Staff

Emily is originally from Pennsylvania, and she attended Grace College in Indiana.  In Pennsylvania, she started working with adults with I/DD in 2001 as a Supports Coordinator and became a team leader of Supports Coordinators and Early Intervention Service Coordinators.  When she moved to Oregon in 2011, she continued in the same line by becoming a Personal Agent and now Program Coordinator for Coos and Curry counties. In her off-time, she is involved in Awana at her church and is an active member of the local geocaching community including being a co-host of the Challenge Talk geocaching-themed podcast.  She lives in Coos Bay with her husband, Scott and cat, Sammy.

Erika grew up in New Hampshire, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2015, and has been in the human services field ever since. She began as a residential counselor working with children in DCYF care, and then transitioned to the I/DD field as a case manager in New Hampshire, prior to moving to Coos Bay and joining Connections as a Personal Agent.

Outside of work, Erika spends her time hiking and camping, cooking, going to concerts, and hanging out with her partner, dog, and cats.

Erika was born and raised in Oregon. She has been with Connections since 2007 and loves working with a supportive team that helps our customers reach their goals.  She enjoys helping PSWs navigate eXPRS and any other issues they might have. Erika currently lives in Sutherlin and has two wonderful boys.

Irene grew up in Denver, Colorado but also spent some time in the Czech Republic. Czech was Irene’s first language, but she did not retain any accent. Irene is a graduate of Klamath Community College, as well as Oregon Institute of Technology, where she earned her Bachelor’s in Applied Psychology.  After graduation, Irene and her husband returned to Colorado for a few years; and then moved back to Klamath for a quieter life in mid-2022. Irene has been in the psychology/social services field since 2014 and is passionate about being an advocate for individuals with I/DD.

Outside of work, Irene enjoys traveling, gardening, camping, kayaking, gem and mineral collecting, visiting the ocean & spending time with her husband and K9 fur-baby, Bandit.

Irene is passionate about this field and is very excited to be a part of such a wonderful team at Connections Case Management!

Jamie has worked with persons with I/DD in a variety of programs, positions, and capacities throughout the span of 40 years.

She loves being a grandma to her vivacious granddaughter that continues to teach her life lessons.

Jamie is a homemaker at heart and loves to cook & bake in her spare time.

She resides in Roseburg with her husband of 42 years.

Jessica has lived in Southern Oregon for most of her adult life. As a child, she moved around a lot because her stepfather was in the Navy. She attended kindergarten and first grade in Japan. She has four little brothers, three of which are teenagers! She lives with her daughter and cat, Nugget.

Jessica has worked in the I/DD field for 6+ years. Most recently as an instructional assistant for an elementary school developmental learning center. She graduated with an associates degree in education from Eastern Gateway Community College in 2021.

Jessica likes to spend her free time reading, traveling, and attending community events. She also enjoys volunteering, most recently she volunteered with F.E.A.T.T helping run the sensory booth at the Douglas County Fair.

Family member and advocate for individuals with ID/DD.

Jessica has worked with individuals with ID/DD for years. She started out as a Direct Support Professional and moved up to a Program Coordinator for a residential home. She is now part of the Connections Case Mgmt team and enjoys having the opportunity of working with individuals and seeing them achieve their goals.

She was born in the Bay Area and moved to Klamath Falls when she was 14. She married her high school sweetheart and they have 4 children together.

Julie was born and raised in Coos Bay but in her adult life, she has had the opportunity to live in Seattle, San Jose, and Eugene.  She attended two years at Southwestern Community College.  She started working with I/DD  in 2002 as a Project Coordinator through AmeriCorps where  she formulated the first Social Leisure Club for adults with I/DD.  This position led to her position at Connections in 2004 as a Personal Agent.  She is currently employed as an Assessor Specialist. When not at work, she makes junk journals, snuggles with her boxer dogs, and gardens.  On summer days, her and her hubby love to cruise their MG convertible around town.

Justin was born and raised in Southern California and moved to Oregon in 2009. He instantly fell in love with Oregon and wouldn’t think about living anywhere else. He found his calling in the I/DD field in 2013 and now cannot imagine doing anything else. He started off as a part time overnight staff in a 24-hour residential group home and as of 2020 is now a Personal Agent with Connections Case Mgmt. He is excited to be in the PA role where he can assist people with getting the services they need/want. When Justin’s not working, he enjoys gardening and spending time with his family. Family is very important to him.

Kaitlyn was born and raised in Roseburg and now her and her husband are raising their three children, Carson, Kenzie, and Keagan here.  On the weekends you can find them playing outside, doing crafts, or going to the coast to ride their four wheelers.

Kaitlyn attended the University of Oregon and earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences. She loves the work she does with the individuals and families she serves because she gets to be a part of a team that challenges our customers, then assists them with achieving their goals.