Our Team

President

Audrey Bellovin

For the last 34 years, Audrey has served in multiple capacities in education.  Starting out as a classroom teacher in the NYC schools, she quickly became passionate about integrating content areas to provide a rich opportunity for students to learn in an engaging way.  This led her to pursue a Masters of Science in Mathematical Leadership from Bank Street College.  A fond memory as a math coach:  teaching children how to measure ingredients to make pizza dough!  Audrey continued to work across several districts on Long Island, quickly becoming a principal in Garden City Public Schools.   Collaborating with teachers and parents, she developed a thriving vegetable garden.  This gave the students the opportunity to plant, care for, harvest, taste, and eat the vegetables they grew.  After 16 years as an administrator, Audrey retired to come back to her passion:  coaching teachers in mathematics education.  Working with Metamorphosis Teaching Learning Communities, she continues to share her passion for education with others.  She is founder of Growing Mathematical Thinkers.

Vice-President

Katherine Gage Boulud

Katherine Boulud is a global brand ambassador for Boulud restaurants, assisting with special projects and community outreach for the group.  A graduate of Trinity College, Hartford, Katherine worked in political fundraising before following her passion for cooking and travel to culinary school, then Michelin starred kitchens in France, Bali, Spain, and New York. Specialized in the healthful cuisine of Provence, Katherine created a food and travel website, Miel et Lavande (Honey & Lavender), and pursued studies in nutrition education.  Spoons’ mission was a natural fit for Katherine’s desire to change the culinary landscape for children and she has been an integral part of the organization since 2017.

Treasurer

Jeffrey Bank

Jeff Bank is an attorney with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he specializes in antitrust and commercial litigation while also acting as Pro Bono Coordinator for his office.   A graduate of NYC public schools (PS 26, MS 216), he also earned a BS and JD from Cornell University.  In his free time, Jeff enjoys organizing dinners for family and friends and traveling extensively, often planning his trips around food or music.

Secretary

Allyson Ditizio

Allyson is a Manager at American Express with expertise in Risk Strategy and Data Analytics across Commercial and Consumer Lending and Underwriting portfolios. She holds a degree in Geography from The Pennsylvania State University. Beyond her professional pursuits, Allyson is an avid explorer—whether navigating local farmers' markets, charting new culinary terrain, or experimenting with fresh flavors in her own kitchen.

SAA Trustee

Lauren Amanda Adler

Lauren Amanda Adler has a diverse and extensive background in sales, marketing, and legal. Lauren Amanda currently holds the role of VP of Strategy and Special Projects at Alt Legal and is also the Global VP of Sales at Modern Sales Pros. Prior to their current positions, Lauren has held various sales and marketing roles at companies such as Manzama, Street Diligence, and Legal Fee Advisors. Lauren is an active member of organizations like Legal Marketing Association and has a J.D. from Cornell Law School. Throughout their career, Lauren Amanda has demonstrated a strong acumen for sales and a passion for the legal industry.

SAA Trustee

Jesse Coors-Blankenship

Jesse is a Co-Founder and General Partner of Parkway, and a successful founder, entrepreneur and inventor, who developed an entirely new form of artificial intelligence software, and transformed that software into a successful technology company, Frustum Inc. Jesse holds both granted and pending patents for the technology he has developed.

SAA Trustee

David Finkel

VP Business Development | COO | Team Builder | Relationship Driven | Proven leader excelling in innovation, transformative change, and empowering teams to deliver impactful results

SAA Trustee

Suzanne Mendes

Suzanne Mendes is a Marketing and Communications Executive who has held leadership positions at some of the world’s most successful brands within the highly competitive industries of Beauty, Apparel and Tech. After helping steer the public-facing ships of Estée Lauder, Kiehl’s and Uniqlo, Suzanne went on to oversee Marketing at certified B-Corp, Inspire Clean Energy, where she supported the brand’s rapid acceleration in consumer awareness and growth. Suzanne now consults for brands to bring their purpose, mission and values to life via strategies that balance positive societal impact with business results.

SAA Trustee

Evan Merlis

Evan Merlis is a seasoned sales executive with extensive experience in the aviation industry. Currently serving as Senior Vice President of Sales at Wheels Up since January 2020, Merlis previously held the position of Director of Sales at XO for a brief period in late 2019. Prior to that, a significant tenure at XOJET spanned from June 2009 to January 2020, where roles included Director of Sales, Aviation Sales Advisor, and Private Client Services Manager. Merlis began a career in aviation as a Senior Charter Consultant at JETS.com from November 2007 to June 2009. Educational credentials include a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Towson University, obtained between 2002 and 2006, and a high school diploma from Plainview Old Bethpage JFK High School, completed in 2002.

SAA Trustee

Salvatore Rizzo

Salvatore Rizzo is the owner and CEO of the school as well as host and on-camera personality. Since April 2008, when he acquired De Gustibus, he’s continued to secure world-class chefs, wine experts, and specialty vendors season after season, whether it’s culinary icons (like Marcus Samuelsson, Marc Forgione, Jacques Pepin, Carla Hall, and Missy Robbins) or promoting rising star chefs at restaurants like Llama Inn, Adda, and King. He’s the mastermind behind our fundraising dinner, including the father-and-son evening with Jean-Georges and Cedric Vongerichten, which raised more than $17,000 for the Food Dreams Foundation.

When he’s not hosting classes at the school, Sal can be found participating in national conversations about the restaurant industry as an authority on food, drink, and New York chefs and eateries. He’s a frequent interviewee, panelist and moderator, and has participated in the New York City Wine & Food Festival, the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, and the Palm Desert Food & Wine Festival. He’s appeared on ABC, Fox News, and Heritage Radio and has been a judge for the James Beard Awards for many years. He's also a proud member of the City Harvest Food Council, a culinary council member of the Sylvia Center and on the board of Spoons Across America, a not-for-profit dedicated to educating children, teachers, and families about the benefits of healthy eating. 

SAA Trustee

Rachelle Parker

Rachelle G. Parker was an elementary school principal in both private and public schools for 25 years, following several years of teaching. She received her doctorate in curriculum and teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University in 1986. After retiring in July 2012, she decided to focus on her passion: Kids and Nature. This passion is still evolving and now includes healthy eating and nutrition education. She is active in several programs that help children and families learn to love nature in order to save and sustain our Earth. A belief in progressive, child-centered education that started when her children attended Bank Street School for Children in the 80’s and 90’s continues to motivate her activities. Rachelle was excited to join Spoons Across America as a Trustee in 2014.