Meet the Staff
Charlotte Jero is the owner, as well as an instructor, at First Class Cosmetology School. She began her career in the cosmetology professional in 1987, becoming a licensed practitioner in the State of Wisconsin. She graduated from JGM Cosmetology School and immediately began her career in education working as an instructor for her alma mater. In 1990, she opened her own nail salon, First Class Nails. After a few years, she responded to a need for well-trained nail techs, cosmetologist, and estheticians and opened First Class Cosmetology School. Charlotte has experience in many facets of the industry and has advanced training in business related fields as well as in nail technology and haircutting. Charlotte’s passion is in educating students to become successful graduates, and her experience in the industry shows in every class she teaches.
Director – Angie McCaslin has managed FCCS since 2002. In 2011, she transitioned from full time instructor to our Financial Aid Director. She is passionate about the success of FCCS and the students and graduates. She puts uncompromising energy and effort into making FCCS an unprecedented learning institution. She is proud of the staff, students and graduates of FCCS and is excited to continue in success for many years to come. Her experience in school management and education will ensure the schools’ future accomplishments and growth.
Assistant Director - Stephanie Acres is an experienced cosmetologist and educator. She began her career right here with FCCS as a graduate in 2003. Her attention to detail, organization, advanced skills and positive vibe makes her the go to resource for all students attending First Class Cosmetology School. We feel this role for her is a perfect fit as not only all of the students but the staff as well value her knowledge, skill and advice. She has an ability to guide and correct in the most positive way. Stephanie also provides direct support to our entire student body and over sees all programs. She meets with all students during evaluation periods to determine progress, review service numbers, skill set, and address any academic needs our students may have. If ever an issue, need or concern, Stephanie will work hard to find a resolution. Her years of experience makes it easy for her to spend time in the classroom as she is our Hair Color Theory Instructor. She doesn't like to be cooped up in an office for long so is also very visible and an additional resource of support on our Clinical Floor. She is our "Mama Hen".
Spa Program Coordinator - Monica Krey joined our staff in 2016 becoming our Lead Instructor for our Aesthetic, Manicuring, and Massage Therapy Programs. She is the jack of all trades in this industry holding a License in all three fields. She not only works specifically with students enrolling in one of the FCCS Spa Programs, but she also teaches our advanced skin care classes for our cosmetology students. Our students enjoy the option of taking their education in Cosmetology to the next level and enjoy her classes to the fullest. We love the upbeat and positive element she brings to all of her classes. She is passionate and loves what she does, and it shows daily within our student body.
Instructor – Briana Thomas has been with us since she graduated from here in 2014 as an employee. She has worked in a few different local salons, but we really just needed her all to ourselves, so she was brought on as a full-time receptionist. Soon after, she began instructor training program. Briana has put in the time, effort, and work to be a successful and effective educator. She is great at multi-tasking, and we take full advantage of that trait. She is a straight shooter, and we love that most about her! Briana is such a positive asset to this school, and we are happy to have her.
Instructor - Destiny Ottaviano is an experienced stylist and is a great addition to our instructional staff. She is a graduate of FCCS in 2018. Destiny spent the first 3 years of her career working behind a chair making her clients gorgeous! She came to us as a receptionist in early 2021, as we watched her blossom, we noticed her talent in this industry wasn't being used to its full potential and knew right away she was born to teach. She exudes professionalism and keeps calm in stressful situations. She knows and understands what it takes to be successful in this industry and works hard to ensure each student attending First Class will receive the education needed to begin their journey. Destiny strives for excellence and will make sure each of you are putting in the work necessary for your future success! We can't wait to watch her grow in her teaching career. She's a ROCKSTAR!
Instructor- Sarah Jack is an experienced educator, excited to share her knowledge with new learners. In addition to being an educator, she also owns a full-service salon. She understands the BUSINESS of beauty. She will work to motivate you and inspire you to be great!
Instructor- James Barnett works closely with our barbering students and assists cosmetology students on men’s grooming services. He expertly instructs cutting all hair textures, providing the knowledge to produce clean fades and precision cuts.
Instructor-Amber Newble has incredible talent as a seasoned stylist and make-up artist. She excels at textured hair services. She works closely with students' both in the classroom and during their clinical hours developing their skills and nurturing their potential.
Instructor Assistant: Heather Johnson assists in training our Esthetic and Massage Therapy students. She works closely with Monica and is a valuable resource to students during their educational journey.
Manicuring Instructor - Maria Abad is a FCCS graduate from our Manicuring Program in 2021. We quickly noticed the raw talent and creativity she brought to this industry. Maria works daily with students within our nail program as well as teaching our advanced nail enhancement course for our Cosmetology Students. She works with several mediums for artificial nail enhancements and excels with gel and her creative nail art. She also keeps her skills on point working her magic with her personal clientele part time. Not to mention we always know its lunch time when Maria appears on the clinical floor ready to order. We certainly enjoy watching Maria continue to grow each and every day and strive for more with her career as an educator.
Front Desk Coordinator - Laura Walker is the glue that holds this place together. She is a recent FCCS graduate who we just didn't have the heart to let go due to her hard work and reliability. The front desk coordinates the scheduling for each student and is the face that greets our clients upon arrival. She answers incoming calls, checks clients in and out for their services, aids in tracking daily student attendance, and really, so much more. She also keeps our Facebook viewers up to speed on all of our weekly and daily specials with her creative posts so don't miss out on those. The front desk is an extremely demanding position and without a doubt we can say Laura works hard to keep the desk organized and running like a well-oiled machine.