Residential Staff

Nick received his BS with a focus on Human Biology from Michigan State University. During this time, he worked at a resort in Northern Michigan as a professional ski and snowboard instructor and also in Big Sky, Montana where he specialized as a freestyle ski coach. His love for adventure and the outdoors coupled with zeal toward hospitality has brought him to pursue various interests including SCUBA/freediving, mountain biking, and many other outdoor activities. For nearly five years Nick worked at an outdoor behavioral health program on the Big Island of Hawaii. He began as a program guide and shifted his focus to training the next generation of guides as a supervisor. He eventually transitioned to the role of Adolescent Program Manager, helping oversee daily operations and working closely with his Field Manager team. He has a passion for whole-person wellness and its clinical implications and sees nature as a creative canvas that helps motivate others to realize their potential. Nick spent his childhood in the Czech Republic and learned to ski from a young age while visiting his grandparents in Switzerland. He fell in love with the mountains and nature, and realized that he wanted to find a way to inspire others in an outdoor setting. He is glad to use his passion for working with students through teaching and creating magical moments through the Chrysalis adventure program.

Jennifer was born at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. When Jennifer was a few months old her family moved to Texas, where she was raised amongst a huge family. In 2004 she married her husband, Tim, and together they raised six amazing children.  In 2015 Jennifer and her family took a big family vacation to Montana and fell in love. In 2017 Jennifer was able to transfer with her current management job to Kalispell, Montana, and moved her family to the small town of Eureka to live. Shortly after arriving in Eureka, she heard of Chrysalis and toured the campus, met some of the amazing staff, and heard of all the life changing work that was done here. She knew she had found her calling. Finally in May of 2018, Jennifer started working at Chrysalis as a part time Youth Mentor and quickly moved up to Supervisor, and is currently the Cottage Residential Manager. Jennifer loves to share her passion for crafts and cooking with the girls and has an even bigger passion for helping our students have a comfortable and loving experience with their stay at Chrysalis.

Family is a top priority to Jennifer, and her mission is to make the house feel like a home as much as possible for students. When not at work, Jennifer can be found making something crafty, spending time with her family, or curled up with an enjoyable book.  

Melissa (Missy) brings fifteen years of mentoring youth – and the staff that supports them — to her role as Residential Manager of Transition House. She holds the young women enrolled at Transition House to high standards, as she knows them to be fully capable of meeting those standards. Her deepest joy is to lead a program that is helping these young women recognize their irreplaceable value to their families and to society.

After college, Missy ran a residential program in Massachusetts for fourteen girls in the state’s foster-care system, a position that required her to ensure the safety of both children and staff. She was also program director for a camp in Massachusetts, directly overseeing the special-needs campers, as well as director of a recreational program in Maryland serving adults and youth with medical and developmental differences.

In her free time Missy enjoys being with family and friends, biking, and traveling.