Trillium Employment Services

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 About Us > Staff and Bios

Staff and Bios

Trillium Employment Services has been providing supported employment services to people with disabilities since 1983.

Here are the staff of Trillium:

Trish Borden has been the Executive Director of Trillium since 1987. She has a master's degree in Special Education and extensive experience in working with adults with disabilities. Trish's experience with job development has included corporate development of opportunities at Boeing and Medtronic. She has also been active with development of public sector job opportunities, which included leadership to create state legislation to make it easier for people with developmental disabilities to become state employees. Trish is also very involved in the community having served for 12 years on the Auburn City Council and is a past president of the Rotary Club of Auburn.

Jump to: King County | Pierce County | Clark County

King County

Janice Nelson has been a Community/Employment Consultant with Trillium since 1995. She helps people with disabilities find and retain employment in Auburn. In addition, she focuses on helping Auburn become a more inclusive community. Janice is active in many community organizations and events. Her involvement in Auburn includes the Auburn School Board. Janice has been successful with her own unique style of job development, which starts with getting to know as many people as possible in her community.

Aimee Nelson has been an Employment Consultant at Trillium since 1998. Aimee has experience in other states working in both employment and residential services for people with developmental disabilities. Aimee has a degree in Psychology and a minor in Human & Family Development. Aimee specializes in precision training.

Brandi Monts is an employment consultant at Trillium Employment Services.  In addition to her employment consultant responsibilities, she ensures Trillium’s systems efficiency and contractual compliance.  She has made several professional presentations focusing on disability-related issues and is involved with an inter-agency collaboration effort in King County.  Realizing her commitment to the social welfare field early in her education, Brandi earned a BA in social work from the University of Washington.  Prior to her employment at Trillium, she began her human services career working with People First of Washington, serving members on the Developmental Disabilities Council and various residential support positions.  Brandi also taught English in Japan for a year.

Sarah Holcombe has worked in the field of human services for several years. Prior to serving as an employment consultant at Trillium, she worked for Self-Determination Resources, Inc. as a personal agent, providing support services for adults with developmental disabilities. Volunteering is important to Sarah – she has donated her time to Special Olympics for twelve years with the Eagles and Cascade Ridge Racer teams. She graduated from Cornell College with a B.A. in philosophy.

Graduating from the University of Washington with a B.A. in law, societies, and justice, as well as political science, Jesse Torgerson’s education prepared him well for his position as an employment consultant with Trillium. His passion and understanding of the need for social justice and community building are beneficial to his job performance. Jesse comes from a family with long careers and extensive experience working with individuals with disabilities which drives his compassion for inclusive communities.

Jade Garrison brings strong credentials to her position as an employment consultant at Trillium. Jade is a graduate of Humboldt State University where she earned a degree in recreation administration. She has experience in developing summer camps for youth as well as working at before-and-after school recreation programs. Jade also worked for several residential programs for individuals with developmental disabilities before coming to Trillium.

Duncan's experience in the field of social advocacy began early on in his high school career, continuing through college. He got his start working with children with developmental disabilities in an ESL classroom, and from there branched into community protection with adults with developmental disabilities. With an equally extensive background in technology and information systems, Duncan brings optimism and passion to his work at Trillium.

Jon Hankins has been an Employment Consultant at Trillium since 1998. Jon brings previous personal and professional experience in working with people with disabilities to the supported employment arena. This, as well as some corporate sales experience, has helped Jon develop his own successful method of job development. Jon is responsible for developing job opportunities for clients in King and Pierce counties, as well acting as the Rotary District Chair in King County for the Partners for Work program.

Pierce County

Dennis Herren joined Trillium as an Employment Consultant in June of 2005. He previously worked as a high school special education teacher before diving into the world of business as an outside salesman. He is also the brother of an adult living with autism. It is his belief that "persons with disabilities remain one of America's greatest untapped resources."

Nikki Felker joined Trillium in 2006. Before this she provided one-to-one supports to disadvantaged children in educational and extracurricular activities. Nikki also has worked for several local successful businesses and utilizes a business perspective to communicate her passion for community inclusion.

Jason M. Van Loh’s road to Trillium started in Bloomington, Indiana, where he was hired as a para-educator for the Monroe County Schools Transition program.  He continued this work with Tacoma School District until he realized that being a Trillium employment consultant was his next career destination. He has a B.A. in history from Oregon State University and M.F.A. in creative writing. Jason is a published author of “flash fiction,” loves the Seahawks, and enjoys walking with his wife and dog.

Clark County

Advocating for all individuals to gain autonomy is a passion for Angela Kepfer. Her education and experience reflect that focus and commitment. While earning her bachelor degree in social services and gender/multicultural studies from Evergreen State College, Angela utilized her non-profit fundraising skills working for the Evergreen Annual Fund. Angela’s enthusiasm for serving the senior population led her to volunteer in multiple programs. Angela’s work experience also includes being an intern with Hospice Friends; social services intern with Senior Services for South Sound; and job coach for individuals with developmental disabilities at High Sierra Industries.

Emily Scheuer earned her bachelor of social work with a minor in Spanish from the University of Portland while working and participating in the university’s studies abroad program.  She also has experience working as an intern therapist providing therapy and support for children with psychiatric and behavioral disorders with OHSU Children’s Psychiatric Day Treatment Center and as an intern developing a summer tutoring program which provided low-income students with academic support with North Seattle Family Center.  Volunteering is a core value for Emily – she traveled to Mexico for several years with Esperanza International to construct homes for local families in need.

Advocating and helping others in as many ways as possible are the core values of Amy Pedersen. Her career reflects these values. For several years, she has managed the Project SEARCH program at Southwest Washington Medical Center focusing on job development, placement, and follow-along services for employees with disabilities. Her responsibilities include mediation, problem solving, quality assurance, networking, and promotion programs. She earned an associate degree with an emphasis in psychology through Columbia Basin College and is finishing her BS in psychology at Washington State University Vancouver.

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