Our Staff

Brian

Head of School

Brian brings a strong business background and a passion for education to his role as Head of School. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in Economics. After years of teaching overseas Brian had a successful 20 year career in Hospitality, managing hotels and resorts. A parent of two, Brian looks forward to helping our new school achieve long-term sustainability and success in the community.

Lisa

Administrator

Lisa brings 20+ years of administrative and marketing experience with her to the front office. She received a BA in Communication from UCSD and completed her Early Childhood Education at SBCC. She has been involved with local schools as a student, parent, volunteer, and employee. She is the parent of two Montessori school alumni and is passionate about Montessori education.

Nanette

Elementary Instructional Assistant and Afternoon Site Director 

Nanette is a Santa Barbara native and has a strong background in the creative arts. She has 20+ years teaching experience with an Early Childhood Education teaching credential and a Primary Montessori Certification. She’s enjoys teaching cooking and supporting the elementary classroom. She’s overseeing after school projects for the older children and is supporting SCM aftercare program.

Chelsea

Marketing and Communications Specialist

Chelsea recently moved to Santa Barbara from Boise, Idaho. She brings with her 10 years in the Education and Communication fields. Over the years, she has been involved with volunteering and leading groups with marketing and communication goals. She is a parent to four children and is passionate about opportunities and growth within the community.

Brenda

Primary Program Assistant

A long time resident of Santa Barbara, Brenda inherited her passion & love for children from her mother, also a teacher. She received her Associates in Early Childhood Development at Santa Barbara City College. After working for SCM for several years, she has grown her love and passion for Montessori philosophy. Her goal is to continue her Montessori learning and receive her AMI Montessori teacher certification. Brenda is inspired to create a safe and loving environment for children, and hopes one day to be able to travel and make a difference in underprivileged countries. 

Daniela

Primary Program Assistant

Daniela was born in Los Angeles but raised in Santa Barbara. She received her A.A in ECE at Santa Barbara City College and is planning on attending UCSB to continue her Education studies. She is passionate about children’s education and wants to create a safe and loving environment for them. She hopes to grow and learn alongside the children.

Annie

Primary Program Aftercare

Annie was born and raised in Santa Barbara. She has been involved with South Coast Karate since she was 3 years old, and became an official instructor for children and adults after earning her black belt at 15. She has been working around and with children most of her life. Annie has been studying Early Childhood Education since high school and is now continuing her studies in college. Annie loves reading, writing, karate, basketball and time with her friends and family. She finds joy in encouraging children's creativity and doing what she can to make their experiences with learning positive and impactful. 

Dorothy

Primary Program Aftercare

Dorothy grew up in Vermont and has lived in Santa Barbara since her early 20’s. She was inspired to  pursue Early Childhood Education when her own children were young and received her ECE degree at  Santa Barbara City College and her Master’s degree at Antioch University. She has 20+ years working  with children ages birth to six years old. She is inspired by young children and families every day!

Katrina

Primary Program Aftercare

Katrina was born in Los Angeles and raised on the Central Coast. After attending Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, she transferred to UC Santa Barbara where she earned her B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences with a minor in Applied Psychology. She loves working with children, is passionate about social psychological research, and enjoys her part-time work in the wine industry. She hopes to attend graduate school for clinical psychology in the near future. 

Brianna

Toddler Program Assistant

Brianna grew up in Modesto, CA before moving to Santa Barbara in 2020. She has a little over 3 years experience with ABA therapy and has been around young children for most of her life. She learned about the Montessori philosophy while taking college classes and is excited to be a part of the SCM team to further her knowledge. She loves children and looks forward to supporting the loving environment in the classroom.

Valerie

Toddler Program Assistant

Valerie is from Santa Clarita. She has been working with children for over 6 years. She has experience in ABA therapy and special education and holds a BS in sociology. She’s continuing her education at SBCC in early childhood development. After having her son, she started learning about the Montessori philosophy and is excited to pursue further knowledge as a Montessori toddler assistant.

Emily

Toddler Program Assistant

Emily was born and raised in Santa Barbara. She has worked with children and been around them all her life. She hopes to promote a healthy and safe learning environment through her position as an aide and plans on starting her studies in Early Childhood Education.

Hailey

Toddler Program Assistant

Hailey was born in Templeton, CA and has lived on the Central Coast her whole life. She moved to Santa Barbara in 2020 to attend UC Santa Barbara. where she received her Bachelors Degree in Philosophy in 2023. Before attending UCSB, Hailey studied Elementary Education at CSU Monterey Bay. Hailey loves fostering children's love for learning and creativity at SCM, especially as she works with some of the youngest members of the community. South Coast Montessori is her first experience with the Montessori environment, and she is excited for the opportunity to be immersed in it and use what she learns throughout her career.

Ana

Infant Program Assistant

Ana was born in Guerrero Mexico but has been raised in Santa Barbara since she was 9 years old. She graduated Santa Barbara City College in 2019 with an associates and 3 certificates in the field of Early Childhood Education. While being with SCM she’s loved expanding her knowledge on Montessori philosophy and is eager to continue to foster an environment where children can thrive.

Melle

Infant Program Assistant

Melle was raised in Santa Barbara. She majored in Early Childhood Education and has been working with children for over 10 years. Melle provides creativity and exceptional care to infants and children of all ages during their formative years. She has a deep interest in childhood education and providing a safe and nurturing environment for children to grow freely. Melle is a loving mother to her son, and is excited to be working in the South Coast Montessori community.

Raven

Infant Program Assistant

Raven was born and raised in Santa Barbara. She has a strong background in Art and is currently enrolled for ECE at Sant a Barbara City College. Raven hopes to bring her love of creativity to a classroom setting where it can blossom and thrive. She loves children and her goal is to be a positive memory in all their lives. She looks forward to working with and learning more about the Montessori pedagogy.

Ruben

Maintenance and Janitorial

Ruben was born in Mexico City, and grew up in the small town of Hidalgo Mexico where he graduated with a math major. Upon moving to the United States, he settled in Santa Barbara and attended SBCC, learning English as a Second Language. Since starting at the campus in 2011, Ruben has rarely missed an evening of cleaning and maintaining our classrooms. More recently he has taken on projects for the school, including building the toddler play structures. He enjoys hiking, mountain biking and running in his free time.