Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I have a twin sister named Hannah who is currently enrolled at Ithaca College majoring in Occupational Therapy. My mother has over 25 years of teaching experience throughout Bergen County including starting her career at George Washington elementary school in Mahwah. She currently teaches at Somerville Elementary in Ridgewood. My father has been working as an accountant for over 35 years. He is currently working with Morgan Stanley as he has been with them for a slightly over 30 years.

Q: Please tell us about your current career. What do you love most about what you do?
Currently I am working as a coach in multiple places. I am a volunteer assistant on the Mahwah High School Boys Basketball staff. I am also the head coach of one of the 8th Grade Boys travel teams, and I also coach at the Garden State Grind in Oakland. What I love most about these jobs is being able to share my love and knowledge for basketball with kids along with the other coaches.

Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
A few of my favorites in Mahwah specifically are Stateline Diner, Mahwah Pizza Master, and Mahwah Bar and Grill!

Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I moved to Mahwah from Hillsdale in 2005 and have been a member of the community ever since.

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
The most interesting person I have met in our community is Craig Alfano. Craig is the guidance counselor at Joyce Kilmer Elementary, along with the assistant varsity basketball coach at Mahwah High School and head JV coach. He also works for the New York Knicks where he directs youth basketball camps for the Junior Knicks.  He started as a girls basketball coach in Clifton, he has so much experience in so many arenas and is so easy to talk to.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
If I could travel anywhere in the world right now. I would fly out to South Carolina to see my best friend Brandon, who I rarely get to see anymore due to his work, he is a US Marine.  Brandon and I met in 3rd grade, and played together in the 3rd grade basketball travel team together.  We are still best friends to this day.

Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
My all time favorite movie has to be Coach Carter! As for a TV show I absolutely love watching is Last Chance U Basketball.

Q: What advice would you give to people?
Work harder when you have the energy so you don’t have to in the future when you don’t have any.

Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Something I want to have accomplished is visit all 30 NBA stadiums. So far only 5 have been crossed off the list.

Q: What is your go to band when you cant decide what to listen to?
When I can’t decide what to listen to, I love to put on a little Morgan Wallen. Country always seems to give me a little pick me up.

Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
Stateline Diner definitely makes me a little nostalgic. From travel or rec sports games to high school football games, after any type of event my friends and I would always go back to Stateline Diner to close out the night.

Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I would without a doubt love to have lunch with coach Mike Krzyzewski, arguably the greatest college basketball coach of all time. I think Mahwah Bar and Grill would be the perfect spot to take him. One reason I would choose Coach K is because he has had so much success as a coach in college, and I would love to hear why he got into coaching in the first place, and how he is able to coach so many different players with so many different personalities.

Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
My favorite thing about our community is that there are so many members who grew up here and still live here today. There are so many names I can list off who made a huge impact in Mahwah as a student, and now are making an even bigger impact on the kids today.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
In 5 to 10 years I hope to be head coaching full time either at a high school or hopefully on a coaching staff at a college.

Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
One thing that almost nobody knows about me is that I really enjoy baking! I’d like to say I make some pretty good brownies.

Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
The most beautiful place I have ever seen is probably the beaches of the Bahamas.

Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
Favorite month is definitely November. Favorite holiday and best single day on the calendar would have to both be November 9th, my birthday!

Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
A 10 out of 10 for me would easily be the sound of a basketball perfectly swishing into the net.

Q: Who inspires you to be better?
All the kids that I coach that show up every single day to get better. Seeing kids who work hard and push themselves to their limits makes me want to be a better coach, and put them in the best position possible to be successful.

Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
Fresh baked cookies are definitely number one on that list, but I also love the smell of shoes right out of the box.

Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Safe, comfortable, and relaxed.