Administration & Staff

Celma Pinho Perry

Celma Perry is the Education Director of Montessori Education Centers Associated. In her long career as an educator, Celma has devoted her life to understanding children and to creating the environments necessary for them to learn and grow. She studied child development and the Montessori approach under Lubienska de Lenval in Paris, France, and in 1956 became the founding director of the Escola Experimental de NS de Sion in São Paulo, Brazil. Concurrently, she also served as the Director of its Teacher Education Program. Upon arriving in the United States, she became the Head Teacher of Alcuin Montessori School in Oak Park, IL, as well as the Supervisor of its teacher education program, the first of its kind in the Midwest.

In 1965, a group of parents sought to bring quality Montessori education to their community of Clarendon Hills, IL, and under Celma’s educational direction they founded Seton Montessori School. As the director of that school, she fostered a loving education environment and eventually grew a one-room schoolhouse into a vibrant education community of over 200 children. Celma recognized that would-be teachers of young children needed a preparation program that would enable them to educate in the true spirit of Montessori, and to fill this need she founded the Montessori Education Centers Associated teacher preparation program in 1970. In MECA, Celma has created one of the oldest and largest Montessori teacher education programs in North America and has prepared hundreds of teachers to thoughtfully and faithfully serve the needs of the children in their care. Celma and Desmond Perry later founded three additional Chicago-area Montessori schools: the Montessori Children’s House of North Barrington, IL, the Montessori Infant & Toddler Community in Clarendon Hills, IL, and the Hinsdale Montessori School in Hinsdale, IL.

Celma lectures in all of MECA’s academic programs, focusing on Montessori philosophy and techniques, parent education, and teacher preparation. Celma is a widely acknowledged expert in the Montessori community, and she has authored countless articles for publications. In 1968, she authored the first authoritative academic guide for teachers, published by AMS, called A Montessori Curriculum for the Children’s House. Additionally, she has written several other invaluable books on Montessori Education: The Cosmic Approach: Social Sciences for Children 0 to 6 Years Old, Facilitating a Montessori All-Day Program, and Facilitating a Toddler Program. Celma is an expert in preparing Montessori environments and in starting and administrating both private and public Montessori schools around the world. She also serves as an AMS consultant and presenter, a NAEYC speaker, and an international lecturer.

Having studied in Europe, Celma holds an AIRAP credential in Montessori Education, Infancy to Adolescence as well as an AMS credential in Early Childhood Education. She received a B.A. in Pedagogy from Sedes Sapientiae Universidade in São Paulo, Brazil, and a M.A. in Counseling from Pontificia Universidad Catolica in São Paulo, Brazil.

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Desmond Perry

Desmond Perry is the Chief Administrator for Montessori Education Centers Associated. In his 30 years of experience in child development, Desmond has prepared hundreds of Montessori teachers and observed thousands of young children grow, learn, and mature. A lifelong educator, he lectures in all of MECA’s academic programs, focusing on child development, with special emphasis given to perceptual motor development, and on parenting skills. Desmond has worked in school administration since 1960, and is a recognized expert in that field.

Apart from MECA, Desmond oversees the MECA lab schools and he is a frequent lecturer to parents, teachers, and administrators. Desmond consults to schools and teacher preparation programs internationally, including programs in countries such as Ireland, Mexico, Portugal, and Brazil. He has written numerous articles that have appeared in journals such as Montessori Life, Play and Work, and Montessori All Day. He is the author of three acclaimed books: The Child: What Every Caring Parent Needs to Know, The Child is a Person, and Perceptual Motor Development for Young Children.

Desmond holds AMS credentials in Infant & Toddler Education and Early Childhood Education. He received a B.A. in Philosophy from St. Patrick’s College in Kiltegan, Ireland, and a M.A. in Education from Loyola University in Chicago, IL.

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Eva Parrucci

Eva Parrucci is the Director of Academics at Montessori Education Centers Associated. She is responsible for coordinating MECA’s academic programs and for assisting and evaluating students in their academic work. She is also a lecturer in all of MECA’s academic programs, focusing on sensorimotor development, music, education history, and community and family relations. Apart from MECA, she currently serves as the coordinator of the Montessori Infant & Toddler Community in Clarendon Hills, IL, a MECA lab school. For the past ten years, she has taught in that school’s parent-infant programs, and for 14 years she has served as a Visiting Professor and Student Advisor at DePaul University School for New Learning. Her past experience includes five years as the Administrator for Rogers Park Montessori School and ten years as a teacher and coordinator at SEARCH Development Center.

Eva holds AMS credentials in Infant & Toddler Education, Early Childhood Education, and Montessori School Administration. She received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education & Therapy from DePaul University in Chicago, IL, a Master of Arts degree in Family & Community Counseling from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, IL, and a Certificate of Business Administration in Non-Profit Management from the University of Illinois in Chicago, IL.

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Anna Perry

Anna Perry is the Director of the Montessori School Administration certification program and is a Lecturer for all of MECA’s academic programs. She is an expert on Montessori school administration, language development, and the Montessori philosophy. Apart from MECA, she serves as the Director of Seton Montessori School and the Seton Summer Day Camp. Her prior experience includes several years of teaching children ages 3 to 6 at Seton Montessori School and at West Side Montessori School in New York, NY. She is a frequent speaker and author on topics as diverse as environment preparation, parent counseling, and camp administration.

Anna holds AMS certifications in Early Childhood Education and in Montessori School Administration. She received a B.A. in psychology from Tufts University in Medford, MA, an Ed.M. in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, MA, and is currently completing a Ph.D. in Child Development, with a focus on teacher education, at the Erikson Institute in Chicago, IL.

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Lynn Sellers

Ms. Sellers is the Executive Secretary and Registrar for MECA. She manages the office affairs of MECA and is instrumental in communicating with MECA’s students and shepherds the registration process. Ms. Sellers has served the MECA community for over 15 years. Prior to MECA, she worked extensively in journalism and public relations.

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Julie Eskenazi

Ms. Eskenazi is the Practicum Coordinator for the MECA teacher education programs, helping student teachers to find rewarding internships and guiding them to maximize their potential. Apart from her work with MECA, she serves as a head teacher at Seton Montessori School. She holds an AMS certification in Early Childhood Education and received a B.A. in Speech with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire, WI.

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