Falk Weinberger, Amy
Founder, CEO/President of The Thinking Center and The Gap School.

Amy was born in Newport News, Virginia and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. She graduated with honors and as Senior Class President from Churchland High School in 1982. She was also the Vice-President of the Virginia Council B’nai B’rith Youth Organization from 1981-1982. She received her A.A. in Political Science from Oxford College of Emory University in 1984 and her B.A. in International Studies from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 1986. She received her teaching certification from Georgia State University in 1987. She began her teaching career in Atlanta, Georgia. She met her husband, Steve, in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands where she continued to teach at All Saints School and Antilles School. In 1989-1990, Amy met the selection criteria for inclusion the Who's Who in American Education for significant contributions to American education. In 1990, Steve and Amy moved from St. Thomas to Sarasota, FL after Hurricane Hugo. Shortly thereafter, Amy, with the encouragement of her husband, started The Thinking Center, formerly Think Ink Tutorial Services, in 1991. The mission of The Thinking Center has remained constant: to create the best possible intervention action plans for students who struggle with learning, emotionality and developmental issues.

As research shifted to brain-based education in the early-mid 1990’s, so did The Thinking Center. In 1997, the Center became involved in reading, writing and math training from a cognitive perspective. In 1999 Amy was nominated as Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. From 2000-2006, The Thinking Center has held the title of Family Magazine's favorite Tutoring Company in Sarasota. In 2003, The Thinking Center was also nominated as Small Business of the Year.

Amy strongly believes in the collaboration of team. In 2004, The GAP School was born – a short-term therapeutic intervention day school with long-term outcomes for students who need to retrain, refocus, and reconnect with their learning potential so they can get back to the business of their own learning. In 2005, The Thinking Center expanded services to include health and mental health interventions. Today, The Thinking Center leads the way in educational training services to help students achieve long-term outcomes using short-term interventions.

Currently, Amy participates on the Grants Committee at The Jewish Federation. She is also a committee member for the United Way Success by Six organization. Although, she is proud of her accomplishments of The Thinking Center and The GAP School, her four greatest personal accomplishments are her 18 years of marriage with her husband, Steve, and her three children.

Ollar, Cecile A. , M.A.,
Clinical Director or the Thinking Center, and Registrar of the Gap School

Cecile grew up near Mount Vernon, Virginia. She was a scholar-athlete while attending Groveton High School, playing soccer and competing on the track team.

Ms. Ollar received her B.A. degree in Biology/Psychology from George Mason University in 1988. She worked in the banking industry while her husband finished graduate school. Ms. Ollar worked for several years as a Child Protective Services Agent with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. She resigned to manage a law office. Ms. Ollar received her M.A. degree in Counseling/Psychology from West Virginia University in 1995. When Ms. Ollar relocated to Florida, she initially worked as a case manager with a private social services company before becoming a counselor at a residential Juvenile Justice facility. She transferred to another facility, becoming a mental health counselor at a facility in Manatee County counseling juvenile sex offenders. She joined The Thinking Center/Gap School in March of 2006. She is the Clinical Director or the Thinking Center, and Registrar of the Gap School. She resides in Sarasota with her husband, three children, and pets.

Tim Plaza, M.A., Ed.M.
Director of The Thinking Center, Business Manager of The Thinking Center and The Gap School

Tim grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and attened the University of Massachusetts @ Amherst graduating Cum Laude in May 2000. While attending UMASS as well as post graduation, Tim worked on a very interesting project called the Large Millimeter Telescope Project. Just completed and officially inaugurated by Mexican President Vincente Fox on November 22, 2006, the LMT is the world's largest millimeter wave telescope at 50 meters and sits on top of an approx. 15,000 foot mountain in Mexico.

Tim decided to leave Massachusetts in 2002 to further pursue graduate studies in Mental Health Counseling and Multiculturalism and so attended Columbia University and graduated with both an M.A. and an Ed.M. Cum Laude in May 2005. He moved to Florida from New York City with the intent of only staying a short period of time and then found the remarkable place that is the The Thinking Center and all of a sudden 2 years have gone by! While most of Tim's family resides in the Boston area, his parents live in the Sarasota area and he does make a visit to Boston at least once a year. His other passion besides working at The Thinking Center is singing in a couple of the area's choral ensemble groups, so look for his name on a any of the programs that you might attend.

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