Recognized for her belief in the importance
of arts education and her dedication to
young people, Mary Folberg is the recipient
of the Kennedy Center Award for Excellence
in Arts Education 1981, and the Metropolitan
Arts Commission Award in 1982, 1988, and
1989. She has been featured in several
publications including Images
of Oregon Women and Lears magazines. She holds degrees
in Literature and Dance and has taught
in California public schools and Portland
public schools. Founder and long time director
of the Jefferson High School Dance Department,
she also created the school's company of
dancers, The Jefferson Dancers, and was
its director for 17 years. In 1993 she
created The Northwest Academy, designed
to educate the area's most creative and
intellectual young people.
BFA (California Institute of the Arts) has taught English and writing for twenty-nine years in a variety of educational settings. His English/Humanities classes are designed to provide students with strong foundational writing skills, expose them to great works of ancient literature, and develop students’ capacity for critical and creative thought. Wagstaff brings his experience as a performer to the classroom, in the desire to make each class as engaging, stimulating, and entertaining as possible. David has been at NWA for eleven years. He is also a director and author of plays and films, a songwriter, and a choreographer of Tai Chi Dance.
B.A. (U.C.L.A., Classical Civilizations); J.D. (University of Pennsylvania; coursework in management of non-profit institutions at the Wharton School of Business). After graduating from law school, Lainie served as a judicial law clerk for a justice on the Colorado Supreme Court. Throughout her career, Lainie has focused on working with educational and cultural institutions. She managed the corporate and grants programs at The Denver Art Museum and the foundation relations program at Lewis & Clark College. As a freelance writer, she has published articles in The New York Times and The Oregonian. Prior to joining NWA as Admissions Director, Lainie worked for the school for two years on a contract basis writing grant proposals and editing the newsletter.
Michael has an extensive background in
business, having worked in managerial
positions in transportation, forest
products, and publishing. For sixteen
years, Michael was CEO of a non-profit
publishing house and served as treasurer
of its board of trustees. He received
his B.S. from the University of Maryland,
College of Business, with a major in
Journalism. For five years he was the
Director of Admissions and Registrar
for the Waldorf Institute of Mercy
College in Detroit. Michael has served
as a member of the board at Sunbridge
College in New York State and at a
private school in Massachusetts. He
was licensed by the National Association
of Securities Dealers as well as state-securities
and insurance departments in Oregon
and Washington and was a licensed tax-preparer
in Oregon.
A graduate from the School of the Museum
of Fine Arts in Boston, Julia Cain
works closely with students at The
Northwest Academy assisting with schedules,
PSAT and SAT testing and student activities.
As NWA College Counselor, she is dedicated
to providing guidance through all phases
of the college application process.
April moved to Oregon several years ago to escape the stifling heat of Texas. She has two BS degrees from the University of North Texas, one in Political Science and one in Psychology. She is also a certified audio
engineer and certified to provide dietary guidance. April enjoys recycling, reading, travelling, listening to music, and playing drums.
(B.A. University of Iowa). Laurel began her development career working with Urban Gateways, The Center for Arts Education in Chicago. In Portland, she worked at Planned Parenthood for eight years. Prior to serving as Vice President of Development at Planned Parenthood, she ran the organization's special events and annual fund. Laurel also coordinated the membership program at The Nature Conservancy in Portland. Her favorite aspect of development is working with the wonderful families and community supporters at The Northwest Academy.
Michael is looking forward to expanding and improving the use of technology at Northwest Academy. Evidence of his passion for the arts includes a degree in Theatre from Reed College, decades of guitar playing and an extensive collection of popular music. In addition to his day job, Michael is a former President of the Personal Telco Project, an educational non-profit dedicated to empowering Portlanders with community built Internet access and communications networks. His favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.
