KEEP IN TOUCH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Storyteller & Teaching Artist
Job Titles:
- Storyteller & Teaching Artist
Gerald Fierst is a storyteller, author, and literacy educator, and has worked in film, television and theater. Gerry also performs as a storyteller in the US, Europe, and Asia. He has been a featured teller and ghost storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN, and a storyteller-in-residence at the International Storytelling Center.
Gerry is the author of The Heart of Wedding, about wedding stories and ceremonies, Imagine the Moon, an illustrated book of poetry and STEAM-related curricula, and Bye Bye Big!, a preschool picture book about the food cycle. Gerald is the founder of the New Jersey Storytelling Guild, served as a Co-director of the MidAtlantic Storytellers' Gathering, and was a member of the board of The New York Storytelling Center. In 2008-11, he represented the US through its embassy in Spain performing stories with Margaret Read McDonald as part of the embassy's culture programming.
Gerry has released four storytelling audiotapes Monstrous Mischief, Tikun Olam (both Parents Choice Silver Honorees), Jewish Tales of Magic and Mysticism and The American Spirit, and a jazz/spoken word recording Jazzin' Up the Holidays with Conrad Herwig. He is also a storyteller in residence at the Zimmerli Museum.
Job Titles:
- Storyteller & Teaching Artist
Julie Pasqual is a self-proclaimed "creativity junky" whose first art form was dance. After graduating from New York City's High School of Performing Arts, she danced and sang in numerous musicals across the country and Off Broadway. She has acted in everything from Shakespeare to the work of young playwrights in NYC high schools. Along the way, she learned stilt walking. clowning, American Sign Language, and how to tell stories.
Julie's storytelling work encompasses all her skills as a performing artist, as she brings every aspect of a story to life. Her stories have been heard in such venues as the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the New Jersey Storytelling Festival, and in schools, libraries, bookstores, hospitals, radio, and private events across the try-state area. She has told stories internationally in Argentina, Thailand, China, Ireland, and Dubai. Julie is also a teaching artist for International School Theatre Association, taking her to Brussels, Jamaica, China, Taiwan, and the UK. When not telling stories, Julie works as a hospital clown at Harlem Hospital, and has traveled to Haiti with Clowns Without Borders, where she performed in refugee camps and orphanages.
Lillie began her career as an ophthalmic photographer/LASIK technician and recently retired from a 22-year career in the medical education profession. As Director of Operations for an international medical education firm, she managed medical advisory boards, symposia, online learning, and medical congresses across multiple therapeutic areas for all levels of healthcare professionals.
Prior to her extensive career in medical education, Lillie held position as Director of Marketing for an ambulatory surgery management consulting firm that specialized in training ophthalmologist and ophthalmic procedures. She also sat
on the Board of Director for "Luz Para Los Ojos" (translation: Light for the Eyes) - a non-profit foundation that provides free eye care and cataract surgeries in undeveloped and underserved countries. Lillie is one of the founding board members for Anderson House, a halfway house for women in recovery from addiction and is an emeritus board member for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, a non-profit patient advocacy organization for patients and caregivers battling bile duct cancer.
She has a lifelong commitment to education, with advanced studies in marketing and art & design/photography. She has volunteered her time serving on the Readington school district organizing cultural arts program.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Treasurer at Advancing Opportunities, Inc
Mike is the Treasuerer of Storytelling Arts Inc and brings over two decades of experience as a CPA with the prestigious firm Lear & Pannepacker. With a keen focus on personal, partnership, and corporate tax returns, as well as multi-state tax compliance, Mike plays a pivotal role in the high-level review of financial matters.
Mike's contributions go beyond individual financial planning. He actively participates in the preparation of business plans and bank financing, showcasing his adeptness in financial projections and cash flow analysis. His meticulous attention to detail ensures that the financial aspects of the organization are robustly supported, paving the way for sustainable growth and success.
With regards to licenses and certifications, Mike holds a CPA License in New Jersey, demonstrating his mastery of accounting principles and tax regulations. He maintains his professional edge by affiliating himself with esteemed organizations such as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA), both of which contribute to his continuous professional development.
Beyond his commitments at Storytelling Arts Inc, Mike serves as Treasurer at Advancing Opportunities, Inc., a testament to his dedication to the community. He also co-chairs the Thomas Edison State University Golf Committee and actively participates in the NJ State Library Talking Book & Braille Center Golf Committee.
Mike's educational background solidifies his expertise in the field. He holds a Master of Accountancy from Rider University, where he honed his knowledge of advanced accounting principles and practices. Additionally, he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), equipping him with a solid foundation in business management and administration.
With his extensive experience, qualifications, and dedication, Mike is a valuable asset to Storytelling Arts Inc. As the Board Treasurer, he plays an instrumental role in the organization's financial well-being, ensuring transparency, compliance, and strategic financial planning.
Job Titles:
- Storyteller & Teaching Artist
Job Titles:
- Designer, Artist
- Sandy Hanna / Board Member
Sandy Hanna is a designer, artist, and an author. As a storyteller, she has recounted her years growing up in Vietnam as a child with her family in a published novel: "The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon." She was on the original design team of Children's Television Workshop's Sesame Place theme park.
Graduating from the University of Massachusetts with an MEd focused on the Biology of Cognition, her undergraduate work was completed at Knox College in Interdisciplinary Programs in Science and Literature, and California Institute of the Arts in Design. Post graduate studies in Marketing took place at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Sandy has spent over forty years as a design and marketing consultant. She is a designer of play spaces for children, facilities for the handicapped, children's museums, and theme parks. She has also engaged in marketing work for the modular building and hospitality industries. The title she is most passion about, however, is that of Storyteller.
Soni began her career as a Gerontologist at the University of Michigan, earning a degree in Psychology with a focus in Gerontology. She then achieved a Masters in Gerontology at Hofstra University as a Magna Cum Laude graduate. Over the past 20 years, Soni has worked in various roles: as a Geriatric Care Manager with Senior Bridge Family in New York City, as a Senior Support Specialist at Greater Trenton Behavioral Health Senior Well Being Program, as a Gerontologist at the Princeton Senior Resource Center, Program Director of the HomeFriends Program, and as an Admissions Specialist for Morris Hall and Director of Admissions for Morris Hall Meadow , the first Green House Project Skilled Nursing Community in South/Central New Jersey. Soni has developed and implemented education workshops, support groups and outreach to Mercer County residents. She continues her goal of assisting and advocating for older adults and their families as the owner of Aging Advisors, a Geriatric Care Management company in Mercer County, NJ.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Professor
Professor Steven H. Hobbs graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Afro-American Studies and received the juris doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1979.
Professor Hobbs was a member of the Washington and Lee University law faculty for 16 years before accepting the position of Tom Bevill Chairholder of Law at The University of Alabama School of Law in 1997 until his recent retirement. He also has visited at Willamette University and Florida State University. Upon graduation from law school, Professor Hobbs practiced in the Department of the Public Advocate in Trenton New Jersey.
Both his professional and scholarly interests demonstrate his commitment to the fair distribution of social and legal benefits to individuals. The classes he has taught, the topics of his scholarship on which he has written, and the issues he has addressed at conferences include family law, professional responsibility, constitutional law, entrepreneurship, and social and economic justice.
Job Titles:
- Storyteller & Teaching Artist
Theo Cheng is a full-time arbitrator and mediator, focusing on commercial, intellectual property, technology, entertainment, and employment disputes, after having practiced over 20 years as an IP and general commercial litigator.
He serves as the Secretary of Storytelling Arts, the President of the Justice Marie L. Garibaldi American Inn of Court for ADR, and the Treasurer of the Copyright Society.
Mr. Cheng received his A.B. cum laude in Chemistry and Physics from Harvard University and his J.D. from New York University School of Law.
Yasmine Rana is a playwright, educator, and drama therapist whose recent work includes Icarus and Amina with Ryan Repertory Company (2021), the Women's Work Festival of Newfoundland, Canada (2021), After Rome, Paradise and The Fallen with the Jerusalem English Theater and Theater in the Rough (2020), the 2019 International Human Rights Arts Festival at the Wild Project (Leena and Rose at the Barre), Mile Square Theatre and Writer's Theatre of New Jersey (After Rome) Luna Stage (At the Barre), and Tara Arts of London (Amanda), India's National School of Drama in New Delhi and Kalyani Kalamandalam Theatre in Kolkata (The War Zone is My Bed), 2020, 2021). The War Zone is My Bed was a Francesca Primus Prize finalist. Plays have been developed at theaters including The Looking Glass Theatre, Nora's Playhouse (founding member), Los Angeles' The Jewel Box Theater, La MaMa Experimental Theatre, New Stages Performing Arts Center in the Berkshires, and Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey.
Fellowships and grants include NJ Transit and NJ State Council on the Arts TRANSITional Art Project (2019), New Jersey State Council on the Arts Award in Playwriting (2015), and a Walter E. Dakin Fellowship in Playwriting. Publications include The Alabama Literary Review, Blackbird, The Contemporary European Idea, The Kenyon Review, Lilith, TDR: The Drama Review, Woman Around Town, and anthologies, The Best Contemporary Monologues, The Best Stage Scenes, and The Best Men's and Women's Monologues (Smith and Kraus and Applause Books). The University of Chicago Press and Seagull Books "In Performance Series" published The War Zone is My Bed and Other Plays, an anthology of four of Yasmine's plays. In addition to being a playwright, Yasmine is an educator of ESL, English, and Social Studies at a Northern New Jersey public school, a mentor to new playwrights (Northeastern University, Chicago) and drama therapist (Registered Drama Therapist and New York State Licensed Creative Arts Therapist). She has worked in Bosnia, The Republic of Georgia, and Switzerland where she implemented, with the support of the Jacob Foundation in Zurich, an arts and education summer program for Bosnian youth.
Yasmine received her BFA and MFA degrees in Dramatic Writing from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and her Master of Art in Teaching degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University where she specialized in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She studied Drama Therapy at the New School's Creative Arts Therapies Program and International Trauma Studies at New York University. Yasmine is the co-host and co-producer of "Conversations with Ken and Yasmine" and is represented by Susan Gurman in New York.