writing course at Ocean Beach on Fire Island & co-facilitated The Sunday Grind writing workshop for adults from 2016-2019.

Have edited and overseen our school’s Literary-Art Magazine, ranked Superior/Nominated for Highest Award by the NCTE and Most Outstanding Literary-Art Magazine in the country for high schools with populations between 1700-2500 for 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018 & 2021

Founded and have run our school’s Creative Writing Club on Friday afternoons, including bi-annual Poetry Jams in our school’s Little Theatre, complete with live music and 100-200 students in attendance.

Have taught preparatory classes for the SAT and ACT in a number of schools and have a private practice, working with between 2-5 students at any given time on standardized test-taking strategies and/or college essay writing.