Our Staff

Jen Moran, School Director & Co-founder, B.S. (Political Economy) Colorado College, 1989; Montessori Certified -1991; Hometown: Old Lyme, CT.
Experience: Co-founder and former Director of Sourdough Montessori. 20 years of Montessori teaching in preschool through kindergarten programs. Mother of two.
Passions/Interests: Reading, (all kinds of things on all kinds of topics – but especially child development material). Community volunteering with my two children, skiing (x-country, downhill), hiking.
In my own words: “How you spend your days is how you spend your life”. I love this quote from Annie Dillard and try to adhere to this short but sweet wisdom every day. I have been blessed to discover life with children in their formative years, celebrating their small but meaningful daily successes as they grow to develop individual senses of self-esteem. A blessing too is the opportunity I have at Sourdough to exercise the Montessori Peace Education Philosophy through which world peace can be promoted by empowering children to love themselves, others and the world in which they live.

Catie Sullivan, Head Teacher – B.A. (Education) U of Toledo, 2008; Montessori Certified, 2009; Hometown: Toledo, OH.
Experience: Five years teaching preschool.
Passions/Interests: Hiking, biking and snowboarding, involvement with Montessori and young student education groups, practicing yoga.
In my own words: It is my belief that having an open mind will allow you to do anything you want! I love teaching because children naturally approach the world with an open mind. It's amazing to help them discover their world and guide them as they experience new challenges and situations. It is also rewarding to observe the progress and growth that occurs during a child's early years. Overall, children remind me that when you keep your mind open, you learn something new each day!

Megan Baker, Lead Teacher - B.A. (Art Education K-12), Montana State University, 2008; Montessori Certified 2010; Hometown: Pittsfield, Me.
Experience: seven years of general care for toddlers through pre-school aged children, primarily as a teacher but also as a nanny and as a leader in various youth programs.
Passions/Interests: Being outside, Nordic and downhill skiing, hiking, walking my dog, creating art and experiencing it, going to live music shows or just listening to music.
In my own words: I love the spontaneity of children. They are always so captivated in the moment that working with them becomes a new experience every day. I love their creativity and imaginations – how they can create a whole different world inside a sandbox.

Tim Rooney, Teacher - Music, Spanish & General – B.A. (Education) Montana State University, 1999; Hometown: Clinton, NJ.
Experience: 10 years experience teaching K-12, pres-school, art & Spanish.
Passions/Interests: Snowboarding/skiing, bicycling, making music, cooking, relaxing with my family and . . . dare I say it – not working.
In my own words: I love the energy of kids, and their genuine interest in learning about the world around them. Children are open, honest and down to earth. And in the way they make me be my best they are a constant source of inspiration. Children live in the moment and as such, remind me about what is real and important.

Annie Diberardinis – Part-time Support Teacher - Masters Ed., MSU 1981, B.A. Education, Loretto Heights College, Denver, CO, 1967. Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa
Experience: 30 years teaching children through work at Sourdough, and work in Costa Rica teaching English as a second language, adult education and ecology education.
Passions/Interests: Geology, nature, (especially whales and dolphins) travelling and teaching. We love traveling, which led us unexpectedly to building a house in a small village in Costa Rica twenty years ago. During our time there I have taught English, nurtured young children, conducted field research with wild dolphins and actually been part of a not for profit organization dedicated towards the research, education and protection of native dolphins in the region. Between the rain forest and the sea it is an amazing place.
In my own words: I love teaching young children and have found that the philosophy and learning methods of Montessori bring out the magic of learning and development. This is my fifth year at Sourdough and I especially enjoy sharing with the children my love of story-telling and fossil hunting, and my knowledge of rocks, animals and plants. I count my time spent with my Sourdough friends as a “heart-link” to the mystery and beauty of life. Since I don’t have grandchildren of my own (yet), I thank you so much for sharing your children with me. I treasure my time spent with them at Sourdough.

Jay Josephs, CPA, Owner/Co-Founder, Business and Facilities Manager – MBA, UC Berkeley 1987; BS (Business) UC Berkeley 1981. Hometown: Los Angeles, CA.
Experience: Co-founder and owner of Sourdough since its inception in 1997. A 30 year career in property and business management during which I have managed several successful enterprises, (besides Sourdough) including the Elk Grove subdivision, and some consulting engineering companies.
Passions/Interests: Spending time with the ones I love; my wife and kids and my friends. Puttering around Sourdough trying to make it just that much better. Taking looong walks with my dogs. Cooking and eating. Reading. Writing. Talking. Oh yeah - and skiing. Few things give me the joy I find when I find myself on a long, steep face that is thick with powder.
In my own words: There is something about being around kids that brings out the best in a person. I know this because I see what the challenge of running a school like this has done not just for me, but all of us that make up this amazing community called Sourdough. Our staff, our parents, the service providers and craftsmen that regularly help us out, and as I say myself, all of us seem driven, as if by some shared but invisible force, to do our best and be at our best for our kids. This is the best part of owning Sourdough – to be a part of something so positive, based on such a giving spirit. The miracle of it all is that in the instant we do for our kids, we help ourselves almost as much as we do them.