GROVE
Meet The Team
BETH DEASY
Owner
Beth Deasy is the owner and operator of the Primrose Schools of Thornton, Denver Central Park, and Primrose School of Denver North. Beth believes that, together, we can give our children roots to grow and wings to fly, so that they become adults who love who they are and what they do. Helping to develop such self-knowledge and passion for life in young children requires a delicate balance of nurturing and education, and collaboration with parents, caregivers, and the communities we serve.
As well as leading Roots to Wings Management and its Family Enterprises which include the Roots to Wings Primrose Schools, Beth is the current Vice Chair of the Primrose Schools Advisory Council, representing more than 425 Primrose Schools across the country, helping to influence Primrose Schools policies, curriculum, and programming, and piloting many programs and tools to provide for a premier early learning experience that is unparalleled in Colorado. She is a TechStars SWEDU winner for her Early Childhood Education (ECE) Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) prototype app idea. She is also active in her local community – Beth and her team were original members of Futurebound, a movement of changemakers fueling innovation in child development in the U.S. A 2-year member of Leadership Denver, Beth continues to focus on sharing best practices in early childhood education.
Serving the needs of the community by helping young children and their families grow into a lifetime of learning is the culmination of a long-term dream of Beth’s. She is delighted to be able to offer you the best care and education for your children.
ANDI NAKATA
Executive Director of School Operations, Assets & Risk Management
Bio Coming Soon!
JENNIFER KNUDSEN
Executive Director of Education & Faculty Development
Jen has had a passion for early childhood education since 2001. In 2021 she completed her MA in Early Childhood Education with a dual emphasis in Organizational Leadership & Change, and Trauma Studies. She believes that education is a right not a privilege and that all students can succeed with the support from their community. Her goal is to impact as many early childhood students as possible and her path has led her to teach the next generation of teachers to meet that goal. Her teaching philosophy involves understanding the development of the whole child including their physical, mental, and emotional growth. She also believes that to ensure the best outcomes the entire network of support needs to be involved including teachers, family, and community members. Relationship-based coaching and teaching ensures that each student feels they are a part of the early childhood community. To maintain a work life balance, Jen enjoys yoga and spending time outdoors. As a native Coloradoan it doesn’t matter the season, the scenery is beautiful whether she is hiking or snowshoeing the trails.
STEPHANIE HOOPER
Executive Director of Communications, Outreach & Talent
Stephanie is the youngest member of our team, but her many years of working for our founder, Beth Deasy, and the valuable experience she gained over that time belay that fact! Stephanie is a born and raised native of Colorado. She is proud of the fact that she was in the first graduating class of Metropolitan State’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Events with a Major in Meeting and Event Management. She is a whizz with our parent liaison communications as well as connecting with the media of all kinds! Of course, her real passion lies in managing our community outreach and events! A great life balance is important to Steph - when she isn’t working, she enjoys reading, golf, exercise, attending concerts and being with family and friends.
BROOKE THEDE
Director of Facilities, Inventory, Purchasing & Equipment
Bio Coming Soon!
JESSE RIZZO
Parent Liaison & Supporting School Director
Jesse always knew that education was her life’s calling. Her love of education extends beyond the roles of teacher or administrator; she is committed to learning and growing her skills as educator. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Siena College as well as three Masters’ degrees from Fordham University in Early Childhood Education and Educational Leadership & Administration. A native New Yorker, Jesse joins our team with progressive and broad experiential credentials. Her deep curiosity on educational practices in other cultures has taken her to South Africa on a prestigious Harvard University World Teach program spearheading a narrative therapy ‘Hero Books’ program for students living with HIV and AIDS, and also to Ubud, Bali, where she was an English Immersion Instructor. Always questioning and learning herself, Jesse seeks to inspire critical thinking in her students and is eager to build successful teaching frameworks that deliver experiences that shift children’s mindsets, create confidence and result in lifelong love of learning and curiosity. She is excited to lead the Primrose Denver North team to towards the excellence of the Primrose tradition through its deep focus on student learning. She wants to develop strong thinkers and innovative creators and to also encourage teachers and students to continually push learning edges.
School Directors
ALICIA JAMISON
Primrose School of Denver North
NIKKI KOCHEVAR
Primrose School of Thornton
