Staff Qualifications and Training

All staff at The Nest have:

  • Infant/child first aid and CPR card
  • Health and Safety training
  • Safe Sleep training
  • Food handler’s card
  • Enrollment in Oregon’s background registry
  • A minimum of 30 hours of infant/toddler specific training

Savannah (she/her) is the Primary Lead Teacher in odd-numbered cohorts, as well as the Owner and Director here at The Nest. She has worked with young children most of her life, including two years at Busy Bee Preschool and several years as a nanny for infants and toddlers. She felt a strong kinship with Magda Gerber’s ideas the first time she read Dear Parent, and did an extensive RIE training in the fall of 2013.

In her spare time she likes to cook, sew, listen to too many podcasts, write trivia, and read speculative fiction and poetry.

Savannah grew up in a small town here in Oregon and graduated from Reed College with a degree in English, before realizing that she really wanted to spend her life working with young children. Her favorite book in middle school was Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink, in which two girls get happily stranded on a desert island with four toddlers, so she probably should have known all along!

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Emily (she/her) is a teacher in odd-numbered cohorts. She is a native Portlander, dog lover, and a huge Blazer fan! She lives in NE Portland with her husband Zo and their cat and wiener dog. She loves to garden and read, and she tends our school gardens (and hummingbirds!). Her favorite books are The Song of Ice and Fire series (aka Game of Thrones) by George R.R. Martin.

Em has been working in the field, with infants and toddlers, for more than 10 years, and has been at The Nest since 2014. She studied Early Childhood Education and Family Studies at Portland Community College and earned her Certificate there.

Her education and approach to caregiving is based on Magda Gerber’s RIE philosophy. She believes in building trust, forming relationships, healthy attachment, and respecting every child as an individual.

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Louise (she/her) is a teacher in odd-numbered cohorts. Born and raised in North Wales, Louise has dedicated her life to working with children and families.

Louise lives in SE Portland with her husband Jeff and her cat Misty. Never bored, she brings joy to her days through her many hobbies, some of which include crocheting, cooking, CriCuting, exploring new worlds through reading, and tending to her plot in her community garden – just to name a few!

Louise has been working in the field for more than 30 years and has always been passionate in expanding her knowledge. This love of learning has led her down many paths, from traveling around the globe as the nanny for 90s rock n’ roll legends R.E.M., to training as a postpartum doula.

Introduced to Montessori 20 years ago, Louise became a Guide to infants and toddlers. She is also trained in infant massage and RIE and brings this experience, along with her values of empathy and respect, to work with her every day at The Nest.

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Maya (she/her) is a teacher in odd numbered cohorts. Originally from Texas, Maya moved to Portland in 2021 and has been exploring ever since. A lover of all music, Maya enjoys attending all sorts of concerts and festivals. She fills her days with finding parks and local hikes to go on with her black lab Sprout.

Maya has always had a strong connection with children and their youthful spirit and excitement for life. She recently found her passion working with children and is continuing to learn and grow in the field. She found her home as a teacher at The Nest after working at a daycare and as a babysitter. 

One of Maya’a favorite parts of working with kids is watching them navigate through the curiosities of life and grow along the way. She enjoys sharing her love of nature and taking the time to appreciate the small beauties in life. 

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Bethany (she/they) is an all-around sub who spends most of her time in Odd Cohorts!

She began working in early childhood education at a Montessori preschool, in the toddler classroom, in 2017.  Since then, she has assisted in several play-based schools.  As the eldest child of three, however, she has been in childcare her whole life!  From babysitting, to counseling summer day camp, Bethany has worked with age groups from babies-13 years old. 

She holds a BA in Theatre Performance, and is an active member of the local performance community.  She loves to sing, dance, cook, crochet and craft.  If she had spare time between projects, she would spend it adventuring outdoors somewhere, or at home with her wife and two puppies, Sushi and Spam.

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Alex (she/her) is the Assistant Director and Primary Lead Teacher in even-numbered cohorts here at The Nest. She first began working at The Nest in 2019 and cherished four years before leaving to pursue work in the field of psychology. After two years of working as a Residential Addictions Counselor, Alex determined that working with children was her true calling and quickly made the decision to return to The Nest. Alex carries over twelve years of Early Childhood experience, including work as a teacher, lead teacher, Assistant Director, and Director of ECE schools around the Portland area.

Alex was born and raised here in Oregon, with roots in both Estacada and Portland. She graduated from Oregon State University with a BS in Psychology and has obtained accreditation as a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor. She currently lives in SE Portland with her beloved half-maincoon, Nyx, and is thrilled to be back working with her Nest family doing what she loves most — helping to raise children who feel loved, supported, and safe to explore and grow in their environment. One of Alex’s favorite elements of working with young children is the ability to build strong, unique relationships with each child, meeting individual needs based on the belief that every child is different and thrives in different ways.

When she’s not working, Alex can be found watching scary movies, reading (she is the proud founder of a budding PDX bookclub), playing video games, starting a new crafty hobby, or camping and looking for pretty rocks/gems with her partner, Jason.

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Lonnie Lonnie (she/they) is the Secondary Lead Teacher in even-numbered cohorts. As a lover of good food, public parks, and independent movie theaters, Lonnie has been proud to call Portland home since 2016. She is an avid reader and podcast-listener who adores getting to “bug” her friends with all the new, interesting things she learns! 

With experience working with kids through the elementary-school years, Lonnie has found such joy in teacher, loving, and caring for those aged 0-2. As a believer in children’s innate capacity for being in community with one another, she adores getting to develop a special bond with every child in infancy, and helping to facilitate their relationships with each other in toddlerhood.

Outside of early education, Lonnie is working towards becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. They plan to get certified as a birth and end-of-life doula, as well, to accompany their future clinical practice. The radical empathy Lonnie nurtures by working with children will be brought to all people making their way through life, from the start to the end. 

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Cameron (they/them) is a teacher in even-numbered cohorts. They have worked with children for over ten years, in many different avenues. They started working at a play-based children’s center in 2022 and have fully adapted to the play-based philosophy.  Cam grew up in a small town in Eastern Oregon, then went to Western Oregon University. After a long hiatus from school they graduated with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with focus in psychology and health.

Cam recently moved to the Portland area with their partner and their dog, Goose.. In their spare time they like to go to the movies, walk their dog, and read queer fiction books. They are very excited to be a part of this community!

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Jess (she/her) is the newest teacher in even-numbered cohorts. Born and raised in Oregon, Jess loves exploring hiking trails and camping all over the state. In her free time, Jess likes to paint, crochet, make her own press-on nails, and spend time with her niece and nephews. She has three cats named Tani, Kovu, and Stormy, and three tree frogs named Rosy, Apple, and Kiwi!

Jess graduated from Western Oregon University with a Bachelor of Science in Social Science and is passionate about working with children and babies. She loves to volunteer and has worked with kids in across Central America and Europe.

As the oldest of all her cousins and siblings and an auntie, Jess has always had a natural affinity for caring for children and babies. Seeing a child have a breakthrough in their growth and development has given Jess so much joy and she looks forward to working with children in an educational and respectful environment, as she continues to grow in the field.