Our Team

Debbie comes to the Center for Community Counseling with over 30 years’ experience working in nonprofits with a focus on serving vulnerable populations. She worked with Children’s Cove on Cape Cod to take a grant funded program to a fully-fledged Child Advocacy Center. Debbie was there for ten years before becoming the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters. The organization grew substantially under Debbie’s 7 years of leadership becoming one of the top producing agencies nationally for Savers/Value Village. After moving to Portland, Debbie became the Executive Director of Africa Bridge, a nonprofit headquartered in Portland and serving vulnerable children and families in Tanzania. Before joining CCC she also served as CEO of Southern Oregon Aspire in Grants Pass, OR.

When the opportunity opened at CCC for a new Executive Director Debbie was moved by our mission. “I am so excited to be joining the Center for Community Counseling! The mission of CCC is so compelling and the work is so rewarding; Transforming Lives and Healing Relationships is truly exciting! I look forward to helping CCC maintain its excellence in service delivery and grow to serve more people in ways we have not yet begun to imagine.

Nasim holds a Master’s of Social Work and a Master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in nonprofit management from New Mexico Highlands University. Nasim came to CCC with over a decade of experience in providing psychotherapy to adults and children; supervision and leadership; public presentations and class lectures.

I love working for CCC. It is the first time in my career that I have the opportunity to work alongside therapists and volunteers who are not burnt out by the demands of insurance; together we are able to focus on the needs of their clients. When I am not in the office, I am spending time with my family or enjoying the wonderful outdoor experiences Eugene has to offer.

Shawna brings over 20 years of experience across healthcare, housing advocacy, and nonprofit operations. With a background that spans emergency nursing, conflict mediation, and organizational leadership, she specializes in helping mission-driven teams strengthen their internal systems to better serve the community. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, an associate’s degree in Nursing, a graduate certificate in Conflict Mediation from the University of Oregon School of Law, and a certificate in Project Management. She’s especially passionate about using data analytics and operational efficiency to create structures that support equity, accountability, and impact.

Shawna currently serves on the Board of Directors for Willamette Valley Crisis Care, supporting the development of community-based mental health response systems in Lane County. She’s excited to bring her skills and values-driven approach to CCC’s mission of healing and connection. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, rock collecting, and exploring Oregon’s back roads.

Nasim Talebreza-May, MBA, CSWA
Clinical Program Manager

Shawna Heurgue,
Administrative Support Specialist

Yvette Murray,
Grant Writer

Debbie Saunders,
Executive Director

Yvette has over 20 years of experience in grants development, human resources, and research administration within the higher education, non-profit and corporate sectors. She has worked for major corporations such as The Sports Authority, DirecTV Latin America, Pepsi, and DHL Express/Deutsche Post Consulting.

Yvette holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Florida International University with a concentration in Global Jewish Studies. Her targeted skillset in grant writing, research, and strategic fundraising has allowed her to successfully leverage and raise funds for programs in the fields of education, healthcare, renewable energy, technology, social services, and many more.

In her free time, Yvette loves spending time with friends and family, enjoying Florida’s beaches, attending music concerts and sporting events, exercising, blogging, traveling, and giving back to the community. She is passionate about health and wellness, environmental causes, child and animal welfare, and social justice. Through the years she has served on several boards related to these causes.

With over 15 years of experience in the tech industry, Jillian brings a strong background in project management and strategic planning to her role as Fundraising Event Coordinator. Passionate about expanding access to mental health services, she was drawn to the Center for Community Counseling’s mission of making mental health services more accessible to all. Outside of her work, Jillian enjoys spending time with her family. hiking, paddle boarding, and traveling—always finding time to recharge outdoors.

Jillian Munro, Fundraising Event Coordinator