About Us

BLMA is prepared to cause the emergence of a new generation of leaders that will leap into the future; beginning a new era of facilitating and building stronger communities, families, individual achievements, town/city and even national/international healing, recovery and growth.

Dr. Denise D. Lessard-Blackwell
Co-owner – Vice-President & CEO, Director, Master Teacher, Program Director & Coordinator

Dr. Denise D. Lessard-Blackwell has her Bachelors in Human Development and Early Childhood Education from Metro State University of Denver, CO; her Master in Urban Ministry and Youth Ministry and her Doctorate from Aspen Christian College & Seminary of Aurora, CO in Biblical Studies. On February 17, 2005 she is certified by the Colorado Department Division of Child Care to run a educational institution facility larger that 200 students.

It was the culmination of years of teaching at the Montessori levels, equipted with a diploma from Northern American Montessori Center, for ages 0-3, Montessori Education Center of the Rockies (MECR) for ages 3-6, an Educator at Mount Gilead Baptist Church of Denver, CO, for infants - 13 years of age and with Heritage Christian Center of Denver, CO’s infants - 18 years of age age groups; where her ministry was used of God to develop protocol toward effective education of the youth of the congregation.

She also home schooled her four biological children, all of which served as the causation of her desire to strive for individual excellence as a service provider, utilizing the gifts God has given her. Her concern about individual integrity, by the grace and will of the heavenly Father, has empowered her to compile a consistent 30 + years of service as a truly anointed and Spirit filled educator. Dr. Lessard-Blackwell has the experience of directing schools such as; A Child’ Treasure, Mount Giliead Baptist Church and Heritage Christian Center. She has also served as a supervisor for an itern from MECR and a sub-director for Sunflower Montessori School.

Dr. Lessard-Blackwell has not limit herself strictly to Montessori Education in the classroom only. For the last 4 years, going on 5 years, she has also made herself available to help provide a service for childcare with Denver Greater Kids of Colorado; when they have their Monthly Policy Counsel Meetings. She has also enhanced her effectiveness as a educator by include the teaching of age appropriate conflict management skills-sets and other need survival skill-sets within the classroom; to all age groups.

Her experience combined with that of her husband, Dr. Eddie L. Blackwell, who has a BA & MS degree and a Doctorial degree, in the field of Human Ecology; (Facilitator of Crisis Management and Behavioral Reconstruction via Education) the field of Nouthetic Counseling; (Christian Counseling). He has taught age groups from infants through senior citizens which further inhances her effectiveness and reliability as a academic educator and crisis intervention specialist.


Dr. Eddie L. Blackwell
Co-owner – Founder, President & COO, Psycho-Education Facilitator/Educator, Behavioral Regeneration Specialist

Dr. Eddie L. Blackwell has a Bachelor Degree and a Master Degree in Human Ecology, both being triples combinations of Communication, Psychology and Sociology which he received in May of 1992; and December, 1997 from Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS via Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS,

Being employed by Goal Academy, Philipps Center Denver, CO from August 2011 – June 2012 and Sunflower Montessori School from September 2014 – May of 2016 has allowed him the opportunity to structure the presentation of problem solving skill-sets from the youth to infants, toddlers, primary and pre-kindergarten students. Dr. Blackwell successfully taught Psycho-Educational Communicative Skill-Sets and Techniques to infants, toddlers, primary and pre-kindergarten students; allowed them to resolve their own issues of conflict in an appropriate manner.

Blackwell-Lessard Montessori Academy, Inc. (BLMA) was founded by Dr. Eddie L. Blackwell, President & COO, Psycho-Education Facilitator/Educator, Behavioral Reconstruction Specialist, working side by side with his wife, Dr. Denise D. Lessard-Blackwell, the Vice-President & CEO, Director, Master Teacher, Program Director & Coordinator. Together they plan to put students on a career path as soon as students acknowledge their desire(s). This initiative of offering an innovative online/onsite educational academy piloting program that will lead the way into the future, will provide instruction from teachers empowered to sparks the individual dreams of the youth; inspiring them to want to learn. A primary goal of BLMA is to offering a site that gives the youth access to individual educators, Facilitating Coaches, who will help them reach their goals and objectives, fulfilling their potential within a safe and secure environment.

Dr. Blackwell received his Doctorate in Christian [Nouthetic] Counselling, remaining in the field of Human Ecology, May of 2014 at Aspen Christian College & Seminary, Denver, CO. He, with the partnering effort of his wife, Dr. Denise D. Lessard-Blackwell, have combined the Montessori Philosophy Educational Strategy with that of Psycho-Educational Healing, Recovery and Transformation Philosophies which allows for the introduction of compulsory education. He has learned, after years of working with individual, family and community relationships, that the teaching of problem solving life-skills and skill-sets is the key to empowering individuals and communities to execute remarkable self-healing; knowledge is the key.


Sarit Cohen, M.Ed.
Director, Montessori Director Qualified, Montessori Specialist, Community Relations, Hebrew Language and Culture

Mrs. Sarit Cohen was born in Jerusalem and grew up in California. As a Montessori teacher, 18 years of home schooling teacher experience, a Director Certified Montessorian, Administrator and Public Relations Specialist, she has positively impacted the individual, family and community lives she has worked with wherever her skill-sets were needed. She demonstrates the ability to develop goals, objectives and implement strategies through planning and teaching experience. She has proven ability to conceptualize problems and develop well-reasoned and integrated solutions.

As a Regional Supervisor she has executed the responsible for hiring, managing day-to-day operations, administration work, training staff; representing Learn It System in Denver and Aurora public school system and building rapport with other school districts, principals and teachers in order to expand the program in Colorado.

Her experiences as a an Adjunct Professor afforded her the responsibility of teaching ten Pastors about Judaism, Jewish Holidays and History of the Jews; enhanced and expanded Pastors knowledge of the Bible providing them with special skills necessary to acquire a foundation for Judaism and instructed Pastors about the Methodology, Philosophy and History of Judaism.

Along with having directed programs such as Learn It System in Denver, CO and Gentle Minds Educational Center in Los Angeles, CA., Mrs. Cohen’s skill-sets as an instructor were greatly enhanced through her experience in secondary education, as a diversified director, through her time as professor with Touro College in Los - Angeles, CA and with Aspen Christian College and Seminary in Aurora, CO. Her unique and diversified skill-sets allowed her the ability, privilege and opportunity to create new home school co-op educational curriculum for parents to manage home school operations and activity; teach right brain education and self-esteem skills, that promoted early childhood confidence for real world situations; used Montessori strategies and philosophy for classroom management to continually inspire the interest of the student and developed fund-raising initiatives, utilized fiscal oversight, and financial methods to oversee day to day operations.

Her experience as an Adjunct Professor gives her the ability to confidently assume responsibility to have educated 20 Jewish Day School teachers in early childhood education classes; instruct new teachers about the methodology, philosophy, and history of Early Childhood Education and provide the basic framework for teachers, giving them the necessary tools and skills-sets to implement and be successful in the classroom.

As a firm believer in “Life Long Learning” education is a vital part of Ms. Cohen’s personal embracing of education. She has earned teaching certificates from institutions such as:

a) Montessori Teacher’s Certification - S.M. Montessori Institute, Santa Monica, CA 2010 b) Masters in Jewish Education - Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel 2005 c) B.A. in Communications - California State University, Dominguez Hills, CA 2001


Colleen Jennings
Director of Secondary Education

Currently completing master’s degree in political science at the University of Colorado Denver with a focus on education for refugee children in Jordan and Lebanon. Home school mom for 20 years for kids now age 33, 22, 20, 17, and 10, while working part-time teaching swimming and volunteering in church and the community. Interned at an international leadership conference in Geneva, Switzerland, in May-June, 2015, and conducted an independent study in Amman, Jordan in October 2015, observing NGO work teaching ESL to Arabic speaking children and interviewing seven Iraqi refugee families on children’s educational experiences. Currently employed with DPS as a Denver Math Fellow, learning to apply CORE math skills based on the growth-learning mind-set model.


Felicia Manning
Executive Gatekeeper, Executive Director

As a business consultant and an entrepreneur herself, Ms. Felicia Manning has found her niches in the world as an integrate service provider among other entrepreneurs and established business personal in need of guidance and instruction. She has the God granted knowledge, understanding and wisdom needed to help her clients navigate through apparently calm waters that may have a dangerous under-tow.

She is a whiz at teaching her clients to recognize 1st, what season they are attempting to operating in and 2nd, what will be the best marketing tools(s) and strategy(s) to use in order to help ensure positive return on their investments. When it comes to organization or personal growth she has a keen sense of knowing when to say “Not at this time” and insists that her clients remain above board in their efforts; having their integrity continually in tacked.

Her understanding of executive marketing strategies and skills are reflected in her proven abilities in strategic planning, development complex marketing strategies, managing projects, improving efficiency of operations and team building as well as being able to identify areas of strength and areas of weakness; then developing and implementing a plan of action that optimizes productivity and inline flow of products. She has impeccable communication skills and consistently demonstrates the ability to motivate staff in order to maximum productivity, control costs by utilizing manpower more effective and maximizing the use of available resources at her disposal. In almost every professional field she can surely be counted as a front runner in the world of consultants. Ms. Manning’s calm and serene manner and ability to yield positive results empower her clients to not only trust in her but more importantly, to trust and believe in themselves.


Francesca Santistevan
Executive Administer – Blackwell-Lessard Montessori Academy, Inc. (Corridor)

Francesca Santistevan is passionate about innovating toward developing the potential economic position of struggling communities through grassroots investments using over 30 years of experience in business and accounting, public administration, and intensive social work and community consulting.

Francesca brings over 20 years of public administration experience for federal and city government, educational environments, as well as, other large and small non-profits organizations. During her five years with Catholic Charities Youth and Senior Neighborhood Services, Francesca networked administrative support systems for decentralized staff across the Denver Archdiocese. After her administrative role with GANAS (Greater Area Neighborhood Affiliated Services) Francesca spent five years with Denver Department of Human Services leading a community relations and customer service campaign, and assisting with interdepartmental interfacing for child care assistance as the Department implemented Welfare Reform and launched TANF. Then, Francesca spent 10 years with Project WISE (Women’s Initiative for Service and Empowerment) with her first 5 years as Business Manager producing financial statements and tax reports, and maintaining insurances and licensing, and assisting with marketing and branding, program evaluation, organizational development, and succession planning. As Administrative Coordinator for Learning Landscapes at CU Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning, Francesca assisted with instituting the Colorado Center for Community Development in 2010. Later, Francesca naturally took interest in a pilot project for a Denver neighborhood-based learning center by G.O.A.L. Academy (an online college-prep high school) and was Site Coordinator from 2012 to 2013.

As the daughter of an entrepreneur, Francesca’s teens were in business leadership with record-keeping and project management in a family moving and storage company and moved outside into small retail, food distribution, federal government book contracts, airport concessions, and the gas and oil industry. Her financial acuity and attention to detail easily lead to an accounting degree for producing financial statements and performing forensic accounting for high profile court proceedings. Upon performing bookkeeping and accounting services for non-profit organizations, Francesca’s passion for community was ignited and her ingenuity produced a track-record of creative solutions for community problems with proven results.

Francesca Santistevan’s last five years with Project WISE were spent running their women’s leadership and training programs for 2 years, and the subsequent 3 years successfully leading their community organizing program where she quadrupled their Family Economic Success grant funds and developed national and local models for collaboration. At CU Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning, Francesca became the first Community Development Specialist at the Colorado Center for Community Development; as such Francesca coordinated their Latino outreach project, facilitated a Five Points Business District cultural identity process for redevelopment, designed and facilitated their resident leadership and training program, and co-designed and facilitated a cultural competency training program for UCD graduate architectural students and neighborhood non-profit organizations. Francesca develops program effectiveness by applying strengths-based and empowerment models, and uses evidence-based methods along with promising practices and social network principles, strongly emphasizes a relationship-based approach. She has assisted with multiple research projects, and trained and coached many university graduate student interns. She possesses excellent verbal and written skills and is trained and experienced in various facilitation and community engagement techniques with the ability to build positive relationships with individuals and organizations.

Since 2009 Aspiring Community Consulting, Francesca offers community management and consulting services for various housing and development projects through technical assistance, community cultivating, as well as, community asset, demographic, and identity evaluation. By applying SMART development concepts purposed to improve infrastructures safety and quality of life for various mixed use/mixed income neighborhood redevelopment and transit oriented development projects, Francesca believes that as families with low-incomes experience a sense of pride, realized wellness and economic thrive, our nation’s economy is strengthened through prospering social networks.

Francesca Santistevan operates with keen intuition and strong relational skills with the ability to motivate, inspire, empathize, and enact a rich understanding for the art of collaboration, as she interprets leadership with servitude. Her administrative skills include strong organization, financial reporting and budget tracking, data management, research support, and project management. She takes pride in supporting others to achieve their ultimate levels of success through sharing information, tools, and resources, and promoting a positive and ethical work environment.

Francesca’s community projects and involvements include: Jeffco Head Start Policy Council - Executive Chair and Personnel Committee Chair Victory World Outreach Denver - Children’s and Women’s Ministry Padres Adelante Board President Neighborhood Resource Center – Denver Northwest Neighborhood Development Perry Rose LLC – Denver Lincoln Park Redevelopment Annie E. Casey Foundation - Making Connections National Network and Authentic Demand Team Piton Foundation Social Networks Partners and Stewards Team Member of National Medicaid Systems Research Team Colorado Dept. of Human Services – Colorado Works Evaluations (5-years) Project Manager – Denver Athmar Inclusiveness and Diversity (Project AID) Denver Housing Authority – First Step Employment Program Member of Colorado Chapter of Working Woman 9 to 5 Awarded 2001“Woman to Watch” by Denver League of Women Voters

She also had the honors of training abroad in 1986/1987, lived in Paris and studied different courses. In 1984 she attended the American School in Switzerland. She is also multi-lingual speaking English, Spanish and French.