Our People

Steve Albert, Executive Director
B.S. Haverford College. Ed. M. Harvard University. M.S. Portland State University. Steve is passionate about music and theater, and he enjoys singing as well as attending concerts and plays. He also enjoys hiking, kayaking, and skiing, and he likes to travel – especially to visit his grown children who are scattered around the country. He spends more time than he should caring for his saltwater reef tank at his home, which he shares with his wife, Janie, and dog, Lola. Steve’s favorite thing about PJA is the strong sense of community and the genuine care expressed by individuals for one another. This mirrors the collaboration that exists at all levels – from students to teachers to parents to school leadership – and creates a foundation that fosters learning and service on campus and off.

Sean Bartlett, Director of PJA Afterschool Programs
Sean holds a B.A. in American Studies and a teaching credential in social studies. He worked as a middle school history and language arts teacher at the School of the Epiphany in San Francisco from 2010-2016. Sean gained administrative experience as the Assistant Director of the Serra Summer Camp (San Francisco) from 2007-2016. Since moving to Portland in 2016, Sean has worked in Afterschool programs, first as the SUN Extended-Day Program Coordinator at Impact NW, and more recently at Champions in Tualatin. He will be responsible for reopening PJA's Afterschool Programs, both on-campus and at our other PPS sites, at the start of the 2021-22 school year.

Abigail Brody, Director of Middle School General Studies
Abby holds a BFA from Syracuse University and M.S. Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania. She spent a semester studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem during her undergraduate years. Abby worked at William Penn Middle School in Yardley, PA as a Social Studies teacher for 16 years, and served, for 13 of those years, as Social Studies Department Chair. In that capacity, Abby supported 16 general education teachers, as well as special education teachers and support staff. She was actively involved in the curriculum renewal process and provided a range of professional development workshops on a variety of topics ranging from assessment to the teaching of reading to the Abolition Movement to Japanese culture. Prior to her work at William Penn M.S., Abby worked as a teacher at Har Zion Temple High School of Jewish Studies in Penn Valley, PA. Abby has presented at a number of conferences and seminars and is the recipient of several awards and grants. Abby is currently a PJA parent, with a child in our Early Childhood program, and has been serving as a substitute teacher at PJA.

Kate Dickinson-Villaseñor, Director of Lower School General Studies 
Kate holds a B.A. in Diversified Liberal Arts and an Ed.M. in Special Education from the University of San Diego, and she is completing her Ed.D in Organizational Change Leadership from the University of Southern California. She holds a wide range of licenses and certifications, including licenses in Elementary Teaching and Special Education from the State of Oregon. Kate currently works as a Teacher on Special Assignment for the Multnomah Education Service District where she provides instructional coaching, professional development and special education guidance, and she also provides consulting through the company, Educating Changemakers, which she founded in 2017. Previously, Kate lived in San Diego, where she served as the Director of Changemaker Initiatives for the San Diego Cooperative Charter Schools. Other professional experience includes work as a 1st/2nd grade teacher in a multi-age classroom and service as an inclusion specialist. Kate has also worked as a Professor of Practice & Community Fellow at the University of San Diego and as an Adjunct Professor at Brandman University. She is a frequent presenter on a wide range of educational topics ranging from social emotional learning and empathy to anti-bias literature and culturally responsive practices. Kate has received a number of honors and awards as a student and professional.

Becky Ewer, Marketing and Creative Director
Becky is the Marketing and Creative Director for the Mittleman Jewish Community Center and Portland Jewish Academy. She started working here in 2005 and loves the family feeling of the MJCC and PJA. Becky grew up in Seattle. She graduated with a B.S. in Business from Skidmore College and a Masters of Science in Arts Administration from Boston University. Becky is passionate about music as she has played the violin since the age of seven and is married to a professional violinist! She and her husband Greg Ewer founded the local nonprofit, 45th Parallel. Becky enjoys playing with her two children, cooking, knitting, and travelling. As a breast cancer survivor, Becky serves as a mentor to other women who are newly diagnosed.
 

Beth Germain, Chief Financial Officer
B.S. Finance - University of Illinois, MM (MBA) Accounting from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management
Beth is responsible for all aspects of financial management and budgeting. Beth has held CFO positions in real estate development companies in both Chicago and Portland from 1989-2002. Beth joined the PJA Finance Committee in 1999, became Treasurer of PJA in 2000 and was hired as Controller in 2002. Beth is married to John and they have two sons, Payton and Louie, who are both PJA graduates. "PJA has been my strongest connection to the Jewish Community and I am grateful to have it be such as large part of my life." Beth enjoys living in the Pacific Northwest and being outdoors skiing, walking and boating as well as being indoors doing yoga and puzzles.

Sarah Glass, Director of Admission
Sarah grew up in Portland. At the age of 18, she moved to New York City where she earned her BA from Barnard College of Columbia University. After college, she taught in a public school in Brooklyn for three years before returning to graduate school to earn a Masters in Urban Planning from NYU. All three of Sarah's children attended PJA. "I love sharing the story of PJA with families. This is a school that truly lives by its core values. Our students learn to think critically, work together to build community, and know that they can make a positive impact in our world."

 

Merrill Hendin, Principal
Merrill grew up in Brooklyn, New York where she attended Jewish day school through high school. She graduated with a BA in English from the State University of New York at Binghamton and worked at a Jewish day school in Brooklyn before moving to Vancouver, BC, where she completed the graduate education program and received her teaching certification through the University of British Columbia. Merrill and her husband lived in Haifa, Israel, where she taught English to adults, seniors and children in a variety of settings. When her young family returned to the United States, they made Portland their home and their PJA lives began. Merrill taught Hebrew and Jewish Studies at PJA before taking time off to raise her growing family. Her involvement at PJA has taken many forms over the past 29 years as she became involved as a lay leader and then for the past 12 years, has served as a member of the PJA administration as the Director of Hebrew and Jewish Studies, Assistant Head of School, and for the past 8 years, as the school's Principal. Jewish education has always been an integral part of Merrill's life and when she and her husband were looking for a place to live after he finished medical school in Israel, at the core of the decision was to ensure that wherever they moved, there would be strong Jewish education and community for their family. PJA was home to all three of their children and remains an integral part of the Hendin family's lives.
 

Amy Katz, Director of Jewish Life
Amy Katz has been working in Jewish Education for over 20 years. She taught in Jewish Day Schools, synagogue schools, and Jewish summer camps in Wisconsin, Canada, Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco before moving to Portland in 2004. Amy taught Hebrew and Jewish Studies for seven years at PJA before becoming the Director of Jewish Life. Amy's favorite thing about PJA is forging strong connections with students and faculty and encouraging everyone to learn a little more about the beauty of Judaism. Her favorite part of each week is Middle School tefilah. She lives in Northeast Portland with her husband, two teenagers, and her dog Sox. Amy graduated from Beloit College with degrees in Creative Writing and Literary Studies, and has a Master's in Jewish Education from Boston's Hebrew College.

Saul Korin, Development Manager
Saul Korin, MBA, is the Development Manager for the Mittleman Jewish Community Center and Portland Jewish Academy, where he builds relationships and enables philanthropic dreams. He is active in Havurah Shalom where he makes Purim happen, and occasionally DJs Weddings and Bar Mitzvahs on the side. Saul graduated from the George Washington University in Washington, DC, and as an MBA in Nonprofit Management from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles.

Kim Krikorian, Assistant Director of Early Childhood Education
Kim grew up in Utah with strong family roots in Montana. She received her bachelors in Sociology with a focus in Education from Ashford University. She also has associate degrees in Early Childhood Education and Human Services from Dawson College. She has completed her Aim4Excellence National Director Credential through National Louis University. Over the last three years she has been part of a learning cohort of administrators and teachers through the Sheva Center Early Childhood Leadership Institute through the JCC Association of North America. With this cohort she has been able to visit learning environments in Israel and Italy. Kim and her family live in the neighborhood and love being part of our greater community. Her two sons were able to attend the after school program and grow up in MJCC camps. She loves how PJA offers a place where the spirit of a child is celebrated. Her husband has a Italian restaurant on the waterfront. She loves good food, music, theatre, and traveling. 

Erika Saiers, Director of Early Childhood Education
Erika grew up in central Pennsylvania. She attended Green Mountain College in Poultney Vermont and earned a BS in Elementary Education and Teaching with a concentration in Recreation and played collegiate soccer. During her senior year at Green Mountain she attended the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) where she spent 3 months in the PNW mountaineering, sailing and rock climbing and decided that Oregon was where she was destined to be. She packed up a small pickup truck, spent a month traveling the country and has been rooted in Portland ever since, now calling the PNW home. In Portland Erika earned her MEd in Educational Leadership and Administration from PSU and continues her love of exercise coaching the PJA middle school cross country team, hiking and biking. Both of Erika's children attended PJA as "lifers" meaning they started as infants and graduated 8th grade and believes this community is truly a wonderful environment to grow up in.

Adam Zappa, School Counselor
Adam recently worked as  a 3rd grade teacher at the Bentley School in Oakland, California, following 9 years as Dean of Students and a member of the leadership team in addition to classroom teacher lead and 6th grade advisor at La Scuola International School di San Francisco. Adam received his BA from University of Oregon and a MSc in Restorative Practice from the International Institute for Restorative Practices. He has been awarded graduate certificates in Early Childhood Development as well as Parent Coaching. Adam’s vast experience supporting students as a teacher and a school leader is impressive. He has experience in providing training and support in restorative practices, anti-bullying programs, and inclusion efforts.