Staff Directory
Nikki is a long-time resident of Ojai, graduating from Nordhoff High School. She worked as a teacher's assistant at Noah’s Ark Preschool for five years and has been involved in the youth sports scene in Ojai for many years. Nikki and her family enjoy the outdoors, either on horseback or hiking with their dog.
Helena holds a Masters in Elementary Education from Johns Hopkins, but really found her passion in the alternative pedagogy of Waldorf Steiner through Journey School, a public charter school, where her son was a student from k-4th grade. During that time she went through a year of the teacher training program at the Waldorf School of Orange County and was a substitute teacher grades K-4. Besides being a high school ESL/ELA teacher, she was also a photojournalist for the Ventura County Edition of LA Times for 6 years. Presently, she is expanding her education through The Ojai Foundation’s council training program and is excited about joining the team at Valley Oak Charter School which is only minutes from her home in Meiners Oaks.
Nancy has worked in the field of education for 30 years. She has a B.S. in Biological Science and a Masters of Education in Reading. Having a Single Subject Credential in Science and Math and a Multiple Subject Credential has afforded her the opportunity to teach at the elementary, middle school and high school levels focusing on instruction in the areas of science, math and reading. For 20 years, she was employed by OUSD teaching life science, physical science and pre-algebra at Matilija Junior High. Ojai has been her home since 1990. She enjoys the active outdoor lifestyle it affords her family and has been involved as a leader in 4-H and Boy Scouts. She enjoys sharing the wonders of the natural world with children, helping them develop the skills of careful observation and thoughtful imagination. Her time spent outdoors often involves cycling, hiking, back packing, gardening and ocean sports.
David received his B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon in 2012. Since then, he has been committed to deepening his knowledge through his work in permaculture and organic farming. David has also worked in education making him a perfect fit to help us develop our grounds in a way that supports student learning.