Board of Directors
Meet the Board
Jeni Diaz Axline - Chair
Jeni Diaz Axline is a Montessori alumni and parent of two children in The Portland Montessori School’s primary and elementary programs. Her background is in operations, strategic development, and partnerships – with experience in both start-ups and large corporations.
As a Y Combinator alumni, and former co-founder of a venture-backed, women-led business, Jeni credits her early Montessori education for her desire to build businesses and push forward the values of diversity, equity and inclusion.
In the words of Maria Montessori, “The needs of mankind are universal. Our means of meeting them create the richness and diversity of the plant. The Montessori child should come to relish the texture of that diversity.”
Lara Smith - Vice Chair
Lara Smith’s background is in non-profit management, community outreach, camp programming, and project management. She has experience in mission-driven program development, building and leading teams, and leadership development. She works to build opportunities for all children and families to access the support and opportunities they need to thrive.
Lara studied communication and theatre at the University of California, Davis. Her daughter Rowan is a student in the Cloud room. Lara loves to sew and ride her bike whenever time and Portland weather permit.
Emma Anholt - Treasurer
Emma is an open source software developer, and parent to Moss in the Rainbow Room. Prior to TPMS, she has served on the X.Org Foundation Board of Directors for 9 years, including as their treasurer. She also volunteers as a department lead at SOAK, the regional Burning Man event.
Emma and her wife Gloria have been committed to Montessori education for Moss since before he was born. They are quite pleased to see how he has thrived in an environment that nurtures his independence and supports his intrinsic drive for learning.
In her free time, Emma enjoys camping with family and friends, gardening, rock climbing, rockhounding and rock polishing, and playing in the wood shop (often with Moss equipped with nails and scrap wood).
Jess Willey - Secretary
Jess Willey joined the TPMS Board in March 2022, bringing a keen interest in organizational excellence and a professional background in brand management, market insights, and strategic planning. Jess most recently held a leadership role at the Oregon Wine Board, serving the state's community of winemakers and grape growers first as the organization’s head of marketing and then as steward of its strategic plan development. Jess studied engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.
During her 6-year tenure on the Board of the Alberta Cooperative Grocery, Jess discovered the fulfilling nature of board service for a mission-driven, community-based organization. She is honored to chair the TPMS Board as the school embarks on its next era under new leadership. Jess and her husband, Jason, strive to instill in their daughter—a third-year Primary student at TPMS—an appreciation for international travel, live music, and a good hike in the woods.
Naurry Kwon
Naurry Kwon is a strategy and management consultant working with clients to develop business strategies and define operational objectives. Prior to consulting, he has held several roles in the technology and telecommunications industry ranging from product line management to business development. Naurry is also an adjunct professor at Portland State University teaching marketing strategy. Naurry holds a BS from the University of Washington and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
As a father, he’s seen the positive influence and development of his two daughters, Eloise and Agatha. And Naurry is committed to the mission and purpose of The Portland Montessori School and the community it serves.
Whit Pendergast
Whit Pendergast brings a wealth of experience in innovation, brand building, and community engagement to our board. With a background in political strategy and consulting, including national roles with the Service Employees International Union and leading various state and federal campaigns, Whit excels at developing unique pathways to success and organizing people to action. Whit co-founded the largest crowdfunded distillery in US history- one of world's few LGBTQ- and women-led spirits producers. His dedication to community building and values-driven work is also exercised in his role on OHSU’s Transgender Health Advisory Board.
Whit and his partner, Heidi, while new to the Montessori system, are thrilled to see how the Bumblebee community has fostered within their toddler so much growth and excitement about coming to school. You can often find them exploring all the PNW was to offer, learning to cook new dishes together, or making art and music as a family.
Meet the Staff
All guides and most staff members at The Portland Montessori School are Association Montessori Internationale certified. See why so many parents entrust our school with their children’s education and well being.
"At The Portland Montessori School, our kids learn to use buttons, tie their shoes, juice an orange, crack nuts and cut bananas, clean up after themselves, identify odd and even numbers, sew, set their place at the table, pour their own milk, understand the value of numbers into the thousands, and identify continents and countries on a map—and have fun doing it all!"
"My wife and I can’t thank the school enough for helping not only our son, but also us as we try to provide a consistent learning environment in our home."
"If it's true what Maria Montessori said, that the test of the correctness of an educational approach is the happiness of the child, then this school is succeeding beyond our wildest dreams. Both our boys are so happy to go to school and so proud of their work."
"As parents, our ultimate goal is for our child to make independent, healthy and confident choices so he can be a happy and productive person wherever he is in life. We are thankful he is with Miss Jennifer's elementary class and The Portland Montessori School community, where he is developing those traits."
"I am so happy that my son is spending his kindergarten year in a Montessori environment where his knowledge, self-control, kindness, sense of purpose, and confidence have all grown by leaps and bounds."