The MNW Team

Faculty & Staff

The MNW staff are committed to the success of our students, the growth of Montessori, and excellence in AMI teacher training and professional development within our Pacific Northwest Montessori community and beyond. We hold ourselves to a high professional standard, striving to model those same guiding principles of Montessori that we one day hope to see in the world.

SARAH WERNER ANDREWS
she/her/hers
AMI Director of 3-6 Training & Pedagogical Advisor
Portland, OR

ELISE AREVALO
she/her
AMI 0-3 Trainer
Portland, OR

YVONNE FROELICH
6-12 Program Assistant
Spokane, WA

ROBYN ELLIS
Finance Director
Portland, OR

ANGELA ERICKSON
she/her
Admin Team
Portland, OR

ANDREA FLEENER
she/her
AMI Director of 6-12 Training Spokane, WA

JESS FRALEY
she/her/hers
AMI 3-6 Auxiliary Trainer
Portland, OR

ROCHELLE HOLMBERG
she/her
Faculty 3-6
Portland, OR

BRANDON KUCZMA
6-12 Program Assistant
Spokane, WA

ELLEN LEBITZ
AMI Director of 6-12 Training Spokane, WA

ERIC MATTHEWS
he/him/his
6-12 Program Assistant
Spokane, WA

LISA WEEMS
she/her/hers
0-3 Program Assistant
Portland, Or

POLLI SOHOLT
she/her/hers
AMI 3-6 Trainer &
Guest Lecturer
Pleasanton, CA

ANGELIKA STEINBERG
she/her/hers
Executive Director
Portland, OR

NICK STOCCO
he/him/his
Admin Team - Admissions
Portland, OR

IEDA TORRES HOLYOAK
she/her
AMI 3-6 Trainer
Portland, OR

CHELSEA FIELDS
6-12 Program Assistant
Spokane, WA

JING ZHANG
AMI 3-6 Trainer
Pleasanton, CA

Board of Directors

Montessori Northwest's Board of Directors is a keystone of our success. Selected for their expertise, professionalism, and dedication to the growth of Montessori, these individuals volunteer their time and energy to plan and secure MNW's long-term goals.

KEINYA KOHLBECKER she/her – PRESIDENT
Keinya’s initial Montessori experience happened while observing children cleaning their environment. Keinya noticed genuine joy in each child as she observed a classroom for a Montessori assistant position over 20 years ago. Since then, Keinya continues to center love and justice for the human potential. Keinya dedicated over 15 years as a Montessori guide for Primary and Adolescents in Portland, OR. She now works as a school administrator who leads with an equity lens, partnering with her school community and other Montessori communities to align the Montessori Method within an equity framework.

Keinya is a graduate of Montessori Northwest’s Course #27. She is married to Matt and is the mother of Noah—both were Montessori children. She loves her Samoyed pup, Dean, the art of dance, reading for liberation and learning—especially when it involves her family’s history. Keinya is glad to give back to Montessori Northwest by serving on the Board. “Montessori has shaped me to hold space for empathy, dignity and wonder. Montessori Northwest opened my eyes to these key themes.”

AARTI JESRANI she/her – VICE PRESIDENT
Aarti brings over 15 years of professional experience as a startup founder, creative storyteller, and now a Montessori educator. Aarti completed her Primary AMI certification at MNW in June 2022 and her Masters in Montessori Education from Whitworth University in August 2023.

Inspired by her two Montessori educated daughters and driven to make Montessori education more accessible in her socio-economically divided county, Aarti decided to switch careers and become an educator. Currently, Aarti works as a Primary Guide at Horizon Community School in Marin City, California, where she is living her dream of serving children most in need. In her free time, Aarti enjoys reading, gardening, beekeeping and researching new hobbies.

Hi, my name is Aarti Jesrani. I am a MNW alum and serve as Vice President on the MNW board. I am also a public school Montessori Guide in Marin City, California. What this 100 years old pedagogy stands for cannot be more relevant in our times. Equity, accessibility and the need for all to be seen is more true at this time than ever. I'm here because I have hope for our children and I truly believe that the work we do serves all children, irrespective of their differences.  MNW empowered me to do this important work and gave me a new purpose. Here, we as students felt seen and heard and built meaningful relationships for life. I hope to empower many more like me. That’s why I do this work.

ERIC ALEXANDER – TREASURER
Bio coming soon!

JEAN DUNKIRK she/her – SECRETARY
Jean recently retired after a 35-year career as an attorney working on environmental cleanup projects in multiple states. Upon retirement, she decided to focus her energies on working to support broader and more equitable early childhood education opportunities. Jean is a recent graduate of the primary course at Montessori Northwest, following in the footsteps of her daughter, who also graduated from Montessori Northwest in 2015, and who has since that time regaled Jean with stories of the wonders of the Montessori classroom. Jean is hopeful that through her participation on the Board, she can contribute to the Montessori Northwest goal of bringing more Montessori to more people.

KEDEMAH EVANS
Bio coming soon!

MERRETT KRAHN
Merrett has been part of the Montessori community in Portland for the past ten years. She got her start in Montessori at Montessori Northwest as part of MNW's second Elementary course. After graduating, Merrett worked at MNW for a few years afterwards serving as an Elementary course assistant, helping other adults gain their own AMI diplomas. After leaving MNW, she spent time assisting at both the Elementary and Primary level. In 2019, Merrett returned to MNW to get her Primary training and MEd. She graduated from the Primary training in 2020, and stepped into leading her own Primary classroom in August 2020, where she has happily remained since then. Outside of Montessori, Merrett loves to attend plays and musicals, rock climb, and cook vegan food.

Montessori Northwest is the heart of the local Montessori community here in Portland. Many guides get their start here during their training program, and after graduation, maintain close ties to the center through MNW’s continuing education offerings and community events. MNW serves not just trained guides, but all people who are invested in education for peace, including assistants, support staff, and administrators. MNW’s impact reaches beyond Portland through its graduates, who are working around the world to guide children through the planes of development, and in doing so, are working for a more peaceful, equitable, and inclusive world.

HANNAH MCCULLOCH
As an Arkansas native, I grew up on the banks of a river, with mud between my toes and endless trees to rest under. This direct connection to nature engaged my soul until ultimately I studied Sustainability and Communication at university. A few years later, I discovered the magic of Montessori and completed my Primary Guide training with MNW, earning my M.Ed simultaneously. As I enter my third year of teaching, I have been met with beautiful challenges and success centered around Peaceful Education, accessibility, and compassion.

For me, there is nothing better than the curiosity and enthusiasm that each individual human brings to their learning. As a dynamic and devoted Guide, my greatest goal is to pass along my enjoyment of learning and feelings of self-love. Maria Montessori knew the power of the child’s self-construction. And through my own patience and awesomeness, the children feel their own power to grow.

KRITHIKA RANGAN she/her
Krithika has been associated with Montessori for almost 12 years now. She has taken the AMI training at the Infant / Toddler and Primary Level. She ran her own preschool for 4 years, worked in a Primary classroom for a Montessori School in India for a year and currently is the Toddler Program Director for a Montessori School in Seattle, Washington. Krithika is passionate about mentoring students who are taking the Montessori Training and volunteers her time to read their work and give them constructive feedback. Her interest to spread Montessori to the immediate community and the world inspired her to join the Board of Montessori Northwest.

ELIZABETH TRUMAN
Elizabeth joined the Montessori community in 2001 as a Music Specialist, offering after-school private piano lessons and music camps at a local Montessori school. Her time spent working with Montessori children further cultivated her interest and love for the Montessori philosophy, and she decided to pursue training at Montessori NW to further her career in Montessori education.

After working six years in a Montessori primary classroom, Elizabeth stepped into an administrative role at Northwest Montessori School (Seattle, WA) in 2018. She took over as the Head of School in October 2020.

Elizabeth's passion for high-quality Montessori education extends beyond the walls of the school where she works. She dedicates numerous hours to advocating at the state and local levels, striving to make a difference in Washington State's educational landscape. Her leadership roles on the Pacific Northwest Montessori Association board since 2015, including President, Vice President, and Event Chair, highlight her commitment and influence. In 2023, she further expanded her advocacy by joining the board of Montessori NW to help support the growth and development of authentic and inclusive Montessori education in the region.

Outside of her professional life, Elizabeth finds joy in her family. She cherishes the time spent with her husband and young son, creating precious memories. In her free time, she indulges in activities that fuel her spirit of adventure, such as running, downhill skiing, and exploring the outdoors.

MINNIE WALES
Minnie began her Montessori education at age three in San Francisco, California, where her parents lived and worked as artists and activists. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology. In 1997, she earned her 6-12 Elementary AMI diploma and an M.Ed from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2001 she completed the AMI primary training in Phoenix, Arizona.

Minnie has spent most of her career working as an elementary guide. She loves the curriculum of cosmic education, the social nature of elementary children, and the many ways that the children find to practice both academic and social skills via their big work. In addition to working as an elementary guide, Minnie has spent a number of years supporting the administrative work of running a Montessori school. She is currently working fulltime as the Director of Elementary Education at Marin Montessori School.

Since becoming a Montessori guide, Minnie has continued to discover and rediscover the gift that a Montessori education offers to children, families, and society. Minnie and her husband, Victor, have three children in the third and fourth planes of development, and their Montessori experience is evident daily.