Meet Our Staff

Acacia is the Executive Director of LifeWays and serves as Director for In-Person and Online Programs. She has been devoted to the mission of LifeWays for many years as an educator and mother of three sons. Alongside her role with LifeWays, she is co-founder and teacher at the City of Fountains School, established 2011 as Kansas City’s first school inspired by Waldorf education. She completed her Curative Educators training with the Mulberry Center for Curative Education in 2024, her own LifeWays Certificate training in 2016, and her Bachelor’s degree in Art Education with a focus on Early Childhood in 2003.

Acacia is passionate about partnering with families and educators to build support systems for children that honor their natural, individual development as spiritual human beings. She is tremendously grateful to be serving the LifeWays community with this very mission.

Cynthia founded LifeWays North America in 2001.  Author of the book Life is the Curriculum and co-author of the book Home Away From Home: LifeWays Care of Children and Families, Cynthia has lectured and presented internationally and is pedagogical director for trainings and seminars across the United States.  She served fourteen years on the board of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America.  A former Waldorf Kindergarten teacher, Cynthia received her Waldorf teaching certificate at Emerson College in Sussex, England.  A mother and grandmother, Cynthia’s passion is the preservation of the playful spirit of childhood and helping to create home-like environments that provide the comfort, security and activities found in a healthy home.

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Shanah completed her LifeWays Human Development Certification in 2007, and she presently serves as President of the LifeWays Board of Directors. She has a BA in Communication from the University of Oklahoma and a Platinum Director’s credential from the state of Oklahoma. Shanah has cared for children in a variety of ways over the years—first as a nanny, then as a home-care provider, then as a childcare Director and Early Childhood Teacher, and currently as a Grade School Teacher. She has found joy and a sense of discovery in working with the children and their families in all of these incarnations of her career.  Shanah’s chosen vocation infuses her days with purpose and meaning.

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Agaf’s first career was in IT as a programmer and systems analyst, principally for financial applications. This experience has served him well as LifeWay’s Treasurer and as Webmaster for the LifeWays website. Switching careers, he taught for many years at the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor, MI. He went on to serve as Administrative Coordinator for the Association of Waldorf Schools, and after moving to Boulder, CO he served as Administrative Director, first at Shepherd Valley (now Boulder Valley) Waldorf School and then at Shining Mountain Waldorf School. Following his retirement from Shining Mountain, Agaf spent several summers with high school students as a wilderness guide. He found it extremely rewarding to combine outdoor experience with self-reflection, service and leadership training. Agaf’s chief ambition is to learn what it means to be an adult, while there's still time!

Julie

Kari

Savannah completed the Lifeways Early Childhood Fundamentals in 2024 and began her role as communications liaison the following year. She is proud to help deepen connections between our pedagogues, alumni, and all those doing the work of early childhood care with the organization. Savannah has worked in all manner of educational settings since 2016, but is happiest outdoors! She completed a BA in History and Education at the University of North Florida in 2019. She has taught at Outside Kids, a LifeWays Representative Site, since 2021, spending her days on the beach and in the marsh with a small group of children ages 2 to 6. She lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida with her wife and daughter.

As Communications Coordinator, Laura manages LifeWays' marketing efforts. She oversees the website and social media accounts, ensuring that LifeWays' online presence remains engaging and up-to-date. In addition to digital content, Laura is responsible for creating print materials and the organization's newsletter, effectively communicating LifeWays' mission and offerings. Her work helps to maintain clear, consistent communication with the community and fosters engagement with LifeWays’ courses. With her experience in both digital and print media, Laura helps to bring LifeWays' programs to a wider audience. Her dedication to clear and creative communication supports the growth and impact of LifeWays' initiatives.