Anna (pronounced like the Disney princess) is the EMTZA Community Director and supports the region in creating a space for Jewish teens to connect, learn, and have fun together. She was introduced to EMTZA when the Des Moines chapter needed a chaperone for the Winter Shabbaton. Most of the students she had taught in some capacity for many years, so it was an easy yes when they asked her to join them. But entering the youth group space again, experiencing a weekend convention with the teens, and meeting other youth group professionals, she felt at home. 

Anna is originally from Skokie, Illinois, but she has lived in Des Moines, Iowa, since graduating from Drake University in 2018. She has a bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism and English. She has always found a way to pair her love for writing/marketing with her love for working within the community in her different positions. Being active in the Jewish community has always been important to her at every stage of her life. From being a madricha, participating in youth groups, and now teaching Hebrew school within the Des Moines community, staying connected to her Judaism keeps her grounded.

When not juggling her full-time job as a content and marketing specialist at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences or supporting the EMTZA region, she enjoys spending time outdoors and traveling as much as possible. Anna can usually be found with her Kindle, reading or dancing it out at a concert. Anna is half Italian, so food and talking loudly are in her genes.