Board of Trustees
Current Board Members 2024
Cedarwood’s Board of Trustees represents a cross-section of the community. Trustees have included parents (current and alumni) and grandparents. The board also includes two faculty members, our pedagogical director, and our head of school. Our administrative staff, parent council representatives, and guests frequently attend the meetings as well. The board strives to have a composition reflective of our community and is committed to enhancing diversity both on committees and in board leadership. While the board has the benefit of long-term institutional members, it actively seeks new members who are willing to engage in our important work.
2024 Board Members
Bret is a Portland native who has traveled the world. "Nowhere is better, it's just different, but Portland is home.” Bret and his wife met in high school and knew they would stay in Portland for their future family. The Stevens family has been at Cedarwood since 2018 and gravitated toward the whole child teaching approach and community involvement. When he is not working towards a decarbonized transportation future for a commercial vehicle manufacturer, he helps out running his family’s cattle ranch in Monterey County, CA.
Bret Stevens
Board of Trustees Chair
Aaron and his family have been at Cedarwood since their son began preschool in 2017. He and his wife both had past careers as teachers at the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork in Colorado, and while they have since changed careers, they knew a Waldorf school would be the right choice for their son’s education. After a 2016 tour of Pacific Northwest Waldorf schools, their family fell in love with Cedarwood. The next year they moved to Portland’s Lair Hill neighborhood.
Over the years, that love has only grown.
When he’s not spending time as a parent, Aaron is a data scientist and project manager for a consulting firm. He also enjoys reading, walking in the woods, and sewing knee patches on his son's jeans. Aaron is a fervent lover of Cedarwood’s Friday morning Coffee in the Courtyard, so come say, "Hi!"
Aaron Mehlhaff
Board of Trustees Vice Chair
Leior was born in Portland and raised in Israel where he completed his military service, met the love of his life, and began his journey as a Waldorf parent. After more than two decades abroad, Leior moved back to Portland with his wife, Maya, and their three lovely daughters.
Leior holds degrees in electrical engineering, math, and physics from the Technion–Israeli Institute of Technology. He now works as a software engineer while pursuing a Masters in computer science from Portland State University. In his free time, he enjoys board gaming with friends.
Leior serves on the Facilities and Development Committees.
Leior Varon
Board of Trustees Secretary
Craig is the father of Asher (Class of 2027) and, along with his wife, Alison, has bonded quickly with the Cedarwood community after relocating to Portland from the Bay Area where they had lived since 2001. A Chicago native, Craig has served as a healthcare administrator and consultant for the last twenty years, along with serving on several community boards.
To maintain balance, Craig enjoys spending time with family and friends through cooking, hiking, traveling, and music.
Craig is the board treasurer and chairs Cedarwood's Finance Committee.
Craig Vercruysse
Board of Trustees Treasurer
Shayne Case is a mother to a former class of 2027 Cedarwood student, a traditional medicine person, a writer, a storyteller, and an educator. She was born in a small village in the western part of Germany and raised, nomadic style, between the North American and European continents. She is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe and practices traditional indigenous medicine. Shayne is the founder of Under the Eagle’s Wing Mentorship Program and the Tokeyamanwaniwin Project. She earned her baccalaureate at Smith College and pursued post-graduate work in somatic therapy, clinical herbalism, theology, and divinity studies. She also holds a certificate degree in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Studies from Cornell University. In her free-time, Shayne loves to cook, learn Lakota handcrafts, travel, play games with her son, walk her very adorable dog, and listen to and tell stories. Shayne Case is the current DEIJ Board Committee Chair for Cedarwood.
Shayne Case
Trustee
Merriah grew up in Eugene, Oregon, and attended the Eugene Waldorf School through twelfth grade. As a young girl she hoped that her children would be lucky enough to someday attend a Waldorf school as well.
She has a bachelor's degree in women's studies and public policy from the University of Oregon and eventually found her way to becoming a certified postpartum doula, international board certified lactation consultant, and entrepreneur. In 2014 she founded Bridgetown Baby, a local postpartum doula agency that has cared for over nine hundred families in the postpartum year.
Merriah delights in seasonal crafts, gardening, kayaking, family backpacking, travel, and recently returned to the piano after a hiatus since childhood.
Merriah is the proud parent of two daughters, a Cedarwood graduate and a Cedarwood middle-schooler. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees she is the Chair of the Festivals Committee and enthusiastic coach of a Cedarwood ultimate frisbee team, the Psychic Goats. Merriah serves on the Board's Diversity Equity, Inclusion & Justice Committee.
Merriah Fairchild
Trustee
Lauren, originally from Upstate New York, moved with her husband, Richard Teal, to the Pacific Northwest eight years ago to embrace the region's natural beauty. Their child is currently enrolled in the early childhood program at Cedarwood. Lauren holds an MBA in global business from Pepperdine University and a BA in political science from Union College. With a strong background in business development, strategy, and relationship management, she brings a wealth of expertise to her work.
Outside of her professional life, Lauren is a passionate traveler, always in search of the next adventure. She enjoys great coffee, exploring new culinary experiences, and spending time outdoors.
Lauren Ford
Trustee
Emily Mejia is the mother of three children at Cedarwood and has been an active parent in the community since her family enrolled in 2019. She has served various roles in parent council since 2019 and was the parent council co-chair from 2022-2024. Professionally, she is an Internally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and is currently in her final year of school, pursuing a doctorate in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. She was the board chair of the Nursing Mothers Counsel of Oregon from 2014-2018.
When she is not parenting or in class, Emily loves going on long hikes, swimming, weaving, reading, and spending time cooking with friends.
Emily Mejia
Trustee
Amber Clayton joined Cedarwood in 2015 as a parent and joined the Boards of Trustees in 2020. After spending 16 months as the Interim Head of School, she is rejoining the Board to continue to support the transition and other strategic priorities. Amber has spent over twenty years in public service in leading teams and projects related to water resource infrastructure investments and considers herself a translator of local jurisdiction code, rule, and process.
Amber Clayton
Trustee
Tara grew up in a small town in the foothills of the southern Oregon Cascades. She has a master's degree in science from the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Montana and twenty-five years of writing, editing, and nonprofit organization experience. She is currently the editorial production manager at Orion magazine, a forty-year-old award-winning publication focused on the intersection of nature and culture.
As an ultrarunner, Tara loves to explore Oregon's diverse backcountry by foot but also enjoys adventuring via ski, paddle, or oar. Other days you’ll spot her close to home, digging in the dirt of her front-yard garden and running her two Australian shepherds in Portland’s many beautiful urban parks.
Tara is the proud parent of a Class of 2027 Cedarwood student and a class of 2023 Cedarwood graduate. She was drawn to Waldorf education through its emphasis on movement, art, and nature, and enrolled her oldest kid in a Waldorf parent-child class in 2011. She has been an enthusiastic member of the Waldorf community ever since, forging amazing friendships, volunteering in the classroom and at school festivals, serving on Cedarwood's Parent Council, and finally joining Cedarwood's Board of Trustees in 2020.
Tara serves on the Committee on Trustees.
Tara Miner
Trustee
Joseph joined the Cedarwood community as Head of School in 2024. His career in education began as a high school science and math teacher at the Eugene Waldorf School in 1993. Joseph later taught two cohorts of students from Grades 1 through 8 at Whatcom Hills Waldorf School in Bellingham, WA, where he also served as school administrator, college chair and trustee during a span of eighteen years. Joseph was the Pacific Northwest representative on the Leadership Council for the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America from 2006-11, being responsible for regional professional development, collaboration, and school accreditation and membership for Waldorf schools in AK, WA, OR, ID, MT and British Columbia.
In 2014, Joseph ventured into the public school system where over ten years, he served as principal for an innovative K-12 alternative school, assistant principal at a traditional comprehensive high school, and principal of an International Baccalaureate elementary school. Joseph has a bachelor of science degree in forest ecology from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, a Master of Education degree in educational administration from Western Washington University, and a doctor of education degree in Curriculum, Teaching, learning and leadership from Northeastern University. Joseph received his Waldorf Teacher Certificate in 1994 from the Eugene Waldorf Teacher Institute, and holds a WA teacher certificate in middle level science and WA administrator credential.
Joseph and his wife, Adrienne, herself a career Waldorf Early Childhood educator, have two Waldorf alumni sons, a daughter-in-law and a sweet dog, Queso. Joseph and his family enjoy being in nature whether walking a quiet path in the forest or skiing from the summit of a local volcano. The only outdoor activity Joseph tries to avoid, without much success, is searching for his errant golf ball in the shrubbery. Joseph and his wife are delighted to be living in Portland and being part of the Cedarwood family!
Joseph Doucette
Head of School
Marcee was born in Michigan, raised in Indiana, and spent most of her childhood in the Midwest. She recalls trips to Iowa to see both sets of grandparents and is grateful for the influence, guidance, and insight that she received from the elders in her life.
Born into a family of educators, Marcee knew at a young age that she wanted to be a teacher. She graduated from Ball State University with a degree in elementary education. She took advantage of a variety of opportunities throughout her college years to teach and travel. A particularly inspirational experience was working in a school in Negril, Jamaica, as part of an anthropology field study.
Marcee taught in both the public and private school settings over the past 25 years. From Zuni, NM to a middle school in Fresno, CA to finding a home at City of Lakes Waldorf School in Minneapolis, MN, Marcee enjoyed the unique aspects of each teaching opportunity. She found Waldorf education to be a perfect fit for her young family and immersed herself in teacher training and the Waldorf community. During her sixteen years at CLWS, Marcee taught as a lead class teacher and also held the position of the Faculty Chair.
Moving to Portland and working at Cedarwood is a dream come true for Marcee. She moved to Portland in the summer of 2022 with her husband and youngest son. Her family enjoys hiking, biking, sailing, camping, and time at the coast.
Marcee Hansen
Pedagogical Director
Gia Davis
Board of Trustee, Faculty Representative
Natalie grew up in Wisconsin, enjoying the fireflies and monarch butterflies that danced about the fields behind her home. She has always had a deep appreciation for the natural world and eventually became a naturalist at a wildlife sanctuary in her hometown of Green Bay. She completed her BA in humanistic studies and environmental education at UWGB and then continued to fulfill her dreams of working with both nature and children in various settings, including a botanical garden, wildlife sanctuary, and outdoor school program. Her love for outdoor adventures led her to the Pacific Northwest, where she settled new roots in 2000. Natalie led cross country ski trips, nature camps, and kayak outings for several years through Portland Parks & Recreation and then began her classroom teaching career.
Natalie received her Waldorf teaching certificate from the Micha-el Institute in Portland and found the perfect school to share her passions for lifelong learning - Cedarwood! She has been a teacher at Cedarwood since 2005, and has taken on many roles in leadership and committee work during her time at the school. She has continued to expand her educational training by completing the five-year spatial dynamics program, and leading classes and offering lectures at AWSNA and NWAIS conferences, as well as the Micha-el Institute.
Natalie is thriving as a middle school teacher and is currently guiding the Class of 2026 into their adolescent years. When she isn’t teaching, you can find her at early morning yoga classes, hiking in nature with her wife, Sandra, cooking a scrumptious meal, or snuggling up with her kitties while reading a good book.
Natalie Norman
Board of Trustee, Faculty Representative
Board Meeting Minutes
The current board minutes can be viewed here.
If you have any questions about the board meeting minutes, please reach out to Joseph Doucette, Head of School.
Internal Organization of the Board
Cedarwood’s board maintains a number of standing committees and also periodically creates and then retires ad hoc committees that are focused on accomplishing particular short-term tasks or serving specific school initiatives, such as updating the strategic plan.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
The Board of Trustees supports the equity-related work at Cedarwood, as identified in the school’s strategic plan and within its own work. The Board adopted this Equity Statement in the spring of 2023.
Volunteering
Our Board of Trustees is legally responsible for fulfilling Cedarwood’s mission. Board members determine policy and strategic goals while delegating day-to-day decisions to the Head of School. Trustees are expected to prepare for and attend monthly meetings as well as to participate in committee work.
We are looking for individuals who are well-connected within the Cedarwood community and have prior experience with enrollment, finance, and/or fundraising, although we also warmly welcome those with other skill sets.
If you are interested in becoming a trustee, please contact a member of the Committee on Trustees:
Joseph Doucette: jdoucette@cedarwoodschool.org
If you are interested in joining any of the following board committees, please contact Joseph Doucette. Many of these board committees support and work with other community volunteer opportunities.
Finance Committee
Facilities Committee
Development Committee