GROW MONTESSORI - Key Persons
Danielle received her AMI Primary Education training at the Montessori Institute of San Diego and is currently working to complete her Montessori certificate. She is also pursuing her M.Ed. in Primary Montessori Education with Loyola University. Danielle has worked as an Assistant Primary Guide for over 10 years and holds a B.S. in Biology from Kennesaw State University. She enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Montessori Teacher Education Institute
Dr. Ashley Darcy: Dr. Ashley Darcy is the Director of the Montessori Teacher Education Institute. She is the Coordinator of the Institute's Early Childhood Program and is an instructor in both the Infant & Toddler and Early Childhood programs. She is a credentialed Montessori teacher in Early Childhood with experience as a teacher in a Montessori Early Childhood classroom and also has worked as a Curriculum Director.
In addition, Ashley earned her Doctorate Degree in Early Childhood from Kennesaw State University in December 2014. She is also a recognized instructor for Bright from the Start.
Joen Bettmann: Ms. Bettmann was the Director of Training at the International Montessori Training Institute (IMTI) in Atlanta. In addition, she was a consultant for the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), an adjunct professor at Loyola University (Maryland), and a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences on Montessori education. Joen died on May 1, 2020 after a long battle with breast cancer and leptomeningeal disease. A founding board members and champion of Grow from the very beginning, she continues to guide our practice and fuel our commitment to the child. Peace be to her memory.
Julia Demetrius: Julia is a graduate of Tulane University with a B.A. degree, cum laude, in Political Science and French. Intending to pursue a career in academia, she entered the doctoral program in French Literature at Stanford University. She earned her M.A. before changing courses to join the dot-com revolution that swept San Francisco in the late 1990s. She moved to Atlanta in 2002 to attend Emory University School of Law and, for seven years, practiced business litigation in the Atlanta office of the law firm of Miller & Martin.
Julia is currently on hiatus from the practice of law to focus her energies and time on her young son, David. He is energetic, involved, active, and quitecurious. Her husband, André, is a health and group benefits consultant with Willis Towers Watson. He is originally from Jamaica and they occasionally enjoy family trips to his home country.
Julia recently launched her freelance editing business, Edit + Proof, which provides tailored content editing and proofreading services. In her spare time, Julia can be found engaging in one of her true passions: biking, reading, enjoying a bite in one of Atlanta's many excellent restaurants, and tinkering with new cocktail recipes. She and André enjoy entertaining andhosting friends.
She also treasures her membership in the Atlanta Chapters of The Girl Friends, Inc. and The National Smart Set, which celebrate camaraderie and friendship. Julia values her engagement with organizations that serve her community. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Atlanta Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and the Dogwood City Chapter of The Links, Inc., a national organization devoted to promoting educational, civic, and intercultural activities that enrich underserved communities. In her capacity as Vice President of Programs for four years, Julia was honored to help enhance the Dogwood City Chapter's partnership with the students, parents, and staff at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School, located just around the corner from Grow Montessori School and the Atlanta University Center.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder of LiFT Art Salon
- Founder and Principal of Thrd Space
Nasim Fluker: Nasim is the founder and principal of Thrd Space, a consulting firm that provides creative strategies for changing places. Nasim is an experienced change agent who orchestrates strategy, builds operating platforms, and enables talent alignment, engagement and high performance by harnessing the power of people, purpose and opportunity. She is a versatile, resilient leader of teams, projects and programs with a commitment to relationship development, organizational growth and social change.
Before founding Thrd Space, Nasim was the first-hire and Director of Programs and Operations at the Westside Future Fund, a Georgia non-profit targeting community revitalization of Atlanta's Westside. Prior to her work at the Westside Future Fund, Nasim was the Program Manager at the Atlanta Committee for Progress, a partnership between Atlanta's top business, civic and academic leaders, and the Mayor to support economic development priorities.
Nasim is also the co-founder of LiFT Art Salon, a creative placemaking project that mobilized over 1,000 young professionals, artists and activists to use art as a community development tool.
Nasim is a graduate of Lead Atlanta (2016) and an active member of the its alumni association. She is an active member of the Baha'i Community of Atlanta and is passionate about supporting interfaith coalitions. She is a founding member of Smyrna United, the City's taskforce for diversity and inclusion. She lives in Smyrna with her husband Clint and son, Zayn.
She holds a Master's degree and coursework toward a Ph.D. in Sociology from Georgia State University and a Bachelor's degree in International Development from American University. She is an alumna of LEAD Atlanta and Arts Leaders for Metro Atlanta.
Chatiqua S. Ellison: A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Chatiqua attended Spelman College where she honed her leadership skills while earning her bachelor's degree in Political Science. During that time, she was exposed to many learning opportunities which included the studying of Portuguese and Afro-Brazilian Culture in Bahia, Salvador, Brazil. Additionally, she was a recipient of the Mellon Fellow Scholarship, which focused on youth development and community service. Further, her experience in Brazil and passion to work with young people served as inspiration to volunteer with the United States Peace Corps and youth and economic development programs in Namibia, Africa.
While there, Chatiqua served on the Volunteer Advocacy Council and worked alongside the Peace Corps Administration where she developed a keen focus on sustainable community development and economic strategies to implement in her community. Additionally, her work helped to create policies which governed current volunteers.
Chatiqua has always demonstrated a passion for public service. That penchant led to the continuation of her studies and evaluation of policy effectiveness in local communities. Reaching her ultimate academic goal, she received her Master of Public Policy with a concentration in Urban Planning and Policy from Georgia State University's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Now, she aspires to become a Policy Analyst, placing emphasis on community and economic development, especially within the most challenged and disadvantaged communities in the United States.
Chatiqua S. Ellison currently serves a Compliance Specialist in the City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Contract Compliance. In her present role, she is part of a small team responsible for reviewing and vetting the applications of small, minority, and female-owned businesses who seek certification in the City's Equal Business Opportunity or Small Business Opportunity diversity programs.
Ever the multi-faceted academic, Chatiqua also enjoys spending time with her family and pursuing her musical passions. As a hobby, she trains as a bass guitarist and dabbles as a classical and rhythm & blues singer.
Traci received her AMS Primary Diploma from the Montessori Teacher Education Institute in 2017. She has worked as a primary guide and assistant in local Montessori school for several years. She is a wife, mother of four, and the owner of Bert, a Goldendoodle. Originally from Cheyenne, Wyoming, Traci has now called Georgia home for 20 years. She finds pleasure in running, creating side dishes, and celebrating with friends and family.