Ryan Kocsondy
Director
Under the general direction of the Commission for Educational Technology, the Connecticut Education Network (CEN) is led by its Director, Ryan Kocsondy. The role of the Director is to oversee the directional and operational activities of CEN, ensure alignment with member needs, advocate and promote CEN activities as a leader amongst its peer provider networks in the nation, and enable the evolution of the network as the most advanced Internet and network service provider in CT. With nearly 20 years of experience in IT, Kocsondy has extensive experience supporting large scale networks, physical infrastructure projects, data center operations, campus technology support services, and business operations. He represents CEN and its members both regionally and nationally through service as Chair on the Board of Directors for NEREN, an Internet2 Connector Principal, an adviser to the Northern Crossroads (NoX), Secretary on the Board of Directors for The Quilt, Chair for The Quilt CEO Roundtable, and most recently served as an advisor to Governor Lamont's "Everyone Learns Initiative".
Rick Cheung
Team Lead & Senior Network Engineer
Rick joined the CEN team as a Network Technician 4, providing leadership, direction and oversight to the Network Engineering team. He brings 18 years of experience from Sprint Corporation, where he served in various capacities in network operations. For the last 6 years he performed the role of Senior Engineer.
Ricks holds a B.Sc. in Applied Science and Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology, with a concentration in Telecommunications, Management and Military Leadership.
Rafael Morales
Network Engineer
Ralph is a highly motivated and dedicated network engineering professional with 23 years of technology experience, including 5 years as a technical lead. He has hands on experience in infrastructure design, implementation, network capacity analysis, and administration. Ralph is recognized by management for his strong attention to detail and objectives. Proficiencies include project management methodology and planning for large enterprise network rollouts, and upgrades. Cisco Certifications: CCNA R&S Certified, CCNP R&S Certified, and CCIE R&S Written.
Mike Pennington
Network Engineer
Mike Pennington is an IT Professional with more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of the field. After graduating Eastern Connecticut State University (2000) with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, he started working for Manchester Public Schools. After ten years of building a solid infrastructure and framework, he decided to focus his career on networking. In 2011 he joined the Connecticut Education Network as a Network Engineer. In his free time, he loves playing volleyball, practicing his jiu-jitsu, kayaking, and hanging out with his family and friends (and chickens!). He is also the Secretary to the Connecticut Poultry Association and on the Tolland Technology Advisory Board.
Bradley Tudisca
Systems Administrator
Bradley Tudisca graduated in 2019 from Central Connecticut State University with a Bachelor's in Networking Information Technology. He worked at Charter Oak State College in New Britain for 4 years as a Junior System Administrator. He spent 2.5 years working at CEN on the Network Team. During his time at CEN he spearheaded the Everybody Learns Wi-Fi Initiative while also supporting day to day operations. Bradley now works as a Systems Administrator at CEN. He is also a member of EDAC and serves as track leader for the Advanced Networking group.
Christopher Tingley
Associate Network Engineer
Chris joined the CEN team in May of 2022. Prior to joining CEN, Chris spent 16 years in the healthcare industry as a Certified Surgical Technologist. Chris made the transition to Network Engineering after his recent graduation from Southern New Hampshire University in 2021 where he received a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. Chris is also a US Army veteran and former sergeant. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and woodworking.
Ray Carcano
Optical Engineer
Ray Carcano has over 30 years of experience, which began in data center operations and progressed through several levels of technical support roles. Currently Ray holds the position of network engineer at CEN. Prior to joining CEN in 2005, Ray spent 24 years in private industry. He set up some of the very first LANs in 1981 and then progressed to supporting wide area networks in the US for multi-national companies with offices in South America, Europe, and Asia. In his spare time, he enjoys bicycling, playing guitar, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Wendy Yang
Project Manager
Wendy Yang has joined the CEN team as a Project Manager, where she will support internal projects and collaborate with fellow project managers to coordinate activities for CEN Connect. Wendy holds a PMP certification and brings over seven years of experience in technical project management across a diverse range of industries, including healthcare, cybersecurity, telecommunications, aerospace, and utilities. She is eager to apply her expertise in the education network sector and contribute to the team’s continued success. Outside of work, Wendy enjoys spending time with her puppy, Bentley and her friends/family. She is also an avid foodie and enjoys cooking.
Anthony DiBendetto
Information Security Officer
In his role as ISO, Anthony is responsible for growing and mentoring a high-performing team of information security professionals, implementing CEN’s enterprise-wide information security program, and will help improve and expand into new managed cyber and network security service offerings to the community. Anthony brings nearly 20 years of experience in network administration and cybersecurity. He is transitioned to CEN from Palo Alto Networks and is a former community member with previous service at the State of CT Judicial Branch of government where he oversaw network, systems, and cybersecurity.
Outside of work, he resides in Vernon with his wife and their beloved dog Ruxin. They share a passion for cars, often attending car shows and participating in car cruises. He also mountain bikes which offers a perfect blend of adventure and fitness.
Paul Tarsa
Member Services Manager
Paul joined the Marketing, Communication and Member Relations team at CEN in December 2015. In his role he engages and connects with CEN members to ensure delivery of excellent customer service and to grow the member network. Prior to CEN, he established multiple K-12 tutoring businesses and also enjoyed engineering and operations management roles at UTC and Kimberly-Clark Corp. Paul earned a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an M.B.A. from Western New England University. Paul’s favorite past times include tennis, hockey, and golf.
Wendy Rego
Member Services Specialist
Wendy has been working for the Connecticut Education Network since 2006. In her role as Member Services Specialist, Wendy works closely with members in many ways from selling new services, onboarding new members, troubleshooting problems and addressing anything the member needs. Wendy has been working in the field for 30+ years and has experience in Business & Office Management, Sales & Customer Service, and Marketing & Member Relations. She loves working with people in any capacity. In her free time, her passion is advocating for people in poverty, the homeless or the disadvantaged.
Rachael Collard
Member Services Specialist
Rachael has been a part of CEN's Member Services team since February of 2018. As Member Service Specialist, she works closely with public library and private K-12 organizations, offering guidance and support to current and future CEN members. She joined CEN as the Marketing and Publicity Coordinator where she worked closely with members to develop, promote, and execute both in-person and virtual training sessions, lead efforts for the annual CEN Member Conference, and lead the development of website enhancements and member communication strategy. Rachael brought over 15 years' private sector sales and marketing experience to the CEN team. She has a track record of success helping organizations grow through improved communications, service, and outreach. Rachael graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, being a baseball mom, cooking, eating pickles, reading romance novels and watching chick flicks with her two cats Gemma and Theo.
Deanna LaVoie
Deanna joined the CEN Member Services team in November 2021, having worked as a part of the CEN team in her Graphic Design position since May 2019. In her role as Marketing and Communications Coordinator, she manages in-person and virtual events, most notably, CEN’s Annual Member Conference. She brainstorms and designs CEN's marketing collateral and digital material, acts as webmaster for the website, and communicates news to CEN’s member base via email campaigns and social media channels. She graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2020 where she earned a degree in Fine Arts, with a concentration in Graphic Design. Prior to working with CEN, Deanna worked as a brand ambassador for Big Fish Promotions, an advertising company located in Glastonbury, CT. In her free time she enjoys playing sports and making art.
Peter Correia
Finance Manager 1
Peter joined the CEN team in January, 2022. In his role as Finance Manager he is responsible for the fiscal operations of CEN including oversight and management of budget, finance, accounting, cash flow management, Federal E-Rate program, capital planning, and back-office support functions. He joins us from Otis Elevator – United Technologies where he had 20+ years of finance and accounting experience. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Indiana University and a M.B.A. from Purdue University. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends, traveling, skiing and running.
Nazneen Musani
Financial Assistant
Nazneen joined CEN in February, 2023. In her role as a Financial Assistant, she is responsible for financial and business processes including budget, invoicing, purchasing, cash flow management, Federal E-Rate program, and other back-office support. She brings with her 5 years of finance and accounting experience from Connecticut Appliance and Fireplace Distributors. She holds a B.A in Business Administration from Grand View University. In her free time, Nazneen enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling and reading.