Legacy School Staff

Administration

Mrs. Kelly Pedersen
Head of School
Mrs. Pedersen holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education. She taught elementary school for 16 years before starting Legacy School in 2008 with co-owner Buffy Baca.
Mrs. Buffy Baca
Head of School
Mrs. Baca holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Reading Education. She taught elementary school for 13 years before starting Legacy School in 2008 with co-owner Kelly Pedersen. 
Mr. Nick Grove
Principal
Mr. Grove holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Education with an endorsement in Administration.  He taught elementary students for over ten years before coming to Legacy in 2021. 
Mrs. Renee Cole
Secretary
Mrs. Cole holds a Bachelor's Degree in Human Service Counseling. She has previously worked as a teacher assistant at Legacy and has experience working with students and families for over 15 years.
​Mrs. Jenni Gurney
Upper Camp Director
Mrs. Gurney stayed home with her boys operating an in-home daycare for 12 years. She has been the Camp Director at Camp Legacy since 2015. 
Mrs. Taylor Flores
Lower Camp Director
Mrs. Flores has been working with kids for over 11 years. Mrs. Flores started at Legacy School in 2009 and after taking a few years off to spend with her kids, she's back where she loves to be. 

Teachers

Mrs. Laura Wilson
5th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Wilson holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership. She taught various grades, including preschool, kindergarten, and 5th grade, over eight years before coming to Legacy in 2021.
Mrs. Emily Most
4th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Most holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Teacher Leadership and ESL. She taught in a public school district for two and half years before coming to Legacy in 2022. 
Mrs. Mariah Babbel
3rd Grade Teacher | SPED & Assessment Coordinator
Mrs. Babbel holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Education. She taught 3rd grade in Bennington Public School for eight years before coming to Legacy in 2020. 
Mrs. Desseraye Scott
2nd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Scott holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education. She taught 1st and 3rd grade in the Omaha Public School system for 18 years before coming to Legacy in 2022. 
Mrs. Jessica Barger
1st/2nd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Barger holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Elementary Education. She taught 1st-3rd grade in the Omaha Public School system for 14 years before coming to Legacy in 2020.
Mrs. Heather Morrissette
1st Grade Teacher
Mrs. Morrissette holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Reading and ESL. She had taught kindergarten and 1st grade in the Omaha Public School system for 13 years before coming to Legacy in 2022.
Mrs. Cindy Behrens
Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Behrens holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and is currently working towards her Master's in Curriculum/ Instruction. She has experience working in different types of schools with different ages since 1990. Mrs. Behrens joined Legacy in 2020.
Mrs. Olivia Northrop
Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Northrop holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education and Human Sciences. She taught elementary students for five years before coming to Legacy in 2021. 
Mrs. Linda Whitehill
Junior Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Whitehill holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education and a Master's Degree in Curriculum. She taught kindergarten and first grade for 36 years before coming to Legacy in 2011.
Mrs. Kim Albright
Junior Kindergarten Teacher | Afternoon Enrichment Coordinator
Mrs. Albright holds a Bachelor's Degree in Child Development. She had been working with children for 20 years before she joined Legacy in 2016.
Mrs. Danielle Podany
Junior Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Podany holds a Bachelor's Degree in Birth-Kindergarten Education and a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She taught Kindergarten in Elkhorn Public Schools for 10 years before coming to Legacy in 2022. 
Mrs. Kathy Mingo
Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Mingo holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education. She had worked in all levels of education including preschool, middle school, and high school before she came to Legacy in 2008.
Mrs. Nancy Huber
Pre-Kindergarten Teacher | Afternoon Enrichment Coordinator
Mrs. Huber holds a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Special Education. She taught in a Special Education classroom for 4 years, then substituted in Bennington Public Schools before coming to Legacy in 2017.
Mrs. Betsy Weber
Pre-Kindergarten Teacher | Curriculum | Human Resources
Mrs. Weber holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education. She had taught children for 22 years before coming to Legacy in 2012. 
Mrs. Nikki Facca
Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Facca holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education.  She taught kindergarten for seven years in Omaha before taking a break to stay home with her three lovely children. She joined the Legacy team in 2016.
Mrs. Emily Yule
Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Yule holds a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Special Education. She taught preschool for three years in Minnesota before spending four years at home with her son. Mrs. Yule joined Legacy's team in 2021. 

Teacher's Assistants

Ms. Briana Shaw
Elementary Assistant
Ms. Shaw holds a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master's Degree in Education. She taught in a Title 1 school for four years in Arizona before coming to Legacy in 2022. 
Mrs. Janice Ferris
Elementary Assistant
Mrs. Ferris has a love and passion for children. Before coming to Legacy in 2022, she stayed home with her children and was a paraprofessional in public schools. 
Mrs. Lydia Peach-Hirsh
Elementary Assistant
Mrs. Peach-Hirsh has a high level of enthusiasm and commitment to serving others. She stayed home with her children for six years before coming to Legacy in 2022.
Mrs. Sabrina Berger
Elementary Assistant
Mrs. Berger holds a Bachelor's Degree in Educational Studies. She taught kindergarten and 1st grade for two years in Arizona before coming to Legacy in 2022.
Mrs. Kenda Chamberlin
Elementary Assistant
Mrs. Chamberlin holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She previously taught for 31 years in the Hastings Public Schools system before coming to Legacy in 2022. 
Mrs. Megan Romey
Elementary Assistant
Mrs. Romey holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. She worked in Millard Public Schools as well as Council Bluffs Schools before coming to Legacy in 2019. 
Mrs. Melissa Sherlock
Elementary Assistant
Mrs. Sherlock holds a Ed.M. in Counseling Psychology. She worked in higher education administration for over 15 years before starting at Legacy in 2021.
Ms. Jennifer Pane
Junior Kindergarten Assistant | PM Enrichment
Ms. Pane holds a CDA in Early Childhood Education. She has worked with children in different capacities, one being a stay at home mom, before coming to Legacy in 2020.
Mrs. Susie McKenzie
Junior Kindergarten Assistant | PM Enrichment
Mrs. McKenzie holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary and Special Education. She taught for Omaha Public Schools for 35 years before retiring and coming to Legacy in 2022. 
Ms. Kristen Strevey
Junior Kindergarten Assistant | PM Enrichment
Ms. Strevey holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biology. She had worked for three years as both a lead and assistant teacher in Early Childhood Education before coming to Legacy in 2022.
Mrs. Ashley Horne
Pre- Kindergarten Assistant | PM Enrichment
Mrs. Horne holds a Bachelor's Degree in K-12 Art Education. She had student taught in Lincoln, NE, and has two children of her own. She joined the Legacy team in 2021.
Mrs. Holly Luebbe
Pre-Kindergarten Assistant
Before coming to Legacy, Mrs. Luebbe did in-home daycare for ten years. She has been part of the Legacy School team since 2012. 
Mrs. Renee Ballentine
Pre-Kindergarten Assistant
Mrs. Ballentine holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. She had been working with children for over 23 years before coming to Legacy in 2013.
Mr. Joe Rhoads
Pre-Kindergarten Assistant | Extended Care Director
Mr. Rhoads is currently attending UNO to receive his Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice. He has been a camp counselor at Camp Legacy the past four summers. He joined the Legacy School team in 2020.
Mrs. Margy O’Loughlin
Preschool Assistant | Curriculum Coordinator | Human Resources
Mrs. O'Loughlin holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education with an Endorsement in Reading. She retired from OPS after 34 years of teaching in the classroom and then joined Legacy in 2016. 
Ms. Stacey Cole
Preschool Assistant | PM Enrichment
Ms. Cole holds an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor's Degree in Educational Studies/Business. She taught in various countries before coming to Legacy in 2021.

Specialists

Mrs. Jean Peterson
Music Specialist
Mrs. Peterson holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education and a Master's Degree in Education. She has been a music educator for over 31 years and recently retired from Papillion La Vista Community Schools before coming to Legacy in 2022. 
Ms. Tia Jones
P.E. Specialist
Ms. Jones holds a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management/Political Science and a Master's Degree in Sport Management/Recreation. She has worked with Special Olympics Oregon and was a camp counselor at Camp Legacy before joining Legacy School in 2022. 
Mrs. Amber Pierce
Science Specialist
Mrs. Pierce holds a Bachelor's Degree in Health Science Chemistry and Human Service Counseling. She worked at a daycare before coming to Legacy in 2017.