Board of Directors

Nancy Notley is returning to the GLWI Board, having previously served as the Board President. Her two sons graduated from Prairie Hill Waldorf School, and her 3 oldest grandchildren are attending Whatcom Hills Waldorf School in Bellingham, WA.  Nancy served for 6 years as the Enrollment Director at Prairie Hill. She earned her BA in Social Work from Ohio Wesleyan University, MA in Educational Psychology/Counseling from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and her law degree (JD) from Valparaiso University. Advanced training in mediation, along with combining law and counseling, led her to focus on the rights of children in cases involving custody, abuse, and neglect. In the past decade, Nancy became a certified personal trainer and cycling coach and has enjoyed working with women in their middle years becoming more physically active.

David is a Psychologist working in Ann Arbor, MI. He earned his BS from Michigan Technological University, his MBA from the University of Minnesota, and his MA from Bethel University. His daughter is a graduate of the Minnesota Waldorf School and the Rudolf Steiner

School of Ann Arbor. He served on the board of the Minnesota Waldorf School as both Secretary and Treasurer. David completed foundation studies with the Novartis Institute in Minneapolis. He has worked for the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and the Waldorf Institute of Southeastern Michigan.

Judy Larson is a CPA with an MS in Taxation. She recently retired from working in the accounting field. Her husband of 43 years, Dale, has also retired from Johnson Controls, where he was a software engineer. They have two daughters who graduated from Prairie Hill Waldorf School, including their eldest daughter, who was in the first class at the school. Judy was the Treasurer at PHWS for two different three-year terms. She enjoys gardening and spending time with her grandchildren and family.

Monika began her journey as a Waldorf teacher in 1999.  She created the music program at Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School in Viroqua, WI where she directed orchestra; chorus; and taught general music, strings, and served as Faculty and College chair.

Monika has been involved in teacher education for the past ten years - in addition to her work at GLWI, she is lead faculty at Sunbridge Institute in the Waldorf Elementary Music Teacher Education course and guest faculty at the Rudolf Steiner Centre in Toronto. She has led workshops at conferences in the US and Canada and provides consultation and mentorship for a number of Waldorf schools. Monika received Waldorf Certification from Sunbridge Institute in New York.

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Gyasi Ayo Kress is a performing artist of multiple disciplines. Raised by his gay, blues-playing mother on the South Side of Chicago, surrounded by poverty, homophobia, racism, and all the ignorance associated with such mindsets, was the perfect fire to forge Gyasi's commitment to the equality and dignity of all life. From the influence of his Buddhist practice with SGI-USA, to his oratory/theater and musical training, the power and necessity of dialogue has been cemented in his heart. Traversing all of life's experiences with a belief in human potential and world peace has reinforced the need to learn and practice healthy dialogue. This commitment to dialogue, the highest expression of non-violence, has created opportunities for him internationally as an artist, mentor, and teacher; being a part of GLWS is the latest and greatest example of this.

Moriya Russell is a parent at Tamarack Waldorf School, where she serves as a classroom leader and active participant of the school’s parent organization. She has experience with financial management and accounting across varied industries, including legal, insurance, and banking. She prides herself on contributing innovative and precise improvements to organizations, processes, and workflows. Moriya earned her BA in History from UW-Milwaukee with minors in Africology, Women’s Studies, and LGBT Studies. She is actively involved in community improvement, education at all levels, and social justice.