Board of Directors

Grace Lee has been fortunate to be part of the long standing DC Montessori community. She attended Georgetown University and received a B.A. in History. She completed her Primary training at the Washington Montessori Institute and received a M.Ed at Loyola University. She has experience as a Primary Guide in both the private and public sectors. Grace also had the opportunity to serve as the Montessori Instructional Specialist in the Office of Early Childhood with the District of Columbia Public Schools. She currently serves as the Director of Admissions at Aidan Montessori School. Grace is also an AMI Primary Consultant, in the Training of Trainers Programme at the Montessori Training Center Northeast, and co-leader of the DC Montessori Coalition state advocacy group.

Grace is passionate about all things DC and is very excited to be part of a thriving city that continues to provide ever-increasing access to high quality, authentic Montessori education across all sectors. 

Maia Blankenship is an accomplished education entrepreneur and advocate for equity leading Wildflower’s growth in the DC Metro Area. She was the founding managing director for Education Pioneers, an organization that places talented people from other fields into education management roles. While serving as the regional executive director for The Achievement Network (ANet), an organization that provides high-quality aligned interim assessments and builds data-driven cultures in schools, she expanded its reach to over 200 schools in D.C. and Maryland. She then became Vice President of Strategic Growth & Partnerships at ANet, cultivating national and regional relationships that improved student performance. Maia is also an advisor and connector to organizations actively working to dismantle systemic racism and oppression, including serving as Vice-Chair of The Equity Lab. Most recently, she was awarded in the inaugural cohort of Black Voices for Black Justice Fund recipients. She is a ward 5 resident who lives in Brookland and the proud mother of an independent and adventurous 4 year old, who inspires her daily.

Inga’s Montessori journey started 30 years ago at her son’s Montessori school in Virginia. After her family established a working farm in Maryland, she completed primary Montessori training and opened a land-based Montessori program. Upon returning to Washington, DC fifteen years later, Inga was invited to be a Research Assistant at American University, where she completed a Master’s degree in Arts Management and Administration. She designed an innovative marketing plan for the North American premiere of a drama recovered from a concentration camp near Prague, and implemented the events with cooperation from four university departments. She served as Treasurer on the Executive Board of the National Society for Arts and Letters (NSAL) and, in collaboration with The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, administered an awards program for outstanding art students from thirty-three schools. As part of her work with the DC Public Schools Central Office, Inga participated in a pioneering project to bring intercultural programs to underserved student populations. Inga continued her Montessori training at WMI with Kay Baker and received her AMI elementary diploma and M.Ed. from Loyola University Maryland. Since then, she has served as Guide and Director of Education in several area schools. She is currently owner and trainer of Montessori-Orff Music and the author of a comprehensive lesson manual for teachers, “Montessori and Orff’s Elemental Music: Pathways to Universal Musicianship.” Inga is grateful for the opportunity to share her experience in diverse learning communities, and looks forward to paving an equitable and inclusive path for Montessori education.