Meet Our Staff

Director of Children’s Programs, Ida Lombardozzi, hails from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.  Ida grew up in a family of 5 children, living at a boarding school campus where her parents worked, right next door to 100 high school boys! Ida has served in a variety of positions with kids and families including as a residential summer camp counselor, a 7th grade language arts teacher, an after school program director, and as a school social worker.  Ida received her Masters in Social Work from Portland State University in 2012.  Most importantly, her favorite food is Vermont cheddar cheese and some of her favorite activities include watching her three backyard chickens and hanging out with her baby niece and nephews.

 

Dan Hupala, Assistant Director of Children’s Programs, grew up in Portland, Oregon. Dan’s childhood time was split between SE Portland, where he lived, and NW Portland, where he attended school. Dan began working for Friendly House in 1995 as an After School Associate Teacher. He later became an After School Head Teacher. After working in the After School Program for several years, Dan moved to the Friendly House Preschool. Dan spent six years as a Preschool Head Teacher. In 2007, Dan left Friendly House to explore other teaching opportunities. In 2009, Dan came back to work at Friendly House. Dan enjoys spending time with friends and attending sporting events all along the West coast.

 

Jenelle Nowak, After School Enrichment Coordinator, grew up in Woodinville, Washington where she spent most of her time playing in youth soccer, basketball, and softball leagues or exploring the beautiful wooded areas surrounding her childhood home. Jenelle moved to Portland in 2006 to complete her BA in International Studies at Portland State University. After a year of post-baccalaureate studies in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Jenelle enrolled in Oregon State University’s Masters in Teaching program and earned her Elementary Education teaching credentials. After three years as a Head Teacher with Friendly House After School, Jenelle is very excited to be starting her new role as the Enrichment Coordinator, and to get the chance to work more closely with the extended Friendly House community. When Jenelle is not teaching, you will likely find her rooting for the Timbers, constructing her latest LEGO creation, singing with the Rocker Chixx Choir, or on a hike with Corey and their dachshund Bigfoot.

 

East Room Head Teacher, Nathaniel Caddy, was born in Australia, where he lived for most of his life. His mum is from Oregon, and he had always wanted to live in the United States. Nathaniel got to work early on his teaching career as a guitar teacher before teaching elementary (or primary, as they say in Australia) for two years. Prior to moving to Portland, Nathaniel spent the last seven months in the United Kingdom and Europe. Sports are one of his many interests, and he looks forward to following the NBA and NFL here in the states. Nathaniel also enjoys playing music, surfing, reading, and taking walks.

 

Ruth Hanvey, Assistant Teacher in the West Room, has recently transplanted to Portland after teaching English to children and adults in Vietnam for the past three years. Her experience and enthusiasm for teaching young learners is what drew her to the amazing community at Friendly House. Besides inspiring confidence and creativity in the students here, her passions include travel, coffee and cats! Being new to the great Pacific Northwest, she is also eager to get out and explore the area.

 

 

This is Head Teacher Maia Powloski’s sixth year teaching at Friendly House After School and Summer Camp. During her first three years at Friendly House, Maia was also a student at Portland State University, graduating in Winter 2013 with a BA in Social Science, an interdisciplinary major. Before coming to Friendly House, Maia spent three summers on staff at Camp Namanu, a Camp Fire USA residential summer camp near Sandy, Oregon, where she worked as a challenge course and climbing wall facilitator. She loves to get kids cooking; teach active, cooperative  games; and lead colorful messy art projects. A lifelong Oregonian, she always has food and cooking on her mind, and also loves hiking, camping, painting, and writing fiction.

 

Mark Quemada, Head Teacher,  has taught in many different places at home and abroad. He has taught students of all ages in China and Japan and now has found a home teaching children and adults at Friendly House. He plans to continue creating fun and imaginative activities, like Dinosaur Booger Club for the upcoming year. Aside from teaching, he spends time at his drafting table tirelessly drawing whatever his imagination can come up with.

 

Megan Russell, Head Teacher, is very excited to be returning for her second year with Friendly House. After completing two years at the University of Rhode Island studying sociology, she came back to her roots in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Pursuing a degree in elementary education, Megan successfully completed three teaching internships in the Eugene area. Working in three classrooms with truly wonderful students and mentors prepared her for a classroom of her own. Growing up with a mother as a teacher, it was only a matter of time before she too caught the teaching bug. Megan is a lover of the great outdoors, literature, cats, good food, and helping children achieve their wildest dreams in a safe and nurturing environment.

 

Shoshanna Scott, Assistant Teacher in the Brentano classrooms, grew up in Grants Pass, Oregon where she began working with kids as a summer camp counselor and after school mentor. As the oldest of six girls, she has her hands full with being a big sister to girls of all ages which also helps with her jobs! Now, she is living in Portland and is going to school to learn to be a teacher, while she continues to gain hands on experience as an assistant teacher at Friendly House. When she’s not working, she loves hanging out with her cat, friends, and going out to explore new music!

 

Melissa Ulrich, Arts & Crafts Room Assistant Teacher, was born in South Carolina, raised in California, and now calls Portland her home. Being a daughter to an elementary school teacher, she has spent much of her time tutoring and volunteering in classrooms in both California and Oregon. Along with education, she values traveling and learning about different cultures. Most recently, she spent three months as an intern in Uganda. She also loves to bike, go hiking, roadtrip, camp, and eat vegan foods! She is excited to be a part of Friendly House and help the kids find out what they love!

 

Head Teacher for the Blue Room kindergartners, Nick Wooden, grew up in the picturesque city of Ithaca, New York. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at Hawai’i Pacific University in Honolulu, and his master’s degree in Education from DePaul University in Chicago. Nick is arriving at Friendly House After School with over three years of classroom experience at the pre-Kindergarten through high school levels, in schools both here in Portland and in Chicago. In addition to working with children Nick loves to go hiking, play music, amuse people with magic, and do leather working.