Our faculty & staff
in alphabetical order
James Brunner
Science/STEM
Drawing on his background in Design Thinking, James has built a STEM program at NBA that is an engineering based program designed to cultivate inventiveness and teamwork skills. Prior to NBA, he taught a similar program at Cascade Canyon school in Fairfax. He first taught at Bayside STEM Academy in San Mateo. During his tenure he taught science, programming, robotics, and 3-D printing. James trained in design thinking at Stanford University's "D school" where he developed curriculum for teaching design thinking using technology. James has a BS in life science from Penn State University and holds credentials for teaching biology and chemistry.
Jennifer Cariadus
5th Grade Head Teacher
Jen joins North Bridge community from Star Academy, where she served for more than thirteen years as a Multisensory Language Arts Specialist, Adaptive Technology Assistant, and Classroom Teacher. She also taught Music/Drama, Yearbook, and Digital Arts. Jen also spearheaded and led a school-wide creative writing and publishing program. Before her tenure at Star Academy, Jen was a Clinician, Consultant, and Associate Clinical Director of Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes Clinic (Marin). When she’s not teaching, singing, dancing, writing, or otherwise creating something, She can be spotted seaside, or searching the sky for eclipses, comets, and meteor showers. She lives in San Francisco with her wife, teenage twins, and two furkids.
Reyna Bailey
Van Driver/Program Support
Reyna is super excited to be part of the amazing staff here at North Bridge Academy. Growing up with dyslexia, Reyna can relate to the challenges that occur in and out of the classroom. In her professional experience, she has had many years in customer service. Reyna has worked with the public specializing in the transportation department as a commercial driver/supervisor. Being part of the North Bridge Academy family, she is able to pay it forward by uplifting and helping these amazing students achieve their goals. She is proud to be surrounded by others who share the same compassion for children with dyslexia.
Annie Crowder
Head of School
Annie has led small, private schools for students who learn differently for the past 20+ years. Annie believes strongly in a strengths-based approach to education and that all children learn best with multi-sensory, direct instruction. It is her passion to lead school communities, holding collaboration, authenticity, diversity, and transparency as her highest ideals. Annie holds a BS in Psychology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MS in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State University. When not at school, Annie enjoys spending time with her two children, Ella and Chloe, and her partner, Tara. She loves walking on the beach, looking for sand dollars and sea glass, playing board games and bingo, riding her bike, and building Legos.
Karinne Cusenza
Head Teacher, Grade 5
Karinne has taught and lived in the Bay Area for 5 years. Before moving to Sausalito she lived in San Diego and Los Angeles, where she attended UCLA for undergrad. While at UCLA she became passionate about inequity in education and applied for Teach for America. She has a multiple subject credential from Loyola Marymount University and has started a Master’s in Education Policy at Johns Hopkins University. Karinne grew up in Santa Rosa and is a 4th generation Bay Area resident. When she is not teaching, she enjoys cooking, reading, camping, paddle boarding, and hiking with her dog. She loves to travel and explore new places. One night a week Karinne volunteers to feed seals, sea lions, and otters at the Marine Mammal Center.
Peter Hagan
Van Driver
Peter retired after almost 40 years in the corporate world and loves the change of pace and the sense of community at North Bridge Academy. A native San Franciscan, he and his family have lived in Novato for almost 30 years. During his free time he enjoys home improvement projects, almost anything relating to classic cars from the 60s and 70s, and getting away to Donner Lake.
Stephanie Hoyt
Middle School Math Teacher
Following a brief career in finance, Stephanie turned to teaching and hasn’t looked back. She began her career as an ELA teacher in Cape Town, South Africa. After returning to the Bay Area, she obtained her teaching credential at Dominican University and spent the next five years teaching lower school at San Domenico and math and history Mt. Tam School. Before joining North Bridge Academy, Stephanie taught Middle School math and ELA at St. Anselms for five years. In 2019, she completed a reading intervention certification at the University of San Francisco. Stephanie joined North Bridge Academy in 2022. When she isn’t in the classroom teaching, Stephanie tutors middle school students in math. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys watching sunsets on Bolinas Ridge and visiting family in Lake Tahoe.
David Klemas
Middle School Dean,
Social Studies & Wellness
David has worked with middle school students in both public and private schools since 2000. In his role as Dean of MS Students, David is committed to helping students build their academic and social confidence, as well as strengthening the NBA community as a whole. He enjoys working to solve conflicts through restorative practices utilizing his training from the Marin County Youth Court. Dave also finds time to coach NBA's basketball team. Outside of the classroom, you can find David on the ice playing hockey, in the kitchen cooking up something delicious, or out seeing live music.
Daisley Kramer
Middle School Art
Daisley is an artist and freelance art writer and editor. She came to NBA through her dyslexic daughter who attended NBA. Throughout her career, she has worked with students at all grades and believes that exposure to and experimentation with a broad range of media, styles, and cultural and historical references enables the development of visual literacy, an active aesthetic consciousness, and a lifelong appreciation for the role of art in everyday life. Daisley holds an MFA in studio art from Claremont Graduate University and a BFA in art history from Vanderbilt University.
Adele Maze
Lower School Art
Adele is an art and educational therapist in private practice in Mill Valley. She is a visual artist, poet, and calligrapher with a deep appreciation for image and word. Adele received a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies and a MA in Intuition Medicine. She is also a certified herbalist, teacher, and hang gliding instructor. A life long learner, Adele has studied with sculptor, Robert Arneson, the “Father of Funk Art”; painter and author of Creative Revolution, Flora Bowley; calligrapher and choreographer, Jenny Hunter Groat; and poet and author, Naomi Shihab Nye. Outside the classroom, Adele loves to travel, attend house concerts, and cook for friends.
Erin Minuth
Head Teacher, Grade 3/4
& Learning Specialist
Erin is a dyslexic educator who strives to ensure that all her students' needs are met while learning in a safe and fun environment. She was taught the Slingerland method as a student and overcame her difficulties with reading and writing. Erin graduated from Teton Science School with a certificate in Place-Based Education and then taught gap semesters abroad. After returning to San Francisco, she obtained a Master’s Degree in Education at the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute. Since then she has worked in elementary education at Convent School and Hamlin School. Erin has advanced Slingerland Certification and uses it each day to meet the needs of all her students. When not teaching, Erin enjoys playing tennis, surfing, skiing, and adventuring with her family and friends.
Jeanette Molineaux
Learning Specialist
Jeanette has worked in early childhood and special education as a teacher and early intervention specialist in New York, Washington, DC and for the last six years in California public schools. She has an MA in Special Education from The George Washington University and completed post-graduate work in Child Life Studies and Parent Education at Adelphi University and Bank Street College of Education in New York. Jeanette is trained in Slingerland, Orton Gillingham and Handwriting Without Tears and is a certified child life specialist. She enjoys exploring the bay area, reading, hiking and spending time with her family.
Nate Moneda
Office Manager
Nate Moneda is the new Office Manager for North Bridge Academy. While graduating from Sonoma State with a Degree in Political Science, Nate spent most of his collegiate years joining a fraternity, playing volleyball, and participating in philanthropic events. His professional experience includes working in parks and recreation, and non profit organizations. In his spare time, Nate enjoys trying new restaurants, exploring San Francisco’s nightlife, working out, and playing beach volleyball. He hopes that through his interpersonal growth and professional success, Nate can affect the lives of others.
Julia Myers
Learning Specialist & Admissions
Coordinator
Julia has worked in the field of special education in Marin since 2008, both as a classroom teacher and as a Slingerland Specialist. She is a Slingerland Certified Teacher (SCT) and an International Dyslexia Association Certified Dyslexia Practitioner. Julia is also trained in Project Read’s Framing Your Thoughts curriculum and Structured Word Inquiry. Since 2012, Julia has privately tutored students using the Slingerland approach. Prior to living in the Bay Area, Julia lived and worked in Washington, D.C, London, France, Belgium and Switzerland. In addition to her Slingerland certification, Julia holds an M.A. in both French Studies and International Relations. She is a former high school French and English as a Second Language teacher. When not teaching, Julia enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, and dining out.
Christian Naventi
Science Teacher, Grades 4 - 8
Christian has been working with students with learning differences since 2007. Previous to joining the North Bridge community he taught at Star Academy for 11 years, primarily in their middle school and high school. There he focused on writing skills, growing self advocacy, transitions and developing a science program centered around community involvement and project based learning. He has a B.A. from UCLA in Political Science and Multiple Subject and Education Specialist credentials from Dominican University. He is also a certified naturalist from the UC California Naturalist program. Christian enjoys exploring the great outdoor opportunities throughout the Bay Area and beyond, playing music with friends and hanging with his wife and 3 year old daughter.
Nick Nordlinger
Middle School English Teacher
Nick joins North Bridge for his 9th year of teaching. He has a background in both English and Special Education. He spent 6 years managing a caseload of IEP students while also teaching Literacy Lab and AP English Literature at City Arts and Tech High School in San Francisco. After that he spent 2 years teaching Middle School English and 5th Grade at Brandeis-Marin. He is excited to now be working in Mill Valley, one of his favorite Bay Area towns. Outside of work Nick writes fiction and works on creative audio projects. He has strong opinions about books, music, and movies. His favorite place in the world is the Balboa Theater. His other interests include labyrinths, cribbage, pinball, and the phases of the moon. He also takes the seasons very seriously. He lives in San Francisco on the edge of Golden Gate Park with his wife and corgi.
Dr. Lauren Ogren
School Counselor
Lauren Ogren is a Marin native that has over a decade of experience as a licensed clinician working with youth in the public and private educational setting, as well as years of clinical experience as a former member of the Kaiser Permanente psychiatry team. Most recently positioned at San Domenico as the full time Middle School counselor, she also has a private practice counseling teens and adults in the Bay Area. Her areas of expertise include supporting neurodivergent students from a Social Learning perspective, experience guiding students and teachers in the Responsive Classroom model, and strong clinical skills in supporting the emotional needs of the students during their important developmental years. Lauren holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology, a Doctorate in Human and Organizational Psychology, and is licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences to practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist. When not working, Lauren enjoys spending time with her family, fashion, and writing.
Karen Rosenquist
Executive Director/Founder
Prior to founding North Bridge Academy in 2015, Karen was involved in board work for non-profits that provided low-income students with educational and financial support. For the majority of her career, Karen was an executive in children’s digital and media companies including DreamWorks, Warner Brothers and Jim Henson Productions. Karen is currently pursuing a second Master's degree from Johns Hopkins in Mind, Brain & Teaching. She also holds a Master's in Ed from Dominican University and a bachelor's degree in Art History/French from UC Santa Barbara. She lives with her husband, son and two dogs in San Anselmo. Karen serves as a Board Trustee for Canal Alliance. She is very fond of mountain biking, traveling, yoga and knitting.
Rando Rode
Algebra Teacher/Math Support Teacher
A lifelong learner with a passion for teaching, Rando is thrilled to provide math assistance and instruction to North Bridge Academy’s middle school math classes. Rando’s degree is in Latin literature. In subsequent years, his interests in math and working with junior and high school students led him to develop a tutoring practice, helping students in various subjects. Rando lives to learn and loves to teach; even in his free time, he is frequently found curled over a textbook or puzzling through a math problem.
Jennifer Rost
Learning Specialist
Jen Rost is excited to join the North Bridge Academy community as a Slingerland Teacher. Jen has worked with middle and elementary students in both public and private schools since 2002. She earned an MS in Environmental Studies and went on to teach science at nature centers and in public and private school classrooms in the northeast and in CA. Jen made a pivot into the world of literacy instruction several years ago after seeing Slingerland demonstrated and saw the impact of this highly effective approach. Since then, she has completed her second year with North Bridge Academy and her second course of Slingerland training. An empathetic soul, Jen will bring kindness and compassion to her work with all NBA students. In her free time, you will find Jen hiking, paddling, cooking, reading, gardening, and exploring the Bay area.
Felicia Sanchez
Head Teacher, Grade 4
A former Pastry Chef, Felicia discovered her love of teaching through hosting culinary apprenticeships for San Francisco middle school students. Prior to joining NBA two years ago, Felicia taught multiple grade levels as an Associate Teacher and Lower School Tutor at Marin Country Day School. She earned her Masters in Reading & Literacy Education from CSU Fullerton and is currently completing a post-graduate certificate in Educational Therapy from Holy Names University. She is trained in Orton-Gillingham methodologies as well as Structured Word Inquiry. Felicia brings both compassion and energy into the classroom, cultivating a culture of belonging through the Responsive Classroom approach and guided mindfulness practices. Outside of the classroom, Felicia enjoys spending time with her family, rescuing houseplants, and strolling through the Sunday Farmer's Market.
Chrissy Sohn
Head Teacher, Grade 2/3
Chrissy received her Teaching Certification from The University of Massachusetts with a BA in Early Childhood Education. She was the Director and Lead Teacher at Shalom Preschool in Carmel Valley, CA and taught at The University Lab School at Georgetown University. Chrissy became interested in working with dyslexic learners when her son was diagnosed several years ago. She is trained in Orton-Gillingham, Structured Literacy and the Slingerland methodology. Chrissy has two children and lives with her family in San Anselmo.
Priya Tjerandsen
Head Learning Specialist
Priya Tjerandsen shares with NBA nearly twenty years of experience working with students with learning differences. She has been a classroom teacher for many of those years as well as a consultant to teachers and families. Priya has also worked with teams that provide assessment and diagnostic work to individuals with a variety of learning challenges. Her areas of expertise range from language-based learning differences (Dyslexia and Dysgraphia) to working with students who have attentional and/ or Executive Functions weaknesses. She is trained in Slingerland and Wilson. Priya holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education and has worked with students in a classroom setting as well as doing individual and small group work. When not working, Priya enjoys spending time with her family, hiking and traveling.