The SMCS Board

Kathryn Falconer (Secretary)

The first time Kate and her husband Dan visited Salida 18 years ago they knew it was their place to raise a family. Thanks to the COVID pandemic; a year of homeschooling happened, remote work became a thing, and a fabulous neighbor in BV suggested SMCS, the dream finally happened, just in time for the 2021 school year. 

Kate is excited to help the school thrive and reach its full potential as a member of the SMCS Board, which she joined in 2023. Though they are a fairly new family to Salida, Kate has developed a passion for SMCS, wanting to support the school and staff anyway she can. Great education starts with staff environment, she wants to prioritized compensation and recognition for the entire SMCS team, from teachers to aides. Finding SMCS for her kids has highlighted how crucial it is to find the right learning experience for each child and is grateful to be a part of such a wonderful school community. 

Annie Jacob (Director)

Annie Jacob is a mother of three, a local business owner and a longtime Salida resident. She enjoys time with her family, being in nature, connecting in community, yoga, meditation, dance and the arts. Her skill sets include business management, budget planning, fundraising, marketing and community outreach. She strives to see many perspectives, practice compassionate communication and empower others through her leadership style. She is grateful to be a part of SMCS and to support the school through her service on the board. Annie_Jacob@salidamcs.org

Catherine Lara (Vice-Chair)

Catherine Lara, a proud and busy mother of 3 children. She and her family have been living in Salida for 12 years. Catherine is currently serving the Salida community working as an Occupational Therapist, and assisting Chaffee County Public Health to implement the COVID 19 protocols to keep our community safe and overcome the challenging times of the pandemic. Catherine, became a board member in Spring 2021 with interest and goals of becoming more involved in the school and contributing to the mission and goals of the school as well as being part of helping the school grow to its full potential with our ever-growing and changing community. Catherine hopes to bring new and diverse perspectives to the board and our school community. Catherine_Lara@salidamcs.org

Marie Walter-Pigg (Chair)

After an unforgettable family vacation to Fairplay in 2012 it became a mission for the Pigg family to move to Colorado. Marie, her husband Randy, their 2 youngest children moved to Salida from St. Louis, MO in July of 2015. Their first experience with Montessori was in 2010 when they enrolled their son Caleb in a Montessori preschool close to the hospital Marie worked for. After witnessing Montessori's beautiful approach to learning there was no going back. Marie and Randy are proud owners of two small businesses. Each of their companies have found a way to give back to our community. Conscious Sedation Consulting offers free dental work every year in October through one of their training courses. Sedation Equipment & Supply works with Chaffee County Public Health to implement a Safe Sharps Disposal program. Through her management position at the hospital in St. Louis and now running her own business Marie has over a decade worth of experience with budgets, customer relations, new vendor set up, employee management, and operations management.  She feels very fortunate to be able to call this beautiful town home and loves being a part of such a tight knit community. marie_walterpigg@salidamcs.org