Residential Life Staff

Chris McKenzie Willenbrock
Director of Residential Life
Chris McKenzie Willenbrock (she, her, hers) received a B.A. in Psychology from Rhodes College and her M.S. in Educational Psychology and Research from the University of Memphis. Chris began her career in higher education over 20 years ago and has worked in a variety of positions within student affairs and human resources since then. Throughout her career, Chris has had the pleasure of working at Rhodes College, UMass Amherst, Colorado State University, Western New England University, and most recently Westfield State University. Chris oversees the entire Residential Life program at WSU, and she loves being an owl! In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, going to the theater, and cheering on her favorite hockey teams.

John Zocco
Associate Director of Residential Life
John started as a Residence Director at Westfield State University in 2011 and held several positions in Residential Life before being promoted to Associate Director in 2023. Prior to Westfield State, John spent three years as an Area Coordinator at the University of New England in Biddeford, ME. John earned his Master of Education degree in Student Personnel Administration from Springfield College and his Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and Marketing from Assumption College. John oversees the operations and logistics in Residential Life, and in his free time, he likes working with and learning about new technology and his hobby of photography.

VACANT
Assistant Director of Residential Life

Dawn Whitehill
Accountant
Dawn has been at Westfield State University since 2001. Dawn is a lifelong resident of Westfield and an alum of Westfield State University. Dawn handles all of the day-to-day financial operations for Residential Life, aids in the daily operations of the office, and works with multiple other departments to ensure tasks and requests are seamlessly completed. She enjoys the daily interactions with the students and admires the campus community as a whole. Dawn is a firm believer that "If you love what you do, you will not work a day in your life!" In her spare time, Dawn is an active member of the Westfield business community, enjoys spending summertime in Otis, and always finds time for family and friends

June Tanski
Clerk
June came to Westfield State University in the fall of 2012 from Gateway Regional High School/ School Based Health Center, where she worked as an Administrative Assistant/Office Manager. June enjoys meeting and helping the students, families, and staff here at Westfield State. Each day brings a new and welcoming challenge. When not at work, June enjoys spending time with her husband and their four children, quilting, painting and camping in Maine.

Sydney Maiden
Area Coordinator for Apartments Complex (Conlin, Seymour, Welch) and Dickinson Hall
Sydney comes to Westfield from sunny (and quite hot) California. She did her undergraduate work at San Diego State University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Biology, Nutrition, and Africana Studies. She recently received her Master’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences. When she is off the clock, Sydney enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking/baking, and listening to music. She is also an avid basketball and sneaker fan, so you can always catch her watching a game! 

Mark Mankus
Area Coordinator for University Hall
Mark graduated from Westfield State in 2018 majoring in Special Education. Mark also had the great opportunity to work for the Student Conduct Office at Westfield State. He was an active member during his undergrad time and served on various committees. He was elected President of University Hall and held a seat in Student Government. Mark grew up outside of Boston for most of his life and is originally from the Philippines. Before coming back to Westfield, he worked as a retail manager for a decade and oversaw many locations in Massachusetts. He also worked for an early college and held a dual role of Community Director and oversaw Student Conduct. In his free time, Mark enjoys traveling to South America during the winter and going on road trips when he is able.

Jack Moriarty
Area Coordinator for Davis Hall and Lammers Hall
Jack heralds originally from Holyoke MA, growing up in the Western Mass area his entire life. An alum of Westfield State, Jack received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management with a concentration in marketing in 2022. During his time at WSU, Jack became both a Resident Assistant and Head Resident Assistant after his first year on campus, eventually leading him to where he is today. Ever since his time as an RA, Jack has held a passion for community building and the personal connections that are made in the position. As such, Jack continued his work in Residential Life and worked for a year at Western New England University, but ultimately made his way back to WSU in his current capacity as an Area Coordinator.

Victor Simbana
Residence Director for Courtney Hall
Victor graduated from Westfield State University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Movement Science with a concentration in Sports Medicine. He comes to Westfield from a very busy and diverse city, Queens NY. Victor’s roots originate from Puerto Rico and Peru, and he is extremely passionate about spreading knowledge of his cultures. He is devoted to learning and educating the larger community on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. In his free time, Victor enjoys sharing his cultural dishes and music with his family and friends; he appreciates the arts; and he thoroughly enjoys building rapport with people and seeing the outcome of those connections. 

Sam Tsongalis
Residence Director for New Hall
Sam graduated from Westfield State in 2021 double-majoring in Music and Political Science. During his time here, Sam played an active role in shaping the campus community. His senior year, he was elected President of the Student Government Association. As a Massachusetts native, Sam is moving back to Westfield from Taunton, MA. Before returning to the nest, Sam became a published research assistant with the EOS Foundation, in addition to working with one of the most prestigious law firms in the world. In his free time, Sam loves to longboard, sing, play video games, and he is a professional pool player. 

Dakota Chixarro
Assistant Residence Director for Lammers Hall
Dakota is a first-generation college student from New Bedford, MA who graduated from Westfield State in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Being in the 4+1 Master program, he was able to graduate in 2024 with his Master of Science in Criminal Justice. Dakota holds a deep passion for public and community service which is rooted in his professional experiences. He started out as a Victim Advocate in family services before working with the Student Safety Assistant Unit at Westfield State. He then obtained his EMT license and currently works for a private ambulance company in Huntington, MA. He also volunteers his time to SkillsUSA Massachusetts, a career and technical student organization with over 34,000 members, where Dakota served as the State President his senior year. He believes in the mantra of “I do it for them because someone did it for me”. In his free time, Dakota loves to golf, play video games, hangout with friends, and go on road trips.