Valley Residential Services Staff

With nearly 200 employees (the vast majority of which are full-time), VRS is one of the largest employers in Walla Walla County. Most of our employees work directly with clients, mainly in the Supported Living program. Our office staff includes:

Nancy Riggle – Executive Director of Valley Residential Services – has held this position since 1984. She began working as the group home administrator of Stonecreek Lodge, administered by the ARC of Walla Walla, in December of 1978. Stonecreek Lodge served 20 clients with intellectual disabilities in the large group home. In 1980, Nancy was instrumental in helping the ARC build one of the first Supported Living programs in Washington State. Nancy currently serves as the Region I South member at large for CRSA (The Community Residential Services Association) and as a Board member for Friends of Children of Walla Walla, a local non-profit agency. She was a participant in the Community Council Affordable Housing Study and has served on two Affordable Housing Task Force SubCommittees. Nancy is also currently serving as a co-chairperson of the Common Roots Housing Trust founding Board. She does volunteer work in Walla Walla as an Adult Friend through the Friends Program. She was a past Board member for the Rising Sun Clubhouse, a private, non-profit corporation that ran a Clubhouse for adults with Mental Health diagnoses. Nancy was a foster mother for 14 years and specialized in working with children with challenging behavioral issues. She adopted five girls from the foster care system and also serves as a mom to her biological, step, and foster children. She considers all of her children her “own” and also has 27 grandchildren. Nancy believes that she “grew up” with VRS and that VRS has been an amazing gift to her throughout the years. She continues to do Parenting Skills Instruction with clients from the Family Support Program and enjoys this direct service work in addition to the many other tasks she does daily at VRS.

Kai Cerulean was born in Indiana but has lived in Walla Walla for most of their life, having spent a few years in the Olympia area and on the big island of Hawaii before coming back to the valley to start a family. They started working for VRS in 2006, serving various VRS clients in their homes around the community as a Direct Support Professional. In October of 2019, they joined the administrative staff team as the new Quality Assurance Manager, where their meticulous attention to detail helps them to hold each home in our agency to a high standard of accuracy and safety. Kai often tells people that working this job has challenged them in ways that have helped them to grow as a person. They continue to find their work at VRS to be deeply rewarding, and they are committed to being a strong advocate and providing quality service for our clients. At home, they enjoy spending time with their children and partner, writing short fiction, playing video games, and consider themself to be a “maker” who dabbles in too many art mediums to list.

Melissa Cuevas-Kelsay started working at Valley Residential Services in 2003. Since that time Melissa has become an integral part of the Administrative team, and a “jack of all trades.” Melissa is known for her outstanding ability to multitask. She is currently a Program Manager in our Supported Living Program and handles the majority of the employee schedules and vacation/sick leave requests. When she isn’t working directly with staff members or peers, Melissa can be found working on anything from agency computers to direct service at clients’ homes assisting with yard care and cleaning. She is passionate about her clients and works to make sure they have all of their various needs met.

Nancy DeLaRosa was hired at Valley Residential Services in 2007. She started as a Visit Supervisor for the Family Support Program and became the Program Manager for that program in 2014. In 2015 Nancy started to help at the VRS front desk as an Administrative Assistant while continuing to coordinate the Family Support visits and supervise the Family Support Visit Supervisors. In September of 2016, she became the office manager in addition to being the program manager for Family Support. Nancy was a foster parent for almost 12 years with over 30 children in her home, adopting 3 of those children. She has 3 grandchildren and enjoys spending time with them.

Jenny Hagey has been with Valley Residential Services since 2004. She started as a direct service staff member working directly with clients and is now a Program Manager overseeing clients and staff members in clients’ homes. She strives to see clients meet their goals and aspirations. One of her favorite pastimes is watching birds and she strives to make her yard a safe place for them to feast. Jenny also likes camping and fishing, and a yearly tradition of going huckleberry picking with the ladies in her family.

Jamie Hart began working for Valley Residential Services in 2002, spending many years serving clients in their homes as a Direct Support Professional. In 2019 she joined the administrative team as a Program Manager for the Supported Living program, providing services to clients who live more independently needing occasional assistance rather than full-time staff.

When Jamie is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, their three kids, and extended family and friends. She enjoys the outdoors, particularly camping, ATVs, and riding horses.

Joyce Light was born in Walla Walla and grew up here, going to local schools. She worked at area nursing homes as a CNA, in-home care, and in frozen food production until starting at VRS in 1995. She started as an Instructor and was promoted to Medical Program Manager in 2004. She has a great fondness for gardening and caring for her animals, especially her dog Lucy. Joyce cares very much about her clients and tries to meet their medical needs with compassion.

Celeste Maddocks received her BS degree in Psychology with a minor in Biology from Walla Walla College. She started working at VRS as a Substitute Instructor in July 1989 and became the Supported Living Program Manager in December that same year. She states that her years at VRS have been very rewarding, challenging, and fun. She feels like her clients and staff members are part of her extended family. Born and raised in Walla Walla Valley, she has had the opportunity to travel to many beautiful places with her family. Kyle and Celeste have been married for 26 years and have 2 amazing teenage boys, Cadyn & Bowyn. She feels that she is following God’s plan for her life and it has been a wondrous experience.

A Valley Residential Services employee since October 2008, Kathleen Mahoney started as direct support staff and in 2010 became a Program Manager. Kathleen likes to organize, write, and visit clients in their homes. Kathleen says she is grateful for all of the staff, residents, and co-workers who have had such a positive impact on her life. At home, she enjoys gardening, sewing, reading, cooking, and spending time with family.

Darla Maldonado started working at VRS as a Direct Support Professional in 2012 before transitioning to Program Manager and Peer Coach Coordinator for the agency. Darla enjoys the diversity of activities her position offers being responsible for four client houses and supporting employee training through the peer coach program.

Darla grew up in St. Helens Oregon, a place she feels is very similar to the Walla Walla Valley in many ways. Family is everything to Darla and she is proud to have 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. When not at work she keeps busy with a variety of crafts and taking care of her two very mature dogs.

Kerry McEwen started working for Valley Residential with Family Support Program in 2009 before transitioning into the Veteran’s Corps of Recovery and Discovery Program in May 2012. Kerry has been married for 36 years to Jim McEwen. Together they have raised 4 children, Jessica, Zach, Eli, and Jaima, owned Smith Insulation, and managed/owned rental properties. They also restore old houses to be put back on the Historical Registry. Jim is a native of Walla Walla and they have lived together in Walla Walla since 1992.

Kimberly Niemeyer is a Program Manager for Valley Residential Services. Kim began her career at VRS in 2002 working as a direct service staff member, caring for and teaching life skills to the Supported Living clients. She transitioned to the Activities Director supporting the agency’s mission of integration and assisting in organizing and facilitating our clients’ attendance at hockey games, concerts, movies, bowling, and other community events. She also coordinated club meetings, helping clients build relationships and improve integration within the community. Kim is a CPR/ First Aid Instructor at VRS and participates in supporting training tasks within the agency.

Kim enjoys spending time with friends and family, camping/hiking, and traveling. When she isn’t working Kim is busy with seemingly never-ending projects at home.

Kathryn Pellet has been with Valley Residential Services since 2010. Kathryn started in our Family Support program before switching positions to the front reception area.

Tamara “Tami” Paul, MSW is a Program Manager for the Supported Living program at VRS and the organizer for the community adult DDA cooking class. Tami began working at VRS in 1999, starting as a training instructor for DDA-supported living. She worked directly with individuals experiencing behavior challenges and those who were medically fragile. As a direct staff, she was nominated by a supervisor for the CSRA direct staff professional yearly achievement. Tami has also received a commendation letter from a client’s guardian for her work assisting the client.

Nidia Ramirez began her employment with Valley Residential Services in August 2001, as an Administrative Assistant. In 2010 she was promoted to Finance Manager, where her duties include Payroll, Accounts Payable and Receivable, and personnel management. Nidia has a BA degree in Accounting, and that is a definite asset when handling her job responsibilities, as there are nearly 200 staff members employed by VRS! Nidia is very devoted to her two daughters and her extended family, and she enjoys traveling. Nidia feels that she is just one of the wonderful people that have been responsible for the success of Valley Residential Services.

Valley Residential Services hired Jeff Randall as a Human Resources Specialist in 2021. Jeff grew up in Eastern Washington and moved to the area in 1987 to attend Walla Walla College. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Public Relations Jeff first worked in Educational Recruitment before transitioning to Internet Property Development, and finally Live Event Management.

Jeff married his lovely wife Amanda in 1994 and together they raised daughter Sydney and son Shaye to become functioning members of society. When not at work Jeff and Amanda spend as much time as possible at the Columbia River with their dogs, Bella the excitable Boston Terrier, and French Bullgod River.

Genesis Robles works as a Client Medical Manager at Valley Residential Services. Like many people on the administrative staff, Genesis began working in client houses as a Direct Support Professional before transitioning to On-call Manager and then Medical Manager. No day is ever the same at VRS and Genesis enjoys that there is something to learn with every new situation that pops up.

When not working Genesis enjoys working out, reading, meditating, relaxing with his dogs, and spending time with loved ones.

Cassandra Studer was hired by VRS in June 1994 in an Instructor position, where she soon developed a love and passion for working with people with disabilities. This passion evolved into an 11-year career managing and advocating for the sometimes serious medical and mental health needs of these individuals. She furthered this advocacy by moving into a training position, with the hope of increasing the quality of the lives of our Supported Living clients. She hires and trains instructors in Supported Living with a hospitable and enthusiastic attitude. Family is the most important thing to her, and her involvement with VRS and the numerous challenging scenarios allow her to be a more caring and understanding wife, mom, grandma, and support person to people that need a little “life.”

Kyle Wiberg started working with VRS in 2019 coming off of a deployment with the US Army. Kyle was hired as program and case manager for the GPD-CM program, a new program developed by the VA to provide case management to veterans and their families, regardless of income, to prevent homelessness. While in this program Kyle has partnered with the VA in running a pilot partnership with HUD/VASH, and the success of this partnership resulted in the VA developing a new nationwide grant providing much greater access to the vouchers needed to get homeless veterans housed. Kyle grew up in Utah and moved to and fell in love with Washington when the Army moved him to the state. In the military, Kyle started as a counterintelligence agent and later become a chaplain where he continues to serve in the Army Reserves.

Kyle and his wife Catherine, along with their three children, also run a small ranch where they raise and train miniature horses to become service animals. Kyle is completing his Ph.D. degree in motivational psychology and has a passion for helping people. He and his wife have taught communication and relationship classes for the Army since 2007. The GPD-CM program and the Pilot program serve the Walla-Walla, Benton, Franklin, and Yakima counties.