2019 Board of Directors Elections
Each year the Montessori Children's House Parent Association holds an election for our Board of Directors. It’s a small thing, but incredibly important to our legal responsibilities as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our bylaws dictate that 25% of our membership must participate in the election for it to be valid. Our membership is made up of all parents and guardians of currently enrolled children. This year we must get 91 voters.
Watch your email for your ballot. If you have not received it by the end of Saturday, June 1, 2019 please contact us. This election runs from 3:00 PM on 6/1/2019 until 11:30 AM on 6/15/2018.
The board recommends a slate of directors for election. It is not a competitive election and it is recommended that all members on the slate are elected. The year we have eight outstanding candidates. Their profiles can be viewed below. Write-in candidates are allowed.
Please take two minutes to help up complete this critical legal requirement. If you have any questions you can email us using the contact us link in the navigation.
Watch your email for your ballot. If you have not received it by the end of Saturday, June 1, 2019 please contact us. This election runs from 3:00 PM on 6/1/2019 until 11:30 AM on 6/15/2018.
The board recommends a slate of directors for election. It is not a competitive election and it is recommended that all members on the slate are elected. The year we have eight outstanding candidates. Their profiles can be viewed below. Write-in candidates are allowed.
Please take two minutes to help up complete this critical legal requirement. If you have any questions you can email us using the contact us link in the navigation.
Paula Stohrer BenariI’m originally from Argentina, in my early teens I moved to Israel and spend there most of my life. By 2008 life brought me to Sammamish, and I can’t imagine a better place to call home. I love the contrast of city views and nature, the life work balance, the rain, and the diversity we have in our region.
I found my professional calling very early in my life thanks to my 8th grade art teacher. Who spotted me in her class, and brought me as an apprentice to her studio, giving me my first job ever at the age of 14, as an illustrator for children’s books. Now days, after a long successful carrier in the design field… I’m still full of wonder, and very thankful for my art teacher and her impact on my life. My son Sol join MCH in 2016 for first grade. Every morning when he wakes up for school I see the spark in his eyes, full of anticipation for the day to come. MCH is more than a school for us, in many ways is our second home. I’m excited to have a chance to be part of this community, and to keep the spark alive in any way I can. Election Term: 2 Years |
Kendra CarlucciMy name is Kendra, and I'm mom to Maddax in Rojo, and Blakely in Rosa. I grew up in Utah, Spokane and Bellevue, then outside of Toronto for 10 plus years, and I've been back in Washington for 20 years now. I love to travel, and when I first met my now husband, 10 years ago, we decided to take a 6 week trip to Europe and Africa. Before kids, my favorite past time was golf, and I still love it, but don't find enough time to play. I worked for a family owned business in Redmond for almost 20 years, going everything from Finance/Controller, to Director of Operations, and finally COO for the last 2 years. I recently decided I needed a fresh new start, so I'm looking for my next career adventure, while enjoying some much needed family time.
Election Term: 2 Years |
Mandy FajardoI was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I joined the Army after high school where I met my husband Chris. We have two children Chris (20), and River (7). I homeschooled our oldest child who’s on the autism spectrum from second grade through high school. We moved to Washington in the summer of 2017, so this is River’s second year at MCH. I love being creative, which means I usually have about three projects that I’m working on at home. I’ve enjoyed my many volunteer activities this past year at MCH, and I look forward to being more involved by joining the Parents Association.
Election Term: 2 Years |
Barbara LeenI was born and raised in Connecticut and moved here about two years ago from Washington, DC with my son Jack (who is in the Lila classroom). While in DC, I worked at the Department of Justice and in Congress, focusing on immigration law and policy. I am now an attorney at Microsoft. I also teach immigration policy at Evergreen State College. Jack and I love to spend time outdoors hiking and enjoying nature. MCH’s connection with its natural surroundings and incorporation of the natural world into its teaching is one of the many reasons MCH is the right school for our family. I look forward to getting more involved in the MCH community.
Election Term: 2 Years |
Sarah OderydI was a Washington Montessori child myself and am the fifth generation of my family to live in the Snoqualmie Valley. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, an Associate’s degree in Graphic Design and I currently sit on the board of my family foundation as well as on the board of Carnation Farms where I am a co-founder and the board secretary. Although my roots lie in the Northwest I’ve spent most of my adult life living in different places in the US. I studied abroad in Scotland and met my husband Daniel in Sweden while traveling in Europe in 2012. We settled in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and lived there until 2016 when we moved our family to Washington to start Carnation Farms with a mission to inspire people to eat better together with an emphasis on locally sourced food.
Both my husband and I are passionate about food and its impact on health, communities and the environment. We are also in the process of starting a farm to table restaurant in the town of Carnation called Carnation Farmhouse with a fresh, seasonal menu sourced from local farms. Our daughter Stella has been at MCH a year and with our younger daughter Thea starting in September I look forward to getting more involved in the MCH community. Election Term: 2 Years |
Jackie ReeveI'm a NJ native (my husband Adam is from England), and we just moved to Washington last summer. I have a Masters in Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute, and I was a children's librarian for about 8 years (briefly in public libraries, but mainly in elementary schools). I made a career change a few years ago, and now I work from home full time as a journalist; I'm a sleep writer for Wirecutter, the product review site at The New York Times. I'm a quilt designer as well, and we're starting to raise our first (small) animals at our farmhouse in Fall City. We moved from the Jersey Shore, so this is quite a change for us! My daughter Hannah (7) is finishing her first year in Morado, but this is her 6th year in a Montessori classroom. She went through the toddler and EC programs at an AMI Montessori in NJ, and we have really loved the change, and feel that MCH has been incredible for her confidence and development. I can't wait to get more involved, and hopefully bring my literacy and communications experience to school.
Election Term: 2 Years |
Susan SmithI grew up in Downers Grove, IL, a suburb of Chicago, and graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a degree in Media, Marketing and Management in the radio and television department with a minor in creative writing. My daughter is Addison (5) and she is currently in Azul where she loves her teachers and especially the nature trail. I have been married almost 10 years and met my husband Phil shortly before I graduated from college and followed him to Washington where he works at Microsoft. We have lived in Sammamish for the last 6 years and I love our neighborhood. I am a licensed massage therapist in Washington and have run my own private practice, The Massage Smith, from my home for the last 8 years. I am also lucky enough to be able to manage this practice during the hours my daughter is attending school. I love coffee and in my spare time camp, hike, sing some awesome karaoke and just started paddle boarding. Our family enjoys movies, reading and sometimes the occasional family game night. We love MCH and enjoy watching our daughter l thrive here and look forward to connecting with other families while helping to further serve our school community.
Election Term: 2 Years |
Jeremy SymeI grew up on a fruit farm in Fruitland, Idaho (it’s okay to laugh) and eventually found myself getting a Music Education degree from the University of Puget Sound and then a Masters in Communication from WSU--GO COUGS! While working on my masters in 1996, I stumbled into web development and never looked back. I am currently a Senior Technical Program Manager at Bluetooth. I love running, yoga, house projects, and making games for my kids that defy expectations. My wife, Darcie, and I have two children Gavin 11 and Fiona 8. We have been an MCH family since 2010 and based on current calculations will be here until 2025. ! I have been on the board or been a volunteer since 2012. I am excited to continue growing the Parent Association.
Election Term: 2 Years |