Your CSTA Team
Your CSTA team is a passionate group with experience that spans the education sector and association world. Our goal is to continue to grow the CS community to ensure every educator has a home.
Jake Baskin
Executive Director
Jake is the Executive Director of the Computer Science Teachers Association, the world’s leading association for K-12 computer science teachers.
He is a former high school computer science teacher, department chair, and professional development provider with the Chicago Public Schools. As a teacher, he focused on increasing access to computing for underrepresented groups and more than doubled female enrollment in introductory computer science classes.
Prior to joining CSTA, he was Director of State Government Affairs for Code.org, where he worked with educators and policymakers to advocate for policies that expand access to high-quality computer science education with state departments of education and governor’s offices across the country. In his work at Code.org, he helped to build a nationwide network of more than 40 regional partners that worked with over 100 school districts in the U.S. to implement comprehensive computer science programs and provide professional learning for teachers.
Jake is also a poet and has published two books of poetry.
LiYana Baker
Office Manager
Yana is CSTA's Office Manager and brings over 10 years of school operations experience to her role. She is a strong believer in A1 customer service. Yana has a degree in Communications from Chicago State University.
Outside of work, Yana loves to watch football and spend time with family and friends. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Erika C. Burt
Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Project Manager
Erika leads the innovative CSforEL Project created to attract, retain, and engage English learners in AP CS Principles.
Prior to joining CSTA, Erika was a English teacher and a Dean of Students before transitioning into higher education where she served in program and grant administration roles. Erika has proven leadership in project management, programmatic and budgeting oversight, evaluation, and stakeholder engagement.
Erika has worked with educational partners to strengthen computer science programming in their contexts by assisting with the expansion of computer science program offerings, securing funding for cyber-security laboratories, and creating and revitalizing Computer Information Systems (CIS) post-secondary advisory boards. She has also led and coordinated educational equity projects focused on increasing the academic success rates of underserved student populations as well as facilitated a plethora of professional development workshops for educators.
She is an author with published works in theological education journals and magazines and is a doctoral student with interests in educational equity, leadership, and policy creation.
Erika is from the south side of Chicago and is a member of the historic Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Jason Bohrer
Chapter Relations Manager
Jason is responsible for the growth, success, and management of the more than 75 local CSTA chapters across the United States and Canada. He believes wholeheartedly that regional chapters are at the core of CSTA's mission and is excited to support these chapters with leadership and quality programming for chapter members.
Prior to joining CSTA, Jason taught CS and English in the Northern California foothills for more than a dozen years. Before his career in education, he served in the United States Marine Corps for nearly a decade. As an educator, he helped develop a CS pathway in a Title I district that hadn't previously offered CS courses. He emphasized closing the gender gap and engaging more female students in CS coursework, and in 2018, his work garnered the College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. Passionate about CS education, Jason strives to empower teachers, schools, and districts in bringing the myriad of wonderfully developed curricula to life and to inspire teachers with how the design of computing and computational thinking can be part of every classroom.
Outside of work, Jason is an avid sports fan, relishes opportunities to travel, loves to cook, and can often be found watching original content on any of several online streaming services.
Stacy Jeziorowski
Marketing and Communications Manager
Stacy has more than 10 years of experience in marketing and communications. She’s worked in association management for the past five years, leading rebranding and digital transformation initiatives. Stacy holds an undergraduate degree in Communications and English from DePaul University. She recently was honored as one of Digital Megaphone’s 2019 Top Women in Digital Marketing.
Stacy is a distance runner and a pace leader for Chicago Endurance Sports. She’s run six marathons and is always looking for the next unusual race to put on her calendar.
Sarah Johnson
Director of Operations
Sarah is the Director of Operations at CSTA, managing finances, people operations, and everything in between. She has an undergraduate degree in business management and a graduate degree, along with a professional certification, in human resources management. Much of Sarah's career has been in higher education, along with experience in a non-profit organization. She enjoys using her background in administration, human resources, and financial operations to see teams develop best practices and succeed in future growth. Sarah values working in organizations that make a positive impact on future leaders, innovators and educators.
In her spare time, Sarah enjoys spending her free time with family and friends, experimenting in the kitchen on new dessert recipes, and gardening.
Michelle Lippoli, CMP
Event Manager
Michelle is an Event Manager with over seven years of experience managing successful conferences and meetings, with five of those years focusing on association events. She received her CMP in 2017. Michelle is passionate about community-focused programs and believes that amazing things can happen when people come together at events.When out of the office, Michelle can be found reading a good book or singing along to her favorite musicals.
Emma Nyssen
Event Coordinator
Emma is a senior at Loyola University of Chicago graduating this year with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations. She is inspired by how events can help build a brand and to see all the hard work come together. After graduation, she hopes to gain more experience in corporate event planning and to take on more challenges to improve her skills.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling and scrolling through Chicago food bloggers' Instagrams to find her next favorite restaurant.
Daniel Rosenstein
Manager of Philanthropy and Community Partnerships
Daniel is the CSTA Manager of Philanthropy and Community Partnerships for CSTA member and chapter programs in tandem with the Annual Conference. He brings 7+ years of experience in fundraising, education, and consulting. His strategic and influential leadership helps chart the course for CSTA’s future sustainability through the transformation of microcosm ideas to real wins. Daniel is actionable, influential, personable and driven to lead by the needs in the community firsthand. His philanthropic interests emerged early on as a high-school student and credits his exceptional learning moments to his motivation to help CSTA thrive.Outside of the daily grind, Daniel dedicates his time to elevating diverse voices community-wide through his leadership as a Director on the Young Leadership Division Board, an Associate Board member of Alain Locke Charter School, and a coach for One Million Degrees Community College Scholars. A Chicagoland native, he loves trotting the globe, cooking and testing new meals from scratch, defying the next challenging yoga position, and spending as much time outside in the sunshine (especially in California) enjoying the bike trails.
Cate Sauer
Membership Experience Manager
Cate is the Membership Experience Manager at CSTA and brings more than seven years of experience in working in nonprofit and association management. One of her first roles was serving as a health educator with an AmeriCorps program with the American Red Cross, and since then has been passionate about supporting mission-driven organizations. Cate brings programmatic, communication, and fundraising experience to the team and is interested in supporting CSTA benefit development.
Outside of work, Cate is an avid yogi and dedicated cat mom. She enjoys planning trips abroad and learning new languages to help navigate her travels.
Bryan "BT" Twarek
Director of Education
BT develops programs to improve the teaching and learning of K-12 computer science. He manages the student and teacher standards, creates professional learning opportunities, develops local chapter leadership, oversees awards and fellowships, and directs research projects.
Prior to joining CSTA, BT was a teacher and administrator in San Francisco. As Computer Science Supervisor for SFUSD, he worked to expand equitable access to creative, rigorous, and relevant computer science instruction to all San Francisco public school students. He managed the policy, curriculum, professional development, and research that expanded annual CS participation from 700 mostly white and Asian male students in 2014, to over 25,000 students with participation that mirrors overall enrollment in 2019. He was also the school district representative on the CSTA Board of Directors and a team lead and writer for the K-12 CS Framework, the CSTA K-12 CS Standards, and California’s K-12 CS standards.
In his free time, he enjoys traveling, hiking, photography, and people watching.
Carlos Vazquez
Professional Learning Manager
Carlos is the Professional Learning Manager at CSTA, responsible for developing, promoting, and scaling programs that support the ongoing professional development of teachers with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of teaching and learning of K-12 computer science.
He is committed to empowering educators and helping them ignite a passion in computer science for their students and has made it his mission to combine elements of positive psychology and social justice to address the striking inequities in access and training for underrepresented groups.
Carlos has been an elementary school teacher, K-12 PD provider, and also serves as an adjunct professor at the Engineering and Technology department of Miami Dade College. Carlos is also the founding Chapter President for the Computer Science Teachers Association in Miami and serves on the Vice Provost’s Council at Florida International University.
In his free time, Carlos enjoys spending time with his family, including setting up tee-ball tournaments for his 4-year-old son.