Our Mentors

Team 1676 is very grateful for the endless support of their mentors, parents, friends, and family. Proving the team saying, "Once a Pi-oneer, always a Pi-oneer, " our mentors are not only our teachers, but also parents of team members and alumni. We also have mentors from the local business community who caught "FIRST Fever" and continue to mentor the team year-after-year.

Our Mentors:

Kevin Killian (Head Coach):

  • Mr. Killian has been a coach on the team for 8 years; this is his fifth year as head coach. He has been teaching math at Pascack Hills for the past ten years, but before his teaching career, Mr. Killian was an engineer for 19 years in the fields of satellite navigation and fiber-optic communications. He worked for Allied Signal Aerospace Company and Corning Incorporated. Mr. Killian is the holder of six US patents.

Don Rotolo:

  • Mr. Rotolo has been the electrical sub-team mentor since the inception of Team 1676. As a long time Mercedes-Benz employee, he became one of the original mentors when Mercedes-Benz first sponsored the team. Mr. Rotolo is well known through Chief Delphi having posted 2,600 times since he first joined the site in January 2005. Don Rotolo was also a finalist for one of FIRST's most prestigious honors, the Woodie Flowers Finalist Award.

Lisa Ruggieri:

  • Mrs. Ruggieri has been on  the team for 9 years as a mentor for the non-tech sub-team. She began as a parent when her son was an original team member. Mrs. Ruggieri started the Pascack Pi-oneer Parents Assocation, and is currently the co-president. She also is the liaison between Team 1676 and the FIRST LEGO League Teams that the Pi-oneers mentor in the district.

Joe Pantalone:

  • Mr. Pantalone is a market manager for a composite materials distributor.  He is an expert in the field of composite materials, specializing in foam core and balsa core fiberglass-reinforced structures.  He has mentored the Pi-oneers for six years as part of the Mechanical Engineering subteam.  He trains the novice mechanical group members during our PiTech academy.  In 2009, he guided students to design our moon rock-gobbling "shepherd," and in 2010 his team designed our lifting hook delivery apparatus.  Joe is the proud parent of a Pi-oneer alumnus and has stayed with the team after his daughter's graduation.

Jack Teadore:

  • Mr. Teadore mentors the programming sub-team. This is his 5th year on the team, however he was involved in FIRST Lego League in the district for several years. Mr. Teadore owns a computer consulting company and builds systems and small networks for businesses. Robotics was one of his hobbies in the past, leading him to discover the Pi-oneers. Mr Teadore has a daughter who is a part of the team.

Ilene Rein:

  • Mrs. Rein has been on the team as a mentor for the non-tech, animation, and media sub-teams. This is her 3rd year on the team. She is also the co-president for the Pascack Pi-oneer Parents Association. She currently owns DesignTides, a small business that helps others with graphic design, logos, websites, etc. Mrs. Rein has a son who is now a junior on the robotics team.

Steve Mertz:

  • Mr. Mertz has mentored the integration and testing sub-team for the last five years. He is the Regional Manager for Xerox Global Services and has a background in electro-mechanical technology, business management, and is a certified technical trainer. Mr. Mertz has a daughter who is a veteran of the team.

James "Doc" Whitfield:

  • This is Dr. Whitfield’s 4rd year with the team as the non-tech sub-team mentor. He has been with the Pascack Valley Regional High School district for seven years teaching Biology, Anatomy, and Physiology. Prior to coming to our district, he taught in college and in medical schools; he has a PhD in Pathology.

David Warsoff:

  • After attending several Team 1676 events as a parent and spectator for 2 years, Mr. Warsoff became a mentor for the 2012 season on the non-tech sub-team focused on the implementation of the new team member performance review process. Mr. Warsoff is currently an Operations Manager for JPMorgan Chase Bank and has over 25 years of Financial Service industry experience in Operations and Client Services. Mr. Warsoff has a son who is a senior on the electrical sub-team.

Adam Ostrowski:

  • This is Mr. Ostrowski’s second year being on the robotics team and his first year teaching in the Pascack Valley District. Before joining our district he worked as a contractor for more than 20 years. In fact, he first became one at the age of 16.

Robert Nussbaum

  • Mr. Nussbaum is a mentor for the team's Non-Tech sub-division. This is his first year as a mentor for the Pi-oneers. Mr. Nussbaum graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1984 with a major in Political Science and an English minor. He graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1987. Mr. Nussbaum is an attorney, who specializes in civil litigation. His son is a junior on Team 1676. Mr. Nussbaum is assisting the Pi-oneers with fundraising and writing grants to obtain corporate sponsorships.
Robert Levy:
  • Mr. Levy is an alumnus of the team and could not resist the opportunity to become a mentor of his favorite FIRST team. Rob graduated as the CEO of the team and picked up where he left off, now as the mentor of the info-tech subteam.

Andrew Schumacher:

  • Mr. Schumacher is an alumnus of the team and could not stay off the team for very long. He became a mentor and continues his service to the team. Andrew graduated from Pascack Hills in 2006 and later graduated from Rutgers University.
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