Meet Our Staff

I️ have been cooking for nearly all my life. The kitchen is my passion. I️ served in the US Navy for 14 years as a cook. There I️ learned many cooking styles and broadened my skill level. Since departing the Navy I️ have worked at numerous facilities in food service management, such as hospitals and mental institutions, and all types of restaurants.

I am currently enrolled at Strayer University for a Business Management Bachelor’s degree. My goal is to restart my catering business and to become comfortable so my son doesn’t have to work as hard as I did, at the same time teaching him the values of working hard.

Ever since I was a child, I knew I wanted to work with children. I have always had an appreciation for teachers and wanted to be apart of making an everlasting impact on the life of a child. I went to college to be an Elementary School teacher but quickly realized my heart belonged in Early Childhood Education. A month after I graduated, I began my career with LeafSpring School and I have not looked back. From working with toddlers to Pre-K and then working my way up to Administration, I have loved every minute with this wonderful school.

I am a true VCU RAM! I graduated in the Fall of 2009 with my Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Elementary Education and a Minor in Psychology. My husband Mike and I have been married for 5 years and we have a beautiful daughter named Layla. We love spending our weekends outside, running around the RVA and going to DMB concerts.

After working as a Child Development / Child Life Specialist at two large Children’s Hospitals, I decided to make a career change and study nursing. After receiving my nursing degree, I began working at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Crosswoods Pediatrics in Columbus, Ohio. My husband and I moved to Virginia 5 years ago. That is when I found LeafSpring School and the Get Well Place. I love pulling from my Child Development degree and Nursing degree backgrounds to provide the best care possible to the kids in our Get Well Place.

My Child Development / Child Life Specialist degree is from the University of Akron, and my Nursing degree is from Ohio University. My husband and I love living in Virginia and love to explore the area’s rich history. We are also thrilled to be so close to Washington D.C, the beach, and the mountains! We are the proud parents of 2 adult daughters, Maria and Gina. And we always love to visit our very large extended family in Ohio.GO BUCKEYES!