Our Staff:

Therese Walker, Director
Therese was raised in Dallas, Texas, and received her K-8 teaching credential with an emphasis in special education from the University of Texas at Austin. She has taught in Texas at the junior high school and elementary school levels, and has worked with children in special needs classes. When she moved to Southern California with her husband back in 1989, she continued her work in education but also as a paralegal. She relocated to Healdsburg with her husband and family in 1998, and returned to teach kindergarten for five years. She continued to further her own education through studies in early childhood education at Santa Rosa Junior College and Stanford University, through the Bing Institute. She began at Live Oak in 2006 as a teacher and became full-time director in August 2007. Therese isn't just a Live Oak administrator; back in 1998, she became a Live Oak parent when she enrolled her son.

Linda Dawson, Teacher
Linda studied early childhood education at Santa Rosa Junior College, and continues to further her education at Santa Rosa Junior College and Stanford University through the Bing Institute. Linda has been a teacher at Live Oak Preschool since 2010, and has worked with preschool children for a total of nine years. She says that seeing children grow and develop is like seeing her own children develop all over again, year after year. On days that she is not teaching at Live Oak, Linda works as a bookkeeper for Bucher Farms in Healdsburg. Linda lives in Healdsburg with her husband, daughter, and son. Spending time with her family is what she loves to do most.

Tawnie Aguilar, Teacher
Tawnie received her education through the Montessori Teacher Education Center-San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Rosa Junior College. Tawnie continues to study early childhood education at Santa Rosa Junior College and through the CAEYC (California Association for the Education of Young Children) and the Bing Institute at Stanford University. She is fluent in Spanish and has enjoyed incorporating Spanish into the Live Oak curriculum. Tawnie started teaching at Live Oak in 2010, and has been a full-time teacher since then. Outside of Live Oak, Tawnie spends time with her family and friends, and enjoys outdoor activities, adventures, and fun! Her daughter, Dahlia, was born in 2009 and was a part of the Live Oak family.

Stephanie Gwilliam, Teacher
Stephanie started her journey at Live Oak Preschool when she was just 4 years old. Her positive experiences as a child ultimately lead her to come back as a teacher. Stephanie studied early childhood development at Santa Rosa Junior College and received her teaching certificate from SRJC; later, she went on to San Francisco State University to receive her bachelor's degree in fine arts. She joined the staff at Live Oak in 2014. When Stephanie isn't teaching, she is making ceramics in her home studio; she sells the work at farmers' markets all over Sonoma County. Stephanie also created the Live Oak donor board that sits outside the preschool today.

Darlene Stoops, Teacher
From her first job as an aide in a preschool, Darlene knew that the preschool age was her niche in early childhood education. She became certified in ECE through De Anza College in Cupertino, and received a BA Degree in Sociology of the Family from San Jose State University. She served for many years as teacher and assistant director at Children's Center of the Stanford Community, and more recently served as teacher and afternoon program director of Palo Alto Friends Nursery School.  Over the years she has continued to grow and evolve as a teacher, recently focusing on reflective teaching and the importance of keeping children connected to nature and the outdoors. What has not changed is her passion for  the amazing human development that takes place during the preschool years.  It is her firm belief that young children learn best through their natural inclination to play, in a thoughtfully planned environment, and through their supportive and trusting relationships with the people in their world. Her outside interests include being out in nature, reading, gardening, cooking, and spending time with family and pets. 

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​Elizabeth Marinovich, Teacher
Elizabeth received her Bachelors Degree in Health Education from San Francisco State University. She later became certified in ECE at Santa Rosa Junior College and is also a certified yoga instructor.  She first started working with children as an after school enrichment teacher for art, yoga and jewelry making at schools in San Francisco.  Later, she became a long term substitute at the Chinese American International School in SF. This is Elizabeth's first year teaching at Live Oak Preschool and she is thrilled. She loves getting to know each child's unique personality. She lives in Forestville and when she is not teaching she loves to garden, go camping and hangout at the river with her dog.

Lisa Ferrari, Teacher
Lisa has two children of her own and after many years of volunteering in their school, realized her true passion was working with children. She first worked as a teacher’s aide for several years at St. John School in Healdsburg, which prompted her to pursue a career in Early Childhood Education at Santa Rosa Junior College. Lisa is fascinated by the way young children are open, curious and full of creative ideas. She is inspired by the way children are inquisitive and have their own unique perspective at such a young age. Lisa believes that it is necessary to understand each child, recognize their individual strengths and teach in a loving and safe environment. When Lisa is not at Live Oak she loves being in the outdoors, running, and simply spending time in nature! She is so happy to be a part of the Live Oak family! 

Dannelle Jenkins, Office Manager
Dannelle oversees the behind-the-scenes operations at Live Oak Preschool, and is heavily involved in planning the school's two biggest annual fundraisers: the Dinner Dance Auction and the Walk-A-Thon. She is also a former Live Oak parent; both of her daughters went through the school in recent years.