Our Team
Lance Green
Principal
Lance Green has served the Freedom community since 2003. Lance has taught all subjects in grades 4, 5 and 6 prior to being the assistant principal for a year and becoming the principal in 2015. He works hard to be involved in all student concerns, including academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs. Helping students of all backgrounds find success is Lance’s true passion and the reason he loves Freedom Elementary.
Shelly Kerr
Assistant Principal
Shelly Kerr has been the assistant principal at Freedom Elementary since 2015. Prior to coming to Lakota, she worked as a classroom teacher for twenty years teaching grades K, 3, 4, and 5. As the assistant principal, Shelly works closely with the staff, students, and families of students who have special needs. Shelly enjoys building relationships with students and their families and watching them grow physically, academically and emotionally during their time at Freedom.
Reeves
Therapy Dog
Christine Avery Blanton
Office Secretary
Avery Blanton has been the Office Secretary since 2016. Prior to starting her full-time position, she was a building substitute. Both of her children attended Freedom Elementary, and Avery enjoyed many years as an active member of the Freedom Parent Council during that time. She has been involved at Freedom in many different ways and feels lucky to be part of the “Freedom Family.”
Kristin Gleis
Registered Nurse
Kristin Gleis, BSN has been a Registered Nurse since 1999. She worked for 13 years at The Christ Hospital as a RN Case Manager and a Kidney Transplant Coordinator before becoming a School Nurse. She became a School Nurse at Lakota and worked at Heritage Elementary for 5 years before transferring to Freedom in 2018. She truly loves working with the students at Freedom, developing relationships with them and helping them learn about being healthier.
Her hobby is working with dogs. Kristin has trained and owned a therapy dog in the past and currently has the wonderful job of getting to foster Freedom’s facility dog, Reeves. Reeves has been a wonderful addition to our Freedom Family and Kristin is thrilled that she can help take care of him. Her German Shepherd puppy is currently being trained as well.
Kimberly Nguyen
Office Manager
Kimberly (Kym) Nguyen has been working in the office since 2006. Prior to working at Freedom, she was very active in the Parent Council; all three of her children went through Freedom and graduated from Lakota West. After working part-time for several years, she began full-time at Freedom in 2010 and was promoted to Office Manager in 2015. Kym truly cherishes the building and staff and would not work anywhere else. She loves the organization, teamwork, and problem solving that her job requires, and sees Freedom Pride at work every day.
Audrey Young
Guidance
Audrey Young has been a part of the Freedom team since 2018. Before coming to Freedom, she served as the School Counselor at Liberty Junior and Cherokee Elementary. Audrey also worked at The Springer School (a school for children with learning differences) for 8 years. Audrey supports families and students with life’s changes and challenges. She hosts groups to build life skills for students managing grief, family changes, friendship skills and regulating big emotions. Audrey is the case manager for 504 Plans and provides resources for families in need, including referrals for the School Based-Therapist. Building close relationships with students, families and staff in order to help students be their best selves is Audrey's greatest mission. She loves being a part of the Freedom family!