Staff

ECEfaviconwhite

CASSIE BIENVENUE

OWNER

READ BIO

Cassie is one of the owners of East Celebrity Elite. She has 23 years of coaching experience at the all-star, high school, and junior high levels. Cassie is a graduate of Syracuse University with a BS in Communications and minors in Philosophy and Psychology. Over the course of her coaching career, Cassie has earned many national, state, and local titles. She is USASF certified through level 5 and also an instructor for the USASF. Past accomplishments include 2 silver medals at The Cheerleading Worlds. Contact Cassie: cassiebienvenue@gmail.com

Cheryl Pasinato - Owner (1)

CHERYL PASINATO

OWNER

READ BIO

Cheryl is the original co-owner of East Elite and then merged with Celebrity Cheer to become East Celebrity Elite. Cheryl coached high school cheer for 15 years before she became involved in All Star Cheer. Cheryl has over 20 years judging experience at the youth, high school and college level. She is also a Sales Representative for Varsity All-Star where she services all all-star apparel for programs in the New England area.

Linda Bernis - Owner (1)

LINDA BERNIS

OWNER

READ BIO

Linda Bernis is one of the owners of East Celebrity Elite. Linda was co-owner of East Elite from 1999-2009 prior to merging with Celebrity to form East Celebrity Elite. As coach and co-owner of East Elite, her teams captured many national titles. She was the former Somerville High School cheer coach, from 1983-2000, winning many leagues, regional, and state titles. Linda is also a certified judge and spends much of her time judging high school and all star cheer competitions. She has an associate’s degree in Court Reporting from Mass. Bay Community College. Contact Linda: lbcheercoach@comcast.net

Steve Belanger - Owner (1)

STEVE BELANGER

OWNER

READ BIO

Steve Belanger is an owner of East Celebrity Elite. Steve is a former NCA Head Instructor, 4x NCA All American, and 2x NCA Top Gun Tumbler and Jumper. Steve is also a professional choreographer for youth, high school, and all-star cheer. He is also co-owner of Action Spirit, LLC., which provides instructional camps for all-star programs across the country. Other past accomplishments include 6 NCA All-Star National Championships, 4 Summit Championships, a Majors Title, and 3 Worlds Championship Titles. Steve is currently the coach of Rogue, Bomb Squad, and Bombshells in Tewksbury.

COLLEEN O'SHEA

BELOVED FORMER OWNER

READ BIO

Colleen O’Shea was one of the owners of East Celebrity Elite, who unfortunately passed away in April of 2024. From Champion Cheer, to Celebrity Cheer, and finally East Celebrity Elite, Colleen was fierce, ferocious, and above all, a fighter. Colleen is a multi-time World Champion who enjoyed nothing more than coaching Bombshells, and being both a best friend and mother to her two daughters, Sheridan and Presley. We know how much she meant to everyone, and her legacy will continue to live on throughout the gym.

MATT SMITH

GYM DIRECTOR

READ BIO

Matt is currently the Gym Director of the Tewksbury location. Matt is originally from Ohio until he moved to Massachusetts in 2016 to work for ECE. In addition to working at ECE, Matt has judged All Star Cheer for 8 seasons, and currently coaches Rebels, Royal 5, and Bombshells. Contact Matt: Matt@ececheer.com

Becca Mihai - Team Coach (1)

BECCA MIHAI

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Becca started coaching in 2009 with Pop Warner and High School. In 2017, she began coaching with our Half Year program at the Tewksbury location. This season, she is thrilled to be coaching Snipers and Commanders in Tewksbury.

Brittani Ackermann - Team Coach

BRITTANI ACKERMAN

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Brittani began as an athlete at East Elite in 1998, the year East Elite was first established. Throughout the years, Brittani cheered at The University of Louisville, was a head instructor for Action Spirit, and was featured in many cheerleading magazines including American Cheerleader Magazine as “Top 21 Athletes Under 21”. After college, Brittani began coaching at ECE teaching tumbling classes, doing private lessons, and coaching full year while also working as a Third Grade teacher in Lynn, MA. Brittani is now a mother of two toddlers and enjoys spending time at ECE teaching classes, and doing private lessons.

Brittney McCoy - Team Coach (1)

BRITTNEY MCCOY

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Brittney spent 8 years cheering at East Elite and was an athlete at ECE during the first year of the merge. She started volunteering coaching for Dracut Pop Warner when she was in high school, and over the course of the 9 years she spent there, she won numerous National titles and choreography awards. Shortly after graduating high school, Brittney began coaching in our Half Year program. Around this same time, she also began doing choreography and stunt clinics with high school and youth programs. After a few years of coaching Half Year, Brittney transitioned into coaching our Full Year program. This year Brittney coaches the Wonder Girls, Angels, and Rogue in Tewksbury.

CAM GORTON

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

With 13 years of cheer experience, Cam has spent the last 6 at East Celebrity Elite. She’s a three-time NCA champion with both Rebels and Bombshells, and has been coaching for the past 4 years. Currently, she cheers on Bombshells and coaches Cherry Bombs and Tiny Ops.

Casey Ballou - Tumbling Instructor (1)

CASEY BALLOU

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

READ BIO

Casey Ballou has coached tumbling for over 20 years. He is the head tumbling coach at East Celebrity Elite. He has been a part of numerous NCA and Summit championships and is a three-time World Champion coach. Casey does private tumbling camps throughout the U.S and all over the world, including coaching at Woodward over the summer. Casey is USASF certified in tumbling levels 1 through 6 and is knowledgeable in all aspects of tumbling. He loves to downhill mountain bike, snowboard, and anything that involves being outdoors!

Colleen Gillis - Team Coach (1)

COLLEEN GILLIS

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Colleen began cheering when she was just a tiny at 4 years old. She started at a local program with her church, progressing to school teams, then finding her way to coach tumbling in 2014, making her way into the All Star world in 2016. She started at a small gym All That Sensations out of Amesbury, MA. In 2018, All That closed their doors, and this is where she began her journey with ECE, coaching in our Tewksbury and Londonderry locations. In addition to ECE, she coaches high school varsity and junior varsity cheerleading at Alvrine High School in NH. Colleen coaches tumbling classes, private lessons, clinics, and summer camps throughout the year with ECE. This season Colleen coaches Cherry Bombs and Junior Ops in Tewksbury.

Danielle Austin - Team Coach (1)

DANIELLE AUSTIN

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Danielle has coached at East Celebrity Elite since 2009. Danielle has attained many awards and National Titles over the years as a coach. She is USASF certified through level 6 and is First Aid/CPR certified through the Red Cross. Danielle currently coaches Bombshells and Bomb Squad in Tewksbury.

Deb Smith - Team Coach

DEB SMITH

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Deb Smith has coached at the Youth Level, High School, and All Star Level for over 30 years, winning many national titles along the way. Deb currently coaches in our Half Year Program, as well as does various classes, clinics, and Private Lessons.

Ella Hartley - Team Coach

ELLA HARTLEY

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Ella started cheer when she was 5 years old. She has been at ECE for 7 seasons and is currently on Bombshells. Ella currently coaches Tiny Shells, M2, Fireflies, and J2 Crew in Tewksbury!

Emma Ciasullo - Team Coach

EMMA CIASULLO

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Emma started cheering at ECE in 2012 on Half Year, and worked her way up to becoming Bombshells captain. She graduated out in 2022, and started school at Endicott College where she is studying special education . While at ECE, she won countless championship titles including Summit, NCA, Majors, and a World Championship. Emma currently coaches Tiny Ops, and Junior Ops in Tewksbury.

Emma Meier - Team Coach

EMMA MEIER

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Emma started cheering at ECE in 2011 and continued until 2019. From there she began coaching our half year and full year program at our Londonderry location. This season Emma started coaching here in Tewksbury and is very excited to coach J2 Crew!

Faye McCarren - Team Coach

FAYE MCCARREN

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Faye has been doing all star cheer for eight years. This year is her sixth year cheering at ECE. She was on JWow from the 2018 to the 2020 season and Bombshells from 2018-2024. Faye has been coaching at ECE for the past four years where she has coached Baby Bombs and Tiny Ops. Faye has also been a camp instructor for Action Spirit for the past three summers. Faye recently graduated from Essex Tech where she received her Cosmetology license and is currently attending Elizabeth Grady in Medford to become a licensed Esthetician. Faye currently coaches Tiny Squad, Minions, and Crush in Tewksbury.

Hannah-Christoforo

HANNAH CHRISTOFORO

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Hannah has been doing all star cheer since she was 11 years old. Since joining ECE 2019 she has competed on Rebels, Senior 4, and Smoke. Throughout her All Star years she had won numerous National Championships including Cheersport, NCA and The Summit! After last season coaching the Wonder Girls she is excited to be coaching Tiny Squad and Neon in Tewksbury!

IZZY CAMARGO

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Izzy started cheerleading at ECE in 2018 and is a Bombshell alumni and NCA champion! She graduated out in 2024, and started school at Southern New Hampshire University where she is studying accounting! Izzy is also a staff member for Action Spirit, where she teaches camps all over the country each summer! This is Izzy’s fourth year coaching at ECE and she is currently coaching Minions and YoEd!

Jacki Pugliese - Team Coach (1)

JACKI PUGLIESE

TINY PROGRAM DIRECTOR / TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Jacki grew up and cheered for the town of Arlington while simultaneously doing All Star Cheer. When she reached high school in 2003, she volunteered to coach for her town’s Pop Warner program and when she graduated high school in 2007, she became the assistant coach at Arlington High. A few years later, she accepted her first head coach position at Medford High School while also taking on the director role for APW. In 2016 she started her journey here at ECE as a half-year coach and during the 2019/2020 season, she was the head coach at Merrimack College. Jacki is currently in her third season as a full-year coach and really enjoys working alongside her co-coaches and meeting new athletes through private lessons. Jacki is looking forward to a successful season with Snipers and Commanders this year!

Jordan Russo - Team Coach (1)

JORDAN MILLER

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Jordan began as an athlete at East Elite in 2006 and continued to cheer there until she graduated high school. She continued to cheer in college at Assumption College. After college, Jordan became a first-grade teacher and coached Medway High School Varsity cheerleading for three years. She returned back to ECE Tewksbury in 2020 where she now coaches YoEd, and Commanders.

KAIT SPINAZOLA

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Kait started at ECE on Tinys in 2012. She has competed with both worlds teams Bomb Squad and Bombshells. Kait has coached Half-Year, and now coaches Tiny Squad in Tewksbury.

KAM REYNOLDS

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

READ BIO

Kameron is a tumbling coach here at ECE bringing full-circle experience from athlete to mentor. As a former ECE cheerleader from 2016 to 2020, Kameron now channels years of training and passion into helping the next generation of athletes build confidence, skill, and strength on the mat. With a deep understanding of ECE’s culture and commitment to excellence, Kameron is proud to be coaching where it all began.

Katie Chitopoulos - Team Coach (1)

KATIE CHITOPOULOS

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Katie began at ECE as an athlete in 2005 until 2011 when she graduated. She took time off from cheering to attend college and begin her career as a teacher. She came back to ECE in 2017 as a coach in the Half Year program, and in 2018 coaching Full Year. Katie currently coaches Crush, Bomb Girls, and Royal 5 in Tewksbury.

Kayla Buckley - Team Coach (1)

KAYLA BUCKLY

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Kayla is one of the coaches at East Celebrity Elite and has been coaching in our program for 11 years. Outside of cheer, Kayla works at an orthopedic practice as a doctor of physical therapy. Kayla currently coaches two teams in Tewksbury – Fireflies and JWow.

Kylee Winnett - Team Coach (1)

KYLEE WINNETT

PREP PROGRAM DIRECTOR/TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Kylee began as an athlete at ECE in 2008 and has been involved in the program ever since. She began coaching for our half-year program in Londonderry before attending High Point University in North Carolina, where she continued her cheerleading career at Cheer Extreme Allstars. After graduating college in 2018, Kylee moved home and began coaching full-time at both the Tewksbury and Londonderry, NH locations. She is also a staff member and head instructor for Action Spirit, teaching camps at gyms all over the country each summer. This season, Kylee is super excited to be coaching Angels & Bomb Girls in Tewksbury, and Envy in Londonderry.

LEO LECLAIR

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

READ BIO

Leo LeClair has been cheering for 17 years. He started at East Celebrity Elite in Massachusetts, where he was a member of the Coed 5 team that captured the 2015 Cheerleading World Championship. His cheer career continued while he was pursuing his exercise science degree, first at the University of Kentucky for 2 years, then finishing up at Morehead State University, the nation’s most decorated collegiate cheer program. During his time at Morehead State, he participated on and captained the coed team to win their 27th and 28th National Titles, where he also graduated with a Masters in Sports Management. Additionally, Leo has been a member of the cheerleading and dunk team for the Boston Celtics. For 18 years, Leo has also been involved in the coaching element of Gymnastics and Cheerleading. He has instructed various teams, classes, clinics, and camps across the U.S. He has also coached and mentored multiple cheerleaders to Division 1 cheerleading teams across the country. Leo specializes in both, tumbling and stunting for athletes of all levels.

Lisa Nugent - Team Coach (1)

LISA NUGENT

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Lisa Nugent is a team coach and tumbling instructor at the Tewksbury location. Lisa grew up in New Hampshire and cheered at East Celebrity Elite for 10 years, where she ended up becoming a coach. Lisa moved to Tampa Florida in 2010 where she became a Gym Director at one of Brandon All Stars’ gyms. She has won several state and national titles, including a silver medal finish at The Cheerleading Worlds. Lisa attended Northern Essex Community College in New Hampshire, where she studied Special Education. Lisa currently coaches Wonder Girls and Wicked in Tewksbury.

MANDY GRANT

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Mandy has been coaching at the Youth Level for over 20 years. Started in her home town then took over the youth cheerleading program shortly after she moved to Tewksbury with her husband and 3 kids. In 2023 she started coaching our half year program, continued her coaching career with one of our full year non travel teams in 2024. Mandy is joining the travel staff this season with the Jr Ops and is so excited.

Maria Zucco - Team Coach

MARIA ZUCCO

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Maria began her passion for cheerleading during middle school after years of gymnastic and dance training. Maria joined All Star Cheerleading in 2019 at East Celebrity Elite Tewksbury. In 22/23 she was Captain of their Angels team and received the ECE award. She is now a proud alumni of ECE having graduated 2023. She continues her cheerleading career at Merrimack College on their competition team in North Andover, MA where she is a freshman earning her bachelors degree. Maria is also a MA certified Early Education and Care educator at SMART START Preschool where she teaches and coaches Pre- Kindergarten students. In addition, she holds certificates in CPR, First Aid and USASF. Maria began coaching at ECE in 2022 for their Half Year and Tiny Pre-Team programs. She is currently coaching Baby Bombs, Tiny Pre-Team, Classes, Tiny and Youth Clinics.

Meagan Knowles - Team Coach (1)

MEAGAN SAUNDERS

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Meagan worked in cardiology and endocrinology/diabetes for 5 years as a Physicians Medical Assistant before making all star cheerleading her full-time job. She has been coaching all stars for 13 years and is the current coach of Wicked.

Megan-Hamel

MEGAN HAMEL

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Megan is excited to be back to the place I called family her whole life! Megan cheered at ECE for 14 years. She won NCA With JWow in 2013, and won Worlds in 2015 with C5. She then went off to Quinnipiac to continue her athletic career in acrobatics and tumbling. Megan graduated in 2020 and is now a first grade teacher. She loves teaching kids and pushing them to their full potential. Megan is excited to be back at ECE to share all of her past experiences with cheerleading and acro. Megan is excited to be coaching Snipers and Rogue this season!

Mia Tarini - Team Coach (1)

MIA TARINI

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR/TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Mia Tarini’s journey started in 2003 as an athlete with Celebrity Cheer. After graduating from the program in 2016, she attended Merrimack College while coaching Tiny’s at ECE. After college, she began a marketing career, and currently coaches Crush.

Michael Brady - Tumbling Instructor (1)

MICHAEL BRADY

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

READ BIO

Michael Brady is one of our tumbling instructors and has been teaching tumbling for over 20 years. Growing up in Woburn, Michael started in gymnastics before moving over to All Star Cheer. He teaches classes and works with all of our Full Year teams during their regular practice time. Michael has been an integral part of many of our NCA, Summit, and Worlds winning teams. in Tewksbury!

Mikel Hamblin - Tumbling Coach

MIKEL HAMBLIN

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

READ BIO

Mikel (pronounced like Michael), is originally from California, but now is a tumbling coach at ECE Tewksbury. Mikel cheered levels 5/6 (2009-2012), and continued on to coaching for over 10 years. Mikel also trained with Cirque Du Soleil (Terrance Harrison), and has been on USASF Worlds Staff for the past 8 years. Mikel currently coaches Private Lessons, Classes, and Clinics in Tewksbury.

Pete Silletti - Team Coach (1)

PETE SILLETTI

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

READ BIO

Pete began his cheering career at Boston College, where he graduated in 1993 as team captain. Fresh out of college, he was hired as the coach at Framingham State College from 1993-2000. During this time, they attended NCA collegiate Nationals finishing as high as 2nd place in the all-girl division. After coaching for three years at Medford High School, which included a National Championship title, he came to ECE where he coached multiple teams including Juniors, Senior Coed and All-Girl Open 6. After stepping aside for a few years due to the birth of his two girls, Sophia and Gianna, he came back once again.

Shayna Sullivan - Team Coach (1)

SHAYNA SULLIVAN

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

 Shayna was first an athlete at ECE in 2012 and cheered until she graduated from the program in 2016. She has now been coaching here at ECE for 5 years. Shayna currently coaches three teams in the gym – Cherry Bombs, J2 Crew, and JWow.

SIERRA BOARDMAN

TEAM COACH

READ BIO

Sierra has worked for ECE since 2008. She has worked at multiple locations throughout the years including Tewksbury, Oakdale, Central, and Londonderry. She was a NCA Head Instructor for 12 years, where she taught camps around the country. Sierra currently coaches M2, Rebels, and Bomb Squad in Tewksbury.