Meet the Lydian Leadership Team

Jonathan joined Lydian Academy as the Principal in 2017, where he integrated his experience as a PPS credentialed school counselor, special educational consultant, and licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in optimizing educational and wellness programming for unique student learners. His background prior to Lydian consisted of working with neurodiverse students with IEP's and twice-exceptional learning profiles who required a combination of mental health and academic supports to access their learning, and this experience proved incredibly useful when it came to listening to each Lydian student's specific needs and learning objectives, and creating personalized education programs to support those endeavors.

Following the Lydian Founder’s retirement, Jonathan stepped into the Executive Director role for the organization, and helped to staff/recruit Leadership team members for the opening of a 2nd campus location in Burlingame, CA in 2021. As the current Head of School, Jonathan oversees all aspects of admissions and outreach, academic advising, post-secondary / transition planning, and mental health consultation for both the Palo Alto and Burlingame campus locations.

Prior to Lydian, Jonathan was an Adjunct Faculty member in the graduate school of education at the University of San Francisco, the Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator at Palo Alto High School, and a psychotherapist in private practice. Jonathan helped develop the K-12 Toolkit for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, which was released and distributed to school superintendents in California in May 2017 in support of AB2246. Since 2010, he has worked at the intersection of mental health and education, including consulting work with the HEARD alliance, Stanford University, Project Safety Net, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

Some of Jonathan’s greatest accomplishments include spearheading a comprehensive Wellness Initiative that included the opening of Palo Alto High School’s first teen Wellness Center, and speaking engagements with PAUSD’s Wellness and Support Services leadership team at two national conferences.

Jonathan graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Psychology and English, and holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco. He is a proud father of 5 children and two furry felines, a Harry Potter and Game of Thrones fanatic, and loves spending his free time in movie theatres and outdoors in Sonoma / Monterey counties.

Perla has lived in the Bay Area for 13 years, and is originally from Southern California. She has been with Lydian Academy since 2011, where she started out teaching English, History, and Spanish for several years before moving into a Dean position, Assistant Principal, and eventually the Campus Director for the Palo Alto campus.  She received her B.A. in English with an emphasis in Early Modern Literature and minors in Spanish and Education with an emphasis in Applied Psychology from UC Santa Barbara. Perla holds a single subject credential in English, and has experience working in ABA therapy and creating student accommodation plans for neurodiverse students.

In addition to being a fluent Spanish speaker, Perla is passionate about ASL, and spent several years working with the Deaf community and teaching sign language to deaf toddlers and their families. When she is not on campus, she enjoys spending time with her children baking cupcakes and making clay mini food, going to music concerts and San Jose Broadway shows with her husband, or quietly coloring and doing diamond art with her two cats, Reese and Ryn, curled up at her side.

Elisabeth joined Lydian Academy as an English and History teacher in 2018, and has served in a leadership capacity since 2020 as the Dean of Curriculum and Guidance Services and WASC Coordinator.  In 2024, Elisabeth moved into her current role as the Director of Instruction and Support Services for the organization.   With more than twelve years of experience as an educator, Dr. George enjoys working with students, families, faculty, and colleagues in order to make education accessible, productive, and engaging.

Having previously taught in university, high school, and middle school settings, she started as a teacher in the Humanities and Social Studies departments at Lydian. Dr. George holds an undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University, where she majored in Spanish and minored in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. She earned a Master of Arts from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton in Cultural Anthropology, with a certificate in Feminist Studies, and received a Ph.D. in History from SUNY Buffalo, specializing in gender and sexuality.

In her spare time, Dr. George enthusiastically embraces the outdoors and delves deep into sustainable farming practices while spending time with her wife, four cats, and thirty-three chickens.

Erika grew up in Houston, Texas (go 'Stros!) and majored in Mathematics with a focus on differential geometry, alongside teaching STEM in secondary education. She spent five years teaching at a public high school, where she led the Geometry and AP Calculus AB teams and mentored student teachers.

After moving to California, Erika joined Lydian Academy, where she taught mathematics, led the Essentials for Success (EFS) team, and served as the Student Activities Coordinator before becoming the Dean of Academic Affairs. She feels fortunate to work with an incredible team and continue learning from them every day.

Outside of work, Erika is in her 12th year of private tutoring to stay sharp and maintain her connection to local curricular and pedagogical norms. In her free time, Erika loves being outdoors - trail-running through the redwoods, relaxing on the beach, exploring new cities, and attending concerts. Indoors, you'll find her watching horror movies, curled up with a book, cooking, or practicing new languages.

After attending Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, Sarah moved to the Bay Area in 2005 to pursue a graduate degree in Classics at Stanford. While completing her dissertation, she began teaching a few Latin courses at a local high school and fell in love with the work of secondary education, eventually choosing to focus on it as her full-time career. After fifteen years as a classroom teacher and part-time administrator, she stepped into a new chapter as a Dean of Academic Affairs at Lydian in 2025.

When not at work, she can most likely be found at the movie theater (horror and sci-fi preferred!), hiking, or enjoying a live music performance as a long-time subscriber to the Symphony and Opera in San Francisco.

Jessi began her teaching career at 11 years old, when she worked one summer as a dance teacher’s assistant. Since then, Jessi has combined her love of teaching, creative abilities, and entrepreneurial spirit to hold a variety of roles in teaching and administration, including teaching creative writing, running her own outdoor education program, being a preschool director, and working in the corporate office of a national summer camp brand.

Upon receiving a master’s degree in English and Creative Writing, Jessi joined Lydian Academy as an English and History teacher from 2017 through 2019. Three years later, after obtaining a teaching credential and working at a public high school, Jessi rejoined Lydian remotely as a teacher and part-time administrator in 2022. Jessi loves working at Lydian because it aligns with her personal teaching philosophy – all students are capable of achieving their highest potential, regardless of academic and personal background.

When not working for Lydian, Jessi loves to write creatively, read horror novels and mid-twentieth century counterculture literature, and spend time outside with her husband, daughter, and Australian Cattle Dog, Walter.

As a youngster, Bailey discovered a love for language and became multi-lingual before graduating high school. During high school, she was inspired to become a teacher due to her Literature teacher who took a whole-student approach to teaching, which Bailey aspired to do herself one day. Bailey began her teaching career as a high school English teacher before transitioning to a school dedicated to neurodiverse learners. After years of service as a classroom teacher, she became the Director of an online learning program that she helped build from the ground up. She helped develop and expand virtual education after recognizing that many students thrived when barriers such as lengthy commutes and traditional classroom environments were removed. Her work at large has focused on creating flexible, accessible learning experiences that allow students to reach their full potential.

Bailey has pursued extensive professional training in literacy, learning differences, and psychology. She is trained in Orton-Gillingham reading instruction for students with dyslexia, Trauma-Informed Teaching, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Clinical Psychology. 

Outside of her career, Bailey enjoys continuing to learn. She is an avid reader with a strong interest in psychology and human behavior. When her nose isn't in a book, she enjoys playing soccer (as a striker/false nine) or coaching youth teams. Bailey has lived all over the United States but currently lives in Nebraska with her husband, three children, and a small army of corgis.

Michael joined Lydian Academy in 2017 and has since served in a variety of student-facing roles, including teacher, Student Activities Coordinator, and now Lydian Life Coordinator. He earned his B.A. in Humanities with a concentration in Liberal Arts from San José State University. Alongside his role as Lydian Life Coordinator, Michael continues to teach courses across the humanities and social sciences, including History, Government, Economics, and English. His experience working one-on-one with students has shaped his belief that some of the most meaningful parts of school extend beyond academics, including the connections students build with their peers and school community.

As Lydian Life Coordinator, Michael oversees campus activities, clubs and drop-ins, field trips, after-school programming, and student and staff events. He enjoys creating opportunities for students to explore their interests, try something new, and connect with one another outside of the classroom. Whether organizing a school-wide event, planning a field trip, or joining students for a board game, Michael hopes to make Lydian a place where students can build friendships, have fun, and feel a genuine sense of belonging.

Outside of Lydian, Michael enjoys playing tennis and video games, trying new restaurants around the Bay Area, and spending time with friends and family.

Ann became part of the Lydian family when her daughter enrolled as a sophomore in 2022. Prior to this, she spent the bulk of her career in software marketing, including seventeen years at Intuit, where she ran corporate marketing. Ann is glad to now be able to put her marketing background to work spreading the word about Lydian Academy and the transformative effect this style of mastery-based learning can have on students and families. 

In addition to an undergraduate degree in History from Hamilton College and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Ann has a certificate in Compassion Facilitation from The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research (CCARE) at the Stanford School of Medicine and has done coursework at Landmark College in the Learning Differences and Neurodiversity Certificate Program.

Ann enjoys spending her free time getting together with her extended family, much of which is in the Bay Area, listening to audiobooks and podcasts while walking, hosting game nights, and going to concerts (particularly at The Guild).

Nozomi has been with Lydian since 2007. She first joined as a math and science teacher within Lydian’s first year when it was just in the upstairs suite in Palo Alto. Since then, she has had roles in supporting Lydian with curriculum development, implementing the initial online gradebook and progress reporting for a couple of years, and eventually in the back-end operations with bookkeeping and payroll for over a decade. In 2025, she moved into her current position as the Director of Administrative Operations.

Originally from Japan, Nozomi moved to the U.S. when she was 11. She completed her undergraduate studies at Wellesley College with a B.A. and her graduate studies in Chemistry at Stanford University with a M.S. In addition to Lydian, her experiences in education include Math and Science Intern at the College Preparatory School, Curriculum Developer/Project Coordinator at the Northeast Advanced Technological Educational Center (NEATEC), and Admissions Staff at Waseda University in Tokyo. She has also worked as a Bookkeeper for Grovemade for over 10 years.

Outside of work, Nozomi enjoys spending time with her husband, two kids, dog and two cockatiels. Although not sporty herself, she is a certified USA Swimming official and can be found on the pool deck volunteering at swim meets during the weekends.

Ty is a creative administrative professional with a diverse skill set. A Bay Area native, Ty grew up in the East Bay and graduated from university in San Francisco. Ty joined Lydian in 2024 as an Operations Coordinator, and moved into the Student Information Manager role in January 2025. She enjoys bringing an out-of-the-box approach to her work, which allows her to find unique solutions to everyday problems. 

In her personal life, Ty is an avid crafter, specializing in crocheting intricate clothing and blankets, bringing her creative ideas to life with every stitch. On weekends, she enjoys unwinding by playing video games and tabletop games with friends, creating memorable experiences and fostering connections through shared adventures.

Ty also values quality time with her partner, traveling to new destinations and discovering new experiences together. At home, she enjoys the simple pleasure of cuddling with her beloved cat, Marceline.

Maribel began her career in education by teaching computer skills and coordinating an after-school program at the East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy. She later joined Lydian Academy's front office in 2018, and became the Operations Manager and Human Resources analyst in 2020.

Maribel's high school graduating class consisted of approximately 20 students, so she has first-hand knowledge of the positive effects that small classes and one-on-one teaching can have on a student's self-esteem, education, and quality of life. As the Operations Manager, Maribel works directly with families and students to ensure a seamless transition to Lydian, and subsequently their daily life on campus once they arrive. In her spare time, Maribel enjoys taking her nephew to concerts, snowboarding, and exploring new Bay Area restaurants.

Julia is an Operations Coordinator at Lydian Academy. She completed her undergraduate studies at San Jose State University where she received her B.A. in English Literature. After graduation, she broadened her sphere by becoming a STEM teacher for elementary school students. She went on to teach STEM programs and classes in various schools and communities in the Bay Area.

As a former teacher, she values the importance of life-long learning for students. She is passionate about student success and creating action plans to help students achieve their goals. She is excited to continue advocating for students because they are the future of tomorrow.

Outside of work, Julia enjoys building Lego sets and watching animated movies. She can also be found seeing local Shakespeare plays or stargazing with her telescope.

Amal Khidir joined Lydian Academy in the summer of 2025 as an Operations Coordinator, bringing extensive experience in administrative support, operations, and Customer service. With a background spanning several years in fast-paced professional environments, she has developed a strong foundation in team coordination, executive support, event planning, and internal communications.

Amal was born and raised in Egypt and is of Sudanese heritage. She moved to the United States in 2010 and earned her Bachelor of Science in International Business from San Francisco State University in 2018.

Amal is an active member of the Sudanese community in Northern California, where she volunteers her time planning and organizing local cultural events. She also enjoys reading Arabic novels, painting, and exploring new languages.