OUR STAFF

Oak & Rose is co-operatively owned by Adriane White, Cody Seals and KC Stimson. Together, we teach at the schools along with administrative duties. Mara Sobesky is our chef and cooks all of our vegetarian meals.

Adriane White

Adriane was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, having resided in and enjoyed multiple cities throughout, including Eugene, Bend, and Olympia. She has been working with young folk for most of her life. Adriane began volunteering at the Oregon Youthline and nannying, where her desire for helping others really began to take hold of her heart. After a brief hiatus of working towards a degree in English Literature she found herself yearning to work with children again. Looking to move back to Portland, she was offered a position at a Child Care Center which seemed like a serendipitous event. She has been teaching young children and infants for the past four years and has been in a leadership position for the majority of this time. Adriane also has a strong fondness for animals, as anyone who has spent any time outside of work with her can wholeheartedly attest to. Adriane gets the most joy from working with children and it shows through in her care.  Besides teaching, Adriane also manages the accounting for Oak and Rose.

Cody Seals

Cody grew up in Texas in a house filled with dogs and cats, which is where his love of animals and the passion for taking care of others developed (4-legged or not). After working in a preschool-school age program for several years, he moved with his dog Callie to Portland where they have called home since 2009. They love it here in the PNW! He has been working with children ranging in age from infants to middle school for the last 20 years. He studied engineering and economics at the University of North Texas, but felt drawn to work with children. He wants them to grow into smart, independent, free thinkers that aren’t afraid to push boundaries and question things around them to create the world they wish to live in. In his spare time, he enjoys bird watching, hiking, biking, playing with his dog and drumming.

K.C. Stimson

K.C. was born and raised in Portland and has lived here most of his life. If he wasn't already (he can't remember) he had definitely fallen in love with caring for infants by the time he was almost four years old and his brother was born. When he was 17 and attending College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, K.C. was a part-time nanny for a 1 1/2 year old. This is when his deep appreciation of early childhood development really blossomed. "We would shoot pool together, and he was really good. We'd watch heavy construction vehicles reshape the earth and we'd visit the school's natural history museum, full of old taxidermy. We'd stare at the ocean. Seeing the world through my young friend's eyes filled my own world with magic and wonder." 

Among other jobs, K.C. worked in grade schools for two years as an assistant then eventually found home when he was hired as a teacher at a preschool in 2006. Working primarily with infants and toddlers, he has been at it to this day. He helped open Oak & Rose in 2014, has steadily taught there since, and is thrilled to have been asked to come on board as a co-owner along with his friends, Adriane and Cody. Adriane and K.C. have been teaching together since 2010 and in the pre-COVID world Cody and K.C. spent 8 years playing in a band together. 

When he is not teaching, K.C. enjoys taking photographs, exploring the natural world, playing music, and burying his face in a good book. 

Additional Staff:

We have an additional 8-10 employees that co-teach alongside us in our classrooms. All staff members are highly qualified with experience in early childhood education. The staff is also chosen based on their areas of interest and their desire to share their unique talents and knowledge.  Each teacher is required to maintain current Infant and Child First Aid and CPR Training, Food Handlers Card, and enrollment in the Central Background Registry. Teachers also complete a minimum of 15 hours in Early Childhood Education training courses each year. Parents will be notified of any new staff members upon hiring.