Meet Our Team
WENDY RYDAROWICZ
Founder and CEO of the Educational Empowerment Group
Offering more than 25 years of vast experience in the field of education, Wendy Rydarowicz is currently the co-founder and Chief Academic Officer of The Educational Empowerment Group. Wendy is an integral team player who has the ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with parents, students, staff members, board members, sponsors and community organizations while working proactively and effectively for the common good of students.
Jennifer Alfrey
High School Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Jennifer Alfrey brings 14 years of education experience, joining EEG schools in 2014. She has held roles managing data and assessment and is committed to utilizing targeted data analysis to address student needs. She holds a Master’s in Secondary Education and a Bachelor’s in English from the University of Toledo. Jennifer’s primary focus is to apply innovative thinking and planning to ensure students are engaged in their learning and well-prepared for their future endeavors.
DANIELLE ARTL
DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION/FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Danielle Artl is EEG’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction for K – 8 schools. She attended Bowling Green State University to obtain a Business Administration degree, then pursued her teaching license at Cleveland State University. Danielle’s top priority will be to ensure that the network of EEG schools will continue to provide high instructional quality, and that the schools will master their academic goals and maintain a culture of diversity and accountability.
Mackenzie Bench
Jr. Staff Accountant
Mackenzie has worked with charter schools and treasury services for three years. Prior to joining the education field, Mackenzie brings with her five years of experience in banking and underwriting. She prides herself in a detail-oriented work style and enjoys empowering her team members. With an encouraging and enthusiastic personality, she is a wonderful asset to the organization. Mackenzie is excited to be part of the EEG team and working with others who are committed to making a difference!
Raymond Blasingim
Director of Facilities – SOuthern Schools
Raymond is the Director of Facilities for all EEG southern location schools.
Sandy Calvert
Director of Community Engagement
Sandy is consulting for the Education Empowerment Group developing community resources/partnerships/programs for children and their families in schools located across the state. She has more than 40 years of experience working with nonprofits implementing rap-around services in mental health, food insecurity, soft skills, workforce pathways, and community service.
Tracy Carter
Director of Community Engagement
One of Tracy’s greatest passions is bringing people together to accomplish a common goal. It truly takes a village! She uses her experience as an administrator, nonprofit director and entrepreneur to target the needs of our students in the EEG network. Tracy’s education is comprehensive, earning an Executive MBA from The Ohio State University with an educational leadership focus; MBA from Warren National University with an entrepreneurship focus; BA from Franklin University with a Finance and Banking focus.
Victoria Carter
Director of High School Operations
Victoria is the Director of High School Operations.
Jim Cernanec
Vice President of Information Technology
Jim is the Vice President of Information Technology for EEG.
Lisa A. Davis
Vice President of School Operations
Ms. Davis is currently responsible for the successful operation and academic success of high schools, drop-out prevention high schools, and elementary schools within EEG’s school network. As Vice President of School Operations, she provides leadership, focus, and direction to the school Principals. Her primary focus is to ensure that every school meets its academic and operational goals. She brings to EEG ten years of teaching experience, three years of school leadership experience, and five years of multi-school management.
Matt Demosky
Director of High School Operations
Matt earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University in 2011. He started his career in education in the summer of 2016 joining the EEG and Ohio Construction Academy teams in the summer of 2017. At OCA, he served in many roles such as instructional aide, dean of students, assistant principal, and principal. Now he is the Director of High School Operations for our EEG schools in central and northeast Ohio. Matt earned his master’s degree in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University in the summer of 2023. In addition, he received his 5-year professional principal licensure in the winter of 2024.
Ashley Durst
Director of Compliance
Ashley is the Director of Compliance for all EEG schools.
Veronica Fly
Vice President of Communications and Marketing
Veronica has 27 years of comprehensive education experience, including serving as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and executive leader in Operations and Academics. She received a bachelor’s degree in English education from Rust College, a graduate certification in Communication and a master’s degree in communication with an Emphasis in Education, both from Grand Canyon University. Her primary focus is to provide strategic direction for all internal and external messaging, focusing on driving enrollment and cultivating essential stakeholder engagement throughout the entire network.
Howard Fox
State Reporting Manager
Howard has worked with charter schools and EMIS reporting for more than ten years. He studied Computer Application Development at Stark State College and Computer Science at the University of Akron. He has experience in multiple student information systems. Howard is a data manager, supporting state reporting and student services. He believes that “clean data is happy data” and works to ensure accurate reporting to maximize the hard work done at the school level.
Allison Glass
Director of Curriculum and Instruction, South Carolina
Allison brings 28 years of experience in education, having served as an elementary classroom teacher, instructional coach, and principal. She earned a master’s degree in education from Walsh University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in leadership. Her professional focus centers on implementing evidence-based curricula designed to enhance student achievement across all grade levels.
Stephanie Groscost
Director of Operations
Stephanie Groscost brings over 25 years of educational experience to the Director of Operations role at EEG. She attained her degrees from Youngstown State University. Stephanie has held numerous academic roles in her career including teaching multiple grade levels and content areas, Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Stephanie’s main focus is ensuring that school staff are well-prepared so they can provide the best learning environment for their students to meet academic and real world goals.
Robert Hale
Executive Director of Facilitites
Robert Hale is Executive Director of Facilitites.
Jonathan Hejnal
Director of Food Service
Jonathan is the Director of Food Service for all EEG schools.
Maria Hejnal
Director of Curriculum and Instruction and STEAM
Maria Hejnal is a dedicated and forward-thinking educator committed to fostering engaging, inclusive, and future-ready learning environments. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Middle Childhood Education from Heidelberg University and went on to complete a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Technology Education from the University of Phoenix. With a strong focus on instructional innovation, she integrates technology, STEAM learning, and research-based practices to support diverse learners and elevate academic outcomes. Her work reflects a deep belief in creativity, continuous improvement, and cultivating a positive school culture where all students can thrive.
Sally Kari
Director of High School Federal Programs
Sally brings 25 years of experience in education across the United States and the Middle East, having served as a Teacher, Reading Interventionist, and Principal. She holds a master’s degree in Educational Studies and has collaborated with teams to design and implement curricula that promote student achievement and holistic development. As Director of High School Federal Programs, Sally collaborates with EEG’s High Schools to manage federal initiatives that enhance teaching and learning. She is committed to advancing educational equity and supporting high schools in achieving measurable outcomes.
SaM Kasprik
Director of Landscaping
Sam Kasprik is the Director of Landscaping for EEG schools.
Elaine Keller
Vice president of Finance
Elaine Keller has spent the majority of her career in the Accounting and Finance field and has been a successful key contributor to overall business objectives and continuing industry growth. As EEG’s Vice President of Finance, Elaine is responsible for vendor relationships and management, expense reporting, reconciliations and management reporting. Elaine spent sixteen years in the Corporate Fleet and Travel environment, for companies like Eaton, Xerox ad BASF focusing on contract negotiation, process and policy improvement and corporate coaching and training.
Colleen Smith-Lawrence
Accounts Payable Manager
Colleen R. Smith is the Accounts Payable Manager with over 20 years’ experience in in Accounting and Finance. She was also worked in the insurance industry for 10+ years. She prides herself in being able to make people feel comfortable and letting them know they are in good hands.
Abigail Lekas
Director of Marketing
As Director of Marketing for the Educational Empowerment Group, Abigail oversees digital advertising, social media campaigns, and school-level marketing initiatives across multiple regions. She manages projects from planning through production, coordinating with vendors and school teams to ensure all materials stay consistent with EEG’s brand and messaging. Abigail holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Cleveland State University and has been with EEG for three years, supporting schools through clear communication and purposeful marketing.
Samuel Miller
Director of Facilities
As the Director of Facilities Samuel manages maintenance needs at each of our facilities to ensure a safe and clean environment for the children to learn in. From 2010-2018 he worked as a full-time truck driver, while also managing his own rental properties as a part-time business. He enjoys building relationships with contractors and vendors in order to make connections in the community.
Jason O’Koon
Director of Operations and School Improvement
Jason O’Koon brings with him to the Operations/Academic team over 25 years of school experience. He has served as a Teacher, Principal, and Curriculum Director throughout his career. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo and a Master’s Degree from The Ohio State University. He also has furthered his education at Ashland University. Jason has worked in both public and charter schools throughout Ohio and spent time as an international school principal in China and Curriculum Director of English in the United Arab Emirates. As Director of Operations and School Improvement, he is committed to ensuring that students achieve their highest potential in a well-rounded educational environment.
Bridgette B. Owens
Director of State Reporting
Bridgette is the Director of State Reporting for EEG.
Janet Pahlau
Executive Director of Graphic Design
Janet has enjoyed her over 30 years of creativity in marketing and branding design for industries from education and non-profits to polymer sciences and healthcare. At EEG, she draws upon her corporate B2B experiences to create materials that support Sponsor and Governing Board needs, and on her B2C and non-profit experiences to create empathetic and branded designs that inform and attract students and families. Janet’s happy to utilize her BFA in graphic design from Bowling Green State University in a creative career that serves children and promotes the common good.
Sam Ponstingle
I.T. Field Engineer
Sam is an I.T. Field Engineer for EEG.
Troy Powell
Director of School Safety
Troy brings passion and almost 20 years of combined experience as a teacher and school leader into his role as Director of School Safety. As a certified ALICE and Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) trainer, Troy equips our building teams with the knowledge and practice to make quality decisions in critical moments. In a world that is always changing Troy is focused on making sure our EEG school safety culture evolves to keep our students, families and staff safe on our campuses.
Seth Russell
Director of Graphic Arts
Seth brings over 20 years of creative experience including design and freelance art to EEG. Seth ensures quality while working with tight deadlines. Adapting quickly to new situations that require leadership, teamwork and problem solving. Seth provides strong design skills in many forms, including retail print ad design, marketing, logo design and editorial page layout, as well as basic online and mobile ad design. He is highly skilled at traditional art and illustration, and very well qualified to take on any design or art project.
Thomas Rydarowicz
Vice President of Teacher Support Services
Tom brings 15 years of teaching experience in the mathematics and social studies fields. He created and established various classroom management techniques and plans that have been proven very effective in maturing students while concurrently maintaining discipline within the classroom. Tom is a graduate from Youngstown State University where he also obtained an Associate degree in Engineering Technology. He currently serves the EEG organization in mentoring RESA teachers and also functions as Chairperson of LPDC.
Autumn Rydarowicz
Program Manager
Autumn Rydarowicz works closely with school leaders and staff to ensure that programs are implemented effectively and align with EEG’s mission to empower students and communities through high-quality education. Autumn focuses on program evaluation to strengthen school operations and improve student outcomes. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Bowling Green State University and is a published author on the school-to-prison pipeline and juvenile justice. Her work combines expertise in criminal justice with a commitment to equity, helping students and educators thrive.
Krystal Vianueva-Steidl
Compliance Manager
Krystal serves as a Compliance Manager for the Educational Empowerment Group. In this role she works closely with the VP of Compliance. Krystal is responsible for the department’s compliance administrative duties including, preparation of school board meeting materials, renewal of school’s emergency and evacuation plans, monitoring school compliance, assisting with necessary submissions, and processing claims and orders for all EEG school food service programs. She is committed to processing timely and accurate submissions of all compliance requirements. Prior to joining EEG, Krystal was a Financial Relationship Banker for Huntington National Bank where she developed strong organizational and multitasking skills along with providing exceptional customer service. Krystal is very excited to work for EEG and be a part of a great company that truly makes a difference.
Lisa Swank
Payroll Manager
Lisa started accounting 25 years ago when asked to assist with payroll, it has been her passion since. She went from doing payroll for a small office of 15 employees over the years to a large corporate office of over 1,000 employees. She has a diverse view on payroll as she has worked as both a payroll manager for a company and as a client support manager for a payroll provider Paycor. As the EEG payroll manager, she looks forward to building relationships with each employee and ensuring they receive support on all their payroll needs.
Darla Thompson
Human Resources Manager
Darla began her career in education over 25 years ago in Missouri, specializing in administrative support and high school guidance records. After relocating to Ohio in 2014 as an Enrollment Specialist, she transitioned to Human Resources at EEG. She now focuses on new hire onboarding, file maintenance and ensuring personnel and school compliance documents are current. She enjoys supporting all staff and administration.
Jillian Thornton
Vice President of Operations/Compliance
Jillian Thornton has over 13 year of experience in corporate compliance. Her previous experience includes serving as the Director of Compliance for a national background screening and investigation company. Jillian also spent 8 years as the Director of Governance and Compliance for a national charter school management company and worked with schools in Michigan, Ohio, and Florida. In this role she worked closely with school administration, boards and sponsors to ensure timely and accurate reporting of all necessary compliance requirements. Jillian is committed to alternative education and has served as a volunteer board member on various charter school boards.
Kate Travers
Director of Career Technical Education and Grants
Kate manages The Career Technical Education Department at the Educational Empowerment Group. She is responsible for providing the oversight and support for CTE/CBI programming to ensure EEG graduates are prepared with the knowledge, skills and disposition to pursue his or her chosen post-high school path leading to post-secondary success. She is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College and has taught Integrated Language Arts, served has building Principal, and acted as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Kate has her Master’s in Instructional Technology from The University of Akron and completed the Cleveland State University Certificate Program to obtain her principal’s license. She also holds the CBI Endorsement.
Nicholas Vera
Senior Director of Accounting
Nick joins the EEG team with 10 years of experience in accounting and data analysis fields. He prides himself on an efficient work style and keeping an eye out for the small details. After receiving an Associate’s Degree from Stark State College of Technology, he worked for several different corporate companies in varying fields. He is excited to work for a company that makes a real difference in people’s lives and focus on their mission.
Stephanie Webb
Director of Operations
Stephanie is a Director of Operations for EEG.
Holly Wemmer
Project Manager of Operations
Holly offers a combined 10 years of professional experience, including three years dedicated to school finance and operational management and seven years within the financial services industry. She utilizes her expertise in data-driven reporting and fiscal analysis to strategically provide support to the K8 Operations team and the schools. Holly plays a crucial role in supporting schools with comprehensive testing and data analysis, providing direct program support, and serving as an essential liaison between school leadership and the management company. This function ensures the seamless flow of critical information regarding testing and assessments, directly empowering schools to meet their primary objective: delivering the highest quality education to every student.
Michael Wenger
Facilities Manager
Michael began working with EEG in April 2021 as Facilities Manager. He brings a wealth of experience in both commercial and residential construction and provides maintenance to each of the EEG facilities. Michael previously worked for 23 years at Southwood Pallet Inc. where he served as an Equipment Operator and Warehouse Manager at the manufacturing facility.
Brian Willmott
Director of High School Operations and CTE Programming for Northern Ohio
Brian brings 20 years of educational leadership experience to his role as Director of High School Operations and Director of CTE Programming for Northern Ohio at Educational Empowerment Group. Throughout his career, he has served in many roles, always demonstrating a steadfast commitment to student success and operational excellence. Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from John Carroll University, a master’s degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University, and an EdD in Educational Administration and Leadership, also from Walden University. As Director of High School Operations and CTE Programming, he is committed to driving student achievement, supporting staff development, fostering community partnerships, and promoting equitable access to quality career and technical education for all students.
Ann Wyant
Vice President of Human Resources
Ann joins the EEG team as the Manager of Student Services and Human Resources. She brings with her a multitude of experiences, as she has served in a variety of capacities in her years in education. Ann’s expertise in working in education ranges from working with special education students in a one-on-one capacity to being a school office manager and ensuring all student records are in accordance with state regulations. She embraces a culture of high academic and behavioral expectations and seeks to ensure that all staff members are supported in their academic efforts.
Danielle Zilke
K-8 Director of the Office of Exceptional Children
Danielle is the K-8 Director of the Office of Exceptional Children.
Michael Zografos
Vice President of High school operations
Michael has dedicated over 15 years to the field of education, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to student success and operational excellence. Michael has excelled in his roles as an Intervention Specialist, Principal, and Director of Operations. As Vice President of High School Operations, Michael continues to champion excellence in education. His extensive experience and unwavering dedication make him a pivotal leader in driving forward initiatives that enhance student achievement, support staff development, CTE programming, community partnerships, and promote equitable access to quality education for all students. Michael earned his bachelor’s degree from Baldwin-Wallace College and his master’s degree from Grand Canyon University.