Meet Our Team

Joy Cookson

Center 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 20+ years. She is currently heading into her 7th year as a Director with Sylvan. She is motivated by her passion to connect with families and 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 two chihuahuas, and going to the beach to recharge.

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.

Sara Hall

Director of Marketing

Sara is the Director of Marketing for 8 Sylvan Learning centers in Southern California. In addition to overseeing all local digital marketing campaigns across her centers, Sara conducts and manages partnerships with school districts across Los Angeles. Sara’s passion for education began during her time at California State University, Long Beach, where she earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. During her time in college, she studied abroad in Oxford England and taught English in South Korea. When she is not at Sylvan, she’s hiking and exploring the local mountains, hitting the beach, or scuba diving the Channel Islands.

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.