Staff

Mary Jo Ziesel

Executive Director

Mary Jo was appointed Executive Director of the Jacob Burns Film Center in September 2021. She joined the JBFC after serving as Managing Director of American Ballet Theatre’s Department of Education & Training. During her 22-year tenure at American Ballet Theatre, Mary Jo led all business operations of the Department of Education & Training, ultimately developing a thriving center of innovation serving more than 20,000 students annually. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, she spearheaded the launch of the ABT National Training Curriculum, the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in NYC, and the ABT William J Gillespie School in Costa Mesa, CA, an international Summer Intensive program with 9 satellites and a national network of ABT Certified Schools. She brings over 25 years of leadership experience, DEI training, and youth development at premier performing arts and higher education institutions to the Jacob Burns Film Center. Mary Jo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration and Nonprofit Management from New York University.

Lynne Barcenas

House Manager

Lynne joined the JBFC in 2021 as a member of the house staff. In 2022, she was promoted to the position of House Manager. Lynne graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2015 with a Cinema Studies and Screenwriting degree. She has a passion for film, television, and video games, and she especially loves it when all of these mediums combine together. Lynne also has a black cat named Hades.

Tara Bongiorno

Customer Service Manager

Tara began her time with the JBFC as House Manager in 2012 and joined the Membership team in 2016. She earned a BFA from SUNY Purchase, where she studied opera. Tara has also worked as Director of Ticketing Services at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. In her spare time she tries to attend as many live concerts as she can and being a connoisseur of music she is constantly striving to make the best mix playlist.

Elion Carden

House Manager

Elion was first employed at the JBFC in August of 2021. He is known for his involvement in various activities and events in Pleasantville. Through his love for action films, Elion particularly enjoys stage combat and choreography. He will not leave a movie theater without reading the stunt team names in the end credits of a film.

Sandra Cerdan

Finance Associate

Sandra Cerdan came to the United States from Ecuador about 25 years ago, during her third year of law school. At that time, she didn’t speak English, but she was determined to learn. She worked at TJ Maxx while attending Westchester Community College to study English, and soon after, she began helping small contractors with their bookkeeping. In 2001, she started her family. Mount Kisco became her first home in New York, and she has never left Westchester since. She truly loves this community and feels so grateful to call it home.

Christine Coleman

Manager of Education Administration

Christine joined the JBFC in 2017 as Assistant to the Executive Director. She holds a B.A in English with a minor in Journalism from Mercy College. Prior to joining the JBFC, Christine worked as an Assistant Bank Manager. Christine enjoys writing and owes her love of cinema to her Dad’s own film obsession, and also to the awesome kids movies of the 80’s. She’s a horror fan, but holds an exclusive place in her heart for Wong Kar-Wai’s Chungking Express.

Ed Collins

Booth Manager

After earning his B.A. in cinema studies from SUNY Purchase, Ed worked as a freelance blogger for a couple years before he found his way into the theater business in 2015. Before joining the Jacob Burns, Ed worked as a projectionist for The Downing Film Center in Newburgh, New York and at iPic Theaters in Dobbs Ferry. Ed is an occasional podcaster who loves to talk about horror movies, pro-wrestling, and his obsession with basketball.

Charlotte Exton

Manager of Education Programs

Charlotte started working at the JBFC as a member of the House Staff in 2008 and has grown within the organization. She is thrilled to now be in the Education Department! She has a background in theatre and worked for years as a stage manager in Westchester and New York City, as well as worked with various nonprofit organizations focused on arts education. In 2021, Charlotte graduated from City College of New York with her M.S.Ed in Educational Theatre where she expanded her passion for arts education and community engagement. Outside of work, Charlotte is an avid theatre-goer, dog lover, and a baker!

Filipe Galhardo

Programming Administrative Assistant

Filipe joined the JBFC as a member of the House Staff in 2022 and later the Programming Department as an Administrative Assistant in 2024. Originally born in São Paulo Brazil, Filipe grew up in a small town in Illinois and then southern Westchester. He graduated from NYU Tisch’s Martin Scorsese Department of Cinema Studies in 2020. Filipe has varied tastes and is too indecisive to declare a filmmaker as a definitive “favorite”, but he is a big fan of Federico Fellini. If it were up to him, more people would talk about Ginger and Fred.

Allison Garner

Assistant Director of Development

Allison joined the JBFC’s development department in 2016. She holds a BA from Bard College in Art History and Classical Studies; before coming to the Burns, she worked for German performance artist Nadja Marcin and collaborative art duo ChanSchatz.

Elizabeth Garrigue

Membership Director

Elizabeth joined the startup staff at the JBFC before the theater opened in June of 2001. Prior to joining the JBFC, she worked at a variety of places including Eileen Fisher, Otowi Trading Company, and WW Norton. Elizabeth has a BA in comparative literature from Harvard. She enjoys working for a nonprofit—combining a love of the arts and helping foster shared experiences. She has fond memories of seeing movies at the old Rome theater!

Aarti Gilmore

Director of Theater Operations & Hospitality

Aarti earned her film education by growing up in her family's video rental store, and then eventually running the business. She joined the Jacob Burns Film Center in 2010 and then went on to managing live performances at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in 2019. Aarti has returned to the JBFC and is thrilled to be back (home).

Alex Gorski

Director of Information Services

Alex Gorski joined the Jacob Burns Film Center in 2018. Prior to joining the JBFC, Alex wrote and managed software for the American Museum of Natural History and 8to18 Media. Alex is an alumni of Johns Hopkins University and Zicklin Business School.

Paige Grand Pré

Marketing Manager

Paige is a writer and film lover with a B.A. in Political Science from Swarthmore College and a Certificate in Screenwriting from NYU School of Professional Studies. Paige has written shorts as well as features, and produced series and shorts selected to festivals including OutFest, NewFest, Women’s Film Festival, Big Apple Film Festival, and more. She has written extensively about cinema, and regularly hosts screenings/Q&As, serves on screening committees, and programs for cinemas and festivals including the Alamo Drafthouse, Rooftop Films, and more.

Terry Hanson

Human Resources Assistant

Terry has spent her professional career as a paralegal concentrating on legal compliance and employee relations issues. She has watched the JFBC emerge from a concept to re-purpose the old Rome Theater, to the vibrant media, education, and community-based entertainment center it is today. The first movie she saw here was The Maltese Falcon.

Ryan Harrington

Artistic Advisor, Special Programs

Ryan Harrington is a film and television industry veteran of nearly 20 years. Previously, he worked as Vice President, Documentary Films at National Geographic/Disney+ and Vice President, Artists Programs at Tribeca Film Institute. He has dedicated his career to nurturing and empowering filmmakers from around the globe as a producer, creative executive, and through his various roles in the non-profit funding world.

Blair Hartley

Director of Development

Blair brings more than 20 years of experience as an executive fundraiser and joined the Jacob Burns Film Center as Director of Development in June 2026. Prior to the Burns, Blair was Senior Vice President, Development at The 92nd Street Y, New York, Vice President, Philanthropy and Partnerships at Film at Lincoln Center and served as the first Executive Director at Youth America Grand Prix, the world’s largest ballet competition. Additional work includes the American Folk Art Museum, Theatre Communications Group, and American Ballet Theatre. Blair began his BA at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY, and ultimately graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. Blair was a proud, active mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters from 2006-2017, was a Founding Co-Chair of the Lincoln Center campus wide LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group, and is an avid runner. Blair lives in New York City with his husband.

James Hjerpe

Institutional Giving Manager

James joined the JBFC in 2025 as Institutional Giving Manager. Growing up in Katonah and commuting to school in Tarrytown, the JBFC was a regular stop en route and a haven for a young film buff. He took his interest in the transnational elements of cinema overseas to the University of St Andrews, where he earned a joint degree in Film Studies and International Relations. Before coming home to NY, James began his career between London and Lisbon helping grow a language-AI startup. He’s a big fan of anything that involves a good swim or a good story.

Chris Holliday

Director of Special Programs and Strategic Partnerships

From radio and television to stage and screen, Chris has spent his life championing the transformative potential of film, storytelling, and performance. He has over two decades of experience in media and the arts working with clients including the BBC, Gaydio, the Barbican, and Pride in London. After a successful career in the UK, Chris now lives in the Hudson Valley with his American husband Howell and his French dog Lucy. He is passionate about curating world-class cinema and events to entertain and inspire our audiences at the JBFC.

Eric Hynes

Director of Film Curation and Programming

Eric joined the JBFC in April of 2025. Previously Senior Curator of Film at New York's Museum of the Moving Image, Eric led year-round programming as well as the annual First Look Festival for new films and works in progress. He has served on numerous festival juries and awards nominating committees, and from 2016-18 was writer-in-residence at the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Edit & Story Lab. He’s contributed to the podcasts Cannonball with Wesley Morris and The Last Thing I Saw with Nicolas Rapold, and has written for outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Film Comment, Rolling Stone, Slate, New York, Sight & Sound, Village Voice, and Reverse Shot, where he has been a staff writer since 2003. Once upon a time he was the book buyer for the late, great Kim’s Video stores.

Gaby Irizarry

House Manager

Gabby is from the Bronx, born & raised. She has always had a passion for film since childhood. Some of her favorites include YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, and NATURAL BORN KILLERS. In her free time, she loves to create physical & sculptural art such as pyrography and medieval chainmail. Come say hello!

Marcus Johnson

Tech Specialist

Marcus’ connection to the JBFC started back in 2016, when he contributed to a filmmaking fellow’s project during the early days of Creative Culture. In the years since, he went on to co-found his own production company, Vision Craft Productions. Marcus has gained a wealth of experience by working in various sectors of the film industry throughout his career. From being a PA for Showtime to editing nationally televised commercials, all those experiences have led Marcus to the Tech Specialist role at the JBFC.

Susan Kineke

Creative Director

Susan joined the JBFC in 2002 as its first in-house designer. She was assigned an old desk and sent off to buy the company’s first Apple computer. Susan graduated as a design major from UCLA and worked in a tiny advertising agency in California. She happily moved back East for a job at Harper’s Bazaar. Susan continued in publishing, designing for Ms. and Sassy, eventually running a design firm with a childhood friend.

Ian LoCascio

Film Programmer

Ian is a passionate cinephile whose life was unalterably changed after he was brought to the movies for the first time (to see The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland) at the tender age of two. While over time his primary cinematic interests have shifted away from Elmo and toward the films of Claire Denis, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Hong Sang-soo – he still feels that same childlike wonder every time he watches a great film on the big screen. In addition to his love and knowledge of film, Ian is a classically trained actor who received a BFA with Honors from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2020.

Tim Mannion

Head Projectionist

Tim joined the Jacob Burns Film Center as a projectionist in March of 2016. Tim has worked in the theater business since 2010 after graduating from Providence College with a minor in film studies. In his free time Tim enjoys hiking, music, video games, and poker, and is currently on a quest to becoming a master Pokemon trainer.

Janet Maslin

Board President

Claudia Murdoch

Manager of Human Resources

Claudia has always been particularly interested in highlighting stories from a variety of cultures and celebrating inclusiveness. She is a fervent believer that giving voice to people who are often overlooked leads to a more accepting and just society. As a co-founder of Cup of Joe Film, she produces narrative films and tv series with directors from diverse backgrounds. Most recently, she has completed production of the feature film Sora. Claudia supports BAFTA North America as a reviewer for the GSA Student Awards and the Newcomers Program, and she screens narrative-feature films for Dances With Films in West-Hollywood.

Brett Oronzio

Manager of Theater Operations and Hospitality

Brett joined the JBFC in 2026 as Manager of Theater Operations and Hospitality. His career began at local Rockland County movie theater, making his arrival at JBFC feel like a return to where it all started. Previously, Brett worked as a Photo Editor and Production Specialist for Disney/ABC, where he developed a wide-ranging background in editorial media and production. When he’s not working, you can find Brett on the banks of the Hudson River, watching, waiting, and contemplating.

Isha Parkhi

Marketing & Engagement Specialist

Isha is a film enthusiast with a background in higher education and communications. Prior to joining the Burns, she worked at a public relations agency in New York and as an admissions counselor at a private, liberal arts college in Maine. Originally from Pune, India, Isha received her BA from Hamilton College with a double major in Sociology and Cinema & Media Studies. Outside of work you can find her making lists, collecting post-its, and defending romantic comedies.

Abygai Peña

Donor Database Administrator and Prospect Researcher

Abygai Peña (they/she) is a Brooklyn-based arts and culture worker and filmmaker serving as the Donor Database Administrator & Prospect Researcher at the Burns. In this role, they build relationships to bridge the gap between storytelling and access. Prior to working at the Burns, Abygai held roles at several film organizations including Film at Lincoln Center, Rooftop Films, Film Fatales, and NewFest where they focused on accelerating gender equity within the film industry. With a background in analog filmmaking and a deep commitment to queer cinematic expression, Abygai brings an artist’s sensitivity to their development work—connecting to donors through storytelling, collaboration, and visibility. Their films have been screened at Anthology Film Archives, Millennium Film Workshop, and most recently MoMA.

Nick Quintana

Projectionist

Nick has been a film handler and presentation specialist since 2015 when he became an apprentice projectionist at Doc Films and the Film Studies Center in Chicago. He comes to the Burns after serving as head projectionist at the AFS Cinema in Austin, Texas. He has suffered from chronic cinemania from the young age of 9, when his dad dragged him to screenings of THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD and THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL at the Chamizal in El Paso, Texas. Nick is big on repertory cinema, with an emphasis on seeing films the way they were projected to their original audiences.

Andrew Robinson

Technical Director

After working for the Cable Car Cinema in Providence, RI for seven years, Andrew began working for the JBFC in 2009. His interest in film can find its origins in his love for literature and physics, and how both employ the use of narrative to convey a compelling idea. He can sometimes be seen at the theater teaching the trade to his four year old son, who has begun to refer to himself as “Daddy’s Projectionist.”

Patrick Saxton

Chief Operating Officer

Patrick joined JBFC as Chief Financial Officer after more than 30 years of Finance and Leadership roles at Siemens, Bayer, ABB and KPMG. He is a Certified Public Accountant with an MBA from the University of Richmond and a BS in Commerce from Rider College. Outside of work, Patrick enjoys golf and volunteering with his local ambulance corp.

Brandon Shenkman

Director of Education

Brandon graduated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in Electronic Media, Arts and Communication. While attending RPI he interned at IBM in the Software Division. He has also designed and scored independent video games as well as being an accomplished freelance writer. He teaches various Courses @ the Lab.

Olivia Simon

Special Events and Projects Manager

Olivia joined the JBFC in 2025 as Special Events and Projects Manager. She has worked with various nonprofits and startups in the arts and media space, and has a background in development, partnerships, and programming. Growing up overseas inspired a lifelong interest in global and cultural affairs, which led her to earn a BA from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Her love of cinema is founded in her longtime passion for creative writing — she believes the key to a good film starts with a good screenplay. She loves poetry, has a vast appreciation for music, and runs a creative collective called themixtapeproject.com.

Sara Stanziani

Manager of Information Systems

Sara joined the JBFC’s house management team in 2010. Prior to that she was a volunteer for the JBFC’s Minds in Motion program, as well as a teaching assistant for various classes held at the Media Arts Lab. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation from the School of Visual Arts. Sara is a classically trained pianist who enjoys creating motion graphics and watching movies in her spare time.

Katie Stevenson

Executive Assistant and Board Liaison

Katie Stevenson joined the JBFC as the Executive Assistant and Board Liaison in 2025. She has a background in artistic producing and literary management, having worked with arts organizations including Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Vineyard Theatre, New Georges, The Playwrights Realm, and The Playwrights’ Center. A graduate of Kenyon College with a B.A. in English and Drama, she is passionate about nurturing new voices and supporting dynamic stories for the stage and screen.

Denise Treco

Director of Marketing and Communications

Denise, a public relations and marketing professional with more than 25 years experience in various industries/sectors including nonprofit, publishing, and entertainment, joined the JBFC in 2004 as Marketing Director. Previously, Denise worked for The Vitamin Shoppe, Scholastic Inc., and MTV Networks’ Nickelodeon. A classic movie fan, her DVR is set record every Montgomery Clift, Bette Davis, and Cary Grant film that airs.

Lisa Waterworth

Controller

Lisa joined the JBFC in June 2021. She has over 25 years of experience in finance and accounting from a wide variety of industries. Including non-profit and commercial theaters, film video distributors, Showtime, Viacom, and even a prestigious golf club. A classically trained singer, she enjoys performing with the Oratorio Society of NY and the New Choral Society in Scarsdale. Other than film and music her passions include downhill skiing, hitting the gym, and book reading.