Keith Johns President
Keith and his family moved from Brooklyn, New York to Northeast Minneapolis in 2020. Despite the unfamiliarity of a new town and an ongoing pandemic, Keith, Anne and their daughter Iona were excited to find Heartwood just a short walk from their new home. Iona joined Heartwood in the fall of 2020 and has flourished among new found friendships and the independence and creative spirit Heartwood encourages. Keith, sensing this positive energy and wanting to be a part of it, joined the Heartwood board shortly after. Keith holds a Master of Architecture degree and is a licensed architect in the state of Minnesota. Keith enjoys the outdoors, design, and walking Iona to school everyday.

Terrijo Mikulich Vice President
Terrijo was first introduced to the Montessori method when she was exploring daycare for her daughter and loved everything about the child-centric, hands-on learning, and collaborative play that the program has to offer. She and her husband have lived in Northeast for 10 years and have two daughters, Vivienne and Geneva, and feel grateful for the local preschool and community they have found at Heartwood since 2019.  Terrijo lived in Switzerland as a young girl, speaks French, and has spent significant time outside of the U.S. during her studies and professional career which enabled a global, inclusive mindset. She has a degree in French and International Business and most of her career has been in global marketing for MedTech. She currently leads the marketing team for Women’s Health Interventional Urology at Coloplast. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, yoga, dancing, biking, and participating in the unique offerings of Northeast.

Gavin Poindexter Treasurer
Gavin has been a Heartwood parent since 2021. He has lived in NE Minneapolis for over 10 years and was drawn to the neighborhood connection and community focus of Heartwood. He has two strong willed kids, Delilah and Azariah, who thrive in the self-led and hands-on approach of Montessori. Gavin loves teaching them about the world through his long detailed answers to their many questions. In his professional life, Gavin has a masters in Urban and Regional Planning and is a transportation planner leading large projects through the government planning and approval phases. He brings his expertise of finance, planning, project management, and parenting to the Heartwood Board. He enjoys spending time exploring NE with his family and hanging out with friends.

Jessamay Pesek Secretary (currently seeking successor)
Jessamay greatly appreciated the Heartwood community when her two children, Ethan and Ava, started September 2020. Both kids reported excitement and joy after each day, thus, Jessamay decided to join the Board to help support quality preschool programming. Jessamay holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction and Master’s degree in Comparative and International Development Education, both from the University of Minnesota. She is also a licensed social studies teacher. Currently she serves as an Associate Professor in the Professional Education Department at Bemidji State University and is the Coordinator for BSU’s hybrid education licensure programs.

Kristi Curme
Kristi was the founding teacher at Heartwood and is a current stay at home mom to a young toddler.  She lives in Northeast with her partner Patrick, their young child, and their two cats and newly adopted senior dog.  She enjoys biking, crafting, reading, and her new passion: animal relations management.

Emma Murano
Emma’s son Clyde joined the Heartwood Community in January of 2022. The tremendous community drew her further into being interested in joining the board in March 2022. Emma holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design from the University of Kansas. She has worked in the medical device industry designing human experiences, most recently developing technology to assist individuals with heart failure. She has experience organizing events and coordinating collaboration between teams. Emma enjoys live music, poetry, gardening, yoga and a warm cup of tea.

Ashley Paguyo

Heidi Hodorowski

Molly Each

Monthly Meeting Minutes

The Heartwood Montessori Board of Directors focuses on strategic planning and governance. The board meets via Zoom on the third Wednesday of the month. We also have a variety of subcommittees, including fundraising, community engagement, finance, and building and grounds, for whichever activities might best suit your interests and skill set. We are currently seeking board members from the community.

2022-2023 School Year:
September • October • November • December • January • February
March • April • May • June • July • August

2021-2022 School Year:
September • October • November • December • January • February
March • April • May • June • July • August

2020-2021 School Year:
September • October • November • December • January • February
March • April • May • June • July • August

Thank You: