Our Staff
Our staff have a passion for children and for Jesus!
Ted has a B.S. in Management/ Information Systems, and has studied Ministry, Journalism, and Music Theory. He has worked with Tree of Life since 2013, acting as Director from 2016 to 2021. He began being involved in ministry to children and youth in 1997. Ted was a tutor for Classical Conversations Christian homeschool groups. Currently he's involved in family ministry, leading worship, and teaching Bible classes at Dwelling Place Christian Fellowship for children and adults. Ted loves teaching and sharing with people of all ages.
Ted & Allison have 3 awesome children!
Laura has a B.A. from Radford University in Studio Art. Laura began teaching at Tree of Life in 2018. She has been a lead teacher from 2019 to 2021 in both Green and Yellow rooms. Laura also has experience running a small business.
Laura is a fantastic teacher and mother, and she puts her heart and soul into everything she does, especially supporting our awesome staff!
Leigha Semones oversees both Tree of Life and the Young Children's Ministry at Dwelling Place. She also does our Word Wednesday Program which teaches interactive bible stories. She has an B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Virginia Tech. She is certified to teach Pre-K to 5th grade. She has been a minister for 24 years. She is currently a staff minister for Dwelling Place Christian Fellowship and has served as a Children's Pastor there as well.
Leigha is a mother of four, including two of our teachers!
Allison has a B.A. from Berea College in Studio Art. She was the Children's Program Specialist for the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library system for seven years, where she led story-time and music programs at four branch libraries weekly. She previously served as the coordinator for Dwelling Place children's bible classes. She has taught Art, Music, and Reading in several Elementary schools. She is currently homeschooling her two oldest children. Allison loves to share arts, learning, and fun with children in exciting and interactive ways!
Kensie Semones Tagg
Assistant Director
Teacher
Kensie has worked in volunteer childcare and children's ministry since she was young, both at church and with 3 siblings. Kensie has been a teacher at Tree of Life since 2015. She completed the ministry internship program at Dwelling Place Christian Fellowship in 2018. Mrs. Kensie was previously a lead teacher in our infant and two-year old classes. Kensie administrates scheduling, training, and curriculum for Tree of Life.
Esther Schuster
Yellow Room Pre-K Teacher
Esther has experience as an elementary school substitute teacher and tutor, working with children of a variety of ages. Esther has a B.A. from Appalachian Bible College in Bible/Theology and Missions. Esther loves helping children grow in maturity and education, and she works hard to prepare all of our Pre-K students for Kindergarten!
Cyndi Marsh-Stevens
Green Room 3yrs Teacher
This is Cyndi's third tour of duty teaching for Tree of Life since 2012! Mrs. Cyndi has experience with a variety of age groups as a daycare teacher, and she has long worked as a tutor with Classical Conversations Christian home school groups. Cyndi loves blessing children with compassion and educational growth! Cyndi is a loving mother of two.
Kimberly Novak
Blue Room 2yrs Teacher
Mrs. Kimberly's upbeat personality is a perfect match for our fun-loving 2 year olds! Kimberly has prior years of experience as a daycare teacher, and she is a loving mom to two girls!
Tiffany Medley
Purple Room Infant Teacher
Miss Tiffany loves babies! Tiffany has a number of prior years of experience as a daycare teacher, and was an Assistant Director at her former childcare facility. Tiffany is a loving mom of a delightful little boy who attends Tree of Life with mommy!
Kellie Bratton
Purple Room Infant Teacher
Mrs. Kellie also loves babies! Kellie has previous experience working with a church-based daycare, and she attended Georgia Southern University. Mrs. Kellie is a loving mom of adult children!
Kaylie Martin
Floating Teacher
Miss Kaylie has been a teacher here at Tree of Life for a few years. Kaylie's flexibility as a teacher makes her a great floater, capable of covering multiple age groups!
Cristen Semones
Floating Teacher
Miss Cristen has been a teacher here at Tree of Life since she was a high school student. Cristen has worked frequently with all the age groups here!