Our Board

Sidney Uderani is an Operations Management professional with experience that spans the nonprofit, higher education, international development and technology sectors. With a focus on back office infrastructure, Sidney has helped companies and organizations build processes and leverage systems for greater data efficiency and accuracy at scale.

Sidney first learned about Camp Liberty from families whose children would go off for the day to this amazing oasis in the city and come home tired and elated from a day of fun outdoors. When her own two children were old enough to attend, they too enjoyed the space and freedom camp offers. Learning more about the organization's year-round mission to promote literacy and learning through the arts, Sidney began working with the organization as a consultant to support strategic and succession planning. She joined the board in 2024.

Sidney feels a strong sense of hope and purpose as it relates to the future of Educational Arts Team and Camp Liberty. She is excited to support the organization as it deepens its roots in Jersey City, and takes its well-deserved place among the important youth-serving organizations in the city.

Dr. Nico Victorino, a Jersey City native, started with the Educational Arts Team in 2005 as a Camp Liberty counselor while in training to be a teacher. Over the next couple of years, he held multiple positions with the Team outside of Camp Liberty, which include data analyst/intern and puppeteer. Nico attributes much of his past and current successes in his field with what he learned from his time at the Team. He believes wholeheartedly in the mission and work of the Educational Arts Team. 

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Since his time with the Team and Camp Liberty, Nico has held many positions in schools in Jersey City and New York City. Such roles include: classroom teacher, special education coordinator, assistant principal, middle school director, and currently serves his school community as a principal. He believes in the transformational power of education and strives to make a difference in the lives of all young people he encounters. Nico has earned degrees from St. Peter’s University, Teachers College, Columbia University, Baruch College, and most recently completed his doctorate from New York University. When not supporting his school or the Team, Nico is a marathoner and an aspiring children’s book author. He lives in New York with his husband, toddler, and cat.

Shawn is an accountant, writer and entrepreneur specializing in the film and television industry. He joined the Educational Arts Team board in 2021 after many years as a Camp Liberty parent. Shawn was inspired by the organization’s dedication to children and the community and wanted to further its mission.

Shawn brings many years of budgeting and finance experience to the team. One of his strengths is his ability to demystify complex reports and data. His hope is to help the board continue to identify and implement financial best practices. 

Tricia, a 20-year resident of Jersey City’s Bergen Lafayette neighborhood, has been “licking her chops” over Camp Liberty ever since she gave birth to her first child. Always hearing amazing things about the camp from her neighbors, she had wondered “‘how soon can I send them there?”  

After the first summer her children were campers, she was hooked! It was then that Tricia learned more about the Educational Arts Team’s other in-school literacy interventions and teacher training programs and the positive impact theEducational Arts Team had on the Jersey City community. 

With a background in Financial Services, Tricia is a Senior Loan Officer with Cardinal Financial. She originates residential mortgages by day and is a self-proclaimed “homeschool teacher” the other part of the day. 

As a four-time triathlete Tricia has a passion for staying fit and giving her children a good foundation for taking care of their health. She believes that if a person doesn’t have their health, they have nothing. At least that’s what her Dad used to say!

Tricia is an active member of the PTA board at Frank Conwell Public School #3. She is heavily involved in both the school community, as well as the neighborhood she lives in. 

She believes that it takes a whole community to raise children and is always trying to be a positive influence in all kids' lives. Tricia is also a member of several parent groups and even started her own, called the “Momtourage” in the Bergen Lafayette area.  Tricia loves everything that JC has to offer and considers herself a “lifer”. She often reminds her 2 children, ages 10 and 8, how lucky they are to live in such a diverse city. 

As a newly elected board member, she is excited to help the Educational Arts Team continue to grow and to support the vision and mission that they have. She brings an enthusiastic and fun attitude to the organization, for which she credits her kids.  She believes that the programs offered by the Educational Arts Team help bridge the gaps among Jersey City’s diverse communities and feels fortunate to have joined the Board at this time.

As a lifelong Jersey City resident, dedicated parent, experienced educator, and child advocate, Jessenia Araujo brings a wealth of knowledge and commitment to the table. Having had the privilege of being one of the initial campers at Camp Liberty, subsequently raising three children who also benefited from the camp, and actively participating as a teacher partner in the classroom, she has gained valuable experience in educating young minds. 

Jessenia is currently an eighth-grade English Language Arts teacher at Mahatma Gandhi School, P.S. 23, with a remarkable 26-year tenure in education. Throughout her career, her dedication to children has remained her foremost priority. As a member of the board, Jessenia aspires to contribute her time, energy, and support to all facets of the organization, ensuring the betterment of our community and the lives of the children we serve. 

Beyond her professional career, Jessenia loves cooking, reading, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise. Her passion for music, stemming from years of dance school, has evolved into an appreciation for activities such as boxing and Zumba classes. She is genuinely excited about the prospect of serving on the board and is committed to utilizing her skills and experiences for the betterment of our community and the organization as a whole.

Suzanne Mack is a current board member who previously served on the Educational Arts Team's Board in the early 2000s. She is a nationally recognized urban planner with specialties in redevelopment. Suzanne has lived in Jersey City her whole life and has been engaged in many community activities. She was the longest-serving elected member on Jersey City’s Board of Education. Her interests on the Jersey City Board of Education were special needs students, facilities, early childhood, after school, and enrichment programs.

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Suzanne learned of Camp Liberty while at the Jersey City Board of Education. Educational Arts Team/Camp Liberty approached the Jersey City Board with exciting programs to enrich students' literacy.  She became interested in this unique place called Camp Liberty and saw firsthand the benefit of exposing diverse groups of children to art and theater. The social and emotional enrichment in these children's lives was all taking place in Hudson County's hidden gem, Camp Liberty. She joined the Board briefly during this time and coordinated several community partnerships that allowed more children to attend Camp Liberty. She remained an advisor to the EAT Board and coordinated on city, county, and state issues.   A parent of a grown son,  Dr. Kerry Magro Ed.d, an Autism advocate, Suzanne travels the world with him and helps parents maximize the potential that is in each child. In Hudson County, Educational Arts Team/Camp Liberty's programs maximize this potential in each child.

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Suzanne brings institutional knowledge gained working with the Team as a nonprofit for over twenty years. In the past, she helped advocate for space in Liberty State Park, theaters for the camp’s pool, expansion of swim services, and build-out of additional indoor space at the camp recently.

 As a member of the development committee, she hopes to become more involved with the Strategic Planning necessary for a non-profit organization to continue to thrive.

Educational Arts Team has been a beacon in Hudson County for over forty years. Suzanne believes it will remain a model into the future with a dedicated board, members who believe in the organization, and excellent leadership and staff to fulfill its mission in the schools and the community. In a rapidly changing world, it will be prepared to offer all children a path forward.

Scott works in data management sales, advising financial institutions on how to centralize and take control over their critical data assets.  He joined the Educational Arts Team board in 2016 after years of being a Camp parent. He has served on the development committee and took on the role of Board Secretary in early 2021.

Like many Jersey City parents, Scott and his wife Vivian learned of Camp Liberty even before their daughter Maya was old enough to attend the camp. The summer Maya turned six, she “reluctantly” went to her first day of camp saying, “What if I don’t like it ….?” Needless to say, after pick-up on the drive home, she could not stop talking about all the fun she had had and how she could not wait to go back. Camp Liberty has been a magical place for Jersey City’s and Hudson County’s kids and it was EAT’s commitment to Jersey City’s diverse youth and community that drew Scott to join the board.

Scott believes that the Educational Arts Team can play an important role in helping Jersey City youth of all cultural, ethnic-racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds grow up to be positive and productive residents of Hudson County and beyond. He enjoys working with the board and its members to help further the Team’s mission.  

Lauren is an Associate in the Corporate Group at Lowenstein Sandler LLP,  where she assists with matters involving fund formation, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. While pursuing her J.D., Lauren served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Carmen Messano, Presiding Judge of New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division. She also was a research assistant at Rutgers Law School, examining Title I Americans with Disabilities Act claims related to employment and the Covid-19 pandemic and participated in the Rutgers Child Advocacy Clinic working on family and immigration related matters. In college, she worked at the Department of Education in Washington DC and served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Peter F. Bariso, Jr., Assignment Judge of Hudson County.

Nearly 20 years after starting as a camper, Lauren is excited to be back with the Educational Arts Team on its Board.  After years as both a camper and a counselor, she knows how special the organization is and can’t wait to support Educational Arts Team in her new role.

Lauren received her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law – Newark and holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. She enjoys playing tennis, skiing, and the New York Times Crossword.

​Sean Coyle is the Chief Operating Officer at Fortitude Re, and is responsible for the
Operational, Information Technology, and Administration aspects of the Fortitude Re
business. Sean brings approximately 20 years of operations and technology experience
in the financial services industry, with deep knowledge in the insurance industry as both
an operations and technology executive.
Prior to his role in Fortitude Re, Sean was the Global Head of Finance Operations and
Reengineering at AIG, where he was tasked with defining and implementing the vision,
strategy, and plan for the global finance target operating model with a key focus on the use of shared services. Sean was responsible for the creation and oversight of AIG’s
global Finance Centers in India as well as regional Finance Centers in Eastern Europe
and South America. In addition to operational responsibilities, his team delivered
strategic transformation capabilities across finance, including the oversight and
management of change programs, reengineering and process automation, robotics,
operating model strategy and strategic project execution.
Prior to joining AIG in 2012, Sean was Senior Vice President of Global Operations &
Reengineering at ACE Group (now Chubb), where he was a member of the operations
leadership team with global responsibility for the strategy, vision and execution of the
operations function. Prior to joining ACE Group in 2006, Sean was a Senior Manager
with BearingPoint Inc. in the Financial Services practice and a Lead Application
Developer and Architect with Proxicom, Inc.
Sean holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Florida State University.
In his spare time, Sean enjoys spending time with his wife and three children attending
their various sporting events and activities. Sean is an avid supporter of all Philadelphia
professional sports teams and enjoys playing golf, tennis, running, and acoustic guitar.

Vaughn is a digital marketing professional at Adobe since 2023. He works with financial services clients to advise and help shape their digital strategy and customer experience. Prior to Adobe, Vaughn served nine years in the United States Army as an infantry officer stationed at Joint Base Lewis Mchord, WA and Fort Campbell, KY. He also served one deployment to Iraq in 2019.

Educational Arts Team lies at the intersection of causes that Vaughn is most passionate about - children, staying active, and education. Growing up as a military brat, Vaughn has benefited from many organizations like EAT that focus on educating and empowering kids. As a new transplant to this community, he looks forward to giving back through serving as a board member.

Vaughn received his MBA from The University of Michigan - Ross School of Business and his bachelor’s degree from The United States Military Academy at West Point. He enjoys exploring new places with his wife and daughter, cheering on his favorite football teams, watching movies, and consuming all things Marvel.

Danielle Chiaro has a career in education spanning 31 years, and is currently a
supervisor for the Jersey City Public Schools. Danielle credits the many professional
development opportunities she received through the Educational Arts Team (beginning
in the 1990s) as important career tenets. These strategies assisted her in developing a
repertoire of impactful techniques, which have touched the lives of innumerable
students!
As a newly elected Board Member, Danielle is eager to ensure the curated practices,
which have served as the foundation of the Educational Arts Team, will continue to
thrive. These resources have been meaningful to children, parents, educators, and the
community for decades! She aims to provide insights pertinent to all aspects of the
organization and is determined to contribute toward expanding the Educational Arts
Team mission. Danielle believes that children of all ages should be able to experience
the significant and purposeful Educational Arts Team work which takes place in
classrooms and at Camp!
Danielle received her B.A. at Jersey CIty State College, her M.S.Ed. at Dominican
University, and her Ed.S. through Capella University. Danielle is a dedicated volunteer
at various arts and historical organizations. She is also passionate about the
preservation of Women's History, and defending the equality and equity to which each
person is entitled. During her free time Danielle enjoys cheering on the New York Liberty
with her husband and daughter; she’s an avid reader as well, always looking for another
book club to join!

Michael Palantone is a licensed CPA in New Jersey with extensive experience in accounting, auditing, and financial planning and analysis. He brings strong financial acumen to the Board, helping to ensure the Team’s continued growth and sustainability.

As a new father, Michael sees firsthand the importance of engaging children in creative, hands-on experiences that build academic, cognitive, and social skills. Inspired by the Team’s mission to use the arts as a catalyst for learning and personal growth, he was drawn to contribute his skillset and passion to the organization.

In his spare time, Michael’s personal hobbies and interests include health & fitness, cooking, traveling with his family, and cheering on his favorite sports teams. 

Dr. Twila C. Liggett is the Creator and Executive Producer of the outstanding PBS Children's TV series, Reading Rainbow which aired on PBS 1983-2009.Under her leadership, the series won over 160 awards including 26 national Emmys of which ten are in the Outstanding Children's Series category. Her educational background includes K-12 music teaching, 1st-2nd grade classroom teaching and school administration. Just prior to creating Reading Rainbow, she held the position of Nebraska’s Education Department state-wide reading consultant.

In 2006, Dr. Liggett was recruited by Marymount Manhattan College as a Professor of Education specializing in literacy and the arts but retired in 2013 to begin wintering in Florida. She and her husband, Jeff Sickles subsequently moved year-round to St. Petersburg, FL in 2016.