EOP Staff Directory

Meet our Staff

Cristina Caridad Garcia

Director
Phone: 518-564-2263
Email: [email protected]

Hometown: Yonkers, N.Y.
Alma Mater: Siena College (undergraduate), SUNY Plattsburgh (master’s)
You might be surprised to know: I worked in this office when I was a grad student here at Plattsburgh!
My favorite quote is: “I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture of their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
My greatest influences are: Mi mama, hands down is number one! My abuela and tia Nina (may they rest in peace) were and their lessons continue to be guiding forces in my day to day life as a woman, mother, and community member.
My favorite season in the North Country is: Fall, I love the brisk mornings, warm afternoons, and beautiful colors of the leaves changing.
The best part of working with EOP is: Having the opportunity to walk alongside and support (be that by supporting or challenging) students as they discover their adult selves, pursue their passions, and come into their own.

Taj Ellis

Senior Counselor
Phone: 518-564-3273
Email: [email protected]
Schedule a Meeting with Taj

Hometown: Staten Island, NYC, N.Y.
Alma Mater: SUNY Plattsburgh (undergraduate), City University of New York, School of Professional Studies (master’s), City University of New York, the College of Staten Island (Ed.D. expected 2028).
You might be surprised to know: I love TV and movies! I think they are the easiest ways to showcase human nature’s triumphs and woes artistically.
My favorite quotes are: “Life’s too short to even care at all” (Cough Syrup by Young the Giant) and “People aren’t thinking about you the way you’re thinking about you!” (Alexis Rose, Schitt's Creek).
My greatest influences are: Myself, my mom and my friends!
My favorite season in the North Country is: Between commencement and Independence Day. The days start cool and warm up, but it’s not too hot. It’s just perfect!
The best part of working with EOP is: Following the growth from a new first-year student from childhood to a fully capable adult ready to take on the world!

David Frydman

Senior Counselor
Phone: 518-564-2290
Email: [email protected]
Schedule a Meeting with David

Hometown: Fairlawn, N.J. (childhood) and Chazy, N.Y. (current)
Alma Mater: Harvard College, Harvard Law School
You might be surprised to know: I played pick-up hoop with Barack Obama.
My favorite quote is: “I seem to be a verb”
My greatest influences are: Pema Chondron
My favorite season in the North Country is: Summer
The best part of working with EOP is: The students!

Charlson Joseph

Assistant Director
Phone: 518-564-3262
Email: [email protected]
Schedule a Meeting with Charlson

Hometown: Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York
Alma Mater: University at Buffalo and Buffalo State, SUNY Plattsburgh (master’s)
You might be surprised to know: I’ve traveled to 10 countries so far
My favorite quote is: “To whom much is given, much is required”
My greatest influences are: My parents
My favorite season in the North Country is: Spring
The best part of working with EOP is: Changing the trajectory of someone’s life

Michael Lennox

Counselor
Phone: 518-564-2291
Email: [email protected]
Schedule a Meeting with Michael

Hometown: Adams, N.Y.
Alma Mater: Jefferson Community College (associate), SUNY Potsdam (bachelor’s), Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary (further philosophical and theological studies)
You might be surprised to know: Before joining the EOP team at SUNY Plattsburgh, I spent 4 years studying to be a Catholic priest, but dropped out before completing my studies in order to pursue a different path
My favorite quotes are: “Unless you have suffered and wept, you really don’t understand what compassion is, nor can you give comfort to someone who is suffering. If you haven’t cried, you can’t dry another’s eyes. Unless you’ve walked in darkness, you can’t help wanderers find the way. Unless you’ve looked into the eyes of menacing death and felt its hot breath, you can’t help another rise from the dead and taste anew the joy of being alive.” ~Takashi Nagai

“It is theologically and anthropologically important for woman to be at the center of Christianity. Through Mary, and the other holy women, the feminine element stands at the heart of the Christian religion.” ~Pope Benedict XVI

“Love without truth devolves into sentimentality. Truth without love becomes cold and calculated.” ~Bishop Robert Barron

My greatest influences are: Saint Therese of Lisieux, Saint Augustine of Hippo, Takashi Nagai, Flannery O’Connor, Kevin Ward, and Connor Morgan
My favorite season in the North Country is: Fall for SURE — Brisk air, coffee shops, sweaters, and changing leaves all make NNY fall the perfect time of year.
The best part of working with EOP is: Getting to walk with students on their journey through this privileged and life-changing journey we call Higher Education. And the awesome staff I get to work with.

Jessica Santos

Senior Counselor
Phone: 518-564-3267
Email: [email protected]
Schedule a Meeting with Jessica

Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Alma Mater: SUNY Plattsburgh (undergraduate and master’s)
You might be surprised to know: I used to direct a marching band with a non-profit military youth group.
My favorite quote is: André De Shields’s 3 rules — “1: Surround yourself with people whose eyes light up when they see you coming. 2: Slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be. 3: The top of one mountain is the bottom of the next so keep climbing.”
My greatest influences are: The people in my life who love, push and support me.
My favorite season in the North Country is: Pumpkin spice season!
The best part of working with EOP is: The students!

Nicole Castine

Administrative Assistant 1
Phone: 518-564-2263
Email: [email protected]

Hometown: Champlain/Plattsburgh, N.Y.
My favorite quote is: “Kids don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care.”
My greatest influences are: My mom
My favorite season in the North Country is: Close tie between summer and fall
You might be surprised to know: I have been working at SUNY for since 2010.
The best part of working with EOP is: Getting to know the students