Rob Akroyd has over 30 years of experience in the fields of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture, Land Planning, Site Engineering, and Permitting/ entitlement. As founder and principal of Greylock Design Associates he has personally designed and managed multiple projects from concept through permitting to implementation.  Committed to his community, Rob has contributed 15 years of public service to the Town of Lenox. Rob’s work in the public forum includes chairman and member of the Board of Selectmen, chairman of planning board and member of the zoning board of Appeals, chairman of various task forces and seats on many ad hoc committees. Rob and his wife Wendy send their two sons to MSB.

Dana Bixby is an architect and since 1989 her practice has been based in West Stockbridge. In addition to being the architect for the new MSB building, she has designed and built varied projects including passive solar homes, brownstone and loft renovations, sound recording studios, historic restorations, nursing homes, senior retirement housing, theater renovations, and a variety of residences in the Berkshires. She holds a graduate degree in architecture from the University of London and an undergraduate architecture degree from Penn State University.  She currently studies Dancemeditation, has completed a training course in space and movement at the Spacial Dynamics Institute, has done graduate study at the Architectural Association, and has participated in Paolo Soleri’s workshop program at Arcosanti. Research interests include Space Syntax and Spacial Dynamics in architecture. She is chairperson of the West Stockbridge Planning Board, and currently serves as treasurer of the MSB Board.

Todd

Todd Covert is the Head of School of The Montessori School of the Berkshires. Before that, he taught language arts, social studies and, most recently, science for seven years in the Berkshire Hills Regional School District. Prior to teaching in public schools, Todd was the Director of Education and Outreach for the Mississippi State Office of National Audubon Society. He brings with him a variety of outdoor and experiential leadership experiences ranging from ropes courses to leading wilderness trips. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy and M.S. in Environmental Education and a Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership. He has a Massachusetts elementary teaching license and is also a licensed administrator in Massachusetts. He has his elementary Montessori training through Montessori Educators International.  Todd serves as the President of the Board.

Meagan

Meagan Ledendecker grew up in a Montessori school with two Montessori teachers and administrators as parents. Drawn to education work with non-profits, she pursued a M.S. in Environmental Education through the Audubon Expedition Institute/Lesley University. Meagan then began working as an Education Coordinator with The Orion Society. After teaching at the elementary level in the Pittsfield Public School system, and providing numerous professional development workshops for teachers, Meagan began pursing Montessori teacher training after the birth of her first daughter and is Montessori trained at the early childhood and elementary level.  Meagan serves as Secretary of the Board.

Gloria

Gloria Friedman had a 30-year career in education and psychotherapy. In 1972, she started a Montessori School on Staten Island for nursery school aged children which she ran for 28 years, expanding it to take children from toddlers through the fifth grade. While directing the school, Gloria went back to college to get her second masters degree in social work. She had a small family therapy practice on Staten Island. Gloria runs Apple Gate Inn in Lee, MA. She volunteers as a tutor for the Berkshire Literacy Network. She is also on the board of the Lee Chamber of Commerce and its former president.

Chris

Chris Hieber is a MassONE (Online Network for Education) Support Specialist with the Massachusetts Department of Education where he analyses how to best reach educators through technology and implements appropriate changes. He has a Masters of Education in Instructional Technology from Framingham State College and a background in Computer Systems Technology. Chris has served as an adjunct informational technology instructor at Gibbs College, a Network Support Specialist and Computer Science Instructor at Marshfield High School and Mount Everett High School, and a Network Support Specialist at South Shore Vo-Tech.






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