Our Team

Blue has worked in the early care and learning profession in Juneau since 1997. Her experience spans nearly every aspect of child care, from teaching assistant to owning and operating a family child care program, a group home, and a large child care center. This breadth of experience gives her a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing early educators and families in Southeast Alaska. As Executive Director of the Southeast Childhood Collective, Blue leads regional initiatives that strengthen the early learning workforce, expand child care capacity, and build strong community partnerships across the region. She works closely with local and state leaders to elevate early learning as an economic and community priority and to encourage long-term public investment in child care. Blue holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Alaska Southeast and more than 30 ECE credits from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and playing board and card games with her family.

Nikki has worked at Southeast Childhood Collective since way back in 2000. She has a bachelor's degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in visual arts. Her background and work experiences have included lots of databases, systems building, and working with people. Nikki's focus supports community early childhood efforts to better the outcomes for our children and families. When not busy at work, Nikki spends time with her family and grandchildren, works on a variety of art projects, and grows garlic.

Emily joined the Southeast Childhood Collective team in November of 2007 and can help you with any questions, concerns, or interest you have in the Parents As Teachers program in Juneau. She has a Masters in Education, a Bachelors in Early Childhood, holds a birth-3 Montessori certification and is an endorsed Infant Mental Health Specialist. Experiences in the field include, but are not limited to running an in-home childcare, leading an infant room, 10+ years of home visiting experience and cultivating a sense of playfulness in all areas of life. She has two elementary aged children, an enthusiastic dog and a patient husband.. what more could you ask for?

Tess has been passionate about early childhood education since her first job - as a preschool art teacher. She loves the complexity of development in young children, the creativity, language acquisition, playfulness and curiosity. As a graduate from the Evergreen State College, integrated learning approaches and building community have been a big part of her life. She was part of the Baby Raven Reads team at Sealaska Heritage for almost 6 years, focusing on early literacy skills. Tess is excited to join the Southeast Childhood Collective community and build strong foundations in early childcare by developing an apprentice program. When not at work, you can find her dyeing yarn, wandering through forests, or making wild baking creations with her kid.

Raineka is the newest member of the Parents as Teachers team as a Parent Educator. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development and an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. For the past 5 years, Raineka has been teaching in the infant and toddler program at the Nike World Headquarters Early Childhood Development Program outside of Portland, Oregon, and she is excited to be back in Juneau where she grew up, to serve families in the community that she calls home. Raineka is most excited to partner with families and utilize her skills in early childhood education to help families outside of the classroom. She looks forward to helping to parents facilitate learning and growth opportunities for our most vulnerable population—our youth. Outside of work, Raineka really enjoys traveling and always likes to have her next trip planned. She also loves fishing, dancing, spending time with friends and family, and playing outside.

Mary Adelmeyer is a recent addition to the Parents As Teachers Program. She is a Parent Educator working with pre-natal and post-natal families. She comes with 20+ years of experience in the early childhood field. Before starting her own childcare group home in 2001, she worked for Central Council Tlingit and Haida’s Head Start Program. Mary has four grown adult daughters and five grandchildren. She is enjoying the empty nest stage with her husband. In her off time, she enjoys photography, reading and sewing. Mary is a past board member for Southeast Childhood Collective and is excited to now be a part of their staff team.

Lisa has worked with Southeast Childhood Collective for 4 years. She has a Masters Degree in Early Childhood/Special Education from Western Oregon University, Corvallis OR and a BS degree in Elementary Education/Special Education from Southeast Missouri University, Cape Girardeau, MO. Lisa has taught children of all ages throughout Alaska but found her heart with Early Childhood/Special Education, spending her last 15 years of teaching with the Integrated Preschool Special Education program in the Juneau School District. Lisa has two adult daughters, Zori and Zoza and enjoys outdoor adventures with her husband Jay and many Alaskan friends.

Liesel moved to Alaska for college in 2005, from Kansas. She earned her Associates Degree in Elementary Education at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, before moving to Juneau in 2008. She has over ten years of experience working with children and families in various child care centers, in-home care, and preschools. Liesel joined the Parents as Teachers team in 2022 and loves getting to know the families of Juneau and supporting them through the stages of early childhood!

Lea joined the team in 2025 as assistant to the PAT Coordinator and as a postpartum home visitor serving families through the first four months post-birth. Lea draws on many years of experience to work closely with & support families as they navigate the ups & downs of life. Some of that experience includes over a decade in the service industry, working in women’s health, and ongoing education as a Natural Nutrition Consultant and as a Postpartum Doula. Lea was born in Juneau and after moving around the continent several times she and her husband returned in 2021 and are happy to call this wonderful community their forever home.

Destinee Siegel was born in California and spent much of her childhood overseas before returning to the United States for college. She and her husband have called Juneau home since 2016. Destinee earned her Master of Public Administration from the University of Alaska Southeast in 2019 while working for the State of Alaska. After taking time away from her career to focus on her family, she is thrilled to have returned to the workforce in a field she is deeply passionate about. Destinee is dedicated to supporting families across Southeast Alaska by expanding access to meaningful family and literacy resources. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, reading, music, gardening, cooking, and fishing.

An Alabama transplant, Colleen has been living in Juneau since 2012. She has a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from UAB in Birmingham, Alabama. After living in Juneau for a year, she decided to stay and obtained her MPA from UAS. Colleen served as a child care administrator in Juneau for seven years before taking two years off to be a stay-at-home mom. Since joining the Childhood Collective in 2022, she has taken a deep dive into Circle of Security Classroom and is now an Endorsed Circle of Security Classroom Coach. She loves working with child care providers and exploring the “why” behind a child’s behavior. Colleen lives in Juneau with her husband, three children, her dog, her cat, and several pet fish. She enjoys spending time with her family, disc golfing, playing volleyball, reading, and working on puzzles.