Our Team

Blue has been working in the early learning profession in Juneau for 23 years. During those years, Blue covered the full spectrum of child care roles from being a teaching assistant and then assistant director at Juneau Montessori school, to owning a family child care program, a group home, and a large child care center. Blue considers herself a master of circle times and transitions, and loves to hear children tell their stories. Though she will miss working with children every day, Blue sees her work at Southeast Childhood Collective as the natural next step in her journey to support early learning professionals through direct technical assistance and public advocacy. Blue holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from UAS and 30+ ECE credits from UAF. In her free time, Blue enjoys, cooking, gardening, and playing board and card games with 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 from Loyola University Maryland, a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education from Southern IL University of Carbondale and is a certified birth-3 Montessori Teacher. Experiences in the field include, but are not limited to running an in-home child care, leading an infant room and cultivating a sense of playfulness in all areas of life. She has two young children, an apathetic 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 grew up in Kansas, got her Associates Degree in Elementary Education at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, and moved to Juneau in 2008. She has over ten years of experience working in various child cares and preschools in Kansas, Sitka, and Juneau. For the past 8 years she’s been working as an admin assistant, but she’s excited to jump back into the world of early childhood and families and support you in this journey! When not at work, Liesel likes to read, quilt, and spend time with family and friends.

Kayla grew up here in Juneau and is proud to call Alaska home. She graduated from Juneau Douglas High School in 2020, and attended Whitworth University for Vocal Performance before having her son Luca, who is now 2, and settling back into the AK lifestyle. She is currently studying to achieve her Lactation Specialist Certification (CLS), and aspires to become an IBCLC down the road. She’s always been passionate about working with families and supporting others, and is excited to be one of the newest members of Parents As Teachers. Kayla is overjoyed to be serving her community as a PAT Home Visitor with Southeast Childhood Collective, and is thankful for the opportunity to get to know and love Juneau’s growing families.

Destinee was born in California, although she spent most of her early life overseas before returning to the US for college. She and her husband made Juneau their home in 2016. Destinee worked for the state of Alaska while obtaining her master’s degree in public administration from UAS, which she received in 2019. She paused her career when her daughter was born and has been excited to return to the workforce in a field that she is passionate about. She is eager to work towards providing SE Alaska with family and literary resources. Destinee lives with her husband, daughter, dog, and two cats. She enjoys reading, music, gardening, cooking, fishing, and being in nature with her family.

An Alabama transplant, Colleen has been living in Juneau since 2012. She has a bachelor 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. She is excited to be back in the workforce and to have the opportunity to work with Juneau child care providers. Colleen lives in Juneau with her husband, two young daughters, her dog and her cat. She enjoys spending time with her family, disc golfing, playing volleyball, reading and working on puzzles.