LEAF Staff
Dr. Trista Warren, Executive Director twarren@leaf-ohio.org
Dr. Warren earned her doctorate with Aspen University; her Ed.S in Educational Leadership, along with a Superintendent’s License and Master in Administration from Cleveland State; a Master in Curriculum and Instructional Design from Marygrove College; a Bachelor in Education and in English from Cleveland State; and a Bachelor in Social Science from Lake Erie College. Trista and her husband Michael live in Madison with their two adult children, Dilan and Autumn, and their dog Mugsy.
Stephanie Kubec, Advisory Director, Scholarship Manager, LEAF Advisor
skubec@leaf-ohio.org
Stephanie is a graduate of the University of Akron and has been a LEAF advisor since 2010. Prior to joining LEAF, she was the GEAR UP Program Director for ACCESS Ashtabula, a college access program in Ashtabula County. In addition to being a LEAF advisor, Stephanie is also the LEAF Scholarship Manager and handles all LEAF and Community scholarships.
Liz Brainard, Associate Director, LEAF Advisor
lbrainard@leaf-ohio.org
Liz graduated from Houghton College with a Bachelor of Arts in both Communications and Biblical Studies and completed a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Bethel University in St. Paul, MN. She has served as a pastor for nearly two decades in Lake County, working specifically with teens and families. She is looking forward to helping students determine their next steps and connecting families with resources through LEAF.
Jane Csaszar, LEAF Advisor jcsaszar@leaf-ohio.org
Elia De La Garza, LEAF Advisor
edelagarza@leaf-ohio.org
¡Hola¡ Elia De La Garza has two masters in Educational Leadership and a Certification in Special Education from National Louis University, and Curriculum and Instructional Design from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a bachelors in Education with a double minor in Early Childhood and Bilingual Education from Alverno College. Elia has an extensive background teaching in public and private schools and even teaching internationally. Elia looks forward to helping students and their families to bring resources and assistance in order to be ready for college.
Michelle Fisher, Marketing Manager of Publications, LEAF Advisor
mfisher@leaf-ohio.org
Michelle’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Miami University and a Masters in Business Administration from Cleveland State. She has worked for large corporations and small businesses, but has found her non-profit work helping families and children to be the most rewarding. Michelle’s knowledge of college admissions and financial aid has recently been enhanced by her recent hands-on journey through the process with her daughters. Michelle is looking forward to helping local teenagers navigate the next steps as they explore their post-high school future.
Christine Jankowski, LEAF Advisor cjankowski@leaf-ohio.org
Christine has a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Science degree in Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University. She has always enjoyed working with children and young adults; first as a dietitian and then as an educator. Most recently, Christine worked in early childhood education at a local school. Having been on 45 college visits through the last several years, Christine brings extensive college research to LEAF through experiences with her three children. She looks forward to assisting others with the college admissions and financial aid process.
Renee Morgan, LEAF Advisor
rmorgan@leaf-ohio.org
Renee graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and completed a Master’s degree in Education with a specialization in School Counseling at John Carroll University. She previously worked at General Electric in finance and marketing before pursuing a career in college admissions and financial aid counseling. Renee began working at LEAF in 2017. She advises at Aurora, Kenston, Chagrin Falls and Orange High Schools.
Cheryl Suszynski, LEAF Advisor
csuszynski@leaf-ohio.org
Cheryl received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from John Carroll
Christina Muha, Executive Office Manager
cmuha@leaf-ohio.org
Christina studied Early Childhood Education and Office Administration at Columbus State. She has 20 years of experience as a Bookkeeper/Administrative Assistant. Her countless hours of volunteering in her community, like serving as Treasurer for non-profit Music Mentors, have become a big part of who she is today. Christina is very excited to join the Leaf Staff.