Our Team

Bouchaib Akbaoui

Assistant Teacher - Food Service

Casandra Behrens

Lead Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Cassie brings a variety of experiences to her work as a Lead Teacher in the toddler program.  She has worked in clinical settings, classrooms, and administrative roles supporting children and families.  Cassie earned a Bachelor’s degree in Art Therapy from Carlow University in 2015.

Madisyn Bender

Lead Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Madisyn has worked with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers for the past 9 years.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Millersville University in 2021.

Kathleen Bierbower, MSW

Manager - Resource Coordination Services

Kathleen originally joined CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health as a member of the Case Management team in July 2018. Prior to working at CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health, she spent eight years working with adjudicated youth and their families. Kathleen graduated from Kutztown University with a Master’s in Social Work. She grew up in northeast Pennsylvania and moved to Lancaster after college. In her spare time she enjoys reading, spending time with her husband and son along with their dog, as well as exploring in and around Lancaster.

Susan Cooper

Assistant Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Susie cames to the St. John Neumann School for Children and Families in November of 2021 with 9 years of valuable experience in early childhood education and her Child Development Associate credential. She enjoys helping children learn and develop and values building strong relationships with our students and their families.

Dawn Deets

Lead Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Ana Elliot

Assistant Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Kelly Farrell

Assistant Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Kelly comes to the St. John Neumann School with 3 years of experience in childcare. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education at York College of Pennsylvania. In her free time she loves to sing and read.

Zulaika Febo-Young

Assistant Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Zully has several years of experience working in special education. She is passionate about enriching the lives of children of all abilities through meaningful and engaging learning experiences. She holds an Associate of Arts in Teacher Education and plans to
pursue a bachelor’s degree. Her experience, both professionally and as a classroom volunteer in her local school district, has helped her gain the skills and knowledge to support the needs of children in a positive, supportive, and nurturing environment. In her free time, Zully enjoys spending quality time with her husband and four children.

Lucy Heisey

Assistant Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Lucy earned her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential in 2018.  She is the Assistant Teacher in the Fruits classroom.  After years of being in the corporate world, Lucy found a position as a bus monitor/classroom aide for preschool children, then she went on to become an assistant teacher.  She loves the children and has a great passion for working with Preschoolers. She enjoys laughing and playing with them during playtime, comforting them at nap time, and watching them grow and develop into their own selves.  Lucy has a son who is 31yrs old and she enjoys going to the Bay to relax by the water.

Kristy Humbert

Assistant Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Kristy has been working in Early Childhood since 2007. She is an Assistant Teacher in the Blooms classroom.  She has a passion for creativity and helps “water” the children in her care to bloom each and every day. Kristy is pursuing her degree in Early Childhood Education. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, painting, and taking care of her plants and two fur babies.

Sarah Jeffrey

Healthy Communities Program Coordinator

Sarah joined CHI St Joseph Children’s Health as a Community Health Coordinator for Healthy Columbia in July 2021. She started her career as a High School Spanish Teacher in Hazleton – her experiences within this community motivated her to pursue a career in serving young people who lack access to basic needs. This led her to an opportunity to work for the Covenant House Pennsylvania as a Street Outreach Worker and Program Coordinator, providing shelter and basic needs to homeless teens in York. Through these experiences, she learned that every individual’s spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being impacts a community, and in turn, the community’s overall well-being impacts each individual. She was drawn to CHI St Joseph Children’s Health because of our demonstrated history of adapting to meet the changing needs of those we serve.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her cats, reupholstering furniture, and playing the guitar.

Carol Johnston

Family Wellness Coach

Carol joined CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health as a Family Wellness Coach in July 2018. She holds an Associate degree in occupational therapy from Penn State University and is a licensed and certified occupational therapy assistant. She also has a Bachelor’s degree in education from Millersville University with extensive experience in early education and intervention services. Recently she completed a Graduate certificate in infant mental health from Arcadia University and has a goal of receiving a Pennsylvania Association of Infant Mental Health endorsement. In her pastime, she enjoys reading, walking her dog, and spending time with family and friends.

Heather Kantz

Resource Coordinator

Michelle Keim

Food Service & Nutrition Manager, St. John Neumann School

Michelle joined CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health in September 2019 as the Community Health Coordinator for Healthy Columbia. In May 2020 she was promoted to Food Service & Nutrition Manager for the St. John Neumann School for Children & Families. Michelle comes to us with 20 years of customer service and management experience ranging from the restaurant industry, accounts receivable, medical billing and nutrition, and fund management with MD-IDD. The promotion of health through nutrition, cultivation, and local foods is Michelle’s passion.

Michelle received her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2018 from West Chester University as well as an Associate of Arts in Restaurant and Food Service Management in 2015 from Harrisburg Area Community College. She plans to continue her education with the pursuit of a graduate degree in the near future.

She recently purchased her second home in Marietta and is looking forward to spending time on the local trails with her dog, Rue. Michelle enjoys her time spent with family and friends, cooking and creating new recipes as well as traveling.

Madison Leese

Assistant Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Nicole Marcello

Lead Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Nicole has 11 years of experience in the early childhood education field, serving families in Lancaster and Dauphin counties, and teaching children of all ages from birth through kindergarten. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Millersville University. Nicole is happy to be serving her hometown of Columbia. She looks forward to supporting our community and young children as they explore, learn, and grow!

Kierstan Mclasky

Assistant Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Kierstan has been working with young children for the last 4 years.  She earned her Child Development Associate position during that time and she brings that knowledge to her work at SJN where she serves as a assistant teacher.

Keyon Romeo

Lead Teacher, St. John Neumann School

Amanda Schein

Lead Teacher, St. John Neumann School