Meet the Staff

Amy Rosenbluth
Executive Director / arosenbluth@lakeerieink.org

Reaching out, stepping back; letting go

Amy Rosenbluth has worked with youth during both in-school and out-of- school time programs since 1991. She created the Youth Leadership group and mentoring program for the Shaker Heights Youth Center and has been facilitating Teen Poetry Slams in the Heights area for over 18 years. A credentialed 7-12 English teacher and prevention certified youth advocate, Amy is co-founder and oversees all operations of Lake Erie Ink. She still works directly with youth, primarily teen poets, facilitating writing and spoken word workshops, both on site and off. Amy also designs and facilitates professional development workshops for teachers and other youth serving professionals. Amy has been teaching as adjunct English faculty at Lakeland Community College since 1998. She received her BA in English from Hiram College and her teaching certification and graduate work from San Francisco State University. Her training in Bay Area Writers’ Project has given her a passion for and strategies in incorporating writing throughout the curriculum. She believes that all youth have stories that deserve to be heard and uses creative writing as a way to make that happen.

Cordelia Eddy
Teen Program Coordinator / cordelia@lakeerieink.org

Using empathy to cultivate good humans

Cordelia has guided youth in many cities to develop and magnify their voices and build community through writing. She is particularly drawn to sharing the truths found in fiction, the poetic in prose, and the magical dialogue between words and images in comics and zines.  Cordelia is left-handed, and often takes notes backwards in cursive like Leonardo da Vinci (mostly to avoid smearing her words). She believes that creative writing is a powerful tool for growth and understanding that helps us to think critically about the world and better understand our place within it.

Cynthia Larsen
Curriculum Director & Lead Teacher / clarsen@lakeerieink.org

My home-work: working with writing, kids

Cynthia Larsen is Lake Erie Ink’s co-founder and Curriculum Director and Lead Teacher.  She holds a BA in English with an emphasis in creative writing from Stanford University and a single subject teaching credential in English and Language Arts from San Francisco State University. Ms. Larsen taught secondary English in Jersey City, New Jersey; Oakland, California; and Cleveland, Ohio before attending graduate school at the University of Arizona, where she received her MFA in creative writing.  Ms. Larsen has facilitated project-based creative writing in collaboration with teachers for over ten years, combining her training in education with her passion for writing.  Ms. Larsen continues to stay abreast of new standards, methods and technology that helps Lake Erie Ink best meet the needs of youth and educators.  At Lake Erie Ink, Ms. Larsen develops and implements creative writing curriculum that supports and meets the educational state standards for English and Language Arts.

Jill Levin
Program Director / jlevin@lakeerieink.org

Full of wonder, continuing to learn

Jill Levin is a career arts educator with a range of experience working with students of all ages. Most recently she taught and directed theater at Montessori High School at University Circle. She is a former director of education for Cleveland Public Theatre and has taught acting at a number of area theaters and colleges. As a writer, Jill is especially interested in personal narrative as a form of creative expression and is very pleased to be part of an organization that works with young people on finding their own form of creativity.

Eli Millette
Marketing and Communications Manager / eli@lakeerieink.org

Writing is the action of believing

Eli has been writing plays since high school and has been published three times. He believes in the power of editing, revising, and discipline when it comes to his work. Eli has a BA in psychology and is working toward a masters degree in library science. He sees his role as ensuring the work Lake Erie Ink does behind the scenes doesn’t go unnoticed and unappreciated by the general public. He believes that writing is as therapeutic as it is artistic and hopes that through creative writing workshops kids find the power in their own words. Eli also is an avid coffee drinker and could use all the help he could get to cut back. Contact Eli with marketing and communication concerns as well as advice on how to quit drinking coffee. 

Jarod “Od” Perry-Richardson
Program Assistant

Sitting down sketching, away like always

Jarod “Od” Perry-Richardson is a Program Assistant at Lake Erie Ink. Beginning his time at LEI as a volunteer, Od eventually joined the LEI family as a teacher. As a current student at the Cleveland Institute of Art majoring in Illustration, Od brings his artistic experience and love of the arts to the table. When he isn’t busy teaching or drawing, Od can be found at one of Cleveland’s many concert venues. He believes that visual arts and creative writing are invaluable expressive outlets for which the youth can channel their creativity and let it burst out in all directions. 

Nicole Rossa
Creative Arts Teacher / nicole@lakeerieink.org

Cliff Sweeney
Creative Arts Teacher

Artistic melodies changes time of king

Vivian Vail became a certified elementary teacher with a reading endorsement many years after earning a Master’s degree in dance.  Her experience teaching in various academic and community settings has taught Vivian that we all do better when we find our voice.  She loves to garden and makes a mean guacamole.

Patrick Warner
Creative Arts Teacher

I Find Freedom in Writing

Patrick, a musician/actor/poet from Cleveland, Ohio, has been a staple in the Cleveland creative scene for years. He is most proud of his word as an artist mentor for the hip hop group Refresh Collective. He began at Lake Erie Ink as a regular in their programs and when he got old enough Patrick was happy to come on as a staff member. Patrick believes it is inspiring to work with kids, teenagers, and adults and help them improve their writing. Patrick is also only interested in sports when he’s playing and doesn’t like to simply watch. His favorite sport is Ultimate Frisbee. 

Raquel Wilbon
Creative Arts Teacher

A true safe place for love

Raquel Joy Wilbon is a teaching artist, an award- winning published poet, a playwright instructor, and hasjudged poetry for America Scores slam poetry. Her work was selected more than once for inclusion in the Literary Magazine Breakwall (2018), Vindicator magazine (2017) and Eber & Wein poetry Anthology (2015). Raquel has earned a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Her role is to inspire as many youth to safely imagine and create written work in multiple ways. . She writes to breathe life into and inspire individuals, and the youth who do not feel safe to express through the language of penmanship.