WTA has welcomed Mark Zomick as its new finance director this year.
Zomick has spent a career working at large advertising agencies such as GroupM and Publicis. His focus was analytics, technology, data administration, processes improvement and financial management. As part of the agency leadership team he streamlined processes and oversaw a large P&L. He has been privileged to serve on the leadership teams on accounts that included Coca-Cola, AT&T and Verizon.
In parallel, Zomick has served as a lay leader in a number of Jewish communal organizations, most notably as president of the Young Israel of Teaneck, and co-president of the Torah Academy of Bergen County (not at the same time). In these roles, he had fiduciary responsibilities for large organizations with varying needs. His pragmatic creativity enabled him to implement a purchasing system with the necessary checks and balances that allowed the educators to operate within the budgeted parameters. He also serves on the Planning Board of the Township of Teaneck.
As finance director at WTA, Zomick is merging his lay and professional experience to bring WTA an enhanced organizational experience. While, at heart, Zomick is a “process person,” he is keenly aware of the individual needs of the staff and students, and always tries to strike a balance. In all his roles, Zomick has always stressed the importance of learning and teaching every day. He continues to serve as a trusted advisor to lay leadership and professional colleagues across the spectrum. He is eager to work with the WTA team to implement best practices in finance, operations and technology as the school takes the next big steps into its future.
WTA has hired Naamah Imir as a new teacher in kindergarten. Imir has always loved working with children, in both formal and informal educational settings. In addition to teaching for the past fifteen years, Imir has run the Art program at Camp Ramah Nyack for the last four summers, and taught the “Toddler and Me” program at Temple Israel Center Nursery School in White Plains. She owns and runs her own Jewish-focused tutoring company, teaching students Hebrew and Judaic studies, as well as preparation for bar/bat mitzvahs.
Imir holds her bachelor’s in theatre from Binghamton University, and is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. While no longer a working actor, Imir loves infusing her lessons and teaching style with creative play and learning, and has found her training to be a valuable teaching tool in the classroom.
Maria Gizzo will be joining the lower school team at WTA this year. She comes to WTA with over seven years of teaching experience, and has taught elementary education in a variety of grade levels throughout the greater Westchester County area. A graduate of Iona College, Gizzo earned her bachelor’s degree in childhood education, and her master’s degree in special education and literacy. After school hours, Gizzo continues her education endeavors through tutoring. She currently lives in Rye, New York with her husband, Andrew. They both enjoy travel, exercise, and golf. Gizzo is very much looking forward to sharing in WTA’s love of learning, and sense of community.
WTA is pleased to announce the hiring of Yoni Reuven. Reuven is completing a dual masters’ degree in Jewish philosophy and Jewish education at Yeshiva University, and will be teaching Chumash and Navi in middle school. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Reuven graduated from Queens College with a bachelor’s in philosophy after spending a year-and-a-half in Israel. Reuven says he is most passionate about learning Torah, reading about philosophical topics and teaching; he also enjoys listening to music and playing basketball. He loves connecting with students, teaching them Torah and challenging them to be independent thinkers. Reuven felt drawn to teach at WTA especially because of the warm, family-like environment, and he looks forward to joining the middle school Judaic Studies faculty!
