She is a Florida certified educator in Elementary Education K-6 and Drama K-12. A professional puppeteer, as well as an Arts Integration Teaching Artist. She has been an educator for over 8 years both in private and public schools teaching academically, and as a drama specialist with grades ranging from Kindergarten through High School in New York City, Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida. While wor
king as a theater instructor at Lake Forest Elementary School of the Visual and Performing Arts in Florida, she received intense training in arts integration for three years, creating lesson plans, co-teaching with academic teachers, attending Kennedy Center conferences as well as workshops in Puppetry in Education and Therapy. Prior to her career in teaching, Edna worked in the music and entertainment industry both in front and behind the scenes for 15 years. She has worked in such record companies as Capitol Records, Chrysalis Records and Zomba Music Publishing in New York City. She was the Director of Projects for the New York Emmy Awards. And, also worked for Sony Wonder, the children’s audio and video division of Sony Music Entertainment Inc./BMG, where one of her noted achievements was contributing to the Sesame Street 35th Anniversary box set. As a professional puppeteer, she was mentored by Carroll Spinney, “Big Bird” from Sesame Street, and has worked with Dr. Loretta Long “Susan” from Sesame Street, traveling around promoting reading literacy. She was the former Vice President of the New York Puppetry Guild and has performed at New York City venues as well as appeared on PBS in Atlanta, GA, and on the WXTV-4 Morning Show in Jacksonville, Florida. She is currently the President of Pinocchio's Marionette Theater in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Last year she had the honor of being a puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company as part of Jane Henson's Nativity puppet production. She has also worked with the River City Playhouse, Arts 4 Jax and Tot and Teens, performing arts summer camps, as theater director, lead teacher and actress. As a teaching artist and workshop leader, she has conducted workshops for her alma mater Nyack College teaching education students how to implement the creative arts in their classrooms. Also, a guest speaker at her other alma mater, Five Towns College to their music business internship class. She also taught educators at the ASCI, a conference for Christian educators. And, she is a staff workshop leader and performer for Creative Ministry Solutions. In 2009, she had the honor of traveling to Rome, Italy to help train international church performers and children workers. She performs and trains ministry performers in puppetry, human video, basic acting and sign language songs/creative movement. And in 2012, was invited to attend a education workshop at Shakespeare's Globe theater in London, England. As founder of Lovely Day Arts, Edna has created an evangelical children’s comic strip, that is translated in English, Spanish and Italian, and is working on arts educational and also inspirational DVDs, CDs, children’s picture books, and instructional guides, featuring her troupe of puppets. She is currently the lead theatre instructor for Millennium Middle School of Fine Arts and Communications, a performing arts magnet school in Sanford, Florida. Edna has a Masters in Entertainment Business at Full Sail University, B.S. degree in Organizational Management, Nyack College, and an A.A.S. degree in Music Business, Five Towns College.
