Peter Kihara
President and School Director
Mr. Kihara is an experienced business manager, having worked for many years in managerial roles at such world-class organizations as United Technologies, Goldman Sachs and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Kihara has been involved in private education for over 17 years, and utilizes his business management skills to ensure a high quality educational experience for all students and staff of Connecticut School of Professional Studies. Mr. Kihara is also the Chief Financial Officer for Health Plan One, a web based health insurance agency offering access to low cost individual and family health insurance plans. Mr. Kihara is a licensed CPA and holds a B.S. from California State University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Richard Feingold, DDS
Instructor & Advisory Board Member
Dr. Feingold has practiced dentistry in Connecticut for over 40 years. He and Dr. Rappaport founded their dental practice in Orange in 1970 and built a thriving family practice, maintaining the oral health of thousands of patients. Dr. Feingold serves on the clinical staff of the Yale New Haven Hospital Dental Department. Dr. Feingold obtained his bachelor’s degree from New York University and trained as a dentist at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Feingold also served as a dentist in the US Army.

Gary Rappaport, DMD
Instructor & Advisory Board Member
Dr. Rappaport has practiced dentistry in Connecticut for over 40 years, and co-founded the successful family dentistry practice Feingold & Rappaport PC with his friend Richard Feingold in 1970. In 1994 he saw the need for a training facility to help address the growing shortage of qualified dental assistants, and together with Dr. Feingold established the Connecticut School of Professional Studies. Dr. Rappaport serves on the clinical staff of the University of New Haven School of Dental Hygiene. Dr. Rappaport obtained his DMD degree at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Rappaport served as a dentist in the US Air Force Dental Corps for two years.

Marilyn Murphy
Instructor & Dental Assistant Program Director
Ms. Murphy has over 20 years of experience training dental assistants, and has been with Connecticut School of Professional Studies since its inception in 1994. She has also been in the dental profession for over 35 years in a variety of positions, including all areas of operations within the dental office. Ms. Murphy firmly believes in the team approach as the best way to run a dental office, and utilizes this philosophy in all her training classes. Ms. Murphy took classes at Southern Connecticut State University and is certified in Dental Radiology.

Lisa Terenzio
Instructor & Paralegal Program Director
Attorney Terenzio has been teaching law to paralegal students since 1996, and is a member of the Connecticut, Federal and both of Connecticut’s Tribal Bars. Ms. Terenzio began her legal career as a clerk at the Middlesex Superior Court in Middletown, CT, and proceeded into private practice in 1994 representing large, national lenders in residential foreclosures. In 1996 she opened the law office of Villar & Terenzio with Attorney Marie-Louise Villar, focusing in the areas of real estate, probate and family law. Ms. Terenzio graduated Sarah Lawrence College with a B.A. in English. She received her Juris Doctor degree from The University of Bridgeport School of Law (now Quinnipiac University School of Law).

Aviva Bracy
Pharmacy Technician Instructor

Aviva Bracy is a trained Pharmacy technician with over 5 years experience in both institutional and retail pharmacy settings. Ms. Bracy has worked at Walgreen’s, Wal-Mart and Yale New Haven hospital, and has trained and supervised numerous technicians, sharing her extensive knowledge of pharmacy practices and procedures. Aviva is studying to become a pharmacist, and currently attends classes in New Haven, CT.  Ms. Bracy has been a Certified Pharmacy Technician since 2004.

Nancy Destadio
Dental Assisting Instructor
Ms. Destadio is a graduate of Connecticut School of Professional Studies, and has over 12 years of dental assisting experience. Ms. Destadio currently works in the dental offices of Doctors Dworkin, Stein and Lerman, one of the most progressive dental practices in Connecticut, with offices in Ansonia and Southbury. Ms. Destadio is also a graduate of The Haircutting Institute, is a licensed barber in Connecticut, and owned and operated a successful hair studio in West Haven for fourteen years. Ms. Destadio is certified in both radiology and CPR by the State of Connecticut.

Teresa Skoniecki
Dental Assisting Instructor
Ms. Skoniecki is an experienced instructor and trained dental assistant. Ms. Skoniecki worked as an assistant for Dr. George Cody in Trumbull, CT and Dr. Paul Sloan in Monroe, CT where she performed a wide variety of duties, including four-handed chair-side assisting, patient education, instrument sterilization, administrative tasks and front desk coverage. Ms. Skoniecki also previously worked as a language instructor at the Ansonia Adult Education center, and at Peoples United Bank. Ms. Skoniecki has a Dental Assisting certificate from Connecticut School of Professional Studies, a Microsoft Training certificate from New Horizons Computer Learning Center and an Advanced Bookkeeper Training certificate from Housatonic Community College.

Joe Ziehl
Paralegal Instructor
Attorney Ziehl has been in private practice for 14 years and serves his clients in the areas of commercial business law, real estate, litigation and family law.  Prior to starting his own firm, Atty. Ziehl worked as an associate for Ullman, Perlmutter and Sklaver in New Haven.  He graduated from Colgate University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and received his Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law (formerly The University of Bridgeport School of Law.)  He distinguished himself in law school with several awards for superior classroom performance.  Prior to attending law school, Atty. Ziehl was a commercial lender and leasing expert for several well-known international finance companies.  Atty. Ziehl is a member of the Connecticut Bar, Federal Bar, and a member of the Connecticut Bar Association.  He is a former Planning & Zoning Commissioner for the Town of Monroe.  Atty. Ziehl has successfully argued two cases before the Connecticut Supreme Court, and looks forward to doing more appellate work.