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 Steven
Sledzik (President, Board of Directors) -
Steve has been on the Westco Board of Directors
since 2001. He co-founded the law firm of Jones & Garneau in Scarsdale with
an additional office in Manhattan. A graduate of Georgetown University and
Georgetown School of Law, Steve worked for the Westchester County Attorney’s
office as Senior Assistant County Attorney. Steve has a wide range of litigation
experience including trials, appeals and mediations. He is also a published
poet, whose work has appeared in literary magazines throughout the U.S. He has
worked on a screen adaptation of Ken Kalfus’s short story, "Night and Day You
Are The One." He and his wife Christine are the proud new parents of a
daughter, Emma.
 Susan Katz (Founder & Executive Director) -
Susan founded Westco in 1979, and became its Executive Director in 1983 when
Westco received approval from the IRS to operate as a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization. Susan has been extensively involved in the entertainment field since 1972
producing and promoting concerts and theatrical productions. From 1974 through
1979, she served as Associate Producer for RonK Productions and promoted various
concerts at the former RKO Theater in White Plains including Harry Chapin and
The Vienna Boys Choir. From 1980 through 1982, she served as Cultural
Programming Supervisor for the City of White Plains’ Department of
Recreation and Parks developing and coordinating such programs as the
Noonday Festival of Live Music, Pops In The Parks, expansion of the Annual
Fourth of July Celebration securing the corporate funding for each of these
programs.
Eric Zoback (Scenic Designer) -
Eric has been Westco’s scenic designer since 2002 creating and
building all the wonderful sets for our Theater For Young Audiences series, as
well as our Broadway musicals. His career began in television and music videos
for such stars as Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, Hall & Oates, and Angela Lansbury.
Eric won the Theatre Association of New York State award for Outstanding Set
Design for productions of "Moon Over Buffalo" and "Kindertransport." He has worked
on several feature films including "Goodfellas," "Jacob’s Ladder,"
"Dead Man Walking,"
and "The Ice Storm." In the summer, Eric can be found at the French Woods Festival
of the Performing Arts in Hancock, NY, designing more than 21 productions for
this summer stock company.
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Renee Vadala (Secretary/Treasurer, Board of Directors)
- Renee has been part of the Westco family since 1996. She has served
as Secretary of the Board for the past eight years. Renee was the former
Development Officer for the Northern Westchester Hospital Center in Mt. Kisco,
NY. She then went on to become the Grants Officer for The John H. & Ethel G.
Noble Charitable Trust, managed by Deutsche Bank. Presently, she is a Compliance
Analyst for Paloma Partners Management Company in Greenwich, CT.
Sarina Russell (Board of Directors)
- Sarina joined Westco’s Board in 2005. She is the Office Manager for the owners
of Clayton Park Development, Fairway Modular Homes and DeKalb Development
Corporation. She has been involved with the White Plains School District for the
past 15 years serving as Treasurer and PTA President of the George Washington
School, an elected Trustee of the City’s School Board, PTA Council Co-President
and currently a Co-President of the White Plains High School PTA. She is a Girl
Scout Troop Leader. Sarina was also on the Board of the White Plains Youth
Bureau and is Treasurer of the Antonio Meucci Lodge in White Plains.
Albert
Lopez (Board
of Directors & Company Manager & Director) -
Albert joined the Board in 2006 after having been part of the Westco family, including being
Company Manager of our Bedside Buddies program since 1999. Costumed as Winnie The Pooh,
Albert looks forward to visiting children at hospitals throughout Westchester and
New York City with other Westco actors. Since 2000, he has overseen the coordination of this program.
Albert is also one of the Directors of the workshops of the Magic To Do
Players, Westco’s program for children with developmental disabilities. He has
performed in over three dozen regional productions and is a graduate of the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts and is an accomplished vocalist.
Arlene
Ashburn (Board of Directors) - Arlene is an actress, singer, dancer,
choreographer, writer, long-time participant in Westco's programs, and joined
the Board of Directors in 2006. She has a Performing Arts Degree from
Westchester Community College, where she received the Opal Euard Motter Theatre
Award for excellence in drama. She has been teaching performing arts since 1989,
currently in area elementary schools as part of the BOCES Arts in Education
Program. Arlene lives in South Salem, NY, with her husband Eddie and their son
Ian. She currently is choreographer of our "Magic To Do" theater workshop.
William
E. Van Vlack (Board of Directors) - William joined the Westco Board of
Directors in 2006. He resides in Port Chester with his wife, Susan and son,
Nicholas. He has been with HSBC Bank USA, N.A., for the past 27 years and is
currently a Vice President and Small Business 
Bernadette Vinci (Director
of Finance) -
Bernadette has been with Westco for
four years and holds a Master’s degree in
Management from Brooklyn Polytechnic University. She is retired from AT&T after
an 18 year career which included various management positions. She assists the Executive Director in a variety of areas including financial reporting, program
coordination, budget analysis and preparation and public relations. Bernadette
owns an insurance and financial services company, BRV & Associates, LLC.
Diane Hadley (House
Manager)
- Diane serves as production manager for our
after-school theater/literacy program at the Thomas H. Slater Center, and as
House Manager for our performances. She holds a New
York State teacher certification, and has a Masters degree in education. 
Jason Summers (Director/Choreographer)
- Jason’s affiliation with Westco began in 1989 when he portrayed the wizard
in a workshop production of
"The Wizard Of Oz." Other Westco shows in which Jason appeared include "The Velveteen Rabbit," "You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown," "Annie"
and "Beauty & The Beast." He has directed and choreographed several of Westco’s
musicals including "The Wizard of Oz" and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s "Cinderella," both
at the Westchester Broadway Theatre and has worked as the director/choreographer
of Westco’s creative theater workshop for children with developmental
disabilities. He has directed and performed at such venues
as New York City's Mazer Theatre and Mint Theatre Company off-Broadway, the Stage Door
Theatre in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and the Palace Theatre in Stamford, CT. 
Cindy Moore (Musical Director) -
Cindy has been on the staff of Westco since 1999, serving as
musical director for our Theater For Young Audiences series, our Creative
Theater Workshop program as well as our productions of "The Wizard of Oz,"
"Annie,"
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s "Cinderella" and "You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown." She is a
professional vocalist and performs at various clubs with the bands "Class Act"
and "Reunion." She is musical director for the Port Chester Council for the
Arts’ summer program and the Rye Arts Center. She has also served as composer
and lyricist for several of Westco’s original productions for young audiences.
Kelly Budde (Creative Theater Workshop Director) - Kelly became involved with Westco several years ago as a performer and has
shifted positions to become the Director of our Creative Theater Workshop
program. She holds a degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at
SUNY Potsdam and a Master’s degree in teaching from Manhattanville College. When
not directing or performing, Kelly can be found teaching at the Edison School in
Port Chester. She also directs the summer youth theater program for the Port
Chester Council for the Arts.
Ann Ladd Ferencz (Healing Walls Muralist) -
Ann has been with Westco for several years in various capacities. She
prepared the illustrations for the initial Arts On Stage Activity Books
and now serves in the capacity of muralist for Westco’s new Healing Walls
program where murals are painted on the walls of patient rooms in hospitals.
She’s been a professional muralist, illustrator and surface painter for more
than
20 years. Her murals can be seen at the Thayer Hotel at West Point, the
restaurant Nicole Paone in Manhattan, the Westchester County Medical Center, and
the Neuberger Museum of Art at SUNY Purchase. She is a roster artist for the
Westchester Arts Council.
Joan Weinberg (Costume Designer) - Joan has been one of
Westco's costume designers for the past two years. She has a long history of
providing costumes for various regional theater companies. 
Jeff Werner/Audio Visual Resources (Lighting - Sound) - Jeff leads a
professional team of designers and technicians who provide the sound and
lighting equipment and expertise needed for Westco's various programs. Audio Visual Resources is the successor
to Jeff's previous companies, Essential Productions, and Theatrical Systems
Services, LLC. Jeff and his crew have provided their talents to the likes of
singer Art Garfunkle, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the A-I-G-
Seasonal Gala, the Nationwide Nextel/NASCAR Live Broadcast, and performing arts
centers such as the Bendheim. 
Peter
Katz (Director of Marketing) - Peter provides Westco with expertise in the areas of
advertising, publicity, publications, direct mail, videos, the internet, and
management. His company, Peter Katz Productions, Inc., publishes
magazines/newsletters and produces videos. While with ABC News in New York,
Peter was seen on Channel 7 and the ABC network nationwide, and produced programming featuring journalism's most
respected personalities such as Ted Koppel, Charles Osgood, the late Peter Jennings, and
Paul Harvey, and was honored with industry awards. He has been a news anchor and
on-air personality for WFAS in White Plains, and was with a number of other
radio and television stations in the U.S. He currently appears on the television
program "White Plains Week." 