Meet Our Team

Established in 2013, Montessori Alliance of TN is a not for profit registered as a 501 (c)3. We are governed by a Board of Directors composed of Montessori administrators, teachers, and parents. MAT began as a conversation and a dream between two Middle TN Montessorians, Brooks Gerber and Jaime Yeager, and has been active for ten years! MAT is organized by committees which engage in the work needed to fulfill our mission.  Join now! ​

JAIME YEAGER 

Founding Member

Jaime obtained both a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and Child Development as well as a M.Ed. in Special Education from Vanderbilt University. She also holds a Montessori teaching credential from Montessori Educators International (MEI). Jaime has spent 15 years teaching and directing Montessori programs in both Tennessee and Arkansas. Jaime is the Head of School at Amare Montessori in Clarksville, TN. She served as Executive Director of MAT for ten years and is continuing her service as Conference Coordinator.  

BROOKS GERBER

Founding Member

Brooks is the Director of Education at Montessori East. She believes Montessori education is not just a gift to children, but a gift to society. She dedicates her professional life to seeing the movement grow and prosper. Brooks is passionate about the needs of the whole child and enjoys incorporating her love of travel and gardening into her teaching. She calls East Nashville home and lives in a cheerful blue house with her husband, Matt, son, Reed, and daughter, June.

Board of Directors

SANTINA CAMPBELL

President

Santina lives in Memphis, TN, with her husband and son and is the founder and Executive Director of Midsouth Montessori. She received her AMI Elementary training from The Washington Montessori Institute in Washington, D.C.  She also holds a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Spring Hill College and a Master's degree in Elementary Education from Loyola College of Maryland.  She began her Montessori journey at two years of age when her mother enrolled her in The First Montessori of the Mid-South.  She has remained connected to the Montessori community throughout her life and is proud to call herself a Montessori guide, student, and parent.  

MELINDA HARRIS

Vice President

Dr. Melinda Harris, Ed.D., is Principal at Community Montessori School in Jackson, TN. Melinda is a West Tennessee native having lived in Chester County through high school. She attended Lambuth College for undergraduate and Vanderbilt University for graduate school. She started her teaching career at Montessori Academy in Brentwood, TN in 1990 and remained there until moving back to Jackson in 1995.  She then became the Curriculum Coordinator at Parkview Montessori Magnet School (now Community Montessori) in 1997 and later became the principal in 2006.  Melinda received her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Union University in 2014. Melinda lives with her husband, John, and has two adult children, Will and Rachel.

CHARLIE BIGGS

Treasurer

Charlie is “semi-retired” educator, nonprofit administrator, and fundraiser. His experience includes 8 years as Director of the Knoxville Montessori School, 7 years as Capital Campaign Coordinator and webmaster at the Highlander Research and Education Center, and 17 years teaching English and American Studies at the City College of New York and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He came to Montessori in 1998 when his daughter joined the Elementary Class at the Knoxville Montessori School, and he has been working to support Montessori education ever since. Charlie joined the MAT Board in 2017, and he is currently Board Secretary and Chair of the Education Committee. His other interests include reading, bike riding, and spending time with his family.
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​ELISABETH GAY

Secretary

Elisabeth Gay is dual certified in Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary, and has taught in public and private Montessori schools since 1995 in four states: SC, NC, AL, and TN. She is married with three children age twenty, seventeen, and fourteen. She is originally from Charleston, SC and received her BA from Wofford College as a German and French double major. She has travelled and lived in multiple countries, including study abroad stints in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and mission work in Ukraine and Honduras. Her hobbies include reading, writing fiction and nonfiction, gardening, cooking, quilting and travel. As a former Montessori student herself, she has always loved the Montessori environment where children explore guided by curiosity.
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​ANNIE REBORI

Abar Committee

Antonia (Annie) Rebori is an AMS Early Childhood certified educator. She received her BA in Linguistics with minors in Psychology and French. She holds an MEd with a focus on Montessori studies from St. Catherine University; Annie remains active in this program as a project coach and thesis advisor. Annie is a Lead Guide in the Early Childhood Community at Nature's Way Montessori School in Knoxville, TN where she has worked for nine years. Annie is the owner and administrator of Summer Camp at Nature's Way, a Montessori-based summer program. She is also an Instructional Guide, Field Consultant, and Practicum Advisor for The Center for Guided Montessori Studies.

​RAMONA JONES

Communications Committee

Ramona is the Head of School/Lead Elementary Teacher of Montessori School of Franklin, a title she has held for the past 2 years after being the Lead Elementary Teacher since 2010.  In 2007 she graduated from Sage Graduate School with a Masters Degree in Special Education/Literacy.  After taking a job as a summer assistant at a Montessori school, Ramona fell in love with the Montessori philosophy and received an AMS Elementary I Credential in 2010.  Ramona is originally from upstate New York, but now lives in Hickman County with her husband and son.  One of her greatest joys is being able to see her son flourish in a Montessori environment.

RHONDA MCKAY

Advocacy Committee

Rhonda began her Montessori journey as a parent of twin boys attending Montessori through the eighth grade. That experience sparked Rhonda’s interest in learning more. She attended Belmont University in 2007 where she received her M.A.T. along with an AMS Primary credential under the direction of Dr. Merrie King. After her graduate work, she taught in a Primary level classroom for three years and later joined Belmont’s MACTE Accredited Program as an instructor and directorship team member. In 2017, she joined the Children’s House of Nashville’s community. Rhonda has a rooted passion for Montessori education, professional development, and advocacy work. In her spare time, she enjoys experiencing new restaurants, treasure-seeking at estate sales, and spending time with friends.

PRISCILLA HICKS

Webmaster

Priscilla grew up in the Washington D.C. area but has called middle Tennessee home for the past 20 years. She holds an AMS Primary Credential from Belmont University, an AMI Adolescent Diploma, a Montessori Coaching Credential, and a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Montessori Education and Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is passionate about Montessori education for all ages and especially Maria Montessori's belief that the peaceful education of children can change the world. Currently, Priscilla is a member of the admin team at The Children's House of Nashville. She lives with her husband Ben, her three daughters, and three kitties in Murfreesboro, TN.

JENNY VARNER

Education Committee

Jenny was introduced to Montessori through Temple Montessori School and was encouraged to attend a program at the School of the Woods in Houston, Texas, for training (via Baylor University). After earning a Master's in Montessori, with Elementary I certification, she taught for over 13 years in the Montessori Lower Elementary classroom. Her 2 children attended Montessori from primary through eighth grades. She has taught adults and children for over twenty years in subjects of ESL and technology in both military and civilian settings. In 2019 she became Executive Director of East Lake Montessori where she now trains teachers and works with families. This faith-based program offers scholarships to students with a focus on English immersion to prepare them for public school programs. 

Join the MAT Board! 

Please send the board application as well as a current resume to [email protected] Thank you!