Meet Our Team!
Danielle Svantner
Executive Director
My name is Danelle Svantner, I am the Executive Director of Westminster Preschools. I taught 0-5 in several different settings for about 10 years before I started as the North site director in May of 2015. Since then, it has been my pleasure to watch the programs grow and be able to support even more children and families in Grant Co. I am married to Matt, and together we have two boys, with a third on the way!
I love watching children learn, families thrive and teaching children the love of Jesus. I believe in play based learning, social-emotional focus and letting children be children. It’s my honor to get to be a part of such a special time in their lives. I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Indiana Wesleyan University, and my Masters at Ball State! I love to learn, challenge myself, read and soak up all the knowledge of early childhood I can. Our family enjoys camping, kayaking and anything outside. My goal is to be the best version of myself, grow and develop and lead a team that is ready for anything!
Wendy Turcott
Development Director
My name is Wendy Turcott. I am the site Director for Westminster Preschool South. I have been with Westminster Preschools for almost 2 and a half years now. I have my Bachelor of Science in Education, with a focus in Early Childhood Education from Oklahoma Baptist University. I have lived in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas throughout my life. I am happily married to Jesse Turcott for almost 2 years now. We love traveling to new areas and being outside as much as we can. I love working at Westminster because I get to provide a safe space for children, families, and staff to learn and grow. My prayer is that everyone that comes into our program leaves at the end of the day feeling loved and safe.
Kristin Stuass
Director - Fort Wayne
My name is Kristin Stauss and I joined Westminster Preschools in June of 2024 as the Site Director at Bridge of Grace Early Years Academy in Fort Wayne. I have been an early childhood educator since 2003, with experience in the classroom and various administrative roles. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in 2015 from Bethel College.
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My husband, Tim, and I met in middle school and have been married since 2007. I have a large family, including 15 nieces and nephews. I also have three cats at home to keep me busy.
I enjoy making connections with children and families and being able to have a positive impact on their lives. I am excited to continue working with staff members to pass on all that I have learned. My dream is that together we can create a learning environment where everyone (children, families, and staff) can feel valued and safe so they are able to thrive and grow.
Rhianna O'Day
Assistant Director -
Fort Wayne
Hi, my name is Rhianna O’Day and I am the Assistant Director at Bridge of Grace Early Years Academy. I have been working in Early Childhood Education for 5 years. I began a career in this field because I have a passion to create strong relationships with children and get the chance to watch them grow and learn! I was awarded my Child Development Associate Certificate in 2020, and went on to obtain my Associates in Early Childhood Education at Rasmussen University in 2022.
In my personal life, I have 2 dogs named Maui & Kai as well as a wonderful husband named Nick. We are foster parents as well, and currently have a sweet little boy! In my free time, I enjoy taking my dogs to forest preserves, and swimming when it is warm enough. My favorite part about our school is being able to share Jesus with all the children.
Lee An Ford
Friends Director - Marion
My name is Lee An Ford. I am the new Friends Director of Westminster Preschools. I just moved back to the area in January and am so excited to be a part of the Westminster team! I am originally from Wabash County, and I received by bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Ball State University. I have two sons. One is grown, and lives in Denver, Colorado. My other son is a senior in high school. I love going to concerts, hiking, reading and spending time with my friends and family.
I have been in the early childhood field for almost 30 years, and really enjoy the interactions with all the children, families and staff. I have classroom experience with children ages 6 weeks to 18 years of age, and have experience as a preschool director, and assistant director. I’m looking forward to getting to know all the families and staff at Westminster and working with the other staff to give families a wonderful experience here!
Alyssa Gallaway
Friends Assistant Director - Marion
A little bit about myself, I am engaged and have 3 children. Some of my favorite things to do are spend time with my family, explore new places/try new things and being outdoors in the summer.
I’ve been with Westminster since 2015.
While I was in Highschool I took an Early Childhood Education class and that’s when I really discovered this is what I wanted to do and now I’m currently in the process of earning my CDA.
My why for what I do is that I simply love children, I love to watch them grow, I love to watch them learn, I love to watch their excitement when they’ve discovered something new. Waking up every day knowing I’m making a difference in a child’s life no matter how big or how small is very heart warming because coming to preschool each day might be the only thing a child looks forward to and if I can bring stability, comfort and happiness to at least one child each day then I know this is exactly where I’m meant to be.
Rachel Guyer
South Director - Marion
My name is Rachel Guyer and I have been the Assistant Director at Westminster Preschool South since May 2021. I have an associate degree in Early Childhood Education from Manchester University and a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood specializing in birth to age five from the University of Cincinnati. I have 27 years of experience in Early Childhood Education in both teaching and administrative work. I am a wife and a mother of three children. My husband and I are active in the farming community and have been 4-H leaders for over 20 years. I am a firm believer that play is a child’s work and that children learn so many skills through the social interactions and problem solving that takes place during play. As a lifelong learner, I am always exploring new and innovative ideas to help children be the very best version of themselves.
Anna Kellogg
South Assistant Director -
Marion
My name is Anna Kellogg and I am the Assistant Director at Westminster Preschool South. I have my CDA through Ivy Tech and have been working at Westminster for 3 years now. Before becoming the Assistant Director, I was the lead teacher in the infant room. Infants hold a special place in my heart, I love watching them get to explore the world for the first time. I love watching children learn new skills and seeing the joy and pride that they have when they are able to conquer new challenges. My husband and I will soon be celebrating 16 years of marriage and we have 3 amazing sons. I enjoy reading, crocheting, and baking. I love working at Westminster because I love that we focus on growing the whole child. We do not just focus on math, or science, or language arts, we also focus on helping the children learn social and emotional skills. We help them develop skills to understand and work through their big emotions and we teach the children through play.
Wendy Sullivan
Site Director - Portland
My name is Wendy Sullivan and I am the Site Director for Portland Westminster Preschool. I have over 30 years of experience with children ages 2-12 within Indiana Licensed Child Care Centers. I enjoy every hug, colored picture and smile I receive. Children bring so much joy and happiness to my world.
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I have my Associates Degree in Child Development from Ivy Tech and Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education from Ashford University. I
am also a certified CLASS Rater (Classroom, Assessment, Scoring
System) and CPI Trainer (Crisis Prevention Institute) .
My teaching journey began as a Sunday school teacher in the early 90’s and I continued to teach children in preschool for 30 years before becoming part of the Admin team. I love sharing my creative ideas with the children and staff. Reading to the children, singing and engaging them in pretend play were always my favorite parts of the classroom. As a Director it is my ultimate goal to provide a happy, healthy and safe environment where the children and staff can flourish.
I am married to Chad and we have one beautiful daughter, Shelby. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. We love to play cards, have cookouts and watch movies together. I look forward to building more relationships with Westminster staff, families and children.
Michelle Webster
Assistant Director - Portland
My name is Michelle Webster and I am Assistant Director for Portland Westminster Preschool. I have my Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Certificate in Early Childhood Administration from IvyTech Community College.
I have 30 years of experience working with children from birth through age five
My passion for children began when I was very young. I am an only child and I was drawn to being around other children. Throughout the years I have met so many children and families that have touched my heart with many memories over the years. I look forward to meeting and making more memories with the Westminster children and families.
Outside of work, I have been married to my husband Mark for 36 years. We have one son Holden and we have two grandogs named Hankers and Petey. In our free time we like to go to car shows, concerts, have bonfires and help with different benefits within our community.
Tanja Bullins
Site Director - Wabash
I have been with Westminster Preschools since March of 2020! I started as the Assistant Director of our North location then moved up to Director when our South location opened in the latter part of 2020. I am currently the interim Director of our Friends location. I have my bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, and I'm a certified coach. Collectively I have 14 years experience in the early childhood education field, 10 in the classroom and 4 in administration.
I absolutely love being a part of the team here at Westminster. My favorite part is coming in daily and getting all the amazing warm hugs that the littles give out. I love walking into a classroom and seeing the teachers and students thriving in an environment of growth and well-being. We here at Westminster always say that play is our work, and I wholeheartedly believe that. I cannot wait to come back to the community of Wabash and bring our culture with me.
