Pierce County Staff

Our Staff

We have developed a culture of collaboration and learning at Trillium. You may have a primary point of contact, but behind the scenes, our teams work together to combine strengths and provide quality services. Each member of the team brings a diverse personal and professional background that we hope meets the needs of the businesses and clients we serve.

LeEllen Ferguson

Program Manager

She/her pronouns
LeEllen Ferguson has been with Trillium since 2012. Her personal and professional journey has prepared her for a career as an employment advocate. At University of Washington, Tacoma, LeEllen’s interests gravitated towards social service and education courses. Her ability to connect with her clients is the hallmark of her success. Before joining Trillium in 2012, LeEllen worked with special needs individuals as a Para-educator in the Tacoma School District where she focused on the unique qualities each person offers. LeEllen is passionate about listening to her client’s interests so she can be their voice in the business community and empower them with jobs that support their ambitions. LeEllen holds the Employment Professional Certificate.

Call:253-446-7510Write:LeEllen@trillium.org

Julie Kunnen

Michele Hernandez

Assistant Program Manager

She/her pronouns
Michele has a passion for working with people with disabilities. She graduated in 2008 with a BA in Communications from the University of Washington and has mainly worked within the sales sector of the Kent community. She has an extensive background in the human resources field, customer service, and sales training, where she saw first-hand the positive contribution supported employment provides. All these experiences led Michele to a position as an Employment Consultant at Trillium. Michele enjoys building new relationships, as well as teaching and supporting individuals to learn and grow. She is excited to work with local business and adults with developmental disabilities to create and inclusive community where individuals can work on their employment skills. Michele holds the Employment Professional Certificate.

Call:253-446-7510Write:MicheleH@trillium.org

Rick Aasen

Senior Employment Consultant

He/him pronouns
Rick Aasen has been with Trillium since August 31st, 2012. His passion is working with School Districts in Pierce County and their School to Work Transition Programs for students with developmental disabilities. Rick has appreciated the opportunity to lead Trillium Pierce’s School to Work Team.

Rick takes immense pride in finding paid employment for people with developmental disabilities. He finds jobs that people enjoy and are successful performing. He believes that businesses and communities are stronger when they support inclusiveness. He thinks its amazing what wonderful things people are capable of with just a little assistance. Rick taught for seven years in Special Education before beginning his career with Trillium.

Rick is part of a talented team in Pierce County. He believes their team makes remarkable things happen for both the people they serve and the community they live in.

Rick is a graduate of Washington State University. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in both Communications (Public Relations) and Sociology (Human Resources). He received his Special Education Teachers Certification from Pacific Lutheran University. Rick holds the Employment Professional Certificate.

Call:253-446-7510Write:Rick@trillium.org

Linda Norlin

Senior Employment Consultant

She/her pronouns
Linda has lived in Washington for most of her life, residing in Arizona for two years and eventually moved back to the Pacific Northwest (where she calls home). For four years, she was self-employed and worked independently with people with disabilities as a caregiver. She enjoys working one-on-one with each individual and working with families. During her time working in Respite Care, she had the opportunity to work with a Trillium client and was enriched by this experience; this interaction encouraged her to pursue the field. Supported employment is a way she can help clients work toward independence. Linda is motivated by how independence enriches the lives of her clients and enjoys seeing the difference an inclusive workforce is making in the community. In her free time, she loves road trips, picnics, hiking outdoors, exploring the woods and visiting the ocean. Linda holds the Employment Professional Certificate.

Call:253-446-7510Write:Linda@trillium.org

Danielle Clark

Rebecca Grout

Carlos Salas

Tina Marsden

Jody DeSmedt

Janet Lampman

Employment Consultant

She/her pronouns
Janet Lampman, originally from California, has been calling Puyallup, Washington home since 2011. Her educational journey led her to Pierce Community College where she received a General Studies Associate’s degree in 2019 before transferring to Western Washington University where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in history in 2021. During this time she picked up a handful of customer service jobs where she learned how to interact with customers in a professional manger. While at community college she worked at the Puyallup School district as a substitute paraeducator and a special education paraeducator for two years. This is where she discovered a passion for working with people with disabilities. Janet was introduced to Trillium at a virtual career fair at WWU. Through learning about the company and attending their meetings she saw how Trillium helped people gain independence and find joy in working and wanted to be a part of the journey for others. After graduating Western Washington University she began working with Trillium as an Employment Consultant in 2021.

Call:(253) 446-7510Write:Janet.Lampman@trillium.org

Cynthia Kaku

Kynneth Palencia

Employment Consultant

She/her pronouns
Kynneth Palencia was born and raised in Colombia. She moved to the United States at age 17. She began to study Psychology and Anthropology at Arizona State University in 2011. While going to Arizona State she worked as a caregiver taking care of the elderly and attending to their needs. After finishing her B.A. in Anthropology, she moved to Washington where she began studying for a graduate certificate in Management of Nonprofit Organizations at the University of Illinois- Springfield. During that time, she worked as a paraprofessional in a K-12 school for children on the Autism Spectrum. She was the teacher’s aide for the kindergarten through first grade class. After completing the graduate certificate, she found Trillium’s mission compelling, inspiring conviction to integrate adults with disabilities into the workforce. Trillium's mission, focus, and values of supported employment matched some of her skills. She began working as an Employment Consultant in 2021 and is committed to inclusive communities and client development. In her free time Kynneth enjoys reading, hiking, running, sewing, and sometimes painting.

Call:(253) 446-7510Write:Kynneth.Palencia@Trillium.orgLanguage(s):Spanish

Andren Mayoyo

Employment Consultant

He/him pronouns
Andren Mayoyo was born and raised in the island of Guam. He earned a Bachelors degree from the University of Guam in Criminal Justice with a minor in Public Administration in 2015. He moved to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania to pursue better opportunities and shortly after was hired by the U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons as a law enforcement officer. A few years later he received a promotional transfer to Seattle in the summer of 2018 and has lived there since. While most of his experience is in law enforcement, what drew him to Trillium is their culture of inclusion and development. He believes that the success of an organization starts off with the people.

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family and making memories. He also loves to longboard and fish.

Call:(253) 446-7510Write:Andren.Mayoyo@Trillium.org

Michelle Holmquist

Employment Consultant

She/her pronouns
Michelle is from Buckley, Washington and currently resides in Orting with her husband and two teenage sons. She has worked with people with health conditions or impairments for over ten years. She has helped people with disabilities overcome barriers and promote their independence in many aspects of their lives while working for The Department of Social and Health Services. Michelle was introduced to Trillium by a close friend who had loved being a part of the team. She was thrilled at the opportunity to be involved in serving clients in the community and educating others on inclusive employment. In her free time Michelle likes to spend time at home with her family and loves cooking new recipes and baking.

Call:(253) 985-3035Write:michelle.holmquist@Trillium.org

Our Staff

LeEllen Ferguson

Julie Kunnen

Michele Hernandez

Rick Aasen

Linda Norlin

Danielle Clark

Rebecca Grout

Carlos Salas

Tina Marsden

Jody DeSmedt

Janet Lampman

Cynthia Kaku

Kynneth Palencia

Andren Mayoyo

Michelle Holmquist

William Jividan