THE FERNLEAF TEAM
Our carefully selected staff are a passionate and energetic team whose top priority is to fulfill the FernLeaf Mission and Vision. We come from all over the United States and the world and offer a wealth of knowledge and experience to our community. Our diverse backgrounds help to make FernLeaf's community and culture vibrant and thriving.
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WHITNEY MEBANE
Kindergarten Teacher
Born and raised in coastal Massachusetts, Whitney received her master's degree in education from Antioch University. During her studies, she spent a semester in New Zealand studying various ecosystems while creating and...

CHRIS STANFIELD
Kindergarten Teacher
Chris' joy of teaching stems from two contributing factors. The first is his father. After retiring from the U.S. Army, his father went on to teach high school as his second career. Witnessing the impact he was able to have on his students was inspirational to Chris. Chris also admires a child's ability to learn...

NATALIE LATORRE
Kindergarten Teacher
Natalie is an advocate for young children with a passion for environmental education and mindfulness in early childhood. She believes in nurturing the whole child with an emphasis on the unique spirit of each individual. Natalie has 17 years of teaching experience from birth to 2nd grade and everything in...

ANDREA LARSEN
Kindergarten Assistant Teacher
Andrea grew up in Muskegon, MI, which meant that much of her childhood was spent in the water. For the past six years, Andrea has been working in the early childhood education field. First, as a lead in a toddler classroom and most recently...

MOLLY SACKETT
Kindergarten Assistant Teacher
Molly grew up attending summer camps in Hendersonville and fell in love with the mountains of North Carolina. She studied psychology and education at Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee and knew immediately that she wanted to live and work here in WNC...

JENN LOVE
1st Grade Teacher
Jennifer grew up in Richmond, Virginia, but fell in love with the mountains of Western North Carolina as a student at Warren Wilson College. She graduated with a degree in Elementary Education, and began teaching in Henderson...

MICHELE CORRAL
1st Grade Teacher
Michele is an Asheville native (yes… really, a native). She graduated from UNC Asheville, and taught at Hall Fletcher Elementary for 10 years. She has a passion for environmental education, hands-on activities, STEAM (Science...

XAVIER LATORRE
1st Grade Assistant Teacher
Xavier has a love of sharing art, foraging, plant identification and life skills with children. He is bilingual and holds a degree in Art. He has 6 years of experience working with children ages 3 to 3rd grade at Asheville City Schools...

SARAH BACHLER
2nd Grade Teacher
Sarah grew up outside of Chicago. She then moved to the mountains and attended the University of Vermont where she lived in applied housing for environmentally conscious students and found her deep love for hiking and gardening...

LEAH BANFORD
2nd Grade Teacher
Originally from Georgia, Leah came to North Carolina from Colorado in 2020, where she obtained her Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies and Elementary Education at Western State College in 2008. Leah has spent the last 11...

ZACK JOHNSON
2nd Grade Assistant Teacher
Zack grew up in Williamsburg, VA and spent most of his adult life in Charleston, SC. He fell in love with the mountains on an anniversary trip and finally moved to the Hendersonville area in 2014...

TAYLOR CODDINGTON
3rd Grade Teacher
Taylor grew up here, in Asheville, Bent Creek to be exact. He completed elementary, middle, and high school in Enka/Candler and attended church most Sundays and Wednesdays in West Asheville. He completed his bachelor’s degree...

LISA SPALDING
3rd Grade Teacher
Lisa is delighted to become a part of the FernLeaf community. She's especially excited to work with fourth graders! Lisa grew up in Winter Park, FL and moved to Raleigh, NC in 1990. She's been an educator for 34 years teaching elementary school for 15 years in multiple grades and then becoming an administrator...

ROBERT HINCHLIFFE
4th Grade Teacher
Robert grew up in western North Carolina and moved only a couple hours north to complete his degree in Elementary Education at Appalachian State University. He loves the mountains we live in and all of the adventures they have...

EMILY MORENO
4th Grade Teacher
Emily grew up in NW Ohio on a llama farm. After graduating she moved to NC where she lived and taught in the Raleigh area. She loves being in nature which is what drew her to call the mountains home...

BILLY HOYLE
3rd & 4th Grade Assistant Teacher
Billy was born in Marion, North Carolina, but now calls Asheville home with his wife, Ginny, and Bunnies, Ollie and Piper. He went to Appalachian State University for his Bachelor Degree in Recreation Management. He has been...

VIC WIESEL
5th & 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Vic is thrilled to be a part of the FernLeaf teaching team. With a degree in media studies, he had a brief stint working for the TV Food Network before leaving television to work with children in the outdoors. Vic has extensive ...

ALEXIS HINCHLIFFE
5th & 6th Grade Literacy Teacher
Alexis has found a home in the mountains of Boone, North Carolina for the past four years after relocating there to obtain her degree in Middle Grades Education at Appalachian State University. She is excited to remain in the mountains as she moves to Hendersonville to join...

AHMED ALDOSSARY
5th & 6th Grade Science Teacher
Ahmed was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. After completing his bachelor’s degree in geology, Ahmed worked for the largest oil company in Saudi Arabia for several years and would most times be out in the desert or on off-shore oil rigs analyzing the soil samples and advising the drilling efforts...

TANYA PRATER
5th & 6th Grade Math Teacher
Tanya began her career as an Environmental Educator on the coast of South Carolina after completing her undergraduate degree in Marine Biology from the College of Charleston. She took a short break from education to do research with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources before moving...

PORTER BELL
5th & 6th Grade Assistant Teacher
A native North Carolinian, Porter has recently relocated from Raleigh to Asheville. However, as she puts it, she’s lived in western North Carolina all her life. Porter’s mother was born and grew up in Franklin where she...

ELLIE BUSSE
7th & 8th Grade Science Teacher
Ellie worked as an environmental geologist for the EPA before starting a career in teaching. She grew up in Atlanta, GA but has moved around since her adult years. She returned to North Carolina after living on the west coast...

LAUREN STANFIELD
7th & 8th Grade Literacy Teacher
Lauren grew up in Hendersonville and appreciates her home even more every time she visits a new, beautiful place. She attended Queens University of Charlotte, double majoring in music and French, and went to deepen her knowledge...

CELIA MELVILLE
7th & 8th Grade Math Teacher
Celia is extremely happy to become a part of the Fernleaf community. She was born and raised in South Africa and has various degrees ranging from Political Science, Philosophy, and Business.

RHETT REGISTER
7th & 8th Grade Assistant Teacher
Rhett was born and raised in North Florida, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of North Florida. He taught English for five years — two years teaching middle school English in Jacksonville, Florida, and three years as an assistant language teacher in Miyazaki, Japan...

SARAH KIDSTON
Intervention Coordinator
Born and raised in Western North Carolina trekking through the Pisgah National Forest, Sarah began her teaching career in Brevard. After teaching for 3 years in NC she decided to pack her bags and see what the world had to offer. She then spent the next 7 years in Seoul, South Korea working at an international...

LORNA FESTA HANSON
Academic Interventionist
Lorna is mother to Luca and wife to David. She lives in the heart of apple country where she and her family enjoy exploring orchards, forests, and taking their cat (Earl Grey) on walks. In 2008, after earning her B.A. in experimental psychology from the University of South Carolina...

CONNIE DENNING
EC Director
Connie is so excited to be a part of the FernLeaf family. She is a native North Carolinian and grew up near the Outer Banks. She and her husband have lived in the mountains for about six years. They live on a lake and enjoy being outside kayaking, paddle boarding, and hiking with our dog, Derby...

ALYSSA MOORE
EC Teacher
Alyssa came to North Carolina from Kansas in 2004 with her family and received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Western Carolina University in Special Education: General and Adaptive Curriculum with a concentration...

LISA JONES
EC Teacher
Lisa grew up in Minnesota and graduated from St. Olaf College with a degree in English and Studio Art. She moved to Olympia, WA to serve as an AmeriCorps member and then to Thailand to teach with the U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer...

VALERIE MYERS
EC Teacher
Valerie was born in Indiana, but has also lived in eastern West Virginia, eastern North Carolina, and Anchorage Alaska before settling down in Fletcher, North Carolina with her husband and 3 children. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Liberty University and a Master’s degree in Special...

MARY HANSON
EC Teacher
Born in Wisconsin and raised in Raleigh, NC, Mary moved to Hendersonville in 2003 from Boone, where she attended Appalachian State University and acquired her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education grades K-12 with a concentration...

MEREDITH COLLINS
EC Teacher
Meredith is so excited to be a part of the FernLeaf family. She was born in Northern California and grew up in the Midwest. She and her husband have lived in the mountains for about seven years. In addition to her husband of 35 years, Meredith has three sons and 3 dogs.

LINDSEY GUILLIAMS
EC Assistant
Lindsey grew up in Weaverville, NC and spent her youth participating in dance, soccer and marching band. After many recitals, competitions and annual Nutcracker performances she quickly learned she loved expressing herself through the arts and continued to dance and play flute and piccolo through...

MIRANDA NORTON
EC Assistant
Miranda was born at Memorial Mission hospital and was raised in Madison County, NC. She is married to her husband Mark and has settled in Arden with their 2 children and dog Teddy. She has been in the education field for 13 years and has earned a degree in Early Childhood Education...

KRISTIN INGULFSEN
EC Assistant
Born in Mission Hospital, Kristin is an Asheville native. She is working towards her degree in Elementary and Special Education K-12 at Western Governors University. She is excited to be a part of FernLeaf’s community and is especially passionate about the outdoor curriculum...

BRADY HURLEY
EC Assistant
Brady relocated to Asheville in 2020 from Aspen, Colorado, where he lived and explored the Rocky Mountains for over 20 years. The last nine of those were spent supporting students with disabilities as a paraprofessional, connecting, teaching, and learning with students ages 10 to 14.

JOE HARTLES
Behavior Support Specialist
Joe is from the United Kingdom and moved to North Carolina in 2007 after completing his bachelor's degree in Outdoor Studies. After hearing bluegrass music for the first time he knew this was home. Joe has extensive experience...

MARY RUTKOWSKI
K-4 Visual Arts & Environmental Education Teacher
Mary grew up with a love of the outdoors and spent many hours fishing, camping, and exploring in the woods of Wisconsin. She moved to the city in 2009 to study at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, where she received her...

LIZ WIESEL
5th - 8th Grade Visual Arts Teacher
Liz Wiesel came to Fernleaf in 2017 after teaching Art in Henderson County for 11 years. Originally from Michigan, she received her BFA, K-12 Art teaching license, and certification from Michigan State University. During...

ERIC SCHEIDER
Music & Performing Arts Teacher
Eric grew up in Buffalo, NY, and lives in Asheville with his wife, Emily, and daughter Lily. He has been exploring music with children in WNC since 2005. He has taught in and then led the education programs of the Hendersonville...

LUKE SHOFESTALL
STEM Teacher & Upper Grades Interventionist
Luke is also known as “Murphy’s dad” to many in the Fernleaf community. His son Murphy has been enrolled in Fernleaf since 2016 and has been able to thrive in such a wonderful environment and community. Luke graduated from...

ALISSA ARRINGTON
Athletic Director & Physical Education Teacher
Alissa grew up in Fredonia, NY, which is a small town between Erie, PA and Buffalo, NY. She graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 2014 with a degree in Exercise Science. After working at a fitness center for a year and a half she...

WILL HINCHLIFFE
Adventure Sports Coordinator & Environmental Science Teacher
Will grew up in Western NC before attending NC State University, earning a BS in Geology. He has worked in research, including water quality management in the Piedmont as well as landslide monitoring in the Green River Gorge. Ultimately he fell in love with teaching as a STEM instructor at West Virginia...

HANNAH CHARBEL
Spanish Teacher
Hannah was born and raised near Dayton, Ohio. After graduating from high school, she then moved to Southeast Ohio to attend Ohio University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Education and a Master’s Degree in Critical Studies. Upon graduating, Hannah moved to Spain to teach English for...

SHANNON FRAZIER
Extended Care Coordinator
Shannon Frazier was born in Durham, NC but was raised in Ohio and Delaware. She moved to Johnson City, TN after high school to be near her family. Shannon graduated from East Tennessee State University with a BA in Mass Communications with emphasis in Advertising and a minor in Art.

SARAH WEAVER
Administrative Assistant
Sarah started working with children as a teacher/counselor at Pressley Ridge in Walker, WV. She moved to North Carolina in 2007 after accepting a job as a wilderness instructor at the SUWS of the Carolinas near Old Fort, NC....

KOREY ALFRED
Lower Grades Counselor
Korey and his wife moved to North Carolina from Utah in 2021. Originally from Montana, he loves nature, people, and encouraging others. His favorite activities include learning peoples’ stories, reading good books, and dabbling in all the foreign languages.

DAVID CRAIG
Upper Grades Counselor
David Craig is a husband to his amazing wife, father of two wonderful boys, and a resident of Western Carolina for more than 20 years. He loves the outdoors, good books, playing and feeling useful...

JEFF BANFORD
Custodian/Maintenance Director
Jeff grew up in Brattleboro, VT. His love of the mountains and snowboarding brought him to Crested Butte, CO in 1998, where he lived and worked in the ski industry as a maintenance manager for the next 22 years, until he moved from the Rockies to the Appalachians in the summer of 2020.

MICHAEL LUPLOW
Executive Director
Michael’s interest in educational policy, educational psychology, and creative approaches to teaching and learning were piqued while studying education at the University of Illinois. Over the next 17 years, Michael had the opportunity to...

MOLLY LUPLOW
School Director
As one of the school’s founders, she has worked to support the development of FernLeaf behind the scenes since 2013 through committee and board involvement. Molly earned her bachelor’s degree from The University of Iowa, and...

KATHLEEN ASKEW
School Director
Kathleen grew up in West Virginia where she enjoyed spending time in the mountains with her family. She has called western North Carolina her “home away from home” since 2001, when she moved to Boone to attend Appalachian State University. She currently lives in Edneyville, where she can be found with her...

SCOTT MCDONALD
Chief Financial Officer
Scott considers himself a rare breed of "interesting" accountant. He got his business degree with a minor in chemistry from UNC Chapel Hill. Not knowing what to do after graduation, he went back for his Masters in Accounting....

NICOLE RULE
Communications, Marketing & Events Coordinator
Nicole grew up in Michigan, met her partner in Chicago and moved to WNC in 2002 for a literacy tutoring and service learning project assignment with AmeriCorps. She then went to Western Carolina to get her Masters in Physical Therapy...

RICKY BISHOP
Bus Driver
Ricky was born, raised, and educated, in Henderson County, NC. He graduated from East Henderson High, is US Air Force veteran, and retired after 30 years of service as a deputy sheriff in Henderson County.

AMBER
Social and Emotional Support Expert
Amber joined the FernLeaf team in 2019 and has been supporting staff, students, and families in innumerable ways ever since!

POPPI AND GEORGE
Social and Emotional Support Expert
Think of them like emotional support bunnies crossed with furry companions that provide students the important experience of learning responsibility and care for animals.