Meet Our Staff

Ross has worked in the fields of education and recreation for over 30 years. Ross holds a Bachelor of Science degree in both psychology and psychobiology from Hamilton College and a Master of Science degree from Villanova University, where he studied counseling and human relations. He began by working with emotionally disturbed children in local agencies outside of Philadelphia. After completing his graduate work, Ross spent 11 years working as a school counselor specializing in family counseling and crisis intervention.

Prior to moving to Richmond, Ross spent 23 years as a director of summer programs for two separate summer camp operations. As the director of a day camp with 200 children at a prominent independent school outside of Philadelphia, Ross built and developed a comprehensive, integrated summer program that included a general day camp, sports camps, specialty camps and academic enrichment programs. Building on the foundation of the original day camp, the program grew and evolved over 11 seasons into 12-15 separate programs with more than 1100 children. Ross then moved to a large, privately-owned, multi-faceted recreational facility that included a newly-established summer camp with an enrollment of only 185 campers. Ross was responsible for all facets of the program: personnel, budget, registration and enrollment, scheduling, marketing and business development, facilities, transportation and food service. Under his leadership, enrollment grew to 800 campers within four years and averaged over 600 campers per year during his 12-year tenure.

Mary Jo (MJ) joined the team at Community Idea Stations, the PBS affiliate for the greater Richmond, VA region, as the Ready to Learn Project Manager in the fall of 2015. Ready to Learn is the PBS Kids outreach program designed to empower parents and childcare providers to use PBS resources to get their children ages 2-8 ready for success in school. In this capacity, Mary Jo oversees all the outreach and community partnerships for Central Virginia.

Prior to her current role, Mary Jo’s most recent appointment was with the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children. There she served as a policy field organizer working with volunteers and community partners to advocate for high quality Pre-K in Pennsylvania.

Mary Jo has a BS Summa Cum Laude in Elementary/Early Childhood Education from Gwynedd Mercy University and is a certified Early Childhood/Elementary teacher. She taught pre-school and ran afterschool programs for many years before becoming founder and Director of Germantown Academy’s Early Childhood Program for 13 years and then Director of St. Andrew’s Nursery School for five.

Ross and MJ have three children and one grandchild.

I have over 21 years of experience working in the Early Childhood field; 14 of those years were here. I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and I am “slowly” working towards my M.Ed. in Special Education. I participated in the two-year ExCELL program with The Literacy Institute at VCU, which focuses on bringing together families, educators, and community resources necessary to develop critical early language and literacy skills. My passion is helping children and parents gain the skills needed to create a lifelong love of learning. I enjoy spending time with my husband, Kevin and our five children for weekend adventures to various locations in Virginia and surrounding states. I love to take lots of pictures to document my family’s journeys.

I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with minors in Statistics and Special Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. I had previously worked with children with autism and learning disabilities. In my spare time, I enjoy horseback riding, outdoor sports and spending time with my husband, Ryan, and two active dogs. I had my first baby, Blake, in December 2017.

Ashlee holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and Recreation Administration from Southern Virginia University. She began working for LeafSpring School in September 2007 and transferred to Hanover from the Wyndham location in 2012. Ashlee married her high school sweetheart, Michael, on Valentine’s Day 2013. Ashlee has 2 sons and 1 stepdaughter, Oliver, Griffin, and Ta’te. In her spare time Ashlee enjoys biking, camping, sports of all kinds, and music.

Professional Mission Statement:

To be the piece that helps each child see the bigger picture.

Lynsey attended VCU where she obtained her degree in Mass Communication with a concentration in Creative Advertising. She grew up in Hanover with her large family and is the second oldest of 18 children. She has always had a passion for working with children and being someone they feel comfortable coming to when they need help.

My Professional Mission Statement:

To provide others with the tools they need to succeed.

Michael joined LeafSpring School at Hanover in August 2017 and before then worked for the Three Chopt location for about 4 years.

He has been in the education for 10 years as a teacher and school administrator for the Dooley School Special Education program. He is a proud graduate and alumni from VCU with a B.A. in Religious Studies and a B.S. in Sociology. He is even prouder to be father of two boys, Gavin and Brody who attend LeafSpring School.

Professional Mission Statement:

Help our students realize their goals and strive for success.

I started my career at the Three Chopt location in 1992 while attending Virginia Union University. I have worked with all ages, but many of my years were dedicated to working with the school aged children in the Village. I became a nurse through the Henrico County St. Mary’s Nursing Program. After graduation and passing the state boards, I joined the team as the Get Well Place head nurse.

I have been a nurse for 20+ years all in pediatrics. I currently work full time as a Registered Nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at St. Mary’s Hospital. I hope to continue taking care of and educating students in this new and different setting.

I am blessed with four children (Michael, Victoria, Dylan, and Allison), who keep me extremely busy when I’m not working.