The Team

Toni-Ann Vroom was a founding member of TWR in 2014 and co-leads the organization, setting the strategic vision for its programs, communicating its mission and ensuring its sustainability. She presents regularly on the topic of writing at literacy conferences and has presented on the Hochman Method and TWR for the College Board, the Aspen Institute and SXSW EDU. Previously, Toni-Ann served as the schoolwide writing coordinator and lead social studies teacher at New Dorp High School in Staten Island, New York. She received a Ph.D. in literacy from St. John’s University.

Dina Zoleo was a founding member of TWR in 2014 and co-leads the organization, setting the strategic vision for its programs, communicating its mission and ensuring its sustainability. She presents regularly on the topic of writing at literacy conferences and has presented on the Hochman Method and TWR for the College Board, the Aspen Institute, SXSW EDU, the Mississippi Literacy Association Conference and the Louisiana Teacher Leader Summit. Previously, Dina served as a social studies teacher and assistant principal at New Dorp High School in Staten Island, New York. She received a Ph.D. in literacy from St. John’s University.

Kathleen Maloney collaborates with the co-executive directors to develop the strategic vision for TWR, and oversees its implementation by leading the organization’s daily operations. Previously, she served as a literacy assessment specialist for the New York City Department of Education and as an English language arts teacher and Title I coordinator at New World Preparatory Charter School. Kathleen was the founding literacy coach at New World Prep, where she helped all teachers to be literacy instructors by leading the schoolwide implementation of the Hochman Method. She holds an M.A. in literacy from NYU and a B.A. in childhood education from Macaulay Honors College (College of Staten Island).

Kirk Clarke supervises and works with TWR staff to plan, design and manage all operations on the technical side of the organization, ensuring the efficiency of network systems to secure the stability of business functions. He has led in the adoption of several major technologies to support TWR infrastructure, including Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement. Previously, Kirk was a senior web designer and UI developer at the 92nd Street Y, a web developer at StarChefs, and a freelance web and IT consultant. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art, with a concentration in drawing and graphic design, from Binghamton University (SUNY).

Ronald Lizcano leads fundraising efforts, cultivates donor relationships, and creates strategies to secure financial support for The Writing Revolution’s programs and mission. He brings almost a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector. He served as the Major Gifts Officer for Lambda Legal’s Midwest Regional Office. Before that, he worked in the domestic violence and free and charitable clinic sectors. Ronald graduated from the University of Texas in 2015 with a BA in Psychology and is currently pursuing his Master’s in Social Sector Leadership and Nonprofit Management from the University of Chicago.

Alexandria Chalonec teaches courses, works with high-impact partner schools and helps on various programmatic projects at TWR. Alexandria led the process of embedding TWR’s strategies in Louisiana Department of Education Guidebooks to enhance student writing and understanding. Within the organization, she supports the onboarding of new faculty and ongoing faculty development. Before joining TWR, Alexandria taught English language arts and social studies at The Windward School and served as a learning specialist and special education teacher at the Urban Assembly School of Business for Young Women. She earned a Master of Science in education through the New York City Teaching Fellows program, graduating with honors.

Mahmud Ennin leads the finance team at TWR, managing, supervising, and directing all finance department activities to ensure financial stability. Before joining TWR, he was the CFO at Northside Charter High School, overseeing the school’s financial sustainability. Previously, Mahmud served as the Associate Director of Finance at EL Education and spent a decade at the Institute of International Education, where his latest role was Head of Revenue Management and Billing. He began his career in the Treasury Department for the Government of Ghana, working there for five years. Mahmud holds a postgraduate diploma in Financial Management from the UK and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn.

Djamika Smith is responsible for leading and overseeing TWR’s visual and creative initiatives, ensuring that the messaging and branding effectively convey the mission and values of the non-profit to engage and inspire donors, supporters, and the community. She was Senior Designer at Niftic (design agency), Senior Designer at 92Y, and worked with various mission-driven companies (RepresentUS, Concern Worldwide, the Union Square Partnership, the Story of Stuff) as a freelancer. Designer at Blackstone Publishing, Designer at Cropper Medical. Has Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Christine Teahan teaches courses, works with high-impact partner schools and helps on various programmatic projects at TWR. She coordinates the development and maintenance of courses, webinars and offerings outside of TWR’s main introductory course, Advanced Thinking Through Writing (ATTW) I. Among these, Christine developed the ATTW STEM course. Before joining TWR, she served as a special education teacher, teaching middle school English language arts, math, science and social studies. She holds an M.A. and a B.A. in special education.

Christine Martin drives operational efficiencies at TWR, influencing an organizational culture by overseeing operations and HR. Previously, she was the Operations Project Manager for a start-up in Detroit, MI, where she managed day-to-day operations, finance, and HR, transitioning the company to a remote-only model and expanding operations to 13 states. Before that, Christine revamped the operational infrastructure for a start-up in Boston, MA, moving it from a fiscal sponsor to an independent entity. She holds an MBA/MIM in International Business from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelor of Science in International Business from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Kate Mateer Weber leads the marketing and communications efforts at The Writing Revolution. With a career focused on edtech and literacy, Kate is an experienced marketing leader with over 15 years of experience at companies such as HMHCo, Imagine Learning, and Edmentum. She specializes in developing effective marketing strategies rooted in data and research, helping organizations grow while assisting educators in making informed decisions about tools for their practice. Passionate about the potential of edtech, she’s known for her ability to simplify complex concepts, all while maintaining a strong focus on creativity and collaboration.

Serena White has recently joined The Writing Revolution as Director of State and District Partnerships to assist other school systems in the implementation of the Hochman Method. In Monroe City Schools, she led the revolutionization of their writing curriculum, schools have seen notable gains in student achievement across content. Modeling this work, the Louisiana Department of Education embedded the method in the state curriculum. Serena has worked for two Louisiana Parishes, a private school, and for the Louisiana Department of Education, serving as Interim Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer, Director of Federal Programs, Network Coach, Principal, and Teacher.

Jessica oversees program evaluation at TWR—including external research partnerships—and uses data to assist in organizational decision-making. She regularly reviews and analyzes district metrics, manages data collection and sharing, and collaborates with TWR teams to guide program development. Jessica also coordinates TWR’s writing contests to ensure the organization’s initiatives remain engaging and impactful. Previously, she served as a 7th grade ELA teacher and a Senior Children’s Librarian at the New York Public Library. Jessica holds an M.S. in Library and Information Science and a B.A. in English Literature.

As a Research, Evaluation and Analysis Associate at The Writing Revolution (TWR), Marianna assesses the impact of TWR’s methodology. She analyzes student writing data, evaluates program effectiveness, and conducts research to inform and enhance TWR’s instructional approach. Before joining TWR, Marianna spent 17 years in the classroom as a seventh-grade ELA teacher and cluster coordinator at Mark Twain I.S. 239 for the Gifted and Talented. Marianna holds a Master’s degree in English Education from Brooklyn College and a Bachelor’s degree in English Education from New York University.

Itzel Zarate is a Research, Evaluation, and Analysis Associate at TWR, where she supports program evaluation through data collection, organization, and analysis. She works closely with key districts to assess program impact and identify trends that inform decision-making. With a background in business and project management, she brings strong analytical and problem-solving skills to her work.