Meet Our Team

Kim Dorn

Owner

Kim’s excellent implementation and communication skills have allowed her to successfully own and operate the Sylvan of Salem for 17 years and until recently owned the Sylvan of Beaverton for the past 8 years. She has extensive human resource and business management experience. Kimberli served as President of Sylvan Owners Association for 2 years and has been the Treasurer for 2 years. Kim and her husband Mike have been married 34 years and have a son living in Austin, Texas and a daughter and son-in-law living in Independence, Oregon. Kim loves spending time with her family, planting flowers, reading, boating, and enjoying her cabin in Detroit, Oregon. 

Melanie Chapman

Center Director

I am the center director for Sylvan and I have been a part of this company for the last four years. I like to spend time outdoors, enjoy cross-stitching, and BBQing in every kind of weather. I have a passion for watching students grow to their full potential and determining what, I believe, is the best process for creating success within this business.

Baeli Smith

Director of Education

Baeli Smith oversees the educational integrity of our programs, managing and training our team of tutors.  As a former Director of ELL programs in New York City, she brings a wealth of knowledge to Sylvan Learning Center of Salem. Baeli graduated from Hunter College with a Master’s degree in English – TESOL. When she isn’t at Sylvan, you can find her exploring small towns, learning new languages, and spending time with her cats. 

Sophia

Center Assistant

I’m currently working on completing my Associate of Arts Transfer Degree. I usually spend my free time either getting engrossed in old hobbies or cuddling with my dog Rosie. My husband and I love spending our evenings getting good food and watching sci-fi films. Right now, I’m focused on re-learning how to knit and sew while also trying to graduate by the end of the year. 

Madisson

Student Activities Manager

I am currently a full-time student at Chemekta Community College getting my Associates of Arts Oregon Transfer Degree. I have been working with kids since I was 12 years old. From babysitting to volunteering at my church, I have worked in childcare for a good portion of my life. I enjoy my work at Sylvan because I get to put smiles on kid’s faces every day through games and crafts.
Outside of work, I am an artist focused on expanding my career in that field. I also love to play and stream video games on Twitch, go on bike rides with my partner and spend time with my dog. 

Tyler B.

Tutor

My name is Tyler (I also go by “Ty”), and I am a fourth-year university student majoring in Computer Science and Data Science, and I am minoring in Japanese. I have a broad range of interests, and I love helping others! I joined Sylvan because I want subjects that appear hard to become simpler to understand for students. Outside of studying, I enjoy playing video games, Chess, and learning new things.

Siena

Tutor

My name is Siena and I graduated from Linfield in May of 2022 with a B.S. in Elementary Education. I have a lot of experience working with kids. My time spent working with kids ranges from summer camp counselor to babysitting to substitute teaching. I am also (hopefully) going to be teaching 5th grade in Fall 2023. I love teaching at Sylvan because I work with the same kids, which allows me to form close personal relationships with them. My hobbies are cooking, baking, painting, and binge-watching Queer Eye and Love Island.  

Brennan

Tutor

Brennan Lucas Staffieri (They/Them) is a writer and educator born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. They specialize in teaching writing and reading, specifically poetry. They attended Pacific University where they received a bachelor’s in creative writing with a minor in theatre, and are currently pursuing their master of fine arts in creative writing. In their youth, they attended Sylvan for writing and math and attribute their time at Sylvan to their success in high school and eventual success in college. In their free time, they like to write and play video games, Dungeons & Dragons, and Magic: the Gathering. 

George L.

Tutor

My name is George, and I retired after teaching special education in Salem schools for 15 years. Before that, I taught social studies and art in New Mexico and Arizona and did computer programming in Minnesota. I continue coming to Sylvan as I enjoy the lively energy of the students and the opportunity to guide them in a cheerful and encouraging environment.  

Bonnie

Tutor

Hi, I’m Bonnie. I grew up around South Salem and went to Liberty Elementary and Judson Middle School, but then my family moved to San Diego. I got my B.S. and M.S. from U.C. Davis, then went to  M.I.T. for my Ph.D. After that, I lived in England for a couple of years working as a scientific programmer, then I moved back to Baltimore where I raised my two children. While there, I taught earth science and mathematics at Towson University and John Hopkins University. I then worked at JHU as a research scientist in the Physics Astronomy department. I had to semi-retire for health reasons. I am excited to be able to teach at Sylvan because teaching is fun and rewarding. 

Jon

Tutor

My name is Jon and I just recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Willamette University. I’ve been at Sylvan for 4 months and I absolutely love the way it caters to all sorts of learning styles and students. In my downtime, I work on sculpture pieces to install in local galleries. My most recent sculpture was installed in the Hallie Ford Museum of Art in Salem, Oregon. 

Mariah

Tutor

Mariah Y.
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction
I am from California and have a dog, two cats, and a horse. I compete in mounted trail competitions with my horse Josie. I teach math at Sprague High School. I’ve worked at Sylvan since August 2022. I love working at Sylvan because it gives me the chance to get to know students better than in a busy classroom. 

Jessica

Tutor

Hi! My name is Jessica Patterson. I received my bachelor’s in early child education from Western Oregon University and my masters in administrative leadership in education from Concordia University. I have taught kindergarten in Salem for 13 years. I love everything about it, it’s a magical first start to their education and I enjoy watching them grow into readers, writers, and mathematicians! I have worked at Sylvan for 9 years. And have enjoyed working with different ages and learning different tools for teaching. Outside of work, I am relearning how to play piano, I love reading in my garden, and I also enjoy going to the park with my family and my three dogs MoMo, Wesley, and Ninja.  

Craig A.

Tutor

I taught multiple subjects, including special education at elementary and secondary levels. I approach tutoring from a multi-sensory perspective and consider each student an individual. I encourage all learners to develop habits of concentration to strive for high achievement. In working with students, I hope to spark curiosity and foster an intrinsic love for learning. I read widely, and play the piano. I enjoy spending time with family & friends in the great outdoors, hiking, camping, birding, & fishing. 

Mark J.

Tutor

My name is Mark and I love anything and everything Star Wars. I have been teaching at North Marion Middle School for 28 years. Two of my favorite hobbies are playing guitar and taking my yearly trip to Alaska to fish for Halibut and Salmon. 

My name is Loren. I studied at U of O and graduated with a degree in Anthropology and Biological Anthropology. with a focus in Chemistry. After college, I worked as a pastry baker and bread baker for five years before starting at Sylvan in November of 2022. I love teaching math and science and taking the time to explain concepts completely. In my spare time, I go on walks with my dog Lola, paint, draw, sew, and listen to audiobooks.