Meet Our Staff
Louisa Libertelli-Dunn, Director of Operations
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Louisa Libertelli-Dunn is our new Director of Operations. She also provides support for parents over the summer related to school readiness and social skills acquisition. She comes to us from New York City - Queens Borough, where she was born and raised. Louisa joined our staff in January 2019, and helped develop our new training programs.
Louisa graduated from St. John's University with both bachelors and masters degrees in special education, and has thirty years of experience working with babies, children and adults with differences, most recently at Life's WORC in Long Island, NY. She has extensive experience with behavior plans and IEP preparation and implementation.
Fay Schwieger, Morning Supervisor
Fay joined our staff in June 2019. She also is an administrative assistant for the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind - we are glad to have someone with some sign language experience on staff! Fay is from Germany and had lived all over the United States as a VISTA volunteer. She has a bachelors degree from the University of Central Florida and is AMAZING at art - perfect for our art camp and craft times.
Barbara McCaa,
Administrative Assistant
Barbara joined Peace Place in April 2018. Originally from Germany, she married an airman and moved to America over a decade ago. She is studying Criminal Justice through Chaminade University of Hawaii, and has a legal background. Her ability to blaze through even the most complicated paperwork has endeared her to staff - and her ability to connect and have fun with your kids will endear her to YOU!
Kaitlyn Harmon, Program Coordinator
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Kaitlyn Harmon joined our staff in October of 2020 as our Program Coordinator. She helps run both the morning and after school programs providing a healthy and fun environment for all the kids who attend. Kaitlyn received her RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) certification in October 2015, and has worked with kids of all different abilities since 2013. She has a passion for behavior and loves teaching the kiddos new skills! Born and raised in Montana, she loves being outdoors and exploring nature with her 3-year- old daughter. She also enjoys ice-skating, cooking, and swing dancing!
Linda Blew, Caregiver
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I have three children and four grandchildren. I like to read, crafting, and singing at my church. I was a volunteer at Peace Place and so excited about my new role as a staff member.
Olivia Doran, Caregiver
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Olivia joined our staff in August 2020. She is originally from California but moved to Great Falls when her husband was stationed here. Olivia is a mom to two young kids. She plans to pursue a degree in early childhood education in the upcoming years.
Payton Christiansen, Caregiver
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HI, my name is Payton Christiansen.
I am pretty new to Great Falls. We have lived in the area for a year plus. I grew up in Butte and later moved to Missoula for school. There I met my husband and we got married in 2016.
I also became a licensed cosmetologist. I worked as a hair dresser for a couple of years. After I had my son, I became a stay at home mom. Being a stay at home mom was the best experience of my life. When RJ was a year and a half we moved to Highwood and later moved into town. We have a four year old Saint Bernard at home who is RJ's best friend. I am an avid crafter and plant mom. This is my life in a nutshell.
We are so very lucky to have some amazing volunteers! MSU Bozeman College of Nursing and GFC-MSU students visit us every week during the school year. And several volunteers join us weekly! These helpers allow us to provide one on one care for little ones most days of the week.
Do you enjoy playing with or reading to children? Are you crafty? Do you have a skill to share with the children? CLICK HERE to submit a volunteer application! Playing with small children is a joy!
Elaine Hundley, Founder & Board Member, ex officio
Elaine retired as the director of Peace Place in early 2018, but still plays a vital role in advising the board and staff on this project so close to her heart! She has been a mom at heart since she was a little girl playing house. After many years of trying to conceive, she and her husband were blessed with a joyful, curly-topped cherub, who it turns out, was deaf. Their vivacious son arrived some years later, completing the family (if you don't count spoiled pups!) She poses in this picture with her grandson, Ezra.
Her passion for children and commitment to making a difference eventually brought her to the idea of what became Peace Place in early 2012. The joyful response of the community, and especially from our families, reinforces the value of this vital service to Great Falls. Thank you Elaine!