Joanie Johnson, OTR/L, MPA-HA
Joanie Johnson graduated from Eastern Washington University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. Joanie continued her education and received a Masters Degree in Health Administration from Portland State University in 2010 with a focus on program development and healthcare policy.
She has practiced in a variety of settings serving children and families including early intervention, inpatient, home health, and outpatient therapy clinics. Joanie believes in making therapy fun, engaging, and including the entire family in the therapy program. Joanie has completed training in Sensory Integration tools and techniques, Handwriting Without Tears, Therapeutic Listening, and Pediatric Strengthening Programs. Joanie enjoys spending time with her husband and son, and enjoys photography as a hobby. |
Kelly Morrow, MS, OTR/L
Kelly Morrow is an Licensed and Registered Occupational Therapist. She completed her Bachelor and Masters degrees at Dominican University of California while playing collegiate soccer. Kelly has worked in a multitude of different settings as an OT including skilled nursing, acute care, special care nursery, Early Intervention, school based and outpatient pediatrics. Kelly is passionate about collaborating with children, their families and care teams to ensure the highest level of independence is reached. In her free time, Kelly enjoys crafting, exploring outdoors with her husband and hanging out with her family and friends
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Emily Mattson, COTA/L
Emily Mattson is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. She has worked with children in multiple settings for over 12 years. She worked as an aide in a pediatric outpatient clinic where she fell in love with the profession and decided to pursue a career as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. Emily graduated from Linn-Benton Community College with an Associate's of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially if that time is spent outdoors hiking, camping, or exploring new places.
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Tami Giesler, MS, OTR/L
Tami Geisler is a Licensed Occupational Therapist who has been practicing occupational therapy in the Salem/Keizer area for 20 years. She holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University. Tami has a certificate in sensory integration. Therapy using swings, handwriting activities, and seasonal arts and crafts are some of her favorites. In her “spare time” Tami enjoys spending time with her husband and her adult children abroad.
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Anna Gregorich, COTA/L
Anna Gregorich is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. She graduated from University of Nevada Las Vegas with a B.S. in Kinesiology Allied Health and minor in French and later an Associates of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy from St. Catherine’s University. She has experience working with children in a variety of settings, originally as an English teacher in Asia for several years and then Home Health Pediatric Occupational Therapy. Her experience as an English teacher, working with kids to help them succeed propelled her into the career of occupational therapy where she can continue being creative to help children succeed in their meaningful tasks. She enjoys traveling, hiking, being outside and looks forward to exploring her new state of Oregon.
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Christina McCormick, COTA/L
Christina McCormick is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant who is gifted with the ability to cultivate true partnerships with the families she serves and treats from the heart!
Christina has worked in the pediatric therapy setting since 2020 and has had many other roles working with children throughout the years as a swim instructor, volunteer coach, family photographer as well as volunteering at her children’s school. Christina graduated from Linn-Benton Community College with an Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy in 2018 and has been certified as an ADHD-rehabilitation service provider since 2023. Christina loves spending her free time with her husband, two children, and three dogs exploring the outdoors and enjoying each other's company. |
Adam Sperling, COTA/L
Adam Sperling is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. He is very excited to be a part of the Creating Pathways family! After working in a restaurant for 15 years, he decided it was time for a change and pursued a career in the profession of occupational therapy. Adam graduated from Linn-Benton Community College with an Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy. Adam was born and raised here in Oregon, and graduated from Jefferson High School, just North of Albany. He lives in Albany with his wife and two boys ages six and nine. Adam loves working with kids and knowing that what he is doing is making a difference in the lives of the future generations.
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Stephanie Barham, COTA/L
Stephanie Barham is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. Stephanie holds an Associates of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy from Linn Benton Community College. She has experience in a variety of settings including inpatient rehab, skilled nursing, and home health pediatrics. Stephanie also assisted in helping to develop a unique outdoor nature-based therapy group for children.
Her passion for occupational therapy stemmed from her extensive career as a nail technician, where she enjoyed connecting with people from all ages and walks of life. Stephanie enjoys working with children and their families to assist them in reaching their fullest potential with compassion and fun! She enjoys gardening, cooking, yoga and spending time outdoors with her husband and 2 daughters. |
Alex Nelson, COTA/L
Alex Nelson is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant born and raised in the Willamette Valley, with experience in multiple settings from skilled nursing, home health, and outpatient pediatrics. She has helped treat individuals from all walks of life but found her passion working in pediatrics.
She enjoys helping her patients reach their milestones while collaborating and educating the patient’s families on maintaining this progress at home to instill long term success and independence. She has training and experience working with various diagnoses, as well as using therapeutic approaches such as sensory integration, SOS approach to feeding therapy, behavior interventions and reflex integration. Alex is also a type 1 diabetic and has enjoyed working with patients who are also diabetic; and educating families. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, training and working w/ her dogs, as well as crafting, exploring, and being a foodie mmmm. |
Jolene Gerlits, COTA/L
Jolene Gerlits is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. After 15 years managing Jamba Juices all around Oregon, Jolene graduated from Linn-Benton Community College with an Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy. She has experience working with children in various settings including working as a swim instructor, sports coach, and community volunteer.
After spending a year in Thailand teaching English to adults with disabilities, Jolene decided to switch careers, fulfilling her lifelong passion for serving others. She loves assisting children to learn, grow and have fun in a supportive environment. When she is not playing with her son, Rainier, she can be found walking in nature, gardening, and singing Christmas carols year-round. |
Shay Copple, MS, CCC-SLP
Shay Copple is a Licensed Speech/Language Pathologist who has been practicing speech therapy in the Willamette Valley since 2007. She holds a Master of Science in Communication Disorders from Eastern Washington University. Prior to her opportunity with Creating Pathways, Shay spent 10 years working with children in a variety of settings including life skills and regular education classrooms, private schools and charter schools. Shay has extensive experience working with children who are impacted with communication disorders such as autism, stuttering, apraxia of speech, cleft lip and palate, receptive/expressive language disorder, articulation disorder, and phonological disorder. Shay has a passion for working with children who experience phonological dyslexia. She prides herself on the lasting relationships she builds with children and their families. In a recent turn of events, Shay was elated when approached by the University of Oregon to help supervise and mentor graduate students during their clinical experiences. Shay enjoys all of life’s adventures with her husband and their four boys on their small farm.
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Callie Kolb, MS, CCC-SLP
Callie Kolb is a Licensed Speech/Language Pathologist who has been practicing speech therapy in the Willamette Valley since 2009. She holds a Master of Science in Speech and Language Pathology from Nova Southeastern University. Callie has received multiple ACE awards, is a graduate of the American Speech and Hearing Association Leadership Program (LDP), and has extensive training in the areas of dysphagia, autism, receptive/expressive language disorders, pragmatic disorders, and cognitive disorders. Callie is an active member of American Speech and Hearing Association and participates in many special interest groups and projects. Prior to her opportunity with Creating Pathways, Callie has worked in a variety of settings including hospitals, outpatient care, home health, hospice, education, and healthcare management. Callie takes great pride in meeting children and families where they are and building functional goals and treatment to allow each child to live their best life. In her free time Callie enjoys traveling with her kids, cooking, reading, spending time with her dog and rowing on a competitive crew team.
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Mary Barta, MS, CCC-SLP
Mary Barta is a Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist who holds a Master of Science from Pacific University in Forest Grove. Before attending graduate school, she began working as a Licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistant in 2011, serving children in grades K-12 at a statewide charter school in Arizona following completion of her Bachelor of Science and SLPA Certification at Arizona State University. Mary moved to Oregon in 2016 to complete grad school, and has happily called Oregon home ever since.
She has loved working in early childhood and school-age educational settings, but she is overjoyed by this opportunity to serve the community through private practice, especially as a part of the dynamic, collaborative team at Creating Pathways. Mary comes with over 9 years of experience working with diverse populations of children and families navigating the impact of disabilities and communication disorders, including: autism spectrum disorders, phonological and articulation disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, oromyofacial abnormalities, stuttering, voice and resonance disorders, receptive and expressive language disorders, and traumatic brain injury. Mary has participated in specialized programs to support children and youth experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, and LGBTQ youth, and she strives to provide a safe, respectful and supportive space infused with trauma-informed care and authenticity. Mary is a playful, flexible, patient, and passionate professional and advocate who loves to sing, laugh, bake, be in nature, and spend quality time with her partners, kitties, and plant babies. Offering a hand along the way, Mary brings humor and compassion to every interaction, and her life’s mission is to join in both the trials and the triumphs of seeking each individual’s greatest success and independence in expressing and advocating for themselves, connecting with others, and interacting with the world around them. |
Shea Sommerfeldt, MS, CCC-SLP
Shea Sommerfeldt is a Licensed Speech/Language Pathologist. She recently graduated from the University of Oregon with a Master of Science in Communication Disorders. Through her graduate clinical experiences, Shea has worked with both children and adults who are impacted with communication disorders and associated diagnoses including autism, receptive/expressive language disorder, phonological disorder, articulation disorder, social communication disorder, cognitive deficits, and stuttering. She is passionate about early language development and working with children and families to support communication and connection. Shea enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
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Billie Davis, MS, CCC-SLP
Billie Davis is a Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. She began her Creating Pathways journey as a graduate student clinician in early 2019. During that time, she provided speech-language therapy and assessments to the patients at the clinic and fell in love with the private practice setting. Billie is excited to re-join the team as a licensed speech-language pathologist.
Billie earned her Associate of Applied Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology Assisting from Chemeketa Community College, as well as her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Nova Southeastern University. Prior to working in private practices, Billie completed 10 years of experience in the educational setting. Her experience in the schools, as well as clinical practicums and externships has provided her with vast opportunities to support children with a variety of needs across the areas of receptive and expressive language, pragmatics, articulation, fluency, voice, feeding, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Billie absolutely loves the field of speech-language pathology and has a passion for helping children communicate. Outside of work, Billie enjoys spending time with her husband and two teenage children. She loves being outdoors working in the yard or just enjoying the quiet. Billie’s hobbies include auto-body work (restoring classic cars with her family), entertaining her nieces and nephews, and having coffee with friends. |
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Krista Scroggins-Young, SLP-A
Krista Scroggins-Young, is a Licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistant. She earned her Associate of Applied Science Degree in Speech Language Pathology Assisting from Chemeketa Community College and her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Disorders and Deaf Education at Utah State University. Her first bachelor’s degree is in Exercise and Sport Science from Oregon State University. She has 15 years of experience teaching gymnastics to youth and mentoring college students to coach youth of all ages and abilities. She applies her experience as a coach to engage and find interactive strategies to improve children's communication skills. She enjoys working with children in all areas of speech and language including articulation, pragmatics, receptive and expressive language, and fluency. She enjoys spending free time with her husband and two teenage boys. She travels as much as she can in between everyday activities of sporting events, robotics competitions and theater performances. Meeting up with friends, photography, watching movies and relaxing at the Oregon Coast are some of her favorite activities. |
Alyssa Angueira, SLP-A
Alyssa Angueira is a Licensed Speech/Language Pathology Assistant. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, from Loma Linda University. Alyssa has currently been working as a speech assistant for 4 years, with experience in early intervention. Alyssa enjoys building a professional and personal relationships with everyone she interacts with, in hopes to educate and make a positive change in their lives. Alyssa is a recent transplant to Oregon and is looking forward to exploring the community.
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Sarah Stoll, SLP-A
Sarah Stoll is a Licensed Speech Language Pathologist Assistant. She graduated with a Bachelors in Speech Language Hearing Science from San Diego State in May 2020. She moved home once she graduated and worked at Starbucks. Sarah loves telling fun Starbucks stories.
While living at home in California Sarah tutored kids who were attending school online and was working as a Registered Behavior Technician. She has experience working with mild- severe kids and has experience with ASD. She received her SLPA license from CSU Northridge in March 2022 then started working in a school district. She is excited to work in a pediatric work environment. Sarah just recently moved to Oregon and is excited to explore the area. Outside of work Sarah enjoys grabbing coffee, going to the beach, and reading books. |
Jamie Ruiz
Jamie Ruiz is the Intake Manager at Creating Pathways Pediatric Therapy. She is a skilled professional who enjoys working with families during their journey in the pediatric therapy world. She has extensive experience helping families work through the insurance maze. Jamie enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Her three young children keep her busy and full of joy.
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Gillian Herndon
Gillian Herndon is the Billing Specialist at Creating Pathways Pediatric Therapy. She is new to us and is enjoying the camaraderie amongst the staff and seeing the kiddos when they stop by her desk! She can also be found helping with reception. Gillian is looking forward to meeting the Creating Pathways' families and helping them navigate the world of health insurance billing. In her spare time, she is spoiling her new granddaughter and looking forward to doing the same with one on the way.
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Cassandra Smock
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Kimberley Howell
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Quintin Charlton
Quintin Charlton is our exceptional Office Support Assistant. He will be graduating from Sprague High School and the CTEC Culinary program in June 2022. He joined The Creating Pathways team with the goal to help children and their families live their best life and celebrate the joys and milestones that only hard work and perseverance can provide. In his free time, Quintin loves cooking, spending time with friends at youth group, and caring for his dog. Fun fact about Quintin, He is a morning person and wakes up with a smile every day. Quintin is thrilled to be a part of the Creating Pathways team and looks forward to continuing to serve his community.
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