Roonu Rizavi - Executive Director

Roonu is the Executive Director of Willow Bend Learning Center. She has a Bachelor's degree in Biology and Chemistry, and a Master's degree in English Literature. She is also trained and certified by the American Montessori Society. Apart from her own two, Roonu has a long association with children. She has taught Science, Math and English to middle school students and has been the Assistant Principal of an Elementary School. She has also been the Director/Administrator of Willow Bend Learning Center since it's inception in 1999.

She is originally from India, and has lived in Plano with her family for the past 18 years. Her daughter Alyssa, 19, is a freshman at Mizzou, and son Arthur, 14, attends school in the Plano Independent School District.

Priscilla Chatham - Director

Priscilla is the Director at Willow Bend.  Priscilla has a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Development, and she brings with her several years of administrative expertise, having had over 13 years experience in childcare management, as well as hands-on teaching experience.   As the Director, Priscilla is committed to maintaining Willow Bend's reputation as one of the top most preschools in North Texas. Among her multitude of responsibilities, exceeding standards, is her top priority, as is evident in the facility's A+ compliance history with the Department of Childcare Licensing, a high honor that very few other institutions can boast of.

Priscilla, her husband Chris, and their children, Alex, 20, Marissa, 14, and Austin, 10, are Garland residents.

Lee Ann Begis - Director of Curriculum

Lee Ann is the mastermind behind developing the innovative blendedl curriculum of Willow Bend. Lee Ann has a Bachelor's degree in Marketing Education and a Master's degree in Secondary Education. Lee Ann has been involved in curriculum development and implementation for several years. She has been in the child development field for a long time, working as the associate director of Tutor Time, and is currently working for Plano West Senior High as a Family Consumer Science and Marketing Teacher. Lee Ann, along with her husband David, and two children Ashlee, 15, and Brandon, 12, has been a Plano resident for over 20 years.

Jessica Boan-Office Manager; Team Leader

Jessica is our cheerful office manager, who first came in as a parent, and stayed on as staff.  Jessica’s responsibilities include maintenance of Center Standards and Office Administration, as well as New Family Orientation.  As Event Manager, she is responsible for the wonderful events organized by the school every month.  She is also the Toddler Team Leader.

Jessica, along with her husband Keith, daughter Alyssa, 8, and son Austin, 3, is originally from Shreveport and a McKinney resident for over 5 years.

Angie Wiggins-Admin Assistant; Team Leader

Angie is our efficient administrative assistant, with over 10 years classroom experience, as well as office and computer expertise.  Angie’s responsibilities include maintenance of Center Standards and transitioning new children.  During events and class parties, you'll see her all over the school, taking pictures of the kids.  She is also the Preschool Team Leader.

Angie lives in Plano along with her family of four.

Betty Benard - Team Leader

Ms. Betty is the senior-most member of our Staff, and has seen Willow Bend go through all of its teething pains to achieve the reputation and accolades of excellence that it enjoys today.  Ms. Betty is the Infant Team Leader, and is responsible for implementing and maintaining all standards relating to infants six weeks through 18 months old, and keeping everyone else on their toes!  Hundreds of students have passed through her classes, and they come back to see her all the time.  Needless to add, she enjoys the extreme confidence of parents.

Ms. Betty is a long time Plano resident, along with her children and grandchildren.

Dawn Haessler - Curriculum Coordinator

Dawn is the Curriculum coordinator and the Pre-K Lead Teacher.  She is responsible for customizing the curriculum, adding theme specific extras, creating rainbow-writing name sheets, coming up with mouth watering cooking projects, and interesting science experiments.  She provides teacher support and coaching, answering questions about the different activities, and helping teachers with curriculum related projects. 

Dawn hails from Wisconsin, thinks our snow days in Texas are a joke, and lives in Little Elm with her husband Fred and daughter Emilie, 3.

Lulu Lopez - Food and Nutrition

Lulu is a certified Food Service manager and has been with Willow Bend for over 6 years. She is responsible for Food & Nutrition here at Willow Bend, and can beat Betty Crocker at her own game if she wanted to.  She coordinates our weekly cooking projects, tracks food inventory, and can cook with the best of them while trying to juggle 200 plus mouths to feed on a daily basis.  Lulu’s brilliant smile and love for the children makes her the most popular teacher on campus, especially when she walks into a classroom laden with snacks and juice!

Teachers

Our teachers go through a tough selection process, and several criteria are evaluated, like education, qualification, experience, certification, references, classroom management skills, and interaction with children. The staff of WBLC has a commitment to excellence. They are experienced, trained, and dedicated to promoting an environment filled with learning and fun. We boast some of the lowest teacher child ratios in the industry.