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About Our School
Meadowsweet Montessori is committed to creating an authentic, equitably-accessed Montessori early learning community in Broome County.
We are dedicated to nurturing the holistic growth of each child—mind, body, and spirit—while honoring their natural stages of development. Through a thoughtfully prepared environment and a supportive community, we aim to inspire a lifelong love of learning for children, caregivers, and educators alike.
Our vision is to cultivate a space where curiosity thrives, individuality is celebrated, and our community grows together in harmony with nature’s rhythms.
Our Leaders
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Administration
Micah Genung
Administrative Assistant
Micah (they/she) is a Binghamton local, dedicated to community care and mutual aid. Their life philosophy is Service = Joy! Micah can be found serving food, hugs and radical empathy to all those around them, particularly our unhoused neighbors. For two years Micah served as the Assistant Coordinator for the “Buy Nothing Market”, a monthly event distributing donated goods to community members in need, entirely free.
Micah attended St. John’s University, majoring in Journalism. Subsequently they gained over 15 years of experience, serving as administrative assistant in a variety of settings: medical, manufacturing, property maintenance, film production, stage managing, food service, community center, and non-profit programming.
Most recently Micah worked as the Logistics & Outreach Coordinator for MANNA of the Southern Tier, a program of the Broome County Council of Churches. In this role Micah built relationships with over 50 local pantries & agencies, delivering prepared meals, made from rescued foods. Micah’s passion for social equity helped deliver over 1000 meals a week to Broome County’s most vulnerable residents.
Outside of work you’ll find Micah traveling with her daughter, camping, hiking and attending live music events. They serve as a volunteer with Binghamton Food Rescue, at the NoMa Community Center, and Binghamton Tenants Union street outreach crew.
Our Board
Liz Wood
Chair
Liz Wood (they/them) is a former special education teacher and current educational technology coach with Broome-Tioga BOCES’s Professional Learning and Innovation Center. They are passionate about culturally-responsive and human-centric education, and are excited about the opportunity to bring those passions to the Meadowsweet Montessori School as a Board Member. Liz lives in Binghamton, NY with their partner and dogs, where they enjoy gaming, reading, and roller derby.
Luiz Rosada Duarte
Vice Chair
Luiz Rosada Duarte (he/his) is a Montessori Lead Guide at Capucine Montessori School in Cambridge, MA. Luiz is a MACTE certified teacher for Early Childhood. He was born and raised in Brazil, and also holds a BA in Physical Education and a MA in Sports Psychology. He moved with his family to the United States in 2016, and has applied his 23 years of educational background in Montessori education since then. Luiz truly believes in the power of Montessori education, and the importance of establishing a nurturing community to fully support children and their families.
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Theresa Bovier
Secretary
Theresa Bovier (she, her) is the Chief Operations Officer and Social Worker at YWCA Binghamton/Broome County. Theresa holds dual Master’s degrees in Public Administration and Social Work from Binghamton University and brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and program development. A dedicated advocate for vulnerable communities, she has a proven track record of creating impactful programs that address the needs of diverse homeless populations. Their expertise in strategic planning, supportive housing program development, and community engagement makes them a valuable asset to any board focused on social change and equity.
Christopher Welch
Treasurer
Chris Welch (he/him) is a seasoned entrepreneurial leader with over 20 years of experience driving revenue growth and building high-performance organizations.
He is currently the founder of Eastlake Ventures, an investment firm focused on acquiring and growing small businesses.
Chris has worked at various stages of company growth, having been a founder, and led teams at both growth-stage and publicly traded technology firms.
He lives in Northern NJ with his wife and two sons and serves as Vice Chair at Restore NYC, an anti-trafficking organization.
Lixue Tu (Tutu)
Board Member
Lixue Tu (Tutu) (she/her), is a native Mandarin speaker and an enthusiastic bilingual educator. She holds a BA degree in English Language and Literature from China and an MA degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the United States. Experience with adult learners made her believe that true love of learning is shaped at a much younger age. She discovered that Montessori schools help children explore their own intrinsic interest in learning and develop lifelong learning skills. Tutu is also a mother of two girls, who are the motivation for her to become a Montessori guide and to open her own Montessori preschool. Her goal is to help raise independent, self-motivated, respectful and socially conscious learners. Tutu enjoys learning about different cultures and languages, and she is a big fan of foods from around the world. She loves living in New England and doing winter sports, as well as camping with her family in the summer. Tutu’s dream is to travel around the world and visit her students in different countries.
Catie Baker
Board Member
Catie Baker (she/her) was born and raised in NYC, and transplanted to upstate NY in 2006 with many diverse experiences under her belt. Catie is a community advocate and relationship banker with experience serving on nonprofit boards and a strong interest in early childhood education. In her professional work, she supports individuals and families through careful listening, trust-building, and responsible financial guidance.
Her work with the American Cancer Society, along with long-standing involvement in community initiatives, such as being an organizer for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in Binghamton has strengthened her commitment to thoughtful governance, transparency, and sustainability. Catie values shared decision-making and a steady focus on protecting and advancing the mission of the organizations she serves.
She is passionate about supporting Montessori environments that foster strong partnerships among educators, families, and board members, and that give children the space to grow, explore, and develop at their own pace. With a degree in culinary arts, a focus on financial responsibility, and a desire to promote independence, she hopes to be a well rounded influence to the choices and decisions that will impact Meadowsweet and its patrons.