ADMINISTRATION
Megan Neale, School Director
Megan Neale has been an active member of the Marin Waldorf School community for over 20 years, first as a parent, then as a teacher and an administrator. Before taking the role of school director in 2019, she served as a block teacher and later the pedagogical administrator at MWS. Additionally, she was the administrative director of the Marin Independent High School, located on the Marin Waldorf School campus, for five years. Ms. Neale graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in history, and she received a masters in education and a secondary teaching credential from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Ms. Neale completed her Waldorf teacher training at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training (BACWTT). Ms. Neale currently serves on the BACWTT Board of Directors and is co-director of the Tinkuy Project, a cultural exchange and mentorship program, with the Kusi Kawsay school in Peru. She loves horses, animals, swimming in rivers, reading, camping, and she has two daughters, both graduates of Marin Waldorf School.
Dawn Anderson, Finance & Operations Director
Dawn Anderson has extensive experience managing business operations for education institutions and organizations. She has worked to promote educational equity, cultural exchanges for youth from around the globe and leadership development for high school students. Dawn has also served as an officer to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and worked in the district office of the Cambridge Public Schools in Massachusetts. Outside of work, Dawn has competed in triathlons and national championships in sailing. She holds an undergraduate degree from Boston University. She enjoys travel, volunteering in the community and creating delicious meals for family and friends.
Mary Beth Sartain, Admissions Director
Mary Beth Sartain joined Marin Waldorf School with over a decade of experience as the Director of Admissions at Linden Waldorf School in Nashville, Tennessee, where she cultivated her passion for guiding families through the transformative journey of Waldorf education. Mary Beth holds a BA in Journalism and Religious Studies from Indiana University. She is also a certified Waldorf grades 1-8 teacher from the Waldorf Institute of Southeastern Michigan, Ann Arbor. Complementing her educational expertise, Mary Beth is a certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor, drawing on her holistic approach to nurture both mind and body. Mary Beth's diverse global and professional experiences, which include living and working in Japan, have shaped her worldview and enriched her ability to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Mary Beth is a seasoned traveler, avid hiker, and music lover, and she eagerly anticipates immersing herself in the breathtaking landscapes of Northern California.
Daniella Baker, Early Childhood Director
Daniella Baker fell in love with Waldorf education in 1994 while working for Greenwood School in Mill Valley. Since then, she has served in multiple leadership and teaching roles locally and abroad, including as a founding parent at Heartwood Charter School, where she also served as interim director and a member of the Board of Trustees. She holds a B.A. in educational studies with a minor in political science from the University of Delaware in Newark, a master’s of public administration at the University of Colorado in Denver, and teacher training certificate from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. She loves baking, knitting, reading, painting with watercolors, and jogging with her goldendoodle Max.
Kelly Reed, Grades Support
Kelly has more than 15 years of teaching experience at diverse Waldorf schools, including the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City and Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School in Ghent, New York. She holds a bachelor of arts in art history and curatorial students from Evergreen State College, in Olympia, Washington. She attended Waldorf teacher training at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California, and Emerson College, in Forest Row, England, as well as an MEd in Waldorf Education with a focus on healing education at Antioch New England.
Wing Choi, Front Office Manager
Wing Choi joined MWS in 2023 after relocating from Hong Kong to the Bay Area with her family in 2022. Her son began 1st grade at our school the same year. With over 15 years of executive experience in the financial services industry, including roles at Banco Santander S.A. and J.P. Morgan, Wing brings a wealth of knowledge to our community. She holds a BBA in account at Hong Kong Baptist University. In 2023, she began her Waldorf Teacher Training at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training, further deepening her connection to our educational philosophy.
Cyrus Thelin, Registrar
Born and raised in Woodacre, Cyrus Thelin attended the Waldorf-Inspired program at Lagunitas School from kindergarten through fourth grade. He is a graduate of Archie Williams High School and Oberlin College, where he received a bachelor's degree in environmental studies. He enjoys singing, stargazing, beach bonfires, the Transcendentalists, film, photography, acting, Magic: The Gathering, and friendship.
Suzanne Hudson, Special Projects Manager
Suzanne Hudson joined the staff at Marin Waldorf School in 2019 as a project manager, but her history with the school began when her children were students in the class of 2012 and the class of 2015. Before joining the team at MWS, Suzanne held diverse professional roles, from advertising account executive to high school swim coach. She received an undergraduate degree in English literature at the University of Colorado. In her free time, Suzanne loves skiing, hiking, reading, and—most of all—spending time with her family.