Meet the Team

Sarah Walker

Position: Program Director (Embark at Dragonfly)
Sarah’s partnership with Dragonfly Transitions began in 2010 when she joined A Leap of Taste as a barista and chef. Sarah engaged in on-the-job training with Dragonfly Students to support them in developing work experience with coaching and feedback on work ethic. When a mentor position opened at the Homestead, she transitioned to working full time with students teaching animal husbandry and horticulture.   In 2017 Sarah moved back to her hometown in Georgia with her family to explore Management in the Wood Working Industry and cultivate her leadership and management skills. Sarah developed an internship program with the local high school to connect students with their areas of interest such as marketing research, web development, product photography, accounting, and IT. In addition, she engaged with local parolees to support skills to enable them to reenter the workforce. In 2020 Sarah was recognized by Woodworking Network as a part of the 2020 class of 40 under 40 for her innovative leadership, organizational management, continuous improvement mindset, and contributions to her community.   In 2020, She was invited to rejoin the Dragonfly team as the Homestead Program Coordinator and moved back to Oregon. Sarah has a lifelong passion for working with young adults who are struggling. Her background in General Psychology and practical experience working one on one with young adults were contributing factors in her promotion to Program Director of the Klamath Falls Campus.   “When I was a young adult, I was in a dark place, and I was fortunate to find a community that gave me the support and mentoring that I needed to successfully develop as an independent adult. Working at Dragonfly gives me the opportunity to pay it forward by investing in a community that offers our students support and connection to empower them to gain the skills they need.” ~ Sarah

Sarah Walker

Program Director (Embark at Dragonfly)

Sara Derek

Position: Program Director (Ashland)

Throughout her diverse career, Sara has passionately embodied stewardship that is empathetic, connected, insightful, and goal-oriented. This has created a solid foundation for growth and development for both herself and those she works with. Sara has deep roots in the Rogue Valley, having been born and raised here. She chose to stay and raise her own three children here, where they enjoy all the beauty southern Oregon has to offer.

Earning a Bachelor of Science in Education was just the beginning of her professional life of service and care for those she is charged with. After fifteen years in the classroom, Sara spent a decade building her own business. The leadership skills she honed in her business then served her well in the real estate industry, as she helped grow a thriving team from the ground up in just three short years.

Sara’s greatest passions remain in connecting deeply with family and friends, exploring Oregon waterways on her paddle board, and laughing her way through life’s ever-changing canvas.

Sara is thrilled to be part of the Dragonfly Transitions team as this important work is in complete alignment with her natural abilities, skillset, and life experiences.

Sara Derek

Program Director (Ashland)

Stormy King

Position: Program Director (Klamath Falls)

Stormy is a multi-faceted mindset mentor who has overcome a difficult childhood to become a leading coach in North America. Her personal journey has given her valuable insights, intuition, and innovative approaches that she uses to help thousands of people reach their full potential. She is also a proud wife of a military veteran, mother of four, PGI consultant, NLP practitioner, Reiki master, motivational speaker, author, and spiritual entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience.

Stormy’s past experience working for CASA for Kids Inc. as a Program Coordinator and Executive Director will bring valuable knowledge and experience to her new role. She is excited to support the Klamath Falls Campus as Program Director.

Stormy King

Program Director (Klamath Falls)

Brandy Garcia

Position: Program Coordinator (Klamath Falls)

Brandy was born in Bend Oregon but raised in a rural area called Rocky Point, just outside Klamath Falls. She grew up as an only child and spent much of her early years exploring nature.  Brandy has taken many psychology courses at OIT, and plans to work towards her bachelor’s degree in that field.  She previously worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant but wanted to join Dragonfly to pursue her passion for helping others and bring awareness to the community about mental health.  Brandy has been able to take her life experiences and use it to help relate to students in the community. She has learned a lot from Dragonfly that she implements in her personal life. She enjoys being a part of this community and hopes to move into a leadership position in her future.  When Brandy is not at work she spends with her children, two dogs and partner. She loves listening to music, reading, and enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, swimming, mushroom hunting, boating.

Brandy Garcia

Program Coordinator (Klamath Falls)

Tyler Dean

Position: Program Coordinator (Klamath Falls)

Tyler was born in Tampa Florida, then raised in Klamath Falls Oregon. After high school he attend Corban University where he played collegiate golf for 3 years and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Upon graduating he moved to Medford Oregon. Here he worked as a life coach at a shelter for homeless and at-risk teens ages 10-17. This shelter provided youth access to a home filled with love and compassion in a safe and supportive environment with family reunification as the primary goal. Most recently he worked as the Outside Services manager at a local golf course in Medford. Working with and serving others has always been a passion in Tyler’s life. So when the opportunity presented itself to work at Dragonfly, it was something he felt called to do. In his spare time you can find him hanging out with friends and family, golfing, walking his two rottweilers around town, and practicing his woodburning skills.

Tyler Dean

Program Coordinator (Klamath Falls)

David

Position: Facilities Manager

A Local to the Klamath Basin, David has spent his life enjoying all that the area has to offer, including hunting, fishing, and foraging. His best summer days have been spent camping along the creeks with his family.

After earning a degree, in Agriculture Science, from Klamath Community College (KCC), David went on to manage an organic cattle ranch for a number of years, where he specialized in calving and irrigation.

Before his time on the ranch, David had worked in all phases of construction, which has now led him to Dragonfly Transitions, where he now works in maintenance. David maintains several buildings and their grounds to ensure the safety of all students and staff.

David

Facilities Manager

Kyle Odesha

Position: Program Coordinator (Ashland)

Kyle was born in Idaho, spent the majority of his younger years throughout Northern California, and then relocated to Klamath Falls, Oregon in 2008. After high school, Kyle attended College of the Redwoods in Eureka, California where he played collegiate baseball and football. During this time, he received an AA in Communications. He then transferred to the University of Oregon where he spent 2 years and would obtain a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. After Kyle graduated, he was a mentor on the Klamath Falls campus for about a year. Kyle then relocated to Sacramento for a year and worked as a case worker in an outpatient treatment program. After some time away Kyle and his Fiancé relocated back to Southern Oregon as they prepared to welcome their baby girl to the world. After gaining more experience in the field and working with a wide variety of the mental health population Kyle was eager to return to Dragonfly. This time on the Ashland campus. Kyle is enthusiastic about the work he does at Dragonfly and enjoys working with the students and contributing to their goal of pursuing Independent Living.

In his personal time, Kyle enjoys being around his family which often includes snowboarding, camping, hunting, fishing, disc golf, and watching/playing a variety of sports.

Kyle Odesha

Program Coordinator (Ashland)

Sarah

Position: Lead Mentor (Homestead)

Sarah has spent the last two years working in healthcare as a caregiver and then a certified nursing assistant in a skilled nursing facility before discovering she wanted to expand into mental healthcare specifically. She now works with Dragonfly as a mentor to provide hands on support to our team and students. This includes and is not limited to running groups, working with mentees, and accurately supplying medications for our students. As a professional goal-oriented mentor Sarah hopes to continue to grow within and as part of the company. During Sarah’s downtime she greatly enjoys hiking and exploring the PNW, crocheting, and spending quality time with her family and friends. Sarah also enjoys attending local events and staying engaged as an active part of the community.

Sarah

Lead Mentor (Homestead)

Madelyn

Position: Mentor (Klamath Falls)

Madelyn

Mentor (Klamath Falls)

Stephen

Position: Mentor (Ashland)
Stephen has an extensive background as a writer, actor, and comedian having spent 16 years working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. He draws on this performance aspect when helping students through their progression at Dragonfly, imparting the skills necessary to build confidence in one’s voice and command the attention of an audience. His background in the arts is the launching pad for his approach to mentorship. 
 
Stephen is a native Kentuckian and graduated from the University of Louisville with a BA in Theatre Arts. He is currently pursuing a master’s program in mental health counseling and hopes to become a licensed therapist with the goal of combining his passion for the arts with his drive to help people recover from trauma. He is an advocate for mental health and is always exploring new healing modalities. He is involved in men’s groups that help fill in the gaps in leadership skills for those who grew up without strong masculine figures in their homes and communities. He is also a teacher of inner child work and reparenting techniques and has experienced the profound benefit of this work in his own life.
 
In his spare time, he is deeply involved in creative writing and is an avid outdoorsman who recharges by getting connected to nature by hiking, skiing, and camping. 

Stephen

Mentor (Ashland)

Colton

Position: Mentor (Ashland)

Colton is from Kirksville, Missouri. There, he grew up playing sports and spending time outdoors. Wrestling was his most successful sport which led him to compete in college and coach collegiate men and women for 6 years.

Being interested in the body and athletics, Colton earned a BS in Exercise Science. Later on, he realized the importance of the mind on the body and had a desire to help others. This led to him earning a MA in Counseling.

Hitting a low point in life, he was called to the healing powers of nature and moved to northern CA. There, he fell in love with the river, mountains, evergreen trees, and the wild outdoors. He spent 2 seasons as a white-water rafting guide and ranch hand before deciding to move to southern OR with his family.

Colton loves spending quality time with his partner and their son, hiking, kayaking, rafting, snowboarding, learning guitar, and being present. He hopes to make a positive impact on everyone he encounters at Dragonfly with the dream of becoming a recreational therapist one day. 

Colton

Mentor (Ashland)

Anna

Position: Mentor (Embark at Dragonfly)
Anna was born in Seattle and migrated to the wonderful area of Southern Oregon in 2011. She quickly fell in love with the beautiful outdoors that Oregon had to offer. Now, Anna finds her peace in nature, hiking, exploring the wilderness, rock hounding, camping, you name it.

In her earlier days, Anna made a living coding and designing websites and graphics. She changed gears due to her interest in entrepreneurship and established her own small business making and selling jewelry. She also co-owned and ran various other small businesses in the city of Medford for about seven years.
Moving to Klamath Falls in 2022, Anna was ready to dive into a new lifestyle with her husband and fur children. She’s currently attending college to earn her bachelor’s degree, majoring in Environmental Science and minoring in Psychology. Her passion for these interests is what has led her to join the Dragonfly team, where she finds a perfect balance in helping students achieve their goals, pursuing her interest in psychology, and surrounding herself with the beautiful outdoors that encompasses Embark at Dragonfly.

Anna

Mentor (Embark at Dragonfly)

Daniel

Position: Mentor (Homestead)

Daniel

Mentor (Homestead)

Lilith

Position: Mentor (Klamath Falls)

Lilith started her career as a touring technician for stage lighting and pyrotechnics. After many years on the road she moved on to working with a LGBTQ+ non profit based in Atlanta Georgia. Lilith moved to Oregon almost a decade ago and Klamath Falls four years ago. Surviving a house fire started her path to a career in behavioral health. She was a client at a behavioral health provider and was asked to join the team as a licensed Peer Support Specialist.

In her free time Lilith builds and flies custom fpv drones, enjoys kayaking, and spends time with her many pets and partner. Lilith hopes to offer compassion and lived experience to Dragonfly students.

Lilith

Mentor (Klamath Falls)

Connor

Position: Mentor (Homestead)

Connor is originally from Houston Texas and a former Dragonfly student. Connor has a passion for helping others find what brings them satisfaction and happiness in life. He came back to Dragonfly to work as a mentor to provide support to students. Connor’s goal is to share his life experiences with the students to help them see that it is possible to live a successful and happy life after treatment. Connor’s favorite activities to do with the students are going to scenic parts of Klamath Falls, playing disc golf, and hiking.

Connor’s hope for the future is to become more immersed in the mental health field and become an advocate for people with depression and anxiety.

Connor

Mentor (Homestead)

Kyle

Position: Mentor (Embark at Dragonfly)

Kyle is a Klamath Falls native and has intersected with Dragonfly students over the last decade in his role as a Business Tutor at Klamath Community College. As well as an employee of a local tabletop game store that students frequented. Kyle has seen first-hand the impact that Dragonfly makes in the lives of young adults and joined the team to support Dragonfly’s mission to tackle the all-time high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide by supporting the growth and wellbeing of students at Dragonfly. When he isn’t at work, Kyle is a full-time dad to his two daughters. They love to go on adventures and hikes around Klamath Falls.

Kyle

Mentor (Embark at Dragonfly)

Alissa

Position: Mentor (Ashland)

For Alissa, home is Mount Shasta, CA, a place where she loves to spend her time with friends and family. While living there, she gained many years of experience working with animals as an Animal Care Technician for a local animal shelter. She also spent much of her time as a volunteer foster parent for countless litters of kittens over the span of 7 years. The connections and therapeutic relationships that can be created and sustained with animals is an area of passion that she aspires to pursue further.

Alissa recently moved to Ashland, OR in September of 2021 to continue her education in Psychology and Sustainability. She is attending Southern Oregon University as a transfer student upon graduating from College of the Siskiyous with her AA-T, AA, and LAS in Social science. In her free time, Alissa can be found hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, or exploring the woods with her dogs!

Alissa

Mentor (Ashland)

Brittney

Position: Mentor (Klamath Falls)

Brittney

Mentor (Klamath Falls)

Darcia

Position: Mentor (Klamath Falls)

Darcia

Mentor (Klamath Falls)

Taea

Position: Mentor (Ashland)

The driving force for Taea has been a growth mindset which she fosters by continually reflecting on what she desires and pursuing it. Her personal mantra is “follow your heart”. What matters most to her is what she can become, given hard work and a dream. This mindset has led her down many pathways, all of which have been rewarding.

Taea has her BA in psychology and is working towards a master’s degree in social work. She hopes this will lead to a long-term career helping youth and adolescents begin trauma work and start their own journey towards healing. Taea’s many experiences inside and outside of work provide her with a multitude of different perspectives that maximize her usefulness to society at large. She is excited for this chapter at Dragonfly as a mentor because having someone to bounce ideas off of, vent to, share exciting news with, and seek advice from is invaluable when navigating young adulthood and the transitions that brings. Taea is invested in paying it forward as a Mentor and teacher of life.

Outside of work, Taea is a mother to two beautiful children who provide her with a plethora of learning opportunities and moments that make her heart swell with joy. She grew up in the military and as such remains remarkably close to family even though some remain overseas. Taea enjoys the arts and any hobby that provides her with a creative outlet. When she has free time, she enjoys traveling, music, and becoming one with nature.

Taea

Mentor (Ashland)