Administrative Staff

Dr. Elena Amirault

Dr. Elena Amirault has dedicated 24 years to early childhood education, passionately advocating for young learners. For the past decade, she has proudly led as the Director of Early Learning for the Parkway School District.

Elena holds a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, as well as Master's and Doctoral degrees in Educational Leadership. She's also DESE certified in Early Childhood, Early Childhood Special Education, and as a Principal.

Beyond her professional life, Elena is a proud parent of a Parkway Early Childhood alum and a nature enthusiast. She loves sharing her passion for outdoor learning and enjoys yoga, kickboxing, hiking, biking, and gardening with her daughter.

Amy Dickson

We're excited to welcome Amy Dickson back to Parkway for the 2025–26 school year as the Parents as Teachers Coordinator. Amy brings over 25 years of experience in early childhood education, with a career grounded in supporting families, strengthening educator practice, and building systems that help children thrive. In her role, she leads a team of dedicated parent educators committed to partnering with families during their child’s earliest years.

Amy holds a Master’s in Education, along with a deep background in child development, family engagement, and reflective supervision. Her career has spanned roles in preschool teaching, program development, and leading coaching and training initiatives across the region.

Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, gardening only when the weather is perfect, spending time with family and friends, and keeping socks away from her mischievous puppy.

Margaret Donnelly

Margaret Donnelly has been an Early Childhood Coordinator since 2021.  She has spent over twenty years in Early Childhood Education working in Parkway, Clayton, St. Louis Public Schools and Ladue. Margaret enjoys spending time with her family and cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals.

Qualifications: M.Ed. Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration, University of Missouri, Columbia, M.Ed. Master of Education in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, Maryville University, St. Louis. B.S. Bachelor of Science in Anthropology, Santa Clara University

Dr. Heather Gehner

Meet Dr.Heather Gehner, Preschool Coordinator since July 2024. Heather has been an Early Childhood educator since 2009. She was previously a First-grade teacher at Mason Ridge Elementary School in the Parkway School District. Before Parkway, she taught Kindergarten and First grade at Buder Elementary in the Ritenour School District. When Heather is not working, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband and three sons, reading, and walking her dogs.

Qualifications: Ed.D. Doctorate in Educational Leadership - Maryville University, St. Louis M.Ed. Master of Education in Educational Administration - University of Missouri, St. Louis B.S. Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education - University of Missouri, St. Louis

Dr. Liz Kenner

Dr. Liz Kenner has been a Special School District ECSE Special Education Coordinator since July 2015. Liz has a dual role as the SSD Coordinator for Parkway's ECSE intensive needs programs as well as SSD's Evaluation Department, which supports all 14 ECSE Districts in St. Louis County. She was previously a Speech-Language Pathologist, Diagnostician, and Implementer Supervisor with St. Louis City Public Schools, where she supported students ages 3 through 21 for 14 years before joining Special School District. Liz finds joy in spending time with her husband, family, and friends, and watching her children on the many sports fields each week. 

Qualifications: Ed.D. Doctorate in Educational Leadership - Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, MO. Education Specialist - Superintendency - Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, MO. Master of Education - Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, MO Master of Science - Communication Sciences and Disorders - Fontbonne University, St. Louis. Bachelor of Science - Communication Sciences and Disorders - St. Louis University, St. Louis

Dr. Jen Roper

Dr. Jen Roper has served as the Special Education Coordinator for Parkway Early Childhood since 2019. Before that, she was an Elementary School Principal in the Hazelwood School District. She started her educational career as a Kindergarten Teacher in Hazelwood, collaborating with Special Education and English Language Learner colleagues to best serve young learners. She’s originally from Chicago, Illinois, and still hasn’t found a pizza place that compares. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, reading books, watching movies, and baking.

Qualifications: Ed.D. Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Maryville University, St. Louis, M.Ed. Master of Education in Educational Leadership—Lindenwood University, St. Charles. B.S. Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from the University of Illinois @ Champaign-Urbana