top of page
About Us
Locations
Dawn Johnson (she/her/hers), Lead Nature Preschool Teacher
Dawn is Support teacher for Wildflower CFC this year. She has worked in the preschool arena for about 5 years now. Dawn is currently enrolled at the University of Cincinnati for my Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. She lives in Piqua Ohio with her husband, their daughter and 2 sons. They enjoy spending our free time camping and exploring new places. Her love for nature stems from her parents raising her in and around the woods and creeks and she can't wait to share this love.
Erin Lehrian (she/her/hers), Lead Teacher & Growth Caretaker
Along with lead teacher responsibilities, Erin will be responsible for child screening, curriculum, and assessment coordination.
Erin has been working in Early Childhood Education since 2016, after graduating from Miami University with a Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education. Shortly after graduating, she had the privilege to teach as an Intervention Specialist with BCESC within Lakota Schools. Erin also served as a preschool teacher at First School Preschool. Erin joined WCFC in 2023 and gained experience working in nature-based education right away! Erin and her three-year-old daughter thrives in nature and love a good mud puddle to splash in. Together with her husband and daughter, she loves to spend time outside with our two dogs in the garden!
Erin has been working in Early Childhood Education since 2016, after graduating from Miami University with a Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education. Shortly after graduating, she had the privilege to teach as an Intervention Specialist with BCESC within Lakota Schools. Erin also served as a preschool teacher at First School Preschool. Erin joined WCFC in 2023 and gained experience working in nature-based education right away! Erin and her three-year-old daughter thrives in nature and love a good mud puddle to splash in. Together with her husband and daughter, she loves to spend time outside with our two dogs in the garden!
Erin Friel (she/her/hers), Lead Nature-Preschool Teacher
Erin serves in our full time room. Erin has over a decade of experience in childcare and several of those years have been in play and nature-based settings. She holds a BA in Human Development and is working toward her master’s certificate in Nature-based early childhood education at Antioch University New England. She loves crafting and reading, but most of all being outside exploring, hiking and swimming with her family.
Genevieve Harvey (she/her/hers), Support Teacher
Genevieve has just completed a 33 year career teaching in public school, serving students with intensive needs in preschool through eighth grade. The best 24 years were in preschool! Now she gets to do what she has dreamed of; spending her time with young children immersed in language-rich, child-led, project-based outdoor learning! She is delighted to get to to know and learn alongside the students and staff at Wildflower. She can’t wait for the adventures to begin! Genevieve has 3 grown children, a spouse, Joe, who has just retired from Five Rivers Metroparks, and a lovable doodle, named Quincy. She really likes to hike, read, cook, create, and grow useful and/or beautiful plants. She enjoys helping to raise and train future service dogs as a volunteer with 4 Paws for Ability.
Jack Byers (he/him/his), Support Teacher & Operations Manager
Jack's greatest passions in life are conservation and ecology. He is experienced in childcare, this being his fourth such job. Jack is a current Wright State University student in Earth & Environmental Science. One of his great loves is dendrology-the study of trees. He is truly overjoyed to get to share nature and his love of plants with our future generations. Jack also heads up our Toddler Trail Tots class.
Junpier Glazier (she, they, them), Lead Nature Preschool Teacher
Juniper’s passion is finding and fostering the whimsical through nature and community in early childhood education. She is currently finishing up her BA in philosophy with an emphasis of ecofeminism and environmental philosophy as well as a minor in religious studies. One of her dearest passions is investigating our relationships with nature as one of reciprocity and care and finding ways to encourage that in our daily living. During a brief break in their studies, Juniper discovered their love for childcare and education and has been looking for ways to combine her interests of environmentalism and early childhood education ever since. When they aren’t working, Juniper enjoys tending to her garden, hiking with her dog Foxglove, making herbal remedies, and exploring her creative side through arts of various mediums.
Katie Guirnalda (she/her/hers), Lead Nature Preschool Teacher & Land Caretaker
Katie has a passion for being outside and learning fun nature facts! She loves gardening and was part of the Growing Our Teachers cohort through the Cincinnati Civic Garden Center this past year. Katie is also a member of the Partners for the Environment Leadership Cohort this year. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Miami University and before joining Wildflower taught as a naturalist in Centerville City Schools teaching nature classes to kindergarten and first grade classes. Katie has also made connections and acquired nature education skills through her work as a naturalist at the Centerville-Washington Park District, Learning Tree Farm, and Wild Child Nature Preschool.
Kristyn Andrews (she/her/hers), Lead Nature Preschool Teacher
We are so excited to welcome Kristyn to WCFC! She is completing her final year of the Early Childhood Education program at Clark State College. She has several years of childcare experience and cares deeply about supporting children’s social/emotional development and learning through play. Kristyn has a background in music and dance, is enthusiastic about nature and gardening–especially native plants–and enjoys reading, journaling, camping, and sewing.
Meredith Florkey (she/her/hers), Lead Teacher, Weaver and Executive Director
Meredith is committed to supporting early childhood learning and well-being through year-round outdoor learning and play. Beginning her 19th year in education, her recent projects include founding one of the areas first nature preschools in 2016, establishing Ohio Naturally LLC a company that advocates, coaches, creates programs and delivers professional development. She holds a MA in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education and a MA Cert in ECE Leadership and Advocacy. Meredith serves on the boards of Miami Valley Leave No Child Inside Collaborative, the Ohio Nature-Based Early Childhood Education Collaborative and is a mentor with the Partners for the Environment Leader Cohort program. While you might find Meredith advocating at the statehouse or serving on a committee, her first love is making mud pies on a creek bank or creating a messy art project with children.
Tina Colaric (she/her/hers), Support Teacher & Health Caretaker
Tina believes that as humans I believe we have 3 responsibilities. Take care of our home (earth), take care of ourselves, and take care of each other. With the help of nature and curiosity she can't wait to expand young minds and grow along side them.
Amy Kronberg, PhD
Board President
Amy devotes her seemingly endless energy to supporting playful learning for children and their adults. Amy believes that play can happen anywhere and is passionate about
making learning accessible to everyone—the greatest play spaces are just outside your window!
Amy is driven to demystifying early learning—opportunities to play and learn are more accessible than we think.
A model of our learning and growing value, Amy holds a
PhD in Educational Leadership, PK-12 administration, a MSEd in Early Childhood Leadership and Advocacy, and a BA in Early Childhood Education.
making learning accessible to everyone—the greatest play spaces are just outside your window!
Amy is driven to demystifying early learning—opportunities to play and learn are more accessible than we think.
A model of our learning and growing value, Amy holds a
PhD in Educational Leadership, PK-12 administration, a MSEd in Early Childhood Leadership and Advocacy, and a BA in Early Childhood Education.
Saralinda Blanning, Board Secretary
Saralinda Blanning is a naturalist with Centerville City Schools who teaches Kindergarten and First Grade nature classes. Having studied English, Rhetoric, and Community Literacy as an undergraduate and graduate student, she began her career teaching college composition and has also worked as a grant writer. Becoming a parent and volunteering in her children’s schools led to a new career in nature education. Saralinda earned an undergraduate degree from The University of Michigan and a master’s degree from Michigan Technological University, but credits growing up close to nature in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula and spending summers in Colorado’s Grand Mesa National Forest as the source of many of her most profound educational experiences.
Joel D. Siefert, CFA
Board Treasurer
Joel joined Johnson Investment Counsel in 2011. He is a Senior Portfolio Manager in Wealth Management in Dayton, Ohio, and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation. Joel is also a shareholder of the firm. Prior to joining the firm, he worked for KeyBank as a Senior Portfolio Manager. Joel is passionate about education and making nature-based education more accessible to children and families. Joel values how nature promotes educational development, improved health and well-being and environmental stewardship. Joel holds a Bachelors in Finance and MBA in Finance from the University of Toledo. Joel currently resides in Englewood with his wife Mindy and two children, Kara and Luke. Joel is actively engaged in his community including as a club soccer coach and a participant in his local Church.
bottom of page