THRIVE CENTRAL OREGON - Key Persons
Adriana has lived in Central Oregon for 30 years. She has an Associates in Business from Central Oregon Community College and will soon be working on a Bachelor's degree in Management and Leadership. Adriana enjoys working with the community and is a strong believer in equality and human rights for all. When she's not working, she loves spending time with her 3 boys and 2 dogs.
Barb grew up on the Oregon Coast and moved to Bend in 2003. She attended Central Oregon Community College and the University of Oregon, ultimately earning a Bachelor of Science degree in General Social Science. Barb has worked in social services in Deschutes County for the past 10 years, where she assisted connecting individuals with resources and community support agencies. Aside from social service work Barb enjoys spending time with her daughter, gardening and crafting.
Britta grew up in the city of Chicago and started moving gradually west after high school. With a degree in Studio Art from St. Olaf College and a Masters in Social Work from Portland State University, she believes that the combined power of creativity and empathy can change the world. Britta worked with Thrive from 2017-2020, and rejoined the team in 2022 to provide phone-based services to the Central Oregon community she has become so close to. In her free time, she plugs through an infinite list of things she loves doing: making food, being outside, developing new craft skills, foraging, hiking, kayaking, gardening... it's endless.
Chesed studied social work at the University of Connecticut and is passionate about spiritual care. He is a proud Hufflepuff and a big bookworm. He will be serving as a Community Outreach Specialist with Thrive Central Oregon as a JVC Northwest volunteer.
Graham was born in Bend and spent most of his youth in the Midwest before moving back to Central Oregon in 2014. Graham provides tech help and a variety of assistance, thanks to a long experience working with internet security, computers, and websites. Graham is currently a librarian and has worked in the public library world for the past 7 years. He loves helping people, his wife, dogs, snowboarding, and disc golf.
Jenna grew up in the rolling plains of the midwest, where she graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in photography. Her internship on a rural farm near Eugene with WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is where she fell in love with Oregon. Soon after she and her husband and dogs moved to beautiful Central Oregon to explore the wild outdoors. Her passion for helping people and strengthening community bonds is exactly why she loves working for TCO. In her free time she enjoys illustrating, embroidery, camping, waterfalls, and the Oregon coast.
Job Titles:
- Community Outreach Advocate
Jody has a degree in Behavior Science and has been working in Social Services around Central Oregon for over 25 years. Most of her experience in Central Oregon is with the individuals from the houseless population. She enjoys working with the community and directing individuals and families to the services they need. When Jody isn't working, she loves sports, camping, and spending time with her family and their two pets.
Johannah holds a degree in Sociology and minor in Psychology from Western Washington University, as well as a certificate in Applied Animal Behavior from University of Washington. For the last six years, Johannah has served the Central Oregon companion animal population and is passionate about advocating for the human-animal bond. From her time volunteering and serving people and their companion animals, Johannah learned the value of connecting individuals to resources and removing barriers. She enjoys being a part of a collaborative community that shares visions of a more humane world for people and their pets. Johannah is beyond excited to start a new journey with Thrive Central Oregon as a Community Outreach Advocate, and looks forward to building long lasting relationships.
Job Titles:
- Bilingual Community Outreach Advocate
Karla has lived in Central Oregon for 8 years. She has an Associates degree in Criminal Justice from Central Oregon Community College and a Bachelor's degree in American Studies from Oregon State University. She is currently in the process of obtaining a Mental Health certification and preparing the road to apply for law school in hopes to become an immigration lawyer. Karla enjoys building healthy relationships with members of her community and is passionate about justice, mental health, and rights for immigrants. Karla loves teaching Zumba, Martial Arts, and self-confidence classes for women and children.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Retired Nurse Executive
Job Titles:
- Board Treasurer / Community Member, Accountant, SGA CPAs & Consulting
Job Titles:
- Bilingual Community Outreach Advocate, EHV Support
Megan is originally from Poulsbo, WA and attended the University of Washington where she graduated with a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Sociology and Spanish. After college, she moved to Costa Rica where she first served as a TEFL volunteer in the Peace Corps and then went on to teach at a private bilingual high school. She recently moved from Costa Rica to Bend with her two dogs to be closer to family. When she's not working at Thrive, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, yoga, and being outdoors.
Job Titles:
- Community Member
- President
Sarah is the founder and Executive Director of Thrive Central Oregon. She has worked in social services in Central Oregon for the last 15 years, finding incredible fulfillment in connecting people to the resources they are seeking. Sarah has called Central Oregon home for the last 20 years.
Job Titles:
- Community Outreach Specialist
Sophie grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado and attended Gonzaga University where she earned a Bachelor's of Arts and Sciences in Sociology and Criminology. She is very passionate about mental health and disability advocacy and has been grateful for her experiences serving individuals with disabilities both in Colorado and Washington. After graduating in the spring of 2022 Sophie moved to Bend to join the Thrive team as a year-long volunteer through the AmeriCorps and Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest programs. In her free time, she likes spending time with friends, listening to live music, and hanging out on the water.