Meet Our Team

Joy Cookson

Senior Director

Joy is the Center Director at Sylvan of Westlake Village. She was born and raised in Southern California and graduated with a BA in Psychology from UCLA. She has worked in education for 25+ years. She is currently in her 10th year as a Director with Sylvan. Joy is a Senior Center Director and has dual certification as a Center Director and Director of Education. She is motivated by her passion to connect with families to form lasting relationships. The goal is tp support them by providing their children with the tools to succeed. She feels strongly that every student should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. When not at Sylvan, Joy enjoys spending time with her family, reading books her sister recommends, bonding with her three chihuahuas, and going to the beach to recharge.

James P

Tutor

James Pratt has been working at Sylvan Learning Center for over 2 years. His current role is math instruction. He enjoys teaching students about how to solve mathematics and how to use alternative methods of problem solving. James has a Master’s Degree in Mathematics with an emphasis of Education. For his thesis, James conducted research on how students can solve square roots using an alternative method. Using his techniques, students were able to compute their problems with success and scored higher than those who used the traditional method. Outside of Sylvan, James is involved with his church, St. Rose of Lima. He volunteers there every Sunday as a musician and loves playing his guitar at mass.

Robert

Tutor

Robert is dedicated to providing a strong foundation in science and mathematics, driven by his passion for teaching. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Physics from California State University Channel Islands and has over three years of tutoring experience. Robert works with students of all ages and across various subjects, specializing in higher-level math and physics. He believes that organization is key to successful learning; when concepts are presented clearly, they become much easier to understand and apply. Outside of tutoring, Robert enjoys creating bioactive terrariums for reptiles, which he describes as having a small forest in his room!

Dom

Tutor

Mr. Dom is proud to be a member of the Sylvan team at Westlake Village. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Science in Computational and Systems Biology in 2024. Mr. Dom teaches students from all grade levels up to college coursework. In his free time, he enjoys rock climbing and reading. He looks forward to supporting your child on their educational journey!

Andrew T

Tutor

Andrew graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara in 1994 with a BA in English. He studied music at The Grove School of Music from 1988 to 1991 while working as a private instructor. During his time at Westmont, he directed the Jazz Ensemble and was active in the local jazz scene. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked as a Financial Research Analyst and then as a Presentation Specialist, gaining a reputation for his impressive PowerPoint presentations. In 2011, he returned to California and has been studying math and computer science part-time since 2020. Although he didn’t enjoy math until adulthood, he now appreciates it and helps students avoid the challenges he faced.

Sarah W

Tutor

Sarah Warner is a new tutor at Sylvan and is excited to join the team. She has been working as a preschool teacher for 3 years in Arizona and California and has past experience tutoring in New Orleans at an adult education program. She is excited to work with our younger students on reaching their goals at sylvan to set them up for success in school. Sarah approaches each new student with kindness, warmth, and respect to build a good foundation for a learning environment. Outside of work Sarah enjoys singing in choir or reading a good book. 

Sullivan  graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering. He haas four years of tutoring experience and works with students of all ages on many different subjects. Sullivan enjoys helping students understand new topics and gain confidence. In his free time he likes hiking, climbing, and doing puzzles.

Fabio Marquez

Regional Director

Fabio Marquez is the Regional Director for Sylvan and has been with the company for 7 years. In the Regional Director role, he oversees seven centers and is responsible for operations, sales, and ongoing training. Fabio attended UC Irvine where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics along with a Minor in Latin American Studies. He comes to Sylvan with over a decade of tutoring and directing experience. In 2018, he was nominated for the Center Director of the Year Award. This award spans all centers in North America. Fabio enjoys working with families in order to make an ongoing plan for success.

Todd Crabtree

Executive Director

Todd is our Executive Director and has a life-long passion for helping kids achieve academic success.  Todd is the first to graduate from college in his family and served in the Marine Corp for twelve years.  He has been running learning centers since 1998 and he fully understands the impact a good education can have on a child’s life.  A native Southern California, Todd studied at Cal State Fullerton where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Theater Arts. When Todd isn’t working he’s a full-time husband and Dad, driving his son from one practice to the next.  He fully understands what every parent goes through, trying to help their child become the best he or she can be.