East West College’s faculty and staff are hired for their professional training and expertise. Bodywork instructors have a minimum of two years education and practice in the subject they teach. Science instructors have a university degree in science or a health-related field or appropriate undergraduate coursework.
All East West College instructors continually strive to inspire excellence and provide an environment that encourages student success. Students find the instructors are warm, caring, compassionate, well trained and experienced.
East West College is managed by a President and an Oversight Committee. The Oversight Committee is responsible for running and reviewing day-to-day East West operations, as well as strategic and long term planning approved by the President. The Oversight Committee consists of David Slawson, President; Edie Moll, Vice President; and Erika Baern, Director.
Ready to take the next step towards your new career in massage therapy?
Staff
STUDENT SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER
Haley Bacon, Student Services Administrative Manager
Haley is a massage therapist who graduated from East West in 2021. Whether doing bodywork or administrative work, Haley aims to find a balance between lighthearted humor and grounded support for her clients and staff. Connecting and laughing with coworkers, students and clients fills her cup. When Haley is not in the office, she can be found taking her little one on adventures, sharing meals with loved ones or thinking of creative excuses to head to the coast.
DIRECTOR
Erika Baern, LMT #18535, Director
Erika earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts. While pursuing a Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University, she realized that what she enjoyed most about graduate school was teaching, something she had been doing ever since middle school when she gave violin lessons to a younger student.
After leaving graduate school, Erika moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, started receiving regular massage, took an Intro to Massage class and discovered that she loved doing massage as much as she loved teaching. She completed a 1200 hour program at the Muscular Therapy Institute, and in 1991 began her private practice, focusing on clients with trauma history. She began teaching massage at MTI, and in 2000 became the school’s Director of Education.
Erika moved to Portland and joined the East West College family in 2007. She had always been interested in living in the Pacific Northwest and wanted to enjoy the outdoors year round. Since coming to East West, Erika has enjoyed working with teachers and staff to provide a supportive learning environment and strong educational program. She often meets with students, helping them develop learning, study skills, and test taking strategies.
Passionate about the incredible healing powers of massage, Erika says, “I realized I couldn’t reach as many people as I wanted to – there just weren’t enough hours in the day to give all the massages I wished I could give. So by teaching students and working with teachers, I could expand the number of people I could ‘touch’ with massage. I believe we can bring peace to the world, one massage at a time. Through the gift of massage, we provide space for our clients to let go of stress and pain, making a difference in their body and spirit. That effect ripples out into every one in their lives.”
When not at East West, Erika enjoys being outdoors, gardening, knitting, and baking.
STUDENT ACCOUNTS/ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE COORDINATOR
Carla Cardinal, Student Accounts/Accounts Receivable Coordinator
CONTINUING EDUCATION COORDINATOR
Sandee Coggins, LMT #25637, Continuing Education/Education Department Coordinator
Sandee originally hails from Texas. She followed her daughter and grandkids from Texas to Oregon in 2010. Sandee has been an LMT since 1997 in Texas. After moving to Oregon (and not having enough hours to get licensed in Oregon), she started a fermented foods business and took care of her aged mom. In 2018, she went back to school at East West College and graduated again in 2019, finally receiving her Oregon license in 2020. Sandee maintains a private practice and works at East West College as the Continuing Education Coordinator and part of the Education Department Coordinator team.
She loves assisting people and enjoys cooking, spending time with family, horses, gardening, hiking, motorcycles, archery, shooting pistols & rifles and hiking – anything outdoors!
FRONT DESK ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Amy Craig, Front Desk Administrative Assistant
Amy has a long time interest in the holistic healing arts. Her prior professional experience includes providing office support for a naturopathic physician and a therapeutic massage clinic. In her free time, she enjoys admiring her neighbors’ flowering and fruiting gardens.
FINANCIAL AID ASSISTANT
Brett Falkenberg, Financial Aid Assistant
Brett has been with EWC for many, many years. We have come to conclusion that it is not our dynamic personalities that keep him here, but rather those of each of the thousands of students he has met through his interactions at the front desk. That and he needs his paycheck to fund all the barbeques he has for his friends on the weekends. He must be a good cook, because they all keep coming back. We wouldn’t really know… since we’ve never been invited.
ADMISSIONS REPRESENTATIVE
Ephraim Freese, Admissions Representative
Ephraim is a massage therapist who graduated from East West in 2018 and works especially with fellow queer and trans folks to come back to their bodies with greater agency. Their professional and personal practices center relational dynamics within and beyond the body, balancing micro and macro adjustments, and neurological and fascial integration. When they’re not geeking out about body-based education, Ephraim also enjoys dissecting reality tv conflicts, working on home projects, and massaging their cats’ toes.
DEAN OF ADMISSIONS
Lori Johnson, Dean of Admissions
Lori has spent over a decade in college admissions; working with students to help connect them to the right educational paths to meet their career goals. She knows that education has the power to make dreams a reality, which is why she takes great pride in working for East West, a heart led vocational school that offers a diverse student body the opportunity to learn a skilled and highly in demand trade. Raised by the ocean, Lori has a life time love of sailing, kayaking and the occasional river rafting adventure and in her spare time has been known to play a little Roller Derby with Portland’s own Rose City Rollers.
ALUMNI SERVICES COORDINATOR
Anne Nutwell, LMT #22093, Alumni Services Coordinator
Alumni Services Coordinator, Anne Nutwell, is an East West alumna and has been a massage therapist since 2016. She loves to blend the technical with the intuitive professionally and personally and has a B.A. in Psychology as well as nearly a decade of experience in office administration and data processing. A Pacific Northwest native, she enjoys the opportunity to experience our magnificent natural world and create her garden filled with native plants. When it’s too muddy to enjoy the outdoors, she enjoys quieter activities like reading and dabbling in crafts – closely supervised by her cats.
FRONT DESK ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Jackson Somerville, Front Desk Administrative Assistant
Jackson has been a backpacking guide, chocolatier, HR manager, camp counselor, teacher, operations manager, and is now both a student and Front Desk Administrative Assistant at East West. With a BA in Geology and a love for people, Jackson thrives at the intersections of science, community, and connection, and is excited to support the students, visitors, and greater East West network. Outside of work, she enjoys biking, reading, hosting dinner parties, gardening, and swimming in cold bodies of water.
REGISTRAR
Jan Stott, Registrar
Jan lived in an assortment of rectangular states before abandoning right angles and heading for the irregularly shaped New York University School of the Arts. Between film editing jobs, she slipped into a registrar position at a vocational school and found that it fit her perfectly. The ability to sort things out served her well as an editor and even better as a registrar. Jan’s first foray into the world of holistic health began when she moved to Massachusetts and became the Registrar at the Muscular Therapy Institute in Cambridge. Ten years later, she was drawn to Oregon by the vaguely rectangular shape of the state, the discovery that most of her family had migrated here, and the position of Registrar at East West College. Jan attempts to balance the needs of students, faculty, and the building itself with humor and wit. Failing that, she may be able to distract you with her array of small, colorful toys. When she isn’t arranging things at school, she enjoys arranging pieces of wood into attractive and useful objects. “They don’t object to my plans for them, so I find it very satisfying.”
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Debbie Anne Taylor, BS, LMT #07767, Education Department Coordinator
Debbie Anne is a graduate of East West College and the California College of Holistic Health and has been in practice since 1988. She studied Ayurvedic massage while working as a Holistic Health Practitioner at Deepak Chopra’s Center for Well Being. In her private practice, Debbie Anne specializes in Ayurvedic massage and dry room spa treatments. She enjoys using her background in medical anthropology to help clients and students become aware of the cultural aspects of their healing journey. Her extensive teaching, practice and spa management experience as well as her compassion for her students make her an ideal teacher.
DEAN OF STUDENTS
Lisa Ann VanAlstine, BA, LMT
Lisa Ann VanAlstine, BA, LMT graduated from East West College in 1998, and earned a BA in Spanish from Portland State University in 2003. In addition to being a practicing massage therapist, Lisa Ann is also a Stott Pilates Certified Instructor and a personal trainer. Her passion for healing and helping others translates into a creative, hands-on classroom environment. Lisa Ann joined the EWC faculty in 2006 and has taught Kinesiology and all levels of massage technique classes.
FRONT DESK ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Jackie Warren, Front Desk Administrative Assistant
Jackie is a longtime enthusiast of the healing arts and comes to East West College with nearly a decade of administrative experience in higher education, wellness centers and massage schools. An eternal student, she enjoys being in spaces that nurture growth and is excited to support the EWC students and community at the front desk. Jackie has called Portland home for the last five years and loves exploring the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest. Outside of work, she enjoys tending her budding indoor jungle, gardening, laughing, curling up with a good book, and spending time with dear ones.
Faculty
Tami Apland, LMT #24389
Tami Apland, LMT is a graduate of East West College and has been practicing massage therapy since 2018. Her love for movement and anatomy steps from her background in ballet and many years as a yoga practitioner, teacher, and teacher trainer. Over the years, she has taught many types of yoga, but her truest delight is in studying, learning and teaching about the body. She brings to the classroom a fun and light approach with a genuine enthusiasm for teaching and helping others learn. In her downtime, she enjoys reading non-fiction, cooking, and playing music.
Amy Bennett, LMT #11023, BCSI™
Amy is a 2003 graduate of East West College and joined the EWC faculty in 2006. She completed her Anatomy Trains Structural Integration training and became a Board Certified Structural Integrator (BCSI) in 2013. Amy maintains a private practice in NE Portland where her focus is primarily Structural Integration, Movement Education and teaching a series of advanced continuing education classes for bodywork practitioners. She has taught many core programs and is currently teaching the Structural Bodywork elective. Amy’s focus over the course of her career has been to more comprehensively understand the human body through the study of anatomy and movement and to explore the relational nature of bodywork. When not in her office or the classroom, Amy can be found hiking in both the woods and the city, working in her garden, or simply spending time at home with her husband and two cats reading a book.
Mariana Orantes Blackstone, BA, LMT
Mariana Orantes Blackstone BA, LMT is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College and EWC. Mariana holds a BA in Studio Art – Ceramics and has been an LMT since 2015. Working for chiropractors, spas, and private practitioners, she practices mixing modalities to encourage functional changes toward easy movement and pain relief while the nervous system decompresses. Mariana is passionate about learning through experience as well as with mentors and fellow practitioners. Her approach to bodywork education is to build a strong foundation of technical skills so that every student builds their unique voice and gifts on a base of safe and effective techniques.
Nicole Craigmiles, LMT #23164
Nicole is a graduate of University of Maryland, College Park and East West College. She holds a degree in English literature and has been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2017. She practices many modalities including deep tissue, myofascial release, craniosacral, and cupping. In addition to teaching and massage, Nicole enjoys spending time with her family hiking, biking, camping, and at lakes and rivers.
CURRICULUM COORDINATOR
Sarah Davis, BA, LMT
Sarah earned her Bachelor of Arts from Bard College and received her massage therapy education from Lane Community College. Her professional bodywork studies include geriatric massage, Thai massage, and spa therapies such as aromatherapy and stone massage. Sarah has worked in a variety of massage settings, including her own practice focusing on injury recovery, chronic illness management, on-site and outcall massage, spa therapies and geriatric massage. She is inspired by the dynamic power of massage to facilitate healing of the body, mind, heart and spirit. A perpetual student of the human body and of human relationships, Sarah hopes to inspire in her students the same passion for learning, discovery, and service.
Andrew DelGreco, MBA, LMT
Andrew DelGreco MBA, LMT received a Bachelor of Science from Oregon State University and a Master of Business Administration from University of Portland. He spent a decade as an educator for the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and non-profits in Portland before attending East West College to change careers to massage therapy. Andrew opened his private practice in 2022 and focuses on myofascial release, deep tissue techniques, aromatherapy, and cupping therapy. Outside of bodywork, Andrew spends as much time outside as possible, working in his vegetable garden or enjoying the Oregon coast.
Roz Donovan, ND
Roz Donovan ND is a graduate of EWC and National University of Natural Medicine. Her private practice is located in Tigard, OR where she focuses on the intersection of digestive and mental health. She is a lifelong learner and enjoys passing on her excitement for learning about the body to everyone she meets. She lives in Portland with her partner, her children, their three cats and their corgi. Roz is perpetually attempting to balance the dichotomous loves of outdoor hiking adventures and reading fantastic books.
Eve Eggleston MA, LMT
Eve Eggleston MA, LMT is a graduate of University of Indianapolis and the Indiana Wellness College. They hold a degree in social practice art and have been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2016. Their practice encompasses many modalities including ashiatsu, pregnancy massage, hot stones, and influences of Thai massage. Eve teaches Therapeutic Relationships. Beyond massage and teaching, their favorite activities are training with Parkour Visions, bouldering, figure drawing, wood burning, and taking their cat for walks in parks and around the city.
Monica Fong MS, LMT
Monica Fong MS, LMT received a Master of Science in Human Anatomy from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in 2022 and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Oregon State University. She graduated from EWC in 2018 and practiced prenatal massage, myofascial massage, and sports massage. She is also a yoga instructor and loves to incorporate movement into her Kinesiology and Anatomy & Physiology classes. Outside of teaching, Monica loves to be outdoors, either hiking, being close to the water, or traveling around the world. She also spends her time rock climbing and doing yoga as she believes a healthy lifestyle is the most important thing that brings happiness.
Mary Gunter, AS, LMT #07532
Mary is a graduate of East West College and has been practicing since 2001. Her approach to massage integrates both subtle therapies like craniosacral and lymphatic drainage and more physical Swedish and deep tissue techniques. Mary became a massage educator in 2004 and has been part of East West College’s faculty since 2007, teaching Kinesiology and massage technique courses. She feels that teaching at East West College is a unique and wonderful opportunity to share with students both the science and the art of this amazing field.
Kirstin Hoops, LMT
Kirstin Hoops, LMT is a graduate of East West College and has been practicing massage since 2020. As a therapist, her focus is creating an atmosphere of safety, curiosity, experimentation and collaboration with the intention of facilitating deeper embodiment for her clients. After graduating from EWC, she studied Traditional Thai Bodywork at the Loi Kroh School in Chiang Mai. Her technique is a blend of many modalities, especially myofascial release, craniosacral, and Swedish. She is excited to share her passion with future EWC graduates. When not doing bodywork, Kirstin can be found hiking, playing music, practicing yoga, or snuggling her cat, Cardamom.
Jace Knox, AA, LMT #20606
Jace began his study of manual medicine in 2007 when he became a student of Chinese martial and healing arts under the North American Tang Shou Tao Association. Initially, Jace’s interest was in the fighting arts, but over time the therapeutic aspect of the deeply influenced the path of his life. After having worked as a carpenter, Jace decided that he wanted to be of service in other ways and enrolled at East West College. His experience at EWC broadened his understanding and approach to the work and helped him hone the tools that have made his practice successful. In 2013, he established his practice and his own school of martial arts and manual medicine in North Portland. Jace has deep respect for the potency of the work we can do with our hands, especially when combined with an intentional physical practice to keep us physically and energetically balanced, grounded, and strong. He looks forward to assisting students in forging their own paths into the healing arts.
Marta Lange, BA, LMT #14177
Marta is a graduate of the Evergreen State College and East West College and joined our faculty in 2009. Marta’s approach to bodywork is rooted in her study and practice of hatha yoga, qi gong, mindfulness meditation, and ecstatic dance. She was employed for many years at a chiropractic clinic where she refined her client-centered approach to therapeutic massage and bodywork. Currently Marta has a private practice in NE Portland where she focuses on a variety of Western massage techniques including myofascial, deep tissue and neuromuscular therapy. She has supplemental training in craniosacral therapy, lymphatic massage, and Zen Shiatsu. As an educator, Marta enjoys bringing her experience into the classroom to support each student’s unique learning style and goals. She is passionate about the art and science of massage therapy and its evolving role in complementary healthcare.
Sadie Lira, LMT #25455
Sadie received her massage therapy education from Alaska Career College and has worked as a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2010. Sadie has experience in both spa and chiropractic office settings. Her techniques include sports massage, pregnancy massage, and aromatherapy. She has enjoyed her journey as a massage therapist and is excited to translate her years of experience into lessons for the next generation of massage therapists. Outside of teaching and practicing, Sadie enjoys cooking, hiking and relaxing at home with her husband, and their dog and two cats.
Bobby McMahon, LMT
Bobby McMahon, LMT is a graduate of East West College and has been an LMT since 2021. They practice massage at Loyly in NE Portland, incorporating elements of Swedish massage, myofascial release, neuromuscular therapy, and nervous system relaxation into their sessions. Eager to teach massage since attending EWC, Bobby is excited to facilitate a curious, comprehensive learning environment in which students feel prepared to follow their paths into efficient, effective massage therapy practices.
Maco Monthervil, MS, LMT #27066
Maco is a graduate of East West College and opened his private practice in 2022. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Communications and Media Studies & Practice. Maco’s work is informed by Myofascial Release Therapy, Tui Na, Craniosacral Therapy, and other modalities. He employs these tools while integrating his background in trauma-informed mental health work to support those navigating both physical and emotional pain and discomfort, primarily masculine-identifying folks navigating men’s health issues. Maco is of Haitian-American heritage and was raised in Florida. His interests include music, writing, laughter, history, culture, traveling, emotional health, somatics, the human condition, and working through – or defying – restrictive or harmful cultural standards around “masculinity” and what is means to be a man. He spends time engaging in these as much as possible.
ALUMNI SERVICES COORDINATOR
Anne Nutwell, LMT #22093, Alumni Services Coordinator
Anne Nutwell, BA, LMT had no idea she would eventually become a massage therapist when she attended Gonzaga University to study Psychology. For nearly a decade, she worked in data processing and office administration. In 2015, she realized that she could be a massage therapist instead and attended East West College to achieve that goal. She believes that the skills she developed in her prior career are a gift she can share with other massage therapists to navigate the world of business with less frustration and uncertainty. Her love of learning has inspired her to seek out information about how people learn and she enjoys the reciprocity of working with neurodiverse learners (wo always end up teaching her in return).
Helen Philpot, LMT
Helen Philpot, LMT is a graduate of East West College and has been practicing massage since 2022. She spent ten years in the accounting field before pursuing massage for a more active, healing environment. She works in a chiropractic setting and maintains a small private practice in Portland. She specializes in deep tissue, myofascial, injury care, and sports massage. In her spare time, she enjoys playing soccer, climbing, cycling, or attempting whatever sport has caught her interest that week.
Julie Rhodes, ND
Julie Rhodes ND received her Bachelor of Science from Clarion University where she studied biology and psychology. After an eight-year career in biomedical research at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, she enrolled at National University of Natural Medicine where she completed a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and a Master of Science in Integrative Mental Health. Her naturopathic family practice, Upward Spiral Integrated Health, is located in Vancouver, WA. She applies an integrative and functional medical approach to managing and reversing chronic inflammatory diseases and metabolic dysfunction, as well as using mindfulness-based personal reflective practices paired with LENS neurofeedback and Alpha Stim technologies to support mind-body health.
Kira Rodenbush, LMT #10268
Kira Rodenbush, LMT, graduated from East West in 2002 and has been practicing steadily since. Trained in a variety of modalities, Kira has provided massage in many different environments: from mountaintop retreat centers to urban oases and chiropractic clinics; from postpartum to palliative bedsides and outcall sessions to high-end medical spas. She has spent the last two decades meeting clients exactly where they are. With a background in Theatre Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and a career as an organizing consultant in NYC, Kira moved to Portland to pursue a path as a healer and bodyworker and found her direction and purpose at EWC. She is thrilled to bring her passion for learning about whole person wellness home to East West. In addition to her massage and organizing practice, Kira is also pursuing certifications in Ayurveda and Yoga Teacher Training. She loves chasing the myth of domestic bliss, and when she’s not wrangling her rambunctious household, she loves to let off steam by exercising, dancing, belting karaoke, and doing laundry. Sometimes simultaneously.
Serena Schulz, LMT #25082
Serena Schulz, LMT is an EWC graduate and has her Bachelor of Arts from Portland State University where she double majored in Spanish Literature and Liberal Studies. She identifies as Native American with deep roots to the Willamette and Columbia River Valleys. In her practice, Serena enjoys the integration of spa modalities with muscle energy and sports massage techniques to provide a unique experience for her clients. She is committed to the examination of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of massage therapy, and has a strong desire to increase access to massage in minority and marginalized communities. Serena is an active cyclist and paddler in Portland.
Lauren Swick, LMT #11835
Lauren is a graduate of East West College and has been an LMT since 2005. Lauren practices bodywork and holds CE workshops at her studio in SE Portland. Her focus and passion in her private practice reside in the Traditional Thai Healing Arts and structural bodywork. She feels a depth of gratitude to the teachers with whom she has studied and is excited to open new doors into this vast world for her students.
Robin Tibbals, BS, LMT, CA #16526
Robin graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton with a degree in Environmental Studies. After ten years of working in the field and teaching environmental science to school-age children, she moved to Portland in 2007 and graduated from EWC in 2009. After a year working in a spa, she joined a chiropractic office where she employs a wide variety of modalities including myofascial release, deep tissue, injury recovery, sports and event massage, cupping, and gua sha. Robin has always enjoyed sharing her passions with her students. Whether the topic is macroinvertebrate insects, horseback riding or massage, she strives to share real life experience with her students to help them achieve their goals. On her off-time, she can be found in her garden, hiking, canoeing, or snuggling one of her many animals.
Danika Tkacik, LMT
Danika Tkacik, LMT is a graduate of East West College and has been a massage therapist 2022. Her practice is located in Gresham where she and her team offer a broad spectrum of modalities geared toward treating chronic conditions and acute injury recovery. She teaches Foundations of Massage at EWC and, when not immersed in massage, enjoys knitting and reading.
Jay Williams, BS, LMT, BCSI™
Jay Williams BS, LMT, BCSI received his Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University in 2014 with studies in zoology, chemistry, and business. He graduated from EWC in 2021 and continued his bodywork education by attending the training program at the Soma Institute for Structural Integration in 2023. He is passionate about the holistic approach SI offers and is working to bring more training opportunities for this approach to a variety of communities, including Portland. He maintains his private practice in Oregon City and loves teaching as it provides a deeper understanding of his own knowledge and exploration of the body and movement.
Aradia Willow, LMT
Aradia Willow, LMT brings more than two decades of experience as an LMT and educator to EWC. She has worked in diverse settings throughout her career, including health clinics, high-end spas, and international retreat centers. As the owner of Body Aware Massage in Portland, she built a successful massage business grounded in the belief that when massage therapists are supported and empowered, clients receive the best care and, in turn, the business thrives.
Passionate about sharing her knowledge, Aradia is committed to preparing students for diverse paths, whether they seek employment or want to start their own practices. She is dedicated to supporting the next generation of massage therapists with real-world skills, helping them turn their passion for bodywork into a practical, sustainable, and rewarding lifelong career.
Cyr Zeeberg-Foote, BA, LMT #09230
Cyr is a graduate of Eckerd College and the Suncoast School of Massage. They hold a degree in social work and have been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 1991. Their practice encompasses many modalities including craniosacral therapy, myofascial release, and reflexology. Cyr has been teaching since 2003 and feels the opportunity to teach is a gift. Through teaching, they strive to give back and share their endless sense of awe and fascination with the human body. Cyr enjoys spending their free time with their wife and cats. They love exploring the Pacific Northwest by kayak and hiking trails.