Meet Our Team

Marie Blankenship

Center Director/Site Coordinator

Marie has worked as an Early Childhood and Elementary school teacher. Her favorite grade is Kindergarten. While Marie has many talents, she finds the greatest joy in learning new things! She studied at Haywood Community College and Liberty University. When Marie isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her working out, studying to complete her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and enjoying time with her husband.

Marla McGhee

Director of Education

Marla is the lead teacher and front desk coordinator at Sylvan Learning Center in Asheville, NC with a gift for working with kids. While Marla has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in English/Language Arts tutoring. She studied at University of South Florida, graduating with a BS in Elementary Education. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Cross-disciplinary Studies at Nova University. When Marla isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her reading or in her garden.

Meredith Vessely

Tutor/Admin Assistant

Meredith is a Boutique owner in Weaverville, NC with a gift for working with kids. While Meredith has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in upper level math tutoring. She studied accounting at Portland Community College. When Meredith isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her painting, knitting and crafting. She also enjoys hanging out with her two Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Megan Barker

Tutor

Ms. Baker’s interest in special edcation began while in high school when she volunteered with the Special Olympics.  She got her Bachelor of Science degree in Deaf Education K-12 at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2007, and Pre-K add-on license in 2010 at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.  Megan is a native to Asheville.  She lives in West Asheville with her daughter, cat, and dog.

Patty Burgess

Tutor

Patty has two degrees from Guilford College: a bachelor’s in early & Intermediate Education, and a master’s in educational leadership. She has taught all grades PK-8, as well as being as STEM coach and Early Intervention Coordinator. She enjoys being with children and her family and learning new things. When Patty isn’t at Sylvan she enjoys reading, walking, gardening, and yoga. 

Kena Grooms

Tutor

Kena Grooms has been an educator for over 30 years.  She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Mars Hill Collene in Elementary Education.  Kena enjoys teaching and tutoring learners and watching them grow in their learning.  Kena enjoys spending time with family exercising, and loving on her three poodles.  She is a Breast-Cancer Survivor!

Tracy Levi

SAT/ACT - College Prep LIVE, Online Instructor

Tracy Levi holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree In civil engineering. For eleven years she served as a civil engineer in Florida, working primarily with stormwater management and water quality programs. Since moving to Asheville, she has enjoyed teaching Hebrew and Judaics to religious school students and teaching reading and math at Sylvan. She also teaches SAT/ACT math through our LIVE, online classes. In her spare time, Tracy enjoys the company of her two daughters and outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking. She also has a passion for music and plays the keyboard in a local band.

Melissa Deloach

SAT/ACT - College Prep LIVE, Online Director/Professor

Melissa Deloach joined the Sylvan team in May 2019. By day she’s the Director of the Scholar’s Academy for Spartanburg County, but in the evenings and on Sundays, she manages our college prep program, including SAT/ACT prep and College Reading Strategies. Melissa holds degrees from Clemson University and Converse College. When she isn’t helping teens prepare for college either here or at the Scholar’s Academy, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.

Dr. Jeff French

SAT/ACT - College Prep LIVE, Online Professor

Dr. Jeff, as his Sylvan students call him, graduated from Furman University in 1995. He then held a variety of college-level roles as a graduate student, program coordinator, and instructor for the University of South Carolina and Midlands Technical College while also serving as a zookeeper at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. With a focus on genetics and ecology, Dr. French finished his graduate work in biology and currently serves as Chair of Biology and Assistant Dean of Science and Math at North Greenville University. In his “free time”, he enjoys preparing students for the SAT and ACT as a LIVE, online instructor for Sylvan.