Meet Our Staff
Merrilee Kane, Director
Merrilee became a teacher at Giving Tree in 1986. When she first saw the Giving Tree playground, she knew that she wanted to spend her days here with children. Merrilee’s two adult daughters both attended Giving Tree — and now one of them (Lily) teaches here! Merrilee holds a B.A. in Education from the University of Massachusetts. She is a HighScope certified teacher.
Lily Kane, Lead Teacher
Lily joined the Giving Tree team in 2020. Giving Tree has held a special place in Lily’s heart ever since she attended as a child. Lily earned her B.A. in Dance and Psychology at Marlboro College and received her Early Childhood certificate from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. She taught preschool at a Jewish school in Asheville, NC, until the pandemic came along and convinced her to move back home to Western Massachusetts. When she’s not teaching, she loves to read novels, knit, cook, and be with family and friends.
Jillian Marchetti, Lead Teacher
Jillian has been teaching at Giving Tree since the fall of 2022. She earned her B.A. in English and Creative Writing from Salem State University. After working at a daycare/after-school program, Jillian found a passion for early education and has continued working with children ever since. She went on to earn her associates in Early Education at Greenfield Community College, and is currently considering Director certification. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, writing, reading, and hanging out with her pet rabbit.
Jenn DeBlase, Lead Teacher
Jenn has been teaching at Giving Tree since 2017. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in Art and Education. Since then, Jenn has lived and taught all around North America - including Massachusetts, San Francisco, and Ontario. Jenn enjoys spending time outside with her family, and with children at Giving Tree.
Haley Anderson, Program Administrator
Haley joined the GT community in 2015 as a parent, and began working as Program Administrator in 2016. Her kids eventually graduated and moved on to elementary school, while Haley stayed on to keep all of Giving Tree’s ducks organized. She studied liberal arts at Greenfield Community College. In her spare time, Haley enjoys gardening, singing and making music, and reading lots and lots of books.