Administrative Leadership Team

I am thrilled to serve as the founding Head of School for Trillium Academy. Shaped by my own experiences as a 2E student, it has been a lifelong dream to reshape the educational environment for students who do not fit into the traditional school structures. This dream is realized in Trillium Academy's mission to break away from conventional schooling and celebrate the incredible capabilities of twice-exceptional (2e) students, providing them with the learning environment they need to discover and develop their talents and passions to live successful and enriching lives.

My quarter century as an educator has been focused on serving gifted and neurodivergent students in independent schools. As the Assistant Head of School for Bridges Academy Seattle, I saw firsthand the transformational impact that a school specially designed for twice-exceptional learners could have. I had the honor of working with the Seattle families at Bridges to transition the school to a locally governed independent school with an updated mission reflective of the vision and values of the Pacific Northwest. Prior to my brief stint at Bridges Seattle, I spent nearly 20 years in the Learning Support program at Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAAS) building out programs to serve students through the accommodations office, study skills classes, and the Options Program. Before SAAS, I worked for a year at Morningside Academy in Seattle and began my teaching career at Assets High School in Honolulu. I have a BA in Social Studies at Chaminade University in Honolulu, spent the next 25 years curating my own professional development opportunities focused on inclusive teaching and learning practices for neurodivergent students, and recently completed a Masters Degree in Independent School Leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University.  

Outside of work, I am adjusting to the quiet of an empty nest with my husband since my young adult twins moved out. I enjoy outrigger canoe paddling, science fiction, board games, and watching stand up comedy. I am excited to build a community that celebrates the unique talents and neurodivergence of our students and provides a place where the whole family can find belonging.

Thanks!

Balazs hails from Seattle, where he earned his undergraduate degree in the Comparative History of Ideas at the University of Washington. After teaching English and American Literature in Hungary, and starting a family that quickly grew to include three children, Balazs returned to the States where he earned a master's in Comparative Literature from IU Bloomington.

Balazs began his career in education as a middle school language arts and social studies teacher at Quest Academy, a school for gifted children in Illinois. After growing into an administrative role as Director of Teaching and Learning, Balazs moved to the Ancona School, where he held a similar position for six years. Balazs is a published author and national speaker.

​Balazs is a builder of houses, geodesic domes, and, most recently, tear-drop style camper trailers. He is a life-long fixer and mender (handy with everything from sewing machines to power tools), has studied project-based learning with PBLWorks and design thinking with IDEO, and has helped several schools design and implement maker spaces, school gardens, and STEAM curricula. He is excited to bring his experience and passion for teaching (and learning) to Trillium Academy and the 2E students we serve. 

Margaret Rottsolk seeks to create an enriching school for our 2e kids and their families, where students can discover and lean into strengths, as well as understand areas of challenge. Margaret has a Bachelor degree from the University of Washington with a double major in Mathematics and Computer Science and a minor in Finnish. After a career as a software engineer, program manager and director at Microsoft and Caradigm, she became a professional leadership coach. Margaret enjoys rowing, biking, puzzles and spending time with her husband, teenage children and dogs. Margaret will have an 11th Grader enrolled in our school in the fall.

Angela Chabot is a passionate advocate for 2e education. Angela wants to build a school where students feel a sense of belonging, and are given the support they need to excel academically and agency to create their own pathways to success. Angela co-founded the Washington Neurodiversity Project and the Holocene Foundation with her husband. Angela went to Stanford University for her undergraduate (B.S. Biology 1994) and graduate (J.D. 2001) degrees. Angela hikes, enjoys live music, and spends time with her (still growing!) family in her free time. Angela will have an 11th Grader enrolled in our school in the fall. 

Father of a rising 7th-grader, Brendan Fields has a passion for building a supportive learning community for 2e kids. Brendan is originally from Rochester, NY and graduated with a degree in computer engineering from Bucknell University. He’s worked at Microsoft and as a CTO at small tech startups and is eager to help build this new school. He loves to cook, hike, bike, kayak, ski, camp, and travel with his family.