Derek & Melissa Barney Family Teachers - Oak Ridge Home Derek is the oldest of six children. He has four sisters and one brother. Derek served a mission for his church to Seattle, Washington. Derek has extensive training with youth, having served with the youth in his church for many years and working at two other treatment centers beside Alpine. Derek graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and is currently working on his Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling. Melissa is the oldest of four children she has one sister and two brothers. After high school, Melissa attended Dixie State College earning her General Education Credits. During high school and college, Melissa studied drama and debate. Her debate group in college was awarded second place at the National Level. Melissa has served with the youth in her church and loves children and youth. She is currently working toward her Early Elementary Education Degree and is looking forward to teaching Kindergarteners their ABC's. Derek and Melissa met in 1997 and after one month were engaged to be married. They have been married for 15 wonderful years and look forward to many more. They have two children, their son Brandon is 10 and their daughter Kendal is 7. They were Foster Parents before they came to Alpine Academy, fostering babies and a teenage girl. Their teenage foster daughter grew leaps and bounds while under their care. In 2010, Melissa was awarded Foster Mom of the year for the Southwest Region. Melissa and Derek feel that working with youth and children is what they were meant to do in life and are excited to work with the girls in Alpine Academy.

Mike and Monique Otufangavalu Family Teachers - Willow Creek Home Mike is the middle child of 6; he was born and raised in Utah. Mike's hobbies include a variety of team sports, hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting. Mike's first experience working with Utah Youth Village as an Associate in the Raymond Home was from 2002-2004; he resumed this position in February 2009. During the time away from the Utah Youth Village, Mike gained additional treatment experience working with a variety of troubled youth populations and programs. Mike has held positions of responsibility such as: Program Director, Staff Supervisor, Assistant Unit Leader, Case Manager, Primary Transport Guide, and assistant Basketball Coach. Additionally, he has been responsible for development of program components, as well as and policies and procedures. Monique is the eldest of 5. She was born in Utah and raised in California. She returned to Utah for her senior year of high school. Monique graduated in 2001 and shortly after attended Snow College on a basketball scholarship. She transferred to Southern Utah University to pursue her education and basketball career. Monique graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Special Education (Mild/Moderate) and Physical Education with a minor in Health; she completed her studies with a teaching certificate to teach. Monique taught as a Special Educator for two years after graduating from SUU. After the arrival of their daughter, Monique stopped teaching in order to be at home. Mike and Monique met at Snow College in the spring of 2002 and were married in the fall of 2004. They spent time in Cedar City, UT and then Saint George, UT. In the fall of 2008, they moved back to Salt Lake City. Mike and Monique have a beautiful daughter, Malia, who was born in the spring of 2009. Both Mike and Monique have a keen interest working with youth. They find it exceptionally rewarding to see the personal growth each that each youth experiences. They are excited to have the opportunity to work together while creating value in an uplifting environment at Alpine Academy.

Janette Thompson Family Teacher - Mountain Birch Cottage Janette’s career began in 1998 when she accepted a position to work as an early intervention specialist with children from birth to three with developmental disabilities. Through this experience, Janette developed a passion for working with children and families. In 2000, Janette received her Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Psychology and set out on a quest to find an evidenced-based model of care to work with children and families. This quest lead her to Girls and Boys Town of Las Vegas where she was introduced to the Teaching-Family Model. In 2003, Janette accepted a position as the Director of Training and Evaluation for Utah Youth Village. Her knowledge and respect of the Teaching-Family Model continued to grow and she was nominated to serve as Co-Chair of the Certification and Ethics Committee for the Teaching-Family Association. In May of 2006, Janette transferred to Alpine Academy as a Program Consultant. She worked in this position for a year before moving into Cottonwood Grove as a Family Teacher. Janette loves working closely with the girls as part of the Alpine Academy team to continue their tradition of helping troubled youth heal and learn skills to live a more happy, healthy and fulfilling life. Janette is currently pursuing her Masters in School Counseling Degree at the University of Utah and serves on the Board of Directors for the Teaching-Family Association. In her spare time, Janette loves to be outdoors and spend time with her family and friends.

Robert & Kelly Mulari Family Teachers - Cottonwood Grove Home Robert and Kelly met in 1996 at Southwestern College in Phoenix, Arizona. Within seven months of knowing each other they were engaged to be married. They have 2 children together; Rob also has two adult children. The Mulari's hail from large families and desire to spend time with family as often as possible. Robert is the youngest of 8 children and was born in Los Angeles, California. Robert was a carpenter, mechanic and waiter before going to Phoenix and attending Southwestern College; he received his Bachelors degree in Biblical Studies in 1999 graduating Summa Cum Laude. Robert has served in youth ministry at four different churches throughout the Southwest. He has a strong desire to help adolescents. He also worked at Residential Treatment Centers in northern Utah and in Phoenix. Robert received his Masters degree from Liberty University in 2007. When he's not at work, you will find Robert either on the golf course or on a basketball court. Kelly is the second oldest of 8 children. She was born in Tucson, Arizona. Kelly received her Bachelor's Degree in Human Development from Hope International University and her Master's Degree in Elementary Education from The University of Phoenix. Kelly worked along side Robert in youth ministry for over 10 years and has developed a heart for working with teenagers. Her desire is to help teens grow and learn in order to reach their full potential and become responsible, caring adults who have a positive impact on their community. She enjoys crafts, going to movies, and spending time with family.

Dave & Kristen Archer Family Teachers - Pine Canyon Home Dave is the second of six children, he has three brothers and two sisters. He grew up in Sandy, Utah, where he graduated from Alta High School. He served a mission in Honduras for his church for two years. He later graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a minor in Spanish. He also did student teaching and loved working with kids. Dave worked for the Tremonton Leader newspaper from April 2006 until joining the Alpine Academy with his wife, Kristen, in 2010. His hobbies include playing and watching all types of sports, reading, writing, theater, watching movies, and spending time with his family. Dave is excited for the opportunity to work with the girls at Alpine Academy and spend more time with his family. Kristen is the middle of five children and is the only girl. As a young child, her parents provided foster care for numerous children while living in Pocatello, Idaho. The family was excited to be able to adopt her two younger brothers. She moved to Tremonton, Utah, in 1994, where she later graduated from Bear River High School. She then participated in the Miss Bear River Valley pageant and won it in 2003. During that time, she promoted "Diversity Education" and was able to work with over 400 youth, educating them on the differences that make everyone unique. She went on to Utah Valley University on a theater scholarship and participated in the Miss Utah scholarship pageant in 2004. She has received the Presidential Gold Service Award in 2006 and 2007 for her volunteer service with the Utah Americorps Literacy Initiative program. Kristen has been a high school theater choreographer for over five years and in the past has been the Miss Bear River Valley production chairman and pageant coach. She also has a passion for photography and graphic design. She is excited to be with the girls at Alpine Academy and to be on this adventure with her husband and children. Dave and Kristen met in Orem, Utah while attending school and were married in October of 2004. Their first daughter, Madison, was born in 2006, and their second daughter, Makenzie, was born in 2009. They love to spend time together as a family and know they will enjoy their time at Alpine.

Alpine Academy Leadership Team