Meet Our Team
Meet Our Gahanna Team
Leo Green
Director (Gahanna)
Leo Green, a native of St. Catherine, Jamaica, has been caring for the children since 2012. Leo specializes in the infant curriculum and gross motor skills. Leo has worked with all age groups and has served as the Lead Teacher over all classrooms. As a Director of Advantage Early Learning Academy, Leo is eager to build an excellent foundation of learning for our community through communication and positive educational principles.
In her free time, Leo enjoys cooking, spending time with family, especially her three boys, and shopping.
Amanda Sayers
Assistant Director
Amanda Henderson grew up in Canal Winchester and lives in Gahanna. She loves the hometown feel and loves revisiting places she once loved with her husband and two boys. Amanda has always had a heart for young children and began babysitting at a very young age.
She attended college for a short period of time with the intention of becoming a preschool or kindergarten teacher. Amanda plans to get her CDA and eventually finish her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. For the last three years, Amanda ran an in-home daycare.
She hopes to foster an environment where children feel safe, empowered, and nurtured. In her free time, Amanda enjoys exploring play places with her family, watching Netflix, and going to her husband’s football games with her three children.
Meet Our Marysville Team
Jenny Troutwine
Director (Marysville)
Jennifer Gibson was raised in West Liberty, Ohio. She went to high school at West Liberty-Salem schools and graduated in 2016. From there, she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Akron in 2021. Jenny started in childcare 4 years ago as a lead in the infants and toddlers programs. She recently moved to Marysville with her fiancé.
In her free time, she loves spending time with family and friends, going to events for family members, including volleyball games and show choir performances.
Cammie Starkey
Assistant Director (Marysville)
Cammie Starkey was raised in Urbana with her three sisters and one brother. In high school, Cammie played volleyball and worked part-time at a daycare. After high school, she studied massage while working at Advantage Early Learning Academy, where she found her love for teaching. Cammie is completing her CDA and learning every day. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her son and fiancé. She also loves to watch movies, drink coffee, and go on spontaneous adventures.
Meet Our Marion Team
Jordan Whitehead
Director (Marion Ohio)
Jordan Whitehead was born and raised in Columbus Ohio and now lives in Marion; and is a graduate of Marion Franklin High School. Knowing at a very young age that she wanted to work in Early Childcare, she completed her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential.
Jordan has been in Early Childcare since 2013. She joined the AELA family in 2019 as a lead teacher and has worked in various other positions. She has a passion for children and curriculum development. What is most important to her is to set up each child to receive an amazing start in their academic career; to set them up for great success from Kindergarten to Adulthood. By teaching each child about self-reliance, independence, using their words correctly, and how to share and maintain friendships. She is looking forward to collaborating with our families and community to help build an amazing future!
Amanda Smith
Assistant Director
Amanda Smith was born and raised in Newark, Ohio. A graduate of Licking Valley High School. After selling shoes, she realized childcare was her passion in 2013, which led her to complete a fast-track CDA in Preschool that she was awarded in 2021! Amanda recently relocated to Marion to expand her family with her fiancé and is eager to grow with the Advantage team!
Jasmine Pickens
Assistant Director
Jasmine Pickens is an Assistant Director at our Marion Location. She has been a dedicated member of our daycare family for over three years. Her journey with the center began as a Preschool Teacher, where she discovered her passion for helping young children learn, grow, and build confidence. She later transitioned into the role of Center Coordinator, gaining valuable leadership and administrative experience before being promoted to Assistant Director.
Jasmine holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential and also brings more than five years of experience tutoring English to kindergarten through fifth-grade students. Her background in both classroom instruction and academic support has strengthened her commitment to creating engaging learning experiences and fostering each child’s individual growth.
As Assistant Director, Jasmine is passionate about supporting children, families, and teachers alike. She believes every child deserves a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where they feel encouraged to explore, learn, and thrive. She is committed to building strong relationships with families and helping create a center where everyone feels welcomed and valued.
Outside of work, Jasmine enjoys spending time with her family and finding creative ways to make learning fun. She is grateful for the opportunity to continue growing within the center and is honored to be part of each child’s early learning journey.
Meet Our Findlay Team
Katie Paden
Director
Katie Paden grew up in Juneau, Alaska. She attended and graduated from Thunder Mountain High School in 2011. Throughout high school, she worked several babysitting jobs. She is from a big family with a total of 9 brothers, so she knew from a young age that childcare was her dream career. She began working in the kindergarten readiness class at Glacier Valley Elementary in Juneau, AK, in 2018, then moved to the Special Education K/1 class from 2019-2021.
Katie moved to Marion in 2021. In 2023, she started working with Advantage Early Learning. While here, she has earned her Preschool CDA credentials. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her son. Katie looks forward to learning, growing, and advancing her career with the company.
Our Front Office Staff
Twila Fultz
Assistant Director (Marion)
Twila Fultz was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. She graduated from Linden McKinley High School in 1976.
Initially Ms. Twila worked at the Huntington National Bank as a foreign currency teller, then for the State of Ohio Department of Insurance. In 1990 she found that her true passion in fostering children.
Ms. Twila welcomed over 200 children, newborns to teenagers, into her home. Some were permanent placements and most were respite (temporary) placements; even adopting two of the placements. Foster care and adoption has enriched Twila’s life and helped her to be more a compassionate human being. She says, “Honestly, it feels good to help and know that you have forever touched the life of a child.”
Currently, Ms. Twila works as an Office Assistant at Advantage Early Learning Academy. When she is not working, she enjoys going to the movies, watching television, shopping on-line, listening to gospel music, playing games on her iPad, and spending time with her grandchildren. She is also a member of the Sound Technion team at her church.
“Every child you encounter is a divine appointment!”
Meet Our Corporate Team
Marissa Abbott
Executive Director Operations
Marissa Abbott grew up in Canal Winchester and now lives in Marysville with her family. She began babysitting at a young age and volunteered in Sunday school with all age groups which led her to find a passion in childcare. She currently has her CDA and has her bachelor’s degree from Grand Canyon University in Education Studies.
While attending school, Marissa has worked in childcare in multiple facets and has experience in all age groups from infants to school age. After many years of working in centers, she knew childcare was where she belonged. Marissa has worked her way up within our company from substitute teacher to Executive Director. Marissa’s passion is creating an environment for all students to learn and grow.
In her free time, Marissa loves to spend time with her three daughters and husband in the garden, reading, and exploring local places.
Ashley Puckett
Corporate Director of Compliance
Ashley Puckett grew up in North Lewisburg and graduated from Mechanicsburg High School. She has always had a strong desire to work with children and is a dedicated person with a passion for childcare.
Ashley has four kids of her own, she loves to watch them barrel race, show in 4H, and spend quality time as a family.
In pursuit of her dream career, Ashley holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and is currently working towards her degree. She is committed to providing a nurturing and educational environment for children, and she strives to continue expanding her knowledge and skills in the field.
Courtney Young
Corporate Director of Education
Courtney Young was born and raised in Columbus and now lives in Catawba with her family. Courtney graduated from Everest College in 2014 with her Diploma in Medical Assisting; after graduating, she worked for Mount Carmel Medical Group for 3 years, then Women’s Physician in OBGYN for 2 years. After having her third child in 2018, Courtney decided to become a stay-at-home mom and open her own in-home childcare. In 2019, Courtney began her journey in the childcare field. While working, Courtney obtained her Child Development Associate (CDA) in infants and toddlers.
Courtney’s 4 children inspired her to work in childcare and further her education. Courtney believes no child should ever be left behind and deserves a chance at a great education. In Courtney’s spare time, she spends time with her family; she loves crafting, reading, and traveling.
Our CEO
Scott Weigand
CEO
Scott Weigand was born and raised in Lakewood, Ohio and graduated from Lakewood High School. After high school, Scott served in the United States Marine Corps. Scott has spent the last 18+ years as an executive focused on human resources, operations, and special project management.
Scott is a firm believer in education and the right of a quality education for everyone. He understands that knowledge can open doors to create a better quality of life and has worked hard to build a strong educational foundation for himself. Scott has an Associates in Business, a Bachelors with a dual major in Human Resources Management and Business administration, and a Masters degree in Business Administration. Mr. Weigand holds over 10 professional certifications.
When Scott is not at work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids. He has three children, a daughter who has her black belt in Taekwondo/Cheerleader/Dancer/BJJ student, a son who has his black belt in Taekwondo/Lacrosse/Guitar/BJJ student/Wrestler, and his youngest daughter who is a Dancer/Cheerleader/BJJ student. Scott enjoys going to dinner and movies with his wife, playing video games, and reading. and exploring local places.
“Every child should have the opportunity to receive a quality education.” -Bill Frist
