“The (Waldorf) school will have its own administration run on a republican basis and will not be administered from above. We must not lean back and rest securely on the orders of a headmaster; we must be a republic of teachers and kindle in ourselves the strength that will enable us to do what we have to do with full responsibility. Each one of you, as an individual, has to be fully responsible.”

— Rudolf Steiner

Maple Village Waldorf School is a self-administered, collaboratively led institution. Its leadership is divided into three governing bodies and one supportive body: the Board of Trustees, the Pedagogical Committee, the Administration, and the Parent Village. Together these groups work collaboratively to support our unique and comprehensive Waldorf education and assume responsibility for the integrated, yet distinct, areas of school governance.

The Board holds the legal and fiduciary responsibilities of the school, the Pedagogical Committee holds the pedagogical aspects of the school, the Administration is responsible for the day-to-day running of the school and the Parent Village is a supportive body that serves as a voice for the parent community as well as communicating information from the governing bodies to the parent community.

Meet our current Board members:

Ed Eadon
President

Ed Eadon is excited to return to the private Waldorf school environment as he joins the Maple Village community and helps the school…

…continue to thrive. He currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Governance Committee at Ocean Charter School, a public Waldorf school in Del Rey. As the Administrative Director at Highland Hall Waldorf School, he helped create a strategic plan, initiate a capital campaign, complete AWSNA & WASC accreditation, and establish a retirement program for employees. While there, he studied at Sunbridge College where he received a Certificate in Waldorf Administration and Community Development. He received a BS in physics at the University of Alabama, studied meteorology at San Jose State and earned an MS in Astrogeophysics at the University of Colorado. He retired as a Colonel from the USAF after a career in meteorology and space physics. He has taught high school physics in Watts at a charter school, Pasadena at the private Waldorf school and a public school, and was recruited to teach part-time at a private school in Beverly Hills. Ed looks forward to utilizing his experiences and knowledge as he transitions from a Board member at Maple Village to Interim Administrative Director and building upon the foundation that has been laid.

Brian Stevens
Vice-President

For over 15 years, Brian has been involved in education – beginning as an acting teacher and private coach. With an MFA in Acting from…

.…American Conservatory Theatre, Brian is a San Francisco Bay Area native. Brian has taught and directed plays/musicals in many studios and schools throughout Orange County. He has taught at colleges in OC and LA Counties, and is currently a lecturer at California State Dominguez Hills.  

From 2016-2020, Brian taught acting at Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), and in 2020, he began serving as the organization’s Director of Community Engagement. In this role, Brian oversees management and vision for all of OCSA’s numerous community based programs and partnerships. In alignment with OCSA’s goal of creating equitable and meaningful arts access, Brian supports and engages community partners throughout Orange County and Southern California. In addition, Brian manages OCSA’s collaborative expansion in creating afterschool arts programming with other non-profit organizations. Brian also serves on OCSA’s steering committee for Antiracism & Inclusion – helping to support the school’s broader efforts to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive space for all students, families, and staff at OCSA.

Brian and Sarah’s son is currently in the Oaks class. 

Eugene Hanscom
Treasurer

Eugene started life as a U.S.C.G. Captain working the seas of Southern California and Mexico for both fishing and pleasure trips on an assortment of vessels.


…Concurrently, he was pursuing a bachelor’s degree at CSULB in Economics. As a son of a U.S.C.G. captain and an accountant, the apple never fell far from the tree.

 Professionally, he has worked for 30+ years in the Maritime industry with responsibilities such as Controller, VP of Finance, and General Manager. The companies included Marine Construction, Dredging, Wholesale, and Boat Building. This wide range of experience has been instrumental in his success by always thinking ‘outside of the box’.

His wife was largely involved in Education, and he was fortunate to be able to volunteer for many events, including ‘Cash for College’ and mentoring programs designed to prepare disadvantaged students for their introduction into the workforce. He still helps these organizations to this day.

Being a Long Beach resident, with a financial background, and a desire to help our youth, Maple Village was a natural fit. “I look forward to assisting the leadership as we navigate the school and its students into the future.”

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, especially his 10-year-old son Noah, playing his guitars, theatre, and walking their dogs. If it’s outside, he’d probably enjoy it.

 

Kevin McDuff

Director of Finance and
Administration
Secretary Non-voting Member

Kevin McDuff was led to Waldorf education 36 years ago by his five-year-old daughter, who made it clear that she wanted to attend…

… Highland Hall Waldorf School by falling asleep in her new teacher’s arms during the initial meeting. He was a dedicated Waldorf parent for the next 22 years, both at Highland Hall and then at Sunrise Waldorf School on Vancouver Island for his son’s Grade 1 through 8 journey. 

After a varied career that included positions as a journalist, paralegal, database administrator, organizational consultant, and CTO of a software company, he was offered the position of Business Manager at Sunrise and couldn’t resist the opportunity to support his son’s school. After two years as Business Manager, he was named the school’s Head of School, a position he held for the next eight years, leading the struggling school’s transition to “a bright light in the Waldorf movement” (according to an AWSNA representative when presenting their full-member certification).

Kevin took the role of School Administrator at Waldorf School Orange County in 2021 and joined Maple Village in 2025. He is committed to Waldorf education and is looking forward to using his accumulated skills to support Maple Village in the coming years. 

ALLISON STOVALL
Faculty Member

Allison Stovall began her journey as a teacher in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky in theater education.

In wanting to expand her craft, she pursued a Master’s degree in teaching in elementary education. Her friends encouraged her to look into Waldorf Education since her interest was in integrating the arts into teaching. When she attended a showcase for teacher training in Kentucky, she immediately recognized the value and importance of Waldorf Education. As she finished her Master’s program, she began attending Waldorf workshops that eventually led to a teacher training program. 

Although she integrated Waldorf Education into her public school classroom, she decided she wanted more freedom within the curriculum so she decided to fully commit to the work of a Waldorf class teacher. She found her first class of spirited children with a vibrant love of learning at the Brooklyn Waldorf School and took them from 1st – 5th grade. From imaginative stories from diverse backgrounds, to active math lessons involving thousands of acorns that were ultimately turned into pancakes, to class plays in three different languages, to constructing an igloo, she has cherished every year for different reasons. While she was sad to leave the Brooklyn Waldorf School after five years, she is ready for the next adventure and looks forward to getting to know and work with all the families of the Redbud class.

 

PAOLA SCHOUTEN
Faculty Member

Paola Schouten was born, raised and educated in the Netherlands. She was exposed to the Waldorf Festivals since childhood…

…which ignited her interest in Waldorf Education. After High School, she studied at the Vrije Pedagogische Academy (Steiner Teacher Training College) in Zeist, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. She then moved to the US and began her career as a Waldorf teacher in Pasadena. Over the past 40 years, she has contributed to the growth of many schools. She has carried three classes all the way through the grades and finished various classes through eighth grade. Paola likes to travel, camp, hike, read, and make jewelry. She plays guitar, writes songs, and enjoys singing. She also has a great appreciation for nutrition and cooking.

Elizabeth Seward, PhD
Member

Elizabeth has been in a Waldorf classroom (independent and public charter schools) since 1984 as a parent volunteer…


…handwork assistant, High School teacher, lead handwork teacher, class teacher, teacher educator and mentor, and evaluator.She co-directed the Waldorf Institute of Southern California for three years, and opened the San Diego program. Elizabeth was instrumental in bringing the practices of Council, and of consensus decision–making to her school, and has served locally and nationally as a consensus facilitator. She is now delighted to be supporting Maple Village as a Board Member. Originally from England, Elizabeth earned her Master’s degree in Linguistics (second language learning, and medieval literature) from the University of Freiburg in Germany; a PhD in the Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education from Claremont Graduate University; and most recently an interdisciplinary M.A. in Spirituality and Education from Claremont School of Theology. Elizabeth shares her enthusiasm for Waldorf Education with parents of young children, home-schooling parents and graduate students. She established and co-directs annual conferences and retreats for Waldorf Handwork teachers, and for parents and homeschoolers. She has recently published a book Teaching Through Stories: Jane and Jeremy Learn to Knit, and an article in the RIWE Bulletin on School and Classroom Design. All three of her children are securely and happily finding their own individual paths, for which she credits Waldorf Education. All four grandsons attend Waldorf schools. She is delighted to see the very positive results of this education in her own family.

Rochelle Chayet
Director of Pedagogy
Non-voting Member

Rochelle Chayet brings a rich background in Waldorf education to our school, including former positions as a Grades class teacher,.…

 …Preschool-Kindergarten teacher, Grades DirectorPedagogical Chair, Social Skills teacher for 5th-8th grades, Leadership Consultant, Faculty Mentor, and Parenting Educator at Waldorf schools across the western United States. Rochelle’s professional experience has focused extensively on relationships, community building, and fostering healthy communication. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary School Education from Boston University and a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Colorado Denver, with a Special Education Endorsement, and she has completed a wide range of Waldorf training and certifications, including a Waldorf Teacher Training certificate from Sunbridge College. In addition, Rochelle studied Non-Violent Communication and has extensive training from Nierika Institute of Conscious Evolution, where she apprenticed with a specialty in relationship building. She loves to hike and dance, enjoys water aerobics, cooking, and looks forward to long walks at the beach.

Lisa J. McCarthy

Director of School Life
Non-voting Member

Lisa has been a Waldorf Educator for 25 years. Although she loved being in the classroom, she has found so much joy and…


…fulfillment in her administrative roles, working with teachers, students, parents, administration, the Board, and the community. She has a Masters degree in Literature from the University of Kent at Canterbury, England and a BA in Sociology with a minor in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine. She started her Waldorf journey as an Early Childhood Education teacher and then focused on teaching Language Arts in elementary and middle school. Lisa founded Maple Cottage Retreat (Waldorf-inspired parent/toddler class) and taught this program out of her home before co-founding Maple Village Waldorf School. Lisa continues to teach Language Arts to the middle school as well as reading with our elementary students. She is passionate about parent education and continues to lead classes for MVWS families and the community. She also puts great importance on having strong connections with students and will stop everything to help a child through a hard day. Dedicated to the environment, Lisa has been instrumental in several Long Beach schools (including MVWS) receiving the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon award. She loves to run, sing and write and has delighted in raising three boys in a home where they grow food, bake, create art and music, build, tell stories and dream.

HENRY LAU
Advisor to the Board

Henry is a studio director, project manager, and architectural designer with over 20 years of experience leading large project teams…

…and implementing successful strategies to deliver a variety of large-scale and complex sports architecture projects. He knows how to work with partners and clients, manage resources (and a budget), drive initiatives, and develop opportunities.
Henry was born in the tropics of Malaysia. The son of a Geologist and a Nurse, and sibling to two brothers. He moved to Toronto, Canada in 1982, where he discovered sub-freezing temperatures and his love of maple syrup. He spent the rest of the 80’s exploring hip-hop culture, learning traditional Chinese watercolor, and riding everywhere on his 12-speed Italian racing bike. In 1992, he attended Carleton University to study architecture and explore the built environment. His education has led him to travel the world and see it through the lens of wonderment and inspiration.
After graduating, he migrated south to Houston to start his career and ended up planting roots in Los Angeles. His passion for riding bikes extended to exploring the great outdoors of California and snowboarding in the Sierras – he was hooked. He met his wife-to-be in 2006 and became a family man in 2012.
From building environments to embracing nature, he now looks forward to serving his community.