Interim President

Member since October 2021

Daisy Sexton joined the board with a desire to volunteer in a new capacity for our school. She has previously helped with coordinating the annual Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournaments and assisted with various fundraising efforts.

Daisy originally grew up in Central Oregon and moved back to Bend several years ago with her husband and kids to be closer to both sets of grandparents. Daisy is a graduate of Northern Arizona University and in her free time enjoys cooking, camping, and playing board games with family and friends.

Daisy has two children currently attending Desert Sky and her favorite part of our school is the family feel of the Montessori community.

Treasurer

Member since November 2019

John has been in finance since the 20th century and has experience in general accounting, budgeting, and strategic planning. He has worked in a wide variety of industries and has served on a number of nonprofit boards, both as a regular board member and as treasurer.

In his words, "Our family is a strong believer in the Montessori Method in general and Desert Sky Montessori in particular. It's been amazing watching our children grow and thrive at this school. The self-starting and independent thinking skills they are developing will be with them for the rest of their lives. I am just glad to be a part of the board and help Desert Sky achieve its goals."

John enjoys road biking, skiing with his girls, and hiking.

Secretary

Member since September 2023

Heather grew up in the Seattle area. She moved to Corvallis, Oregon, in high school, where she met her husband, who both moved to the Portland Metro area and graduated from Portland State University.

​She moved in 2022 from Portland, Oregon, with her family. She fell in love with the community and beauty that Bend has to offer. She is grateful to be a part of the Montessori community and mentality.

Professionally, she has spent the last decade working in tech as a user interface and experience designer.

​​She enjoys spending time with her family, camping, exercising, and being outside in her spare time.

Member since June 2021

Love of learning and nature have been constants in David’s life. He grew up in the National Parks, with a ranger dad and a teacher mom. His remote eastern Nevada community had no school, so he attended first grade at a nearby Montessori school in Utah. The experience sparked a lifelong love of learning, and enriched his later academic and professional endeavors, both in the US and abroad.

This foundation informed a rewarding career path that has included leadership positions, small business ownership, teaching, and music. It is a foundation he wishes for any child, including his own.

This is why he and his wife, Stephanie, are so grateful that their daughter, Abbie, attends Desert Sky. David’s goal as a board member is to support the success and excellence of our wonderful school.

Member since January 2023

Jenna originally hails from Colorado where she grew up as a Montessori child through elementary school.

After years of traveling and teaching abroad, she moved to Portland, Oregon, to pursue her AMI certification in Montessori Primary studies, as well as a Masters of Education from Loyola, Maryland.

Jenna was a lead guide at Montessori of Alameda in Portland for a year before moving to Bend, where she continued to teach for the next eight years at Deschutes River Montessori School, HeartSpace Montessori Pod, and Bend Montessori School. She adores working with children and is currently taking a sabbatical from teaching.

Jenna loves the outdoors, live music, time with her partner Christopher and friends and family, traveling the world (40 countries and counting!) and waxing poetic about all things Montessori. She is so happy to join the board and remain tethered to the Montessori community in Bend.

Member since September 2024

Ana is passionate about the high-quality, accessible Montessori educational opportunities Desert Sky offers to the Bend community. She has worked in the early childhood education field, including Head Start, public elementary and private Montessori.

Ana and her family relocated from Florida to Bend in 2020, where they’ve embraced the many recreational opportunities Central Oregon has to offer. Since her daughter started Kindergarten at Desert Sky, Ana has been volunteering to support the school through what has grown to be Friends of Desert Sky (FODS) with fundraising and school-community building events.

In her free time, Ana enjoys exploring the outdoors with her family and chatting with friends over a good cup of coffee.

Member since September 2024

Samantha has spent the last decade working in conservation and environmental education and is excited to bring her experience to the board. She received her BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon and has worked for several environmental non-profits in Central Oregon. She currently works remotely as a consultant for energy efficiency programs in Southern California and is starting her Masters in Sustainable Natural Resources from Oregon State University.

Samantha grew up in Oregon and moved to Bend in 2014. She first heard of Desert Sky Montessori when the school opened in 2017, and she is so excited that her son joined DSM as a kindergartner.  

Samantha loves the Bend lifestyle and spends her free time outdoors, hiking, paddling, camping, and adventuring as often as possible.