Susanne Taylor (Hasenstall, children ages 4-5)  is teaching the children in the Hasenstall since fall 2006. Susanne had recently moved here from Mannheim, Germany .  She is a native of Platz, Germany n northern Bavaria .  She has accompanied her husband on various military assignments for the last 15 years.  Prior to their assignment to Mannheim , they resided in Seattle, Washington . During her tenure in Seattle , she had the opportunity to teach at the Eastside German Language School (EGLS) in Issaquah for several years.  Her prior employment included: Translator to the United States Army, Department of Engineering and Housing (DEH) in Mainz, Germany . Susanne volunteered to serve as co-leader in Girl Scouts of America and assisted in church as a youth group leader.  She absolutely adores children and is thankful for the opportunity to share the German language with them.

Gabriele Williamson (Dinosaurierhalle - children ages 6-7) had worked as a faculty member for the TGLS from 1999 – 2002 and recently joined our school as a teacher again. In the past she has taught the children in the Hasenstall, the Dinosaurierhalle, substituted for several groups, and also taught during summer camp. She was born and raised in Fulda, Germany and moved to Lakewood 10 years ago. Frau Williamson is a state registered instructor as a nursery school teacher for the German Kindergarten. She also completed an advanced training course in special education for children with the University of Marburg, Germany. From 1976 – 1977 she worked in a Montessori Kinderhouse. From 1977 – 1994 she held several positions as an educator in the housing group sector and the therapeutic workshop of the Antoniusheim, a fulltime institution for mentally and physically challenged children and adults. From 1994 – 1998 Mrs. Williamson worked as a nursery school teacher for German Kindergartens in Wiesbaden and Niederrissigheim, Germany . 1998 she moved with her husband and two children to Lakewood . Since 1999 she has been employed with the Clover Park School District #400.

Linda Killingsworth (Waschbärenzimmer, children ages 8-10) received her Bachelor of Science degree in German from Kent State University, Ohio. She has lived a total of 16 years in Germany - one year as a college student at the Universitaet Trier, three years as an aircraft maintenance officer at Ramstein AB , and twelve years as a civilian at Spangdahlem AB. During her twelve years at Spangdahlem, Linda gave German lessons to members of the military community; worked as a translator for base functions, and provided weekly tours to Trier, Germany 's oldest city, to newly arrived personnel and their family members. Linda is currently employed as a substitute teacher in the Bethel School District and maintains her Washington State Teaching Certificate with endorsements in German, English and History. Linda is teaching the children in the Waschbärenzimmer (Children ages 7-10) since fall term 2003. She also taught during the summer camp 2006 and 2007.

Ingrid Skeldon, Vice Principal (Adult II - intermediate level) has been with the Tacoma Language School since 1988 and has participated in the summer camp for thirteen years.She is also currently employed as an instructor at the Ft. Lewis Language Training Center . Ingrid’s Language teaching experience includes: Beijing Foreign Language University. Berlitz International Language School, Brussels, Belgium. Brussels American  High School, Brussels, Belgium. Within the greater Tacoma area, she has taught at the Waldorf and Montessori Schools . Ingrid is well versed in the Accelerated Methodology including Total Physical Response and acquisition through creative teaching.

Beate Silva (Adult III - advanced level) is a faculty member at the Tacoma German Language School since Spring term 2007. She was born and raised in Würzburg, Germany and graduated from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen  in 2004. She holds a State Examination qualifying her to teach German and English at the “Realschule”. Beate has since obtained the “Certificate German as a Foreign Language” from the University of Kassel. She moved to Kentucky in 2005 to unite with her husband. There she worked as a substitute teacher to grades K-12 and in childcare on the local military base. She followed her husband to Washington State in July 2006 and is currently working on a textbook on Legal English for German lawyers while staying home with her daughter who was born in September 2006. Her teaching experience further includes freelance tutoring and volunteer work at elementary schools.

Wiebke Nicholson (Denkmalstube -  children ages 11-15) was born and raised in Germany . When she was sixteen she had the privilege of spending one year as an exchange student in Michigan . After working in the travel industry for many years-and traveling the world thanks to it-she moved to the US in 1997. After her husband retired from the Air Force they spent years in Hungary, moved back to Spokane,WA and then back to Italy for 5 years. While volunteering at her twin sons' school, she was always busy tutoring French and German. The Nicholsons have only been back in the US since November 2007 and Wiebke is hoping to be able to teach languages around her neighborhood. She is exited to help students learn the German language and culture at our school here in Tacoma.

Yvonne Bahlmann (Principal) came to TGLS in 1998 from the University of Cincinnati , where she taught while earning her M.A. in Germanic Languages and Literature. A native of Dresden, Germany, she also holds teaching certificates in Germany. Frau Bahlmann has taught German to 6th graders in the Olympia Waldorf School and worked with children in two summer day camps. She worked as a preschool teacher at the Steamboat Island Cooperative Preschool during the school year 2001/2002.Frau Bahlmann has been teaching the Adult students fall 1998- fall 2006. Yvonne Bahlmann has served on the Board of Trustees from September 1999-September 2001 and together with Maria Hegstad as camp director of the summer day camp in 2001 and as camp director in the summer camps 2002 – 2006. She is serving as the Principal of the Tacoma German Language School since September 2001.