Meet the Staff
THE PLAYHOUSE FLOOR STAFF
Manaar Asad
Manaar Asad is one of our amazing Riverplex Playologists. Manaar grew up in the Peoria, IL area. Currently, she is in her junior year at Bradley University, where she studies Family Consumer Science. Her favorite color is pink. Manaar loves adventures and wants to travel the world!
Ashley Bailey
Ashley is an explorer of the world. She has lived in several states in the United States. Ashley has lived in Peoria for the past four years. She enjoys camping and arts and crafts. Her favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is Motion Commotion!
Henry Bolden
Henry grew up in the Peoria area. Currently, Henry is a student at Illinois State University, majoring in Marketing with a minor in Management. He enjoys Free-Form Jazz and Indie music. He also likes experimental movies and music. His favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is Motion Commotion, especially the basketball hoop.
Krystopher Brown
Krystopher is a self-taught recycle artist. He likes many animated movies but his top favorite is The Iron Giant. He graduated from Peoria High School in 2011 in Music Studies. His favorite exhibits at the PlayHouse are the Water Table and Motion Commotion.
Erich Chavez
Erich came to central Illinois all the way from the Philippines, where she grew up. She dreams of being an engineer one day. She enjoys working with children, which is what brought her to the PlayHouse! Erich's favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is Motion Commotion.
Cameron Culberson
Cameron was born and raised in Peoria, IL. He currently attends the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he is studying Psychology. In his free time, Cameron loves to paint, draw, and create digital art, as well as hang out with family and friends. His favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is Motion Commotion.
Autumn Dawson
Autumn moved to Peoria, IL three years ago, but grew up in Atlanta, GA. She currently attends Illinois Central College, where she studies Childhood Education. Before studying Childhood Education, Autumn was studying Culinary Arts. She is the youngest of three siblings. Her favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is the Water Table.
Emily Diederich
Emily grew up in Plano, IL. Currently, she attends Bradley University, where she studies Elementary Education with an ESL endorsement. This past January, she was able to study in Costa Rica. Outside of the PlayHouse, Emily is a dance teacher. She lives with seven pets! Her favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is the Sci-Lab.
Haleigh Flaherty
Haleigh grew up in Haeworth, Illinois. Currently, she attends Bradley University, where she studies Nursing. Haleigh's favorite color is Baby Yellow. She loves to hike and can play the trombone! Haleigh's favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is Fossils Rock.
Shane Hanjay
Shane grew up around the Peoria area in Morton, Illinois. Currently, they attend Bradley University, where they study Game Design. Shane has had a total of four fancy rat pets. They are certified in Advanced Diving, meaning they can explore below 60 feet! Shane's favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is Motion Commotion.
Robin Hasty
Robin has a Bachelor’s degree in Music. Her favorite movie is Mulan. She loves all things music and art, and animals, too. Robin is the main leader of our Dungeons and Dragons program! Her favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is the Theater.
Ryce Ledezma
Ryce was born in Evanston, IL but soon moved to San Antonio, TX. He returned to Illinois 8 years ago and recently found a great home here in Peoria. He loves reptiles and amphibians and currently owns a Bearded Dragon named Levi. His favorite TV show growing up was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Ryce's favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is the Family Kitchen.
Debby Mantick
Debby was born and raised in Peoria, IL. She has a Bachelor's degree in Elementary School Education. Before coming to the PlayHouse, Debby was an elementary school teacher for 35 years! She loves her fairy gardens and traveling. Her favorite thing to eat is donuts. Debby's favorite exhibit at the PlaHouse is Motion Commotion.
Katherine Moody
Katherine grew up in Normal, IL, and is currently a Psychology major at Bradley University. She loves to crochet and sing. She’s even a part of an a cappella group at Bradley University! Her favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is the Water Table.
Rebecca Mueller
Rebecca is from Northwest Indiana and is currently an Elementary Education major at Bradley University. Her favorite movies are Raya and the Last Dragon and Big Hero 6. She loves visiting home to see her dogs, cats, and chickens! Her favorite exhibits at the PlayHouse are Peoria, Then and Now, and the Theater.
Chris Murphy
Chris is one of our Riverplex Playologists! She was born and raised in the Peoria area. She has been married to her husband since 1996. She has always loved working in childcare because it kept her with her kids. She loves animals and has had many cats and currently, has two dogs.
Ang Naylor
Ang is from the northwest Chicago suburbs and currently goes to school at Bradley University. She is studying Secondary Education along with History & Social Studies. Her favorite movies are Moana and The Princess Bride. In her free time, she likes to watch movies and play various sports. Her favorite exhibits at the PlayHouse are Motion Commotion and the SciLab.
Teri Nixon
Teri was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois! She has 25+ years working with children in all sorts of different capacities. Teri’s favorite movie is Toy Story as she loves to watch the joy that it brings to children. When not working, you can find Teri curled up at home reading or grabbing a latte from Starbucks. Her favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is Motion Commotion.
Kerah Panzarella
Kerah grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Currently, she's a fourth-year student at Bradley University, where she studies Manufacturing Engineering. At Bradley, she's part of the Association for Supply Chain Management (APICS) executive board. Kerah enjoys working with kids because of their fun and carefree nature. Her favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is Real Tools!
Lottie Prather
Lottie was born and raised in Peoria. From an early age, she’s been interested in musical theater and singing. She’s started her own Party Princess business and has dressed up as several different princesses including Elsa, Anna, Belle, Ariel, and more. Her favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is Motion Commotion.
Miranda Prather
Miranda has lived in the Peoria area her entire life and loves watching how kids learn and grow. Outside of the PlayHouse, she enjoys doing puzzles, taking care of her family, and watching her daughter perform. Miranda is the main leader of our Tot Time program! Her favorite exhibits at the PlayHouse are Motion Commotion and the SciLab.
Ashlynn Sauter
Ashlynn comes all the way from Galesburg, Arizona! She was able to graduate in three years and earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Bradley University. In high school, she only lettered in academics. Currently, she works two jobs with children. Ashlynn's favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is Motion Commotion.
Colette Spears
Colette grew up in Plainfield, IN, outside of Indianapolis. A third-year student at Bradley, she is currently majoring in Accounting and Finance. She was able to study abroad during her time at Bradley. She has four siblings and enjoys cooking. Colette’s favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is the Musical Bridge.
Ezmarelda Urso
Ezmarelda grew up in a suburb near Chicago, IL. Her favorite movie is A Silent Voice. She likes any shade of red. Currently, Ezmarelda has three cats and one dog. Her favorite exhibits at the PlayHouse are the Chicken Coop and Motion Commotion, specifically the canon.
Cassie Voss
Cassie was born and raised in Peoria, IL. They are a freelance photographer and poet. Cassie's favorite movie is Paddington 1 and 2. Their favorite exhibit at the PlayHouse is the Musical Bridge.
BEHIND THE SCENES: THE PLAYHOUSE OFFICE STAFF
Melissa Sierra
Melissa grew up in Illinois, and spent most of her childhood within a five-mile radius of Glen Oak Park. Her passion for learning and sharing comes for working in public libraries for almost 10 years, five of those years were spent serving the youth of Austin, Texas. She returned home to Peoria in 2019 and comes to PlayHouse with a passion to learn, grow, and share access to resources with our patrons and community members.
Katie Klaus
Katie grew up in the Chicago suburbs and moved to Peoria in 2011 after earning her Bachelor’s Degree at Eureka College. She started working at the PlayHouse in 2017, two years after her son was born. She loves watching him grow up and explore at the PlayHouse. Her favorite toys as a child were her beanie babies because of her love of animals, especially cats.
Lynn Corbin
Born and raised on a farm two hours away, Lynn has been a Peoria resident for over 20 years. After raising two kids, she was looking for her next chapter of life when she found it at the PlayHouse! In her free time, she loves keeping up with current events, spending time with her granddogs, and eating great pasta! She loves all the PlayHouse exhibits and can't narrow a favorite down.
Christian Deeds
Christian grew up in Springfield, MO. He graduated from Culver-Stockton College in Canton, MO with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art and Theatre. After some years in Colorado, he found his way to Peoria, IL. One of Christian’s most treasured mottoes is to “create something from nothing.” He believes in sharing this sentiment and passing it on to anyone, at any age, to enrich their life significantly. He believes learning and playing go hand-in-hand, making him perfect for the PlayHouse team. Christian hopes to continue to be involved in creative environments and leave his mark at the PlayHouse.
Jennifer Stubbs
Jennifer is a proud graduate of Peoria District 150 Schools. She continued her education at Illinois State University in Normal, IL with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences and Education and at the Erikson Institute in Chicago, IL with a Master’s Degree in Child Development. From as early as she can remember, Jennifer has loved three things: family, learning, and the outdoors. As a mother and educator, Jennifer believes that science and nature can inspire play and wonder, foster a love of learning, and create time for togetherness -- for both children and their grown-ups.
Kylan Butler
Kylan grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He graduated from Bradley University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. He spent his middle and high school summers volunteering at the Natural History Museum in Albuquerque and developed a great love and appreciation for education outside of the classroom. Kylan hopes to bring this enthusiasm to the PlayHouse and foster a love of lifelong learning through play in the next generation of Peorians.
Rachel Aiello
Rachel was born and raised in Peoria. She graduated from Illinois Central College. Rachel has always had a love for nature and animals. She considers her super power to be laughter. Before coming to the PlayHouse, she worked at Wildlife Prairie Park and the Peoria Zoo. At the PlayHouse, Rachel hopes to help children appreciate the world around them through art, learning, and creativity.
Gabi Necastro
Outreach Coordinator
Gabi was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. A fourth-year student at Bradley, she is currently majoring in Business Management and Social Media Marketing with a minor in Sociology. One of Gabi's biggest passions is mental health because of its critical role in thinking and creativity. In her free time, she loves to cross-stitch, bake, and journal. In addition, she is a dog mom to a lovable beagle-dachshund mix.