Our Staff
Colleen Miller
Executive Director
I have been with the Family Development Center since 2006. I began as the Administrative Director and was promoted to the Executive Director position in June 2020. I also supervise the Newborn Network and Child Care Network for the Family Development Center. I have a BS in Labor and Industrial Relations, Human Resource Management, from Pennsylvania State University and continue to be a Nittany Lion fan!
I moved to Steamboat in 1995 for a break after graduation and have been here ever since. I owned and ran a Human Resources Consulting business, Viable Resources, for 15 years that specialized in temporary employment visas and working with small businesses before moving into the early childhood education sector.
My husband Josh and I have two children, Zach and Maggie, both DLC alumni. Maggie is finishing her architecture degree at CU Boulder and Zach teaches 7/8 grade math in California. We recently became grandparents and are excited to share the early childhood education journey with our grandson, Henry. When I'm not working, I enjoy being outside skiing, hiking, biking, or anything with my family. Feel free to email or call with any questions!
Angela Shelton
Director of Discovery Learning Center
Angela has been with the Family Development Center since 2016 and has been working with children since she was a teenager. She earned her Child Development Associate in order to pursue her passion of teaching young children. She loves watching children grow and learn and is looking forward to supporting teachers, parents and care givers and children.
Julia Schiemann
Administrative Assistant
Hi there! My name is Julia and I’m the new Administrative Assistant. I’m here to help out our staff wherever I can so they can focus on helping your children grow into their unique and extraordinary selves. I moved to Steamboat from Massachusetts in 2020. Since then, I’ve been gaining experience in outdoor recreation and education, child care, and nonprofit work. In my free time, I love snowboarding, hiking, reading, and art.
Pre-K West
Kylie Leggett
PreK-West Lead Classroom Teacher
Hello, my name is Ms. Kylie, your new Pre-K West Teacher. I have worked with children for over five years, inspiring them to think outside the box, implementing engaging curriculums, and demonstrating that learning can be fun. Also, I am currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education. I have a dog named Kelso. We hike, ski, swim, and go on amazing adventures together. If you have any questions, please feel free to come and see me.
Lauren Hermes
PreK-West Classroom Teacher
Welcome Lauren!
Avery Hazlett
PreK-West Classroom Assistant Teacher
Hi! My name is Avery Hazlett (and next to me is my puppy Stella), I'm a new teacher here at Discovery. I’ve been learning about early childhood education and teaching for about two years now. My favorite subject to teach is art. I enjoy creating art in my free time and at school I enjoy creating art with the kiddos and assisting them in using their imagination and creativity to create beautiful pieces of art. I'm so excited to get to know you and your kids this upcoming school year!
Pre-K Corner
John Shoen
PreK-Corner Lead Classroom Teacher
This is John’s 14th year at Discovery Learning Center. He started his adventure in Early Childhood Education (ECE) after his daughter Grace was born, (who is now in high school!). He holds a Colorado Early Childhood Credential Level IV and an AA degree in ECE. John is currently working on completing his Bachelors in ECE. John and his wife Dianna moved to Steamboat Springs in 1998 to take advantage of all the outdoor activities. He is an avid camping and biking enthusiast & loves traveling with his family. Some of their adventures have led them to Switzerland, Germany, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands!
Alex Sonntag
PreK-Corner Classroom Teacher
My name is Alex. This will be my second school year here at Discovery. I started when my daughter Veda enrolled in preschool, and instantly fell in love with the school and the children. Camping, biking, skiing/snowboarding, watching music around town, and traveling keeps us busy in our free time. I'm currently enrolled at CNCC to take classes for an ECE certification. This will be a great year! I'm so excited to get to know you all and to be a part of our children's continued growth and development!
Preschool Classroom
Alice Butler
Preschool Classroom Lead
After growing up in Montana, then attending college in Vermont, Alice made her way to Steamboat where she has lived for the past 2.5 years, working at Discovery for the past two. She is working toward her Preschool Center Director Certification by attending community college classes. Alice’s favorite part of working in Early Childhood is watching kids change and grow. Being outdoors with them is up there too! She feels very lucky to have found a profession she enjoys so much. For fun, Alice enjoys cooking, being outside in many different capacities, and instructing log rolling at OTHS in Steamboat.
Jessica Goss
Preschool Classroom Teacher
Welcome Jess!
My name is Jess, I have worked intimately with children in the Yampa Valley for most of the last decade through working closely with the outdoor recreational community, as well as having a young daughter, born, and raised in Steamboat Springs. I have coached, guided, mentored, and inspired our youth through deep passion for a healthy balance between conservation and recreation. I moved here from Yosemite National Park while working with NPS to attend CMC and further my education in early childhood, business development, and outdoor recreation skills.
Sonia Butler
Preschool Classroom Assistant Teacher
Sonia Butler was born in Jamaica, in the West Indies. She attended St. Mary’s College. She has a C.N.A. from Colorado Mountain College and has lived in Steamboat for twenty years. She enjoyed working for the Yampa Valley Medical Center for 15 years caring for the elderly. Her passion is working with both the elderly and young children. She is the mother of seven children and also a grandmother. Her favorite hobbies are reading to the children and the elderly, meeting new people and volunteering in her church community!
Her motto is: Let happiness be where there is any sadness, joy where there is any hunger, love where there is any hatred because we are all in one and one in all.
Diane Moore
Classroom Support Substitute Teacher
Diane earned a Bachelor of Science with a Social Work emphasis from Colorado State University. Her first job after graduating was working as a preschool teacher. Diane brings years of experience in social work and counseling. She enjoys learning from Discovery Learning Center’s teaching team and increasing her skills in Early Childhood Education.
Katrina Hicks
Roving Classroom Art Teacher
Katrina has been teaching at Discovery since it was a lab school for Colorado Mountain College in the early ’80s. She has a Colorado Early Childhood Credential and Director Certification. Katrina is a real Steamboat native, born here. She loves to spend time with her niece who started her Freshmen year at CU and her nephew when he is home from college. In her free time, Katrina likes to hike around Steamboat and Rocky Mountain National Park, and going to Blackhawk, Disneyworld, and Arizona for baseball spring training.
Board of Directors
Jennifer Travis
President
USFS
Jennifer Shea
Vice-President
Steamboat Resort
Elliott Ludy
Treasurer
Colby & Ludy, PC
Chris Young PhD
Secretary
Retired Psychologist
Sandy Horner
Retired Klauzer & Tremaine
Abby Kurtz-Phelan
Attorney
Ed MacArthur
Native Excavating
Colleen J Miller
Executive Director
Ex-Officio