Meet Our Team
Josh Oboler, Principal
Josh is a leader in developing and advocating for quality Montessori education in both the United States and abroad. He began his education career in 2001 after practicing law at the firm of Arnold and Porter in Washington, DC. He holds an American Montessori Society Early Childhood teaching credential and holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. He is the Executive Director of the Metro Montessori family of schools in the Washington DC metro area, where he co-founded Franklin Montessori School (Accredited AMS), White Flint Children’s House (Accredited AMS), Broad Branch Children’s House (Accredited AMS), and Fernwood Montessori School (Recognized AMI). He is the founding Chairman of Maryland’s state Montessori association (Montessori Schools of Maryland) and currently serves as a Board Member. He is a current member of the American Montessori Society School Accreditation Commission and sits on the Board of the Montessori Public Policy Initiative, a joint advocacy organization for AMS and AMI USA. He has consulted on the establishment of multiple Montessori schools and teacher education programs worldwide, including the establishment of the first MACTE accredited Montessori teacher education program in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Joe Henry, Principal
Joe has extensive experience in educational law and business development. He has taught at the Early Childhood level, served as a Head of School and has been intricately involved in the ongoing management and development of the Metro Montessori system of schools. He is the co-founder of Franklin Montessori School (Accredited AMS), White Flint Children’s House (Accredited AMS), Broad Branch Children’s House (Accredited AMS), and Fernwood Montessori School (Recognized AMI). He was trained as an Early Childhood Montessori teacher at the Montgomery Montessori Institute. Joe is Co-Chair and a Founding Member of the Washington DC Montessori Coalition. In his role as Coalition Co-Chair, Joe was instrumental in the drafting and adoption of Washington, DC’s Education Regulations regarding Montessori. He is also a Member of DC’s OSSE Private School Advisory Board. He has consulted internationally with schools in the developing world, including India and the Republic of Georgia. He is a co-founder of Artists and Makers – an arts center complex with over 150 resident artists in two Washington, DC area locations, offering gallery and studio spaces and art education programs. He also co-founded ZavaZone, a chain of indoor fitness and family adventure parks, where he is currently overseeing the ZavaZone national franchise system. Before becoming a principal of Metro Montessori, Joe was a practicing attorney and holds a J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law.
Sharon Damore, Senior Consultant
​Dr. Sharon Damore has over 35 years of experience working in Elementary and Secondary schools and higher education. She has an AMS Early Childhood credential, and an EdD in Education Leadership and an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Houston. Sharon is an adjunct professor of education leadership at DePaul University, in Chicago, Illinois, and a lecturer at the AMS-affiliated Seton Montessori Institute in nearby Clarendon Hills. She also currently serves as the AMS Vice President. Sharon has founded several Montessori initiatives, including the AMS Accreditation Commission, the AMS Policy Committee, and the Montessori Public Policy Initiative, of which she is the Board Treasurer. Previously she was head of school of the AMS-accredited Chiaravalle Montessori School in Evanston, Illinois, among other many other positions in private and public schools. Sharon is the former executive director and a current active member of the Association of Illinois Montessori Schools.
Carla Hofland, Consultant
Carla Hofland has recently joined the Metro Leadership Search team after serving as Director of Member Services, AMS for over 17 years. Her national network and connections across Montessori schools and teacher education programs bring depth to the search for new candidates. During her tenure at AMS, she provided expert advice on growing schools and conducting the business of running a school. Prior to her work at AMS, Carla was an Assistant Director at Brickton Montessori School in Chicago and the Financial Coordinator for the Alcott School in Scarsdale, NY. Her credentials include an MBA in operations management from Loyola University of Chicago and a BA in communication arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Both of her children attended Montessori schools through elementary, and her daughter is currently a certified Montessori teacher.
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