Our Team
The Forest School Online is guided by a group of innovative practitioners and leaders from across business, education, design, and nonprofit sectors. Together the team believes that their experiences have led them to a calling at the crossroads of education and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Tyler Thigpen
Co-founder & Head of The Forest Schools & Institute for Self-Directed Learning
Tyler grew up in Georgia and has worked in innovative district, private, and charter schools, as well as statewide and national nonprofits. Tyler is co-founder and CEO of The Forest School: An Acton Academy in Trilith, The Forest School Online, and the Institute for Self-Directed Learning, and Academic Director at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Formerly, Tyler was partner at Transcend, a national nonprofit in school redesign, and worked closely on innovative school projects such as nXu, Whittle, The Academy Group, Washington Leadership Academy, Art in Motion, Hebrew Public, Teton Science's Place Network, EL Education, and the Brooklyn STEAM Center. Tyler also co-founded MENTOR Georgia, Transforming Teaching at Harvard, and the Chattahoochee Hills Charter School. Earlier, Tyler worked as head of the upper school at The Mount Vernon School in Atlanta, Spanish teacher in Gwinnett County public schools, and minister at the Grace family of churches where he led international development in Peru in areas of healthcare, education, poverty reduction, and infrastructure. Tyler holds a doctoral degree in education leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education, a master’s in public administration from Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a master’s in theological studies from Regent College of the University of British Columbia. Tyler has written about the future of learning in the Washington Post, Education Week, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Getting Smart, and others. Tyler lives with his four children, all of whom attended The Forest School, in Trilith, GA.
Johnny Green
COO of The Forest Schools
Johnny Green is an experienced independent school leader who brings a wealth of private school and corporate experience to The Forest School. Over the past 10+ years, he has served on the leadership teams of several metro-Atlanta independent schools, including Mount Pisgah Christian School, Brandon Hall School, and most recently, George Walton Academy. He has amassed knowledge and skills to lead effectively in virtually all aspects of independent school operations.
Johnny graduated from Auburn University with a Business Operations Management degree and is an Auburn Tiger at heart! He earned his Master's degree in Computer Information Systems from Georgia State University. He began his career in Information Technology and has held positions of increasing responsibility in small and large local companies, including Delta Air Lines and The Weather Channel. After a long career in corporate office settings, Johnny's internal desire for mission, service, and making a difference led him to seek opportunities in the non-profit sector. He has found his niche leading the operations in schools where the communities unite in providing opportunities for students to grow and thrive. Johnny hopes to help inspire young learners to develop enthusiasm for their own education and become lifelong learners who can positively impact the world around them.
Chrissy Schmidt
Head of The Forest School Online
Chrissy was born and raised in Florida where she was homeschooled for her entire secondary school journey. She experienced firsthand the challenges and joys of self-directed learning at home! After completing coursework in Psychology, she was fascinated by child development and decided to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Education at the University of Central Florida. Chrissy has spent the past 15 years working as an educator in a variety of grade levels and settings, including public, private, international, experiential, and online schools.
After catching the travel bug in 2011, Chrissy developed a passion for international development with a focus on how education can transform lives. She completed Master’s level coursework in International Development with a residency in Rwanda before moving to Thailand. In rural Thailand, Chrissy spent several years developing experiential education programs for teens and managing English language programs for children, teens, and adults in a small village. Eventually she moved on to working at an IB World School in Bangkok where she grew her passion for inquiry and project-based learning, and began to have a vision for implementing this kind of learning in an online education space! Since then, she has dedicated her time and career to learning best practices for online learning. Chrissy taught for Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth’s online program, designed an online program for One School of the Arts, and developed a project-based learning model and full curriculum for her own online school before joining The Forest School Online. Chrissy is excited to continue pioneering online education and making excellent education accessible to learners all over the world!
Outside of her career roles, Chrissy is an entrepreneur, designer, and creative at heart; taking great joy in being a lifelong learner. She enjoys tinkering with running a small YouTube channel about her family’s adventures as a multicultural family, and loves nothing more than introverted reading and crafting time. As a native Floridian, Chrissy is thrilled to be living in the tropics in sunny Thailand!
Yvette Cook Darby
Founding Board Member of The Forest School Online
Yvette is a seasoned executive, business strategist, coach and consultant with more than 25 years of leadership experience. She has successfully enhanced the culture of organizations to become more competitive, responsive and innovative. She is most proud of her work with non-profits, specifically those focused on education, to improve the conditions and opportunities for those living in underserved communities. Yvette began her professional career in broadcast media sales, has owned a marketing consulting firm, and is a certified Personal and Executive Coach. Her past positions include: President & CEO of Ushers New Look, Chief Marketing Officer of United Way of Atlanta, and Chief Strategy Officer of Georgia Public Broadcasting. Yvette is currently coaching, consulting, and serving as Chief Operating Officer of Inspire, Inc. She earned a master’s degree in mass communications and a bachelor’s degree in public affairs and political science from the University of Denver. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for SHRM Atlanta, Caring for Others, and the University of Denver, School of Arts and Sciences Alumni.
Shamira Carr
Middle School Guide, Transatlantic Studio
Shamira Carr is a Georgia native. She graduated from Georgia Military College with her Associates in Health & Physical Education. She went on to further her education by attending Georgia State University. There, she received her Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Human Learning Development. Shamira comes to The Forest School with six years of experience in public education. She left public education to fulfill her passion in implementing self-directed learning strategies. At the Forest School, she wants to learn more about Acton/Montessori teaching styles and become a fluent Socratic Guide.
Outside of work, Shamira enjoys having a good time, spending time with her family & friends, watching sports, exercising, shopping, and eating delicious food!
Eliza Rivas
Middle & Hight School Guide, Asia-Oceania Studio
Eliza currently lives in St. Louis, MO, with her husband and 3 daughters. Her home is bicultural and bilingual, and her family loves God, travel, music, sports, cooking, languages, and books. She believes all children are heroes in the making. Her passion is to help these young heroes develop into global citizens who will one day better our world.
Eliza has worked with learners in multiple capacities for over 24 years. She is the founder of Lighthouse International: an Acton Academy, the first Acton in the state of Missouri. She has an Associate’s in Music, a Bachelor's in Psychology, a Master's in International Affairs and Administration, and Spanish K-12 career certification. As an admission counselor for Saint Louis University, she witnessed the wonders learners can achieve when given the freedom to reach their potential.
During her time in public education, Eliza has worked in suburban, urban, and inner-city districts and as an elementary school ESL assistant in Madrid, Spain. During her time as a high school Spanish teacher, she won or was nominated for several awards and grants and served as a local and national mentor teacher.
Eliza loves being apart of The Forest School Online, as she sees the need for community among self-directed learners who travel or may not have in-person learner-driven options readily available.
Lottrenise Smith
High School Guide, Transatlantic Studio
Originally from Miami, Florida, Lottrenise (Lottie) has a rich educational background and a passion for fostering student success. She earned her undergraduate degree in Sociology from Voorhees University and went on to achieve a Master of Arts in School Counseling from Clark Atlanta University.
With a decade of experience in education, Lottrenise has been instrumental in boosting graduation rates and supporting students' academic and personal growth. As a mother of two, she brings a nurturing and creative approach to her work, with interests that include creating and crafting.
Lottrenise is excited to embark on her journey with The Forest School Online, where she looks forward to continuing her commitment to helping students achieve their goals and reach their full potential.
Kat Stuehrk
High School Resource Guide
Kat Stuehrk comes to The Forest School Online with a background as a youth worker and educator with a decade of experience in the field of mentoring, violence prevention, community education, and youth development. She studied the arts and humanities and social work at Michigan State University and received her MSW from University of Illinois Chicago’s Jane Addams College of Social Work. Kat is also a pastry chef, and owns a cottage bakery called Butter Bird Bakery. She spends her free time gardening, cooking, hiking, and reading.
Dr. Caleb Collier
Director of Institute for Self-Directed Learning
Caleb grew up in Virginia, but has lived in Georgia long enough to consider it home. He has spent many years as a middle school teacher, but is a storyteller at heart. He got his start in education as a creative writing tutor to sixth graders in the Atlanta Public School system and has since taught in a multi-age, constructivist environment. Before finding his way into the classroom, Caleb served as Media Director and co-founder of Give Us Names, a nonprofit organization working alongside of displaced Colombians to share their stories. Currently, Caleb earned a PhD in Teaching and Learning at Georgia State University with a research focus on Digital Storytelling. Caleb’s greatest passion (and greatest adventure) is his family, and he gladly spends most of his time with his wife and two daughters at their home in Grant Park, Atlanta.