Meet our Staff
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Marla Whittaker - Executive Director
My name is Marla Whittaker, and I am delighted to be here. I have been married to Gerard since 2021, and I have three children aged 22, 20, and 18, as well as an 18-year-old stepdaughter. My professional experience includes teaching in a private school and working within the local school district. Additionally, I have spent over 10 years serving as a Children’s Ministry Director. I am deeply passionate about children's education and believe that a strong foundation in faith, academics, and play is essential for their future learning. In my free time, I enjoy watching football, shopping on Amazon, and spending quality time with my family.
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Maria andrade - Assistant teacher
My name is Maria, and I am originally from Ecuador. I have two daughters, aged 2 and 6. I have lived in several countries, including Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, and the USA. I am fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. My favorite color is white, and in my free time, I enjoy dancing and spending time with my family.
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Leanne Delago - Lead Teacher
My name is Ms. Leanne and I grew up in Missouri City. I have two brothers and a sister, we all live very close to each other. I have three children of my own who are 20, 14 and 10 years old. I grew up playing softball and now enjoy watching my kids play soccer. My house is always crazy with my kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats, fish and a hamster but I really enjoy the CRAZINESS!
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Felicia Rocha - LEAD TEACHER
Hello, my name is Felicia. I am proud to be a part of the Shepherd's Little Hearts Academy! I am from Dallas but moved to the Houston area in 2023. I'm happily married to my best friend and have a beautiful daughter and a super energetic fur baby. I love to sing, play guitar and spending time with my family and friends. I also enjoy trying new things and exploring new places. This will be my seventh year in childcare, and I have absolutely loved every second. I have a true passion for working with the little learners and really helping them progress in their early development-academic, social language and motor. I strive to help create a classroom that will nurture growth in a positive, fun and loving environment.
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Susie Morales - lead teacher
My name is Susie Morales, and I am incredibly excited for this new school year. I am looking forward to getting to know you. I know we will have a fun, educational and overall fantastic year here at Shepherd's Little Hearts Academy.
I recently moved here from Corpus Christi, where I taught at Seashore Early Childhood Academy for 16 years and Montessori school for 2 years. This will be my 19th year teaching. I am committed to creating a fun, safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. I believe that each child is an individual and as an educator, I will value and develop each child's strengths, interests, skills, abilities and knowledge to advance their learning.
My husband, Cesar and I have been married for over 27 years. We have a 23-year-old son, Marcus. We also have three silly dogs, Snowball, Gizmo and Lucky. In my free time I like to spend time with family and friends, watch football, movies and go on walks.
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Ashley howard - assistant teacher
Bio Coming soon..