Administration

SARAH WATSON

Executive Director

Sarah is beyond passionate about working with children and has worked with children for as long as she can remember. She has a trusting spirit that seems to draw children and parents to her. Sarah truly values the gift of authenticity and doesn’t shy away from feelings, easy or hard. Her heart for children being successful has always been huge. After taking several years to focus on being a mother, Sarah has a Bachelors in Behavioral Health from Evangel University. Sarah’s heart is not just for the children, but also the parents and families. The Lord has given her the opportunity to walk alongside many families over the last several years , this journey has lit a spark in her to turn this passion into something more. She desires nothing more than seeing a child reach their potential, and walk with their parents as they navigate this journey.

AMANDA NICHOLS

Executive Director of Education

Amanda absolutely lights up the classroom when working with children and has a way of making them feel like they can move mountains. She has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Elementary Education and has worked at Gloria Deo Academy in Springfield, Missouri; as a teacher for the past 8 years. Amanda’s desire to teach began at a very young age, when she would line up all of her stuffed animals and teach them using her school papers. Her love for kids has grown into a deep-rooted passion to instill the love of learning within all students. Her greatest desire is for her children and students to believe in their abilities, work hard to reach personal goals and then celebrate when those goals are realized. She truly delights in working one on one with students and parents to change the landscape of the student’s educational journey.

KATHRYN GOLD

Development Director

Ms. Kathryn serves as our Development Director. She holds a bachelors in Early Childhood Education from Southeast Missouri State University and has a heart and passion for the mission and vision of KB Academy. She has a deep desire to build relationships with our staff, students and families. Kathryn brings 10 years of Development / Event planning experience to our team. She also served as the director of the Non Profit, M.E.N.D. for 4 1/2 years. She works tirelessly to ensure our fundraising goals are met, track volunteer hours, build relationship teams and network in the community. Development is a pivotal position in any not-for-profit and she is a pivotal part of our schools success!

AMY DASCHER

School Principal

Mrs. Amy Dascher is our school principal for grades K-12. Amy graduated with a Degree in Elementary Education from St. Mary's University. She has taught in many different avenues and is energized when working with kids. Her energy, creativity, and deep desire to help children succeed is a dynamic addition to our program. She has over 20 years of educational/teaching experience. Her absolutely favorite part of education is watching kids go from disengaged and not understanding to demonstrating a spark of curiosity,

understanding, and joy. She is a dynamic part of our success in working with both our students and guiding our teachers.

JENNIFER STRICKLAND

Licensed Professional Counselor

Mrs. Jennifer Strickland serves as our on-site Mental Health Therapist. She is a compassionate and intuitive mental health professional experienced in a multi-disciplinary theoretic approach including Dialectal Behavioral Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) modalities. Jennifer achieves positive results utilizing Reality Based Therapy drawing on Cognitive Behavioral and multi-disciplinary interventions to assess, evaluate, plan, educate, inform, and intervene in assisting clients reach personalized goals. Jennifer has been serving families in the Springfield, MO area as a Licensed Professional Counselor since 2005 and enjoys helping children, parents, individuals, and families achieve a better tomorrow.

KRISTEN KELLY

Bookkeeper

Kristen is our bookkeeper, and holds a Master’s degree in Accounting from Oklahoma State University. She has worked in the field of accounting for 28 years in positions ranging from tax accountant to church bookkeeper and many others in between. She loves the puzzle that comes with doing a company's accounting, but more importantly, she loves working with people! She is excited to share her gift of numbers with KB Academy. She is committed to helping us grow and stay financially stable.

EMILY OWEN

School Secretary

Mrs. Emily Owen serves us as our school secretary. She plays a pivotal roll in keeping KB organized and running smoothly! Emily has two students who attend KB and has become deeply invested in our mission and vision. Ms. Emily navigates the teachers needs, parents needs, phones and all general office organization with ease and grace. We are blessed beyond words to have her on our team.

MELINDA KAISER

Teaching Assistant

Mrs. Melinda is our development assistant and helps Ms. Kathryn with each event, developing teams and relationships with our families. She holds an Elementary Education degree with a Specialization in Special Education from Southeast MO State University. She brings over 32 years of teaching experience to our program over all and is a blessing to all who know her. Her vast educational experience is a valuable asset to our team.

VICKI GIBSON

Executive Assistant

Ms. Vicki is the assistant to the Executive Director and is an amazing asset to our team. Vicki has a degree in elementary education and loves working at KB. She caught the heart behind our mission from day one and we could not be more grateful. Her vast computer knowledge and creative design help keep all things marketing, counseling and admissions in the air and running smoothly.