Our Faculty & Staff
Chris Simpson attended UC Davis, CA and continued her education at St. Mary’s College, Moraga, earning two teaching credentials and her Master’s in Education. She worked for 20 years in the field of Special Education. Chris has completed her Level 1, 2, & 3 national certification for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and is currently a catechist and the Director of Valley of the Sacred Heart Academy. Chris has been an active member of Catholic Advance since 2009. She is proud of growing up in Dixon and being an active member of St. Peter Church. Chris and her husband of 30 years currently reside in Dixon where they have raised their three children.
Father Ryan Patrick Maher was born in Orange, California and at the age of ten, his family moved to the quiet and beautiful, little town of Grass Valley to be closer to creation. After high school, Father Maher enlisted in the Army and spent five years training soldiers in desert warfare at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, located near Death Valley. at the end of his enlistment, he worked in construction with his father until attending Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he graduated with a bachelor’s in philosophy and theology. Upon graduation, and “running away from his vocation”, Father Maher found work at a cattle ranch in Wyoming. It was there, in the middle of a cattle drive, on his trusty steed, Corona, that he heard the call to the priesthood. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Sacramento on June 6, 2020, and is now assigned to the little country parish of St. Paul in Knights Landing. Having a great appreciation for classical Catholic education, Father Maher enjoys sharing his love of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Catholic Church with the students at Valley of the Sacred Heart Academy.
After attending Napa High School, Jesse Akers started and completed an apprenticeship working for the Navy at Mare Island interrupted by doing two years in the army. Later he started a successful light-commercial/domestic electrical repair business. Jesse’s education continued at UC Davis getting his undergraduate degree in fine-art-studio and then on to graduate school at UCD in education winning his multiple subject teaching credential with CLADD added. Immediately, Jesse was hired and worked for Vacaville Unified until he retired. He was always a 1st or 2nd grade general education teacher at the same Title 1 school. Jesse and his wife Dona live in Dixon and have been active members at St. Peter Parish for decades.
Nicole Getty is the lead guide for the Primary Montessori class. She always wanted to be a teacher when she "grew up". After receiving a Bachelor's in Education from the University of Northern Colorado, she taught Pre-K, 1st, and 2nd grades at a Catholic school in Colorado Springs. Nicole and her family moved to Dixon and became part of the VSH community immediately. The Lord put a calling on her heart to return to teaching after a seven year hiatus. Nicole completed her Montessori practicum with the Montessori Institute of Advanced Studies in 2023. She has fallen in love with the Montessori method and loves helping children to become faithful leaders and learners. Nicole feels so blessed to be able to foster a love of learning in children. In her spare time, Nicole loves to cook and spend time with her husband and five children.
Dominick DiCarlo is from Davis, CA, where he attended both Davis High School and UC Davis. He student taught at both of those institutions as well as various other local schools throughout the area. Dominick then moved to Tampa, FL where he taught for seven years at Jesuit High School. He directed the liturgical music program, organized the pep band, and taught theology, helping to design one of the most rigorous theology curricula in the country. He is very excited to return to California and take up the duties of Headmaster at Chesterton Academy. He desires most of all to aid young men and women in their search for Truth, Beauty, and Goodness.
Laurie Fio has been teaching art for over 17 years to children and adults. She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in both English and Psychology from UC Davis, but art has been a passion of hers since she was a young child. She is a self-taught professional award-winning artist specializing in animal portraits, and many of her students have also won numerous awards. She enjoys all mediums, but colored pencil is her favorite because of the fine detail it allows. She looks forward to continuing to share her talent with children. I truly love teaching art. Being able to share my passion with others and help them create what is in their hearts is very exciting for me, she said. Laurie is currently teaching Literature for Chesterton Academy.
Joe grew up in the farming community of Brentwood, in Contra Costa County, and graduated from Liberty Union High School. He then attended San Joaquin Delta College, in Stockton and received his Associate in Arts degree. Joe had the opportunity to serve in the United States Army for 3 years and was stationed in Seoul, Korea for 13 months. It was there that he got involved with a Korean orphanage which led to his commitment to working with children. After getting discharged from the Army, Joe got involved with coaching sports and has 25 years of experience. In the year 2000, Joe and his wife Maria moved to Dixon with his family, where he raised his three children, Lorena, Luis, and Lesley. He is very active with St. Peter Parish and serves as a coordinator for funeral masses. In 2019, Joe was hired as a P.E. teacher for Chesterton Academy for a year and has now returned to continue his commitment to working with students.
Terri Heynen received a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University in 1986 and completed master’s degree in Theology at Franciscan University in 2018. Terri served as a munitions officer in the US Army from 1987 to 1991. She was a substitute teacher for two years, 2002-2004, in the Dixon Unified School District. Being a mother of 5 children, Terri has volunteered numerous hours in elementary school classrooms over a twelve-year period. She was a religious education teacher for ten years at St. Peter Church in Dixon. Terri has completed her Level 1 and 2 training of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She is currently a catechist and teaches Philosophy at Chesterton Academy. Terri is an active member of the Catholic Advance Movement.
Christina Veneracion completed a Montessori Early Childhood Teacher Training Program in 2019 from the North American Montessori Center and a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology in January 2022 from Catholic Distance University. She first began as an assistant for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in 2012, and for the past 10 years, she has been assisting in the Montessori Classroom and teaching for the VSH Co-op. After taking the 2022-23 school year off Christina has returned this year to teach 11th grade Theology for Chesterton Academy and Junior High PE, along with assisting in the Montessori Classroom for TK-1st grade in the mornings. Outside of school, she is a Youth Minister for St. Mary’s in Vacaville and St. Peters in Dixon and a confirmation Catechist at St. Anthony’s in Walnut Grove. Christina can also be found at one of the three parishes singing for Mass.
Michael Playford was raised in Dixon, CA. He attended UC Davis and received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology. Michael has been a math and science teacher with Chesterton Academy since 2019. He enjoys teaching because of the students at Chesterton Academy. “Each student is unique and lively, which makes teaching a joy.” In his spare time, Michael works at Idexx Laboratory in Sacramento and enjoys running, learning history, and completing puzzles. He is interested in learning about the natural world, specifically math and equations in relation to the natural world.
Carmen Maravilla has been married to Jesus Maravilla for 31 years. Carmen attended Merced Community College and transferred to Sacramento State University majoring in Spanish and minoring in Ethnic studies. She was part of the California Mini-Corps Program participated as a student and was part of the Central Office staff. She has been in Catholic Education since 2010 after being a stay home mother for several years. Carmen taught Kindergarten and was Program Director for the Sacramento Leadership Co-op Program. She worked for Saint Patrick Academy for ten years as a receptionist, teacher's assistant, and Administrative Assistant. Carmen has volunteered as a Catechism teacher at Sacred Heart Church in Sacramento and St. Joseph Church in Elk Grove. She was Blessed to be a Youth Facilitator for the youth group at St Maria Goretti Catholic church in Elk Grove CA. Carmen enjoys the outdoors, gardening, bike riding, and swimming. In her spare time, she loves to read and spend time with her family & friends.
Alex Playford served as an infantryman in the early 1990’s and then went on to get a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Sacramento State. Alex decided to pursue a career in corrections and was a correctional officer for California State Prison in Vacaville for 23 years. He retired in 2020 and he and his family actively serve at St. Peter Church in Dixon. Alex became a teacher at Valley of the Sacred Heart Academy in the fall of 2023. Alex is a student of philosophy, religion, history, political science, and Catholic apologetics. He enjoys sharing his love of learning at Chesterton Academy.
Sister Adriana Ponce grew up in Jalisco, Mexico. After moving to the Sacramento area, she graduated from Dixon High School and studied early childhood education at Woodland Community College for 2 years. She met the members of Pro Ecclesia Sancta at St. Peter's Church and entered as a sister in 2009. After her initial formation, she served in Arequipa, Peru, where she prepared children for First Communion, Confirmation, and taught religion for 5 years at an elementary school. She also led groups in the Catholic Advance Movement. Currently, Sister Adriana is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in theology. She is grateful to be back in Dixon to teach at VSH and Chesterton Academy and share her love for the Sacred Heart.
Andrew was born at Travis Air Force Base and raised in Vacaville, California. He attended Kolbe Academy and Trinity Prep, a liberal arts K-12 school in Napa, for all his elementary, junior high, and high school education. Andrew Mudge is currently attending UC Davis and majoring in Biological Science. Andrew plans to use his bachelor’s degree to attend medical school in order to pay forward all the kindness and charity he and his family have received from the Catholic communities living in Northern California. Andrew is gladly teaching Chesterton Literature based on what he learned during his time at Kolbe Trinity and hopes to impart his knowledge of college level English courses to his students.
Barbara Mills earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in Linguistics with an emphasis in teaching from UC Davis. She also completed the teaching credential education classes at Fresno-Pacific University. While homeschooling her children, Barbara discovered the IEW method of teaching writing and became convinced of its benefits. Since becoming a registered instructor with IEW, she has been using the program to help students become better writers. Barbara is glad to be a part of the VSH community, helping students learn to build and create with words, sentences, and paragraphs; and also helping them learn to wield, evaluate, and analyze language. Barbara and her husband are both active at St. James parish, where she is a lector and a member of the hospitality committee.
Marie Pavloff is a dedicated teacher and STEM enthusiast with AA degrees in Physics, Math, and Chemistry. She is also a dedicated student, pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering at UC Davis. Having attended Valley of the Sacred Heart herself since its establishment, the school, and the students who attend it hold a special place in Marie’s heart. Marie has been teaching science at Valley of the Sacred Heart since 2019 and is grateful for the chance to share her love for STEM with her students. Her goal as a teacher is to instill wonder and love for the sciences, but also connect what her students learn in science to other areas of study such as History, Latin, Greek, and Mathematics.
Lizbeth Quintero has been married to Carlos Avila for 24 years and they have been living in Sacramento since 2000. They are parents of one daughter who currently attends Chesterton Academy at Valley of the Sacred Heart. Lizbeth is an elementary teacher, credentialed from Instituto America in Guadalajara, Jalisco. She taught in 1st-5th grade for six years while living in Jalisco. Lizbeth and her family moved to Orlando, FL where she taught religious education. Upon returning to California she and Carlos decided to homeschool their daughter, preferring to take control of her education and raise her with Catholic morality. Lizbeth is a trained Level 2 catechist for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and has taken several online certifications in Mariology, Christology, and Ecclesiology at the University of Notre Dame via McGrath Institute. She enjoyed working for the Diocesan Spanish Catholic Radio in Sacramento and she and her husband continue to participate in a weekly program for marriages. Lizbeth and her family are part of the Catholic Advanced Movement, deepening their faith and increasing their thirst for service. Lizbeth completed her Elementary Montessori training through Prepared Montessorian and is grateful to serve as the elementary Montessori guide.
Sebastian Simpson was raised in Dixon, CA and attended Dixon High School. He attended University of San Diego and received a bachelor’s degree in Communications and a minor in Business. Sebastian is passionate about History and Philosophy. In 2023, Sebastian joined Valley of the Sacred Heart Academy to teach at Chesterton and be the lead Elementary Montessori assistant. In his spare time, he enjoys playing basketball and reading history and philosophy.
Mr. Moreno was raised in Southern California and attended community college after graduating from high school. He went on to transfer to UCLA where he earned a B.A. in Anthropology and Ancient Near East and Egyptology. He continues his studies of ancient history and archaeology at UC Davis. He has been blessed to have conducted archaeological fieldwork in Italy and Peru. In 2024, Mr. Moreno joined Chesterton Academy to teach Latin to freshmen and sophomores. In his spare time, he enjoys playing baseball, camping, and reading.
Stephanie Baker has a background in child and adolescent development and psychology, and worked in child development centers teaching, conducting assessments, and eventually became a director. After starting a family, Stephanie stayed home to raise her five children and began her homeschool journey with them. While homeschooling her children, Stephanie taught, tutored, and directed various homeschool programs. Her family found Valley of the Sacred Heart in 2016 and she has taught part-time on and off at VSH as her time allowed. She has taught grades pre-school-12th grade. She is currently completing a dual credential program (education k-8 and special education k-12). Stephanie is passionate about education and loves helping students in special education thrive.