Christine Brown - Owner, Director, Head Teacher

Chris earned her BSc. degree from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England and taught science to grades 6-10 in a comprehensive school for three years before coming to America in 1981. She has four children; Andrew, Ellie, and Stephen and Gregory, and became an American citizen in 1993.

After all her children attended Merrimack Valley Montessori School, Chris chose to become a certified Montessori teacher and joined our staff in 1994. In the summer of 1999, she became co-owner of the school and took over sole ownership in 2004. Chris currently lives in Salem with her husband, Mick. Their youngest child attends the University of New Hampshire and the older three have graduated, from UNH, George Washington University, and George Mason  University in Virginia.

Tammy Dobens - Montessori Teacher, Summer Program Head Teacher

Tammy came to us in 1989 as an intern from the Early Childhood Program at Hesser College. After graduation she joined our staff and has been with us ever since. In those years, she has married and become a mother to Alyssa and Caroline. She took Montessori training in 2006 and became a head teacher in 2007. Tammy lives with her husband, Dave, and daughters in Nashua.

Lisa Sauvageau - Montessori Teacher

Lisa graduated from New Hampshire College with a BS in Accounting. She became interested in Montessori when her two children attended a Montessori school in Bedford, NH. Lisa's family relocated to Cincinnati where she received her Montessori Certification from the Cincinnati Center for Montessori Education and she recently earned her MEd in Early Childhood from Gordon College in Wenham, MA. Lisa lives in Andover, MA with her husband Dan, and daughters Stephanie and Sydney, and joined MVMS in 2004.  

Lisa Charest - Montessori Teacher

Lisa graduated from Endicott College with a Masters Degree in Education. She completed her Montessori Certification in 2001 at Northeast Montessori Institute and taught for several years at Merrimack Montessori School in Haverhill. After having her eldest son, she took a six year break from teaching to spend time raising her two boys. Lisa came to MVMS in 2006 when her son started here and volunteered for four years before joining the staff in 2010. She lives in Plaistow with her husband and children.  

Donna Lynch - Teaching Assistant

Donna graduated Cum Laude from Boston College in 1976 and went on to pursue life as an NFL wife and full-time mother until she joined our staff in 1990. Her three children Brittany, Sean and Cody all attended the Merrimack Valley Montessori School. Donna and her husband, Tom, have lived in Salem, NH for thirty years. 

Veronica Linehan - Teaching Assistant

Veronica was born and educated in Glasgow, Scotland and came to the Unites States in 1967. She married her American husband, Tom, lived for eight years in Illinois, and then came to Salem. She raised three children; Sean, Ryan, and Kathleen. Veronica worked for three years for the Salem School District as an Inclusion Specialist, and in that capacity came to us in 1999. Her two grandaughters attended MVMS.

Lei Anna Sugerman - Assistant Teacher

Lei Anna was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai'i.  She came to New England to attend Boston College where she received her degree in Early Childhood Education.  After a decade of teaching preschool in Boston, she moved to Salem, NH.  Lei Anna took some time off from teaching to stay home with her two young sons, both of whom attended MVMS.  

Maureen Anderson - Office Manager/Teaching Assistant

Maureen joined MVMS as office manager in 2001 after a thirteen year work hiatus to raise her two children - one of whom attended MVMS. Previously, Maureen was Vice President of Operations for an advertising/marketing firm, was assistant personnel director of a computer hardware company, and was secretary to the vice president of a Boston bank. Maureen has a BA from the University of New Hampshire. She lives in Hampstead, NH.