STATE secretary 

Past STATE Vice President 

Awards & Honors Chair

Regional Alternate BOT Rep & Current Portfolio Coordinator 

(Past STATE Vice President / Past Regional Chair) 

A NYSATA member since 2001, and the 2008 LIATA/Suffolk's Art Educator of the Year, I also am an art teacher at Babylon Jr Sr High School.  Over the years, I have become more heavily involved in the leadership of our region, having my students participate in the Portfolio Adjudication Project. I have found the Project to be an important one for our students and their art education, therefore, I have chosen to take on the responsibility of being our region's Project coordinator organizing adjudicator training, as well as coordinating the adjudication day schedule. I have also coordinated our YAM student workshop programs, organized teacher workshops and city outings. As an Alternate Representative for our region on the BOT, I have the opportunity to meet other leaders from around the state, learn from them, and share ideas, bringing back information to support art educators and students in our area, helping our membership and region grow. 

Co Chair

Barbara Imperiale Sanders is a passionate and dedicated multi-level art teacher based on the eastern end of Long Island, with 15 years of experience guiding students from PreK through studio art. With a deep commitment to fostering creativity, she has transformed the art education landscape in her district, building a comprehensive and engaging curriculum that integrates art standards with a focus on the creative process, expression and art integration principles. Through hard work and innovation, she developed a scaffolded curriculum that champions the creative spirit, embraces TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) methodologies, and encourages active participation in the annual portfolio project, art contests, and community showcases. With a tremendous pride in her students' achievements is matched only by her inspiration drawn from their enthusiasm for exploring new materials and techniques.

A lifelong learner, Barbara has been an active member of NYSATA since the early 2007. Barbara has earned a BFA in photography and art history,  MA in Art education and she is currently completing a master degree in transformative teaching and leadership with a specialization in trauma informed instruction and yoga. During the pandemic, Barbara sought professional development to better support her students, becoming a certified Arts Integration Specialist, SEL facilitator, and registered yoga instructor. These qualifications have enriched her teaching and deepened her understanding of students’ mental and emotional well-being. In a true consent learning mode she is current working on her child yoga certification and becoming a certified mediation instructor. 

Barbara serves on the educational committee for Longhouse Reserve, as an educational liaison to Southampton Art Center and is an active member of the Peconic Teacher Center, NAEA, and NCECA. Honored as the SCOPE Education of the Year in 2018 and the NYSATA Region 10 Art Educator of the Year in 2013.

In addition to teaching Barbara continues to refine her own creative work. She has worked in photography painting and drawing mediums however has landed produmitly in ceramics currently. After joining the Clay Arts Guild of the Hampton she began teaching adult ceramic artist how to work with their creativity and build through limitations to push pass creative blocks.  Barbara continues to advocate for the importance of quality art education, believing wholeheartedly in the transformative power of creativity for students and the wider community.

Co Chair

Clare Levine was born and raised in Center Moriches. Her mother and father were both educators in Eastern Suffolk public schools. She always enjoyed drawing and painting as a child, and continued this passion throughout high school, winning several local art awards.

Clare holds an Associate’s Degree in Graphic Design from SUNY Farmingdale, a BFA from SUNY Oswego, and an MS from LIU-Southampton. In 2024 Clare received an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership from SUNY Stony Brook.

After several years of working in commercial lithography, Clare decided to pursue teaching, and was hired as a speech-language teacher at Shoreham-Wading River Schools for a one-year leave replacement position.

In 2000, she was hired at Western Suffolk BOCES to be an art teacher at Wilson Tech, and has been working there ever since.

Clare enjoys working with the students to mentor them to become confident and successful by participating in class and creating works of art. Students are presented with clear, well planned, open ended projects. Assignments are followed-up by inviting students to respond to, and analyze their works of art.

Clare is also a NYS Teacher Mentor who guides new teachers through their first year of teaching as part of their professional development requirements. In addition, she has been a teacher advisor for Skills USA. This has included advising for the chapter display competition, creating an outstanding, promotional exhibit designed and constructed by Skills USA members.

A NYSATA member since 2001, Clare has presented workshops in Collage Making, Still Life and Printmaking. She has enjoyed being an adjudicator for the Portfolio Project for the last eight years, and enjoys attending NYSATA workshops.

Clare enjoys taking classes to keep current and fresh in painting and drawing. She completed a course in Fundamentals of Graphic Novel Creation, as this is of interest to many of her students.

Clare holds New York State permanent certifications in Art K-12 and Reading K-12.

Vice Chair

Jenn Grasso-Moise is a dedicated middle school art teacher in the Brentwood Union Free School District. She actively seeks opportunities for her students to engage in the arts, helping them find their voice and share their vision. She encourages them to showcase their work through contests, galleries, and local community events. Additionally, she runs the NJAHS club after school, further encouraging her students' artistic development and community involvement.

Jenn loves to travel and explore the world, bringing a multicultural perspective back to her classroom.

She shares her experiences with her students, enriching their understanding of diverse cultures through art.

Jenn enjoys nature photography and showcases her work at local community art related events. She is a seasoned camper and boater, loves the outdoors, wildlife, catching her own seafood, and especially enjoys jet skiing around the Great South Bay.

Recently, Jenn was appointed chair of NYSATA's ED&I committee and elected Vice Chair for NYSATA Region 10. She looks forward to contributing to these important committees and playing a more integral role in fostering positive change and awareness that reaches beyond the arts education community.

Additionally, Jenn is involved in the 2024-2025 PEACE Project, which focuses on education, arts, and community empowerment. As a passionate advocate for the arts in education, she actively pursues professional development by attending workshops and conferences. Jenn aims to learn as much as possible to inspire future generations with her commitment and enthusiasm for the arts. 

Treasurer

A NYSATA member since 2003, I am an art teacher in the Babylon School district. Being a member of LIATA/Suffolk, Region 10 of NYSATA, has opened many doors for me as I attend annual state conferences and participate in PD workshops.  I play an active part in our region's NYSATA Portfolio Adjudication Project, at first a trained adjudicator, eventually becoming a mentor to students who present portfolios. Over these years, I have also become a more active member of LIATA/Suffolk becoming a board member, helping to run PD workshops, presenting workshops at annual state conferences, and helping with region 10's Portfolio Project on the administrative level. I also am honored to be the region's 2011 LIATA/Suffolk Art Educator of the Year. Aside from my organization skills, my qualifications as region Treasurer include being the past treasurer of the Boys Scouts Troop 34 and the Girl Scouts of South Huntington, as well as the treasurer and bookkeeper for my husband’s business. I will continue to play an active part and make a difference in our region's membership and program growth.

Secretary 

Jill Lewis Pepe is an experienced educator currently in her tenth year at Wyandanch Memorial High School in Wyandanch, NY. She specializes in a diverse array of subjects, including Drawing, Painting, Studio Art, Fashion Illustration, and Yearbook electives. In the absence of an art chair or director within the district, Ms. Pepe has taken a proactive role in developing the art curriculum, contributing significantly to the scope and sequence for the district over the years.

As a dedicated member of the New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA) Region 10 for a decade, Ms. Pepe has actively engaged in professional development through various workshops and conferences, enriching her pedagogical approach. Although she has yet to lead a workshop herself, she aspires to share her extensive visual art skills with her colleagues, demonstrating a commitment to fostering a collaborative educational environment.

Ms. Pepe holds an undergraduate degree in Art Education from CW Post and possesses a dual Master's degree in Childhood Education and Students with Special Needs from Touro College. Recently, she completed the School Building Leadership Certificate program at Adelphi University, positioning herself to pursue a leadership role in the field of art education in the future.