Employees
Management and Office Staff
Brian Shepherd. President
Brian has been with Right Direction since it was formed nearly eight years ago. His main function has always been as an Interventionist because it is as an Interventionist that he gets to work directly with families. Brian was diagnosed with Crohn's/Colitis disease when he was ten years old and this condition made for a difficult adolescence as everyday activities such as school presented great challenges for him. As with many Crohn's/colitis sufferers, Brian had to overcome the tendency to live his life in fear of his disease and live in social seclusion. Instead he decided to take control of his life and learn to meet adversity with a positive mindset and overcome the challenges a chronic disease presents. Dealing with these challenges helped Brian navigate a path for his life that left him in control of his disease and not the other way around. His personal experience helps him to empathize with adolescents and young adults facing their own challenges. Brian has personally worked with over one thousand families throughout his course of service. Brian started working as an interventionist when he was a college student eager to pay for his education and went on to graduate from the University of Utah with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Business Information Systems. After graduating from college, Brian initiated Right Direction's website and began to work on designing an online database to help Right Direction better serve families. Currently he spends most of his time juggling his office duties, counseling parents, doing interventions and spending time with his beautiful wife and daughter. Brian also loves to cook and travel and has worked in sponsor hospitality venues during the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, the 2000 Olympic Summer Games in Sydney, Australia and he managed sponsor hospitality suites for the International Olympic Committee and Sports Illustrated during the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City as well as in Athens, Greece during the 2004 Olympics and most recently in Turin, Italy for the 2006 Olympics. Brian is CPR certified and has first-aid training and is a member of the California Trustline Registry (#151173386).
Malia Shepherd. Vice President
Malia is the mother of a beautiful little five year-old girl named Aelyn. She is a native of Solvang, CA, growing up the youngest of seven children. Both her parents were school teachers with a long history of serving their local community. Malia grew up valuing both teachers, education and service. She is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara, earning a Bachelor's Degree in History with a minor in Spanish. She also completed two studies abroad, living and studying in Marbella, Spain and Queretero, Mexico. She has volunteered in her local community numerous times, most prominently structuring a program to help teens overcome obesity problems by teaching them to organize a fitness program as well as a healthy diet plan and spending time with them to follow up to make sure they met their goals. She also volunteered with teens in a therapeutic equestrian related program to help them deal with personal trauma and self-esteem problems. Another volunteer project included serving at retirement communities within the Santa Barbara area. She is a very friendly person who loves being around and helping people. Malia is an extremely positive person and her positive, caring personality influences all those who spend time with her. In her spare time, Malia is an adventure seeker who loves to travel and interact with people form all cultures. She also loves fitness, the outdoors and being physically active. She has been to dozens of countries and is fluent in Spanish..
Jeana P. Director of Operations
Jeana is the Director of Operations for Right Direction with an extensive background in all areas of Business Administration. She oversees the economic and financial health of the company while implementing strategic plans and developing future goals for RDCI. With her impeccable leadership, she brings growth and direction to her position and possesses the knowledge and skills to keep Right Direction running smoothly. She has over 21 years of prior customer service experience and believes very much in the philosophies and goals of RDCI. Jeana has always had a passion for helping kids and brings the experience and understanding of raising her five children, Audra (21), Eve (19), Maverick (7), Myles (5) and Geneviève (1) to the table.
In her free time she enjoys spending time with her Husband and children, going to local concerts, hiking, taking long walks with the kids, gardening, road trips, family guitar hero nights, Yoga and Zumba, composing on the piano and bass, photography and sketching .
Tammy J. Client Services & Marketing Director
Tammy was born and raised in Idaho on a large cattle ranch with one sister. She likes to stay close to her roots and loves going back to the ranch to help with the family rodeo business. She has three children, two girls and one boy. Her husband Eric works in law enforcement and also is an Interventionist for Right Direction. Tammy met her husband at Idaho State University where she was studying to be a Dental Hygienist. She put her career on hold to travel with her husband who played professional football for five years before retiring to spend more time with his family. Tammy and her husband lived two years in Toronto, Canada, one year in Winnipeg, Canada, New Orleans and Long Beach, California before making their home in Boise, Idaho. One of her greatest strengths is being so diversified and being able to relate to adolescents from all over the country. During the past 10 years, Tammy has worked with at-risk adolescents including two years at a therapeutic wilderness program in Idaho and as an Interventionist for Right Direction. She states that there is nothing more rewarding than helping a young person going through a difficult time in their life and knowing that you can make a difference. Being a mom helps Tammy relate to the tough decisions that parents have to make involving their children and also knowing that a child is the most precious gift of all. Tammy loves to spend time with her family riding horses, camping, hiking, water-skiing, snow sledding, skiiing, snowboarding, cooking and once in a while, just relaxing.
Stephanie C. Billing Specialist
Stephanie is the Billing Specialist for Right Direction and has been working in the field of Office Administration for the last 16 years.
She has been happily married for 12 years and has two children, Noah & Justine, ages 7 and 11. Stephanie was born and raised in Sacramento, California.
Before making her home in Phoenix, Arizona, she spent her time attending a Community College in Albany, Oregon.
Throughout her years of experience in Office Administration, Stephanie has also enjoyed taking on the role of being a stay-at-home mom. She appreciates the importance of early development in children and enjoys impacting their lives in a way that encourages them to be themselves.
In her free time, Stephanie enjoys volunteering in her children’s classrooms, reading, scrap-booking, hiking, spending time with friends and family, gardening, cooking, watching sports with her husband, yoga, and family road trips.
Retha H. Travel Billing Specialist
Retha was raised in Oklahoma, and even as a young girl, she began to take an interest in helping those who needed encouragement in life. After taking some college courses in Early Childhood Education, she spent some time as a preschool teacher, but soon moved on into the business venue where her true talents began to flourish.
She has worked for several large and small corporations, and over the course of her career, has been involved in every aspect of executive administration. Retha currently works as the Travel Billing Specialist for Right Direction. She and her husband, Paul, live in Arizona where they are close to their daughter and five grandchildren. Retha’s love of music has given her the opportunity to be involved with youth and adults as well as a choir director, pianist, soloist, and quartet member. She also enjoys gardening, exercising at the YMCA, cooking, reading, and just lounging around the pool.
Heidi L. Client Services Representative
Heidi was born and raised in Idaho for most of her life. As the oldest of seven kids, being a positive role model is very familiar and important to her. Heidi takes this responsibility on with joy as she enjoys making a difference in young people’s lives. Heidi has interned at Garfield elementary school in Boise, Idaho for two years. While interning at Garfield, she had the opportunity to help students that had reading and other learning disabilities. Heidi also worked at the Walker Center, a substance abuse recovery facility in Gooding, Idaho. Her experience working there gave her the ability to understand that every child is different and has different needs. For Heidi it was a life-altering lesson and makes her a great asset to the Right Direction Crisis Intervention team. Heidi and her family, currently reside in Boise, Idaho. Heidi enjoys spending time with her family and also enjoys camping, fishing, scrapbooking and photography..
Jessica H. Client Services Representative
Jessica was born and raised in Idaho, attending school in the same district K-12. Her continuing education has included studies at the University of Montana Western and Idaho State University. She is the mother of a fun loving, energetic six year old who always keeps her on her toes. Jessica loves playing soccer, she has passed that trait to her son, and she is the assistant coach for his soccer team. Attending Boise State football games is a passion which her and her family share. Some of her favorite memories include traveling to watch them play. Family is an important part of her life, enjoying gourmet cooking, camping, and just spending time together. Jessica has a background in customer service, property management, and she has worked at an elementary school. At the school, she served as the school’s safety aide, where she was responsible for ensuring the safety of the children as well as working with children who are having trouble with reading, writing, and math. She loves working with kids and has a passion for helping them through the obstacles they are facing.
Ashlee A. Client Services Representative
Ashlee was born and raised in Idaho and grew up in the small town of Kuna. She is currently attending College of Western Idaho to complete her Associate's Degree in Administrative Support. She is a proud mother of eight-year-old and one-year-old boys. They are her pride and joy and keep her plenty busy. Family is an important part of Ashlee's life, while they enjoy barbeques, camping, fishing, shopping, traveling and just spending time together. Ashlee lives on a small little farm with a couple of cows and goats. Her and her husband's dream is to one day live on and run a large ranch. .
Whitnee S. Client Services Representative
Whitnee was born in Idaho, but then grew up in Phoenix, Arizona only to be followed by a return to Idaho as an adult. Whitnee worked for the SUWS Youth Program in Gooding, Idaho for five years before joining the Right Direction team. At SUWS, Whitnee filled various positions such as Field Instructor, Program Supervisor, and Admissions Representative. Whitnee is married and is the proud mother of a new baby girl. One of Whitnee's most favorite things to do is to travel. Whitnee has traveled all up and down the Western coast and has spent four months in New Zealand and six months in India. In her other spare moments, which currently seem to be few with a small baby, she enjoys art, yoga, and taking dance classes with her husband. Date night is her current luxury.
Michael S. Client Services Representative
Michael was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He now lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife, two baby girls and his old dog, Chocho. Michael is excited each day by the new experiences his family brings him. He thrives on the joy and challenges each day may bring. Michael is an avid reader and collector of books and print. His pleasures include hiking and camping, cooking, and scouting for books. Michael graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Anthropology in 1994. He has demonstrated a commitment to youth and families.
Michael spent ten years living and working on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. During that time, he develop and taught K-6 computer technology coursework with the Montana Tech Corps/AmeriCorps program, enabling rural schools to gain access to safe and relevant technologies. Michael's professional experience includes facilitating programs sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention/Department of Justice, educating youth on topics including drug and alcohol, tobacco, relationships and positive peer mentoring. Michael has worked as a direct care provider for at-risk youth and families in need in youth homes in rural Montana. From this experience Michael was invited to mentor with the Montana Youth ChalleNGe Academy is part of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. He has held the position of Program Supervisor for a local chapter of a national non-profit organization, mentoring after school programs and identifying needs for community development.
Michael spent over two years in the field as a Wilderness Therapy Field Instructor. Following his trail time, he was the Program Supervisor for a wilderness program in south-central Idaho. As the Program Supervisor, he recruited, trained and developed field staff for wilderness treatment teams. Michael is registered as a Wilderness First Responder and has maintained Non-Violent Crisis Intervention certification since 2004
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Amber O. Client Services Representative
Amber was born in San Francisco and spent her formative years in a commune in Mendocino County. Although being raised in an alternative environment taught her the value of open-mindedness and idealism, it also lacked an emphasis on structure. This lack of structure turned out to be paramount during her journey into adulthood. After many trial and errors, Amber is proud to say that she taught herself the personal and social responsibilities necessary for leading a successful life. This accomplishment solidifies her belief that it is our duty to instill young adults with respect, responsibility and structure while validating and honoring their individuality. With this in mind, Amber is delighted to apply her many years of customer service and management to helping families navigate this challenge.
Amber lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and daughter, where her husband teaches at the university. They enjoy riding their bikes, going out to restaurants, family trips to the YMCA, cooking, listening to music and taking walks around their beautiful community.
Florence A. Client Services Representative
Florence was born and raised in Michigan and has lived in Idaho most of her adult life. She worked as a secretary for years, but always had a passion for helping at-risk youth, so she returned to college and studied addictions counseling and received an AA in Criminal Justice. She has been working with teens now for about 13 years and has been fortunate enough to have experienced working with inner city youth in Philadelphia, PA, as well as counseling adolescents at the Walker Center, a subtance abuse treatment center in Gooding, ID. In her spare time, Florence enjoys spending time with her family, camping, fishing, golfing, gardening, reading, and trying new foods..