Rehabilitation & Activity Coordinator
"My professional background includes 15yrs of dedication to improving the health and well-being of my community. I worked three years working as a Recycling Specialist for Tompkins County, NY, working on initiatives such developing a community composting program and supporting local businesses to reduce their waste stream. After that, for ten years I provided individual and group yoga instruction to a wide range of populations, including preschoolers, veterans at a VA hospital, employees of local businesses, university and public elementary school faculty and students, survivors of domestic abuse, residents of an IOP substance abuse treatment center and students at several yoga studios & wellness centers. In 2013, I founded a wellness center (Keuka Peaceful Roots) and a small organic vegetable farm that provided CSA shares to 50+ households and 5+ local restaurants. I have also been facilitating peer support groups and hosting mindfulness and yoga classes for a virtual addiction recovery organization, Lionrock.life since 2020. I immediately fell in love with the Sierra Nevadas. I loved the simple, back-to-the-basics, self-reliant vibe of the area. I am attracted to the small-town feel and the abundance of opportunities to engage in the outdoors. I love hiking, snowshoeing, bird watching, wild foraging and paddleboarding; I look forward to learning how to cross-country ski and mountain bike. I am excited to start gardening again and to learn more about the local food initiatives, such as the Lost Sierra Food Project, Feather River Food Co-Op, and Rugged Roots Farm. Talking with the Rehabilitation Director, Rey, made me feel confident that PDH is where I wanted to work after graduate school, because I could tell he genuinely cared deeply for the community and that our values aligned. Every person I have met through the onboarding process has been so kind, friendly, helpful, and supportive; I feel blessed to be welcomed as a new team member. During the pandemic, I lived aboard a 37ft sailboat and traveled the intercoastal waterway from Annapolis, MD, to the Florida Keys and back."