Zu was born and raised in central Utah. She moved to Oregon 16 years ago and never wanted to leave. Zu has been working with IDD individuals for 6 years in many positions from DSP to Program Management.
Zu loves the outdoors and plans to travel to Europe.
Melissa is a long-time resident of Coos County. She graduated from North Bend High School, and currently resides in Coos Bay with her son Liam, and their two cats, Tumbles and Toast.
Melissa has over 8 years working with community members with I/DD, specializing in employment and job development. She joined Connections in 2026 and is passionate about helping others.
She enjoys spending time hiking, camping, and exploring nature with her son. She loves to go swimming, dancing and storm watching. At home, she loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen with new recipes.
Brandon is an Army Veteran and has been working in veteran services for the last 5 years. He studied at Oregon Tech and worked for the veteran program helping student veterans navigate their college benefits.
After graduation, Brandon moved on to a non-profit called Easterseals Oregon and worked under the Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program. During his 3 years with Easterseals, Brandon helped dozens of homeless veterans’ secure gainful employment, housing, and once again become self-sufficient and live meaningful lives.
Now, Brandon is broadening his horizons to serve another population of people who need help. He hopes to find a long-lasting career with Connections Case Mgmt so he can continue helping people.
Julia was born and raised in Roseburg. She attended Roseburg High School and Umpqua Community College before receiving her Bachelor’s Degree from Eastern Oregon University in 2018. As a local, Julia loves her community and helping others.
Julia is happy to be a part of the Connections team in her PA role.
When not in the office, you can find Julia either on a mountain, in the forest, or nestled up on the couch with her dog and cat reading a fantasy book!
Sarah grew up in Southern Oregon for 33 years, before moving to the Oregon Coast 8 years ago. For much of her life, Sarah worked as a caregiver, and CNA for over 20 years.
Sarah went back to school to learn more about neurological disorders after discovering her child was born with intellectual disorders. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral health science with an emphasis on child and adolescent disorders through Grand Canyon University. Sarah’s primary passion in life is to help individuals in any way that centers around their own person-centered needs.
In Sarah’s free time, she enjoys cooking and baking for anyone, taking daily walks, volunteering through her church ministry programs and volunteering through the Special Olympics.
Sarah also likes to sing, write music/lyrics, poetry, conduct DIY home improvement projects, and spend time with her family and friends.
Kyle grew up in Northern California and graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2020 with her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology.
Kyle moved to Oregon in 2023 to be closer to family and is loving living with goats, horses, dogs, cats, and frogs!
She has worked with the elderly population in various capacities, such as caregiving, housing, and case management, for the past 8 years and is excited about her transition to helping customers in the I/DD field.
When Kyle isn’t working, you will find her in the kitchen cooking and baking or playing with her goat and dog outside.
She is always up for an adventure and is enjoying exploring all that Oregon has to offer.
Kristin lived in Klamath Falls for a lot of her childhood before returning to California. She moved back to Klamath Falls in 2004.
Kristin graduated from the Oregon Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology.
She previously worked for Connections Case Management, as a Personal Agent, for just shy of three years before leaving to take care of a family member. She is excited to rejoin the team.
Outside of work, Kristin enjoys kayaking and camping with her husband and stepdaughter, spending time with her dog Oakley and breeding and showing Mini Rex rabbits.
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.
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 quality time with her husband, K9 fur-baby, Bandit, and her feline-friend, Ted. Irene is passionate about this field and is very proud to be a part of such a wonderful team at Connections Case Mgmt!
Jessica was born in Roseburg but traveled the world as a small child as her stepdad was in the Navy. She attended kindergarten and 1st grade in Japan. She is the oldest of 5 children and has 4 little brothers! She lives with her daughter and their three cats Nugget, Miso, and Tofu.
Jessica has worked in the I/DD field for almost 10 years and is also a family member. Before being a PA, she worked in an elementary school developmental learning center, was a 911 Dispatcher, and worked in the student loan field. She graduated with an associate degree in education from Eastern Gateway Community College in 2021.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and attending community events. During the summer you can find her at outdoor concerts, festivals, or movies in the park. She also enjoys volunteering; she has volunteered for numerous community events and school related functions. She and her daughter have a yearly tradition of volunteering at the sensory booth for F.E.A.T.T at the Douglas County Fair.
Jessica loves the work that Connections does and enjoys supporting the individuals we serve through both challenges and triumphs.