Our Team

Heidi Larwick has over 15 years of experience working with nonprofits and is committed to collaborative processes, strategic visioning, innovative ideas, and sustainable planning. As the Executive Director, Heidi leads with passion, intention, and the belief that we can each make an impact around us. She is committed to creating a community where her two young children will have the opportunity to thrive, and where all children will have equitable access to opportunities. Heidi’s accolades include being a “20 Under 40” winner in 2017, a Register-Guard Innovation and Talent Winner in 2018, a TAO People’s Choice Finalist in 2018 & 2019, and was selected as a Silicon Shire Ambassador in 2020. When she is not breaking down barriers, she enjoys trail running, navigating the local food scene, playing team sports, and creating with her daughter and son.

Michelle Martin has over 25 years of experience as a Program Assistant for Lane ESD. She supports Connected Lane County and its workgroups, as well as managing Lane County truancy services for public schools and homeschool compliance. Michelle provides support to Connected Lane County’s Board of Directors and the many innovative projects and initiatives that Connected Lane County has created. In her free time, she enjoys camping and spending time with her family.

Becky–Jo is passionate about providing students access to educational opportunities. She is a previous volunteer mentor for ASPIRE Oregon, a program of the Oregon Student Assistance Commission, and she has volunteered with Connected Lane County as a Marketing Jam judge and as an event speaker. Becky–Jo served on the board of directors for Downtown Languages from 2017 to 2021 and as the board president from 2019 to 2021. In January 2021, she joined the board of directors for Centro Latino Americano and serves as the board secretary.

A proud Duck, Becky–Jo holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Oregon and a master’s of business administration from Northwest Christian University. She enjoys setting and striving to achieve goals, reading and learning new things, traveling, golfing, cooking, gardening, and spending time outdoors with her husband Josh and two dogs Mufasa and Albus.

Dan came to Connected Lane County with over 15 years of experience in education and community building throughout the Pacific Northwest. Before joining the Elevate team, he spent over six years teaching high school and middle school language arts and social studies in Oregon and Washington State –  helping students understand their own history and tell their own stories. Prior to his teaching career, he served as an organizing, communications, and lobbying representative for several local and national nonprofit organizations and also worked on several statewide and local candidate and ballot measure campaigns

Dan currently lives in the Friendly Area Neighborhood of Eugene, Oregon with his partner, their kiddo, cats, chickens, ducks, and bees. When he’s not coordinating meaningful career-connected learning opportunities for the youth of Lane County, you might find him climbing a bouldering wall, hitting a tennis ball, or playing a musical instrument.

For over three years, Lizzie has been a vibrant, enthusiastic member of the Connected Lane County team. She is a Lane County native, a product of the Eugene 4J school district, and the Spanish Immersion program. Her academic achievements led her to the University of Portland, where she graduated in 2015 with degrees in Spanish and Sociology.

Now a seasoned member of the team, Lizzie’s passion and enthusiasm around equitable access to education for all students has grown stronger than ever. Though she doesn’t have any two-legged children of her own, Lizzie is an active and involved cat-mom to her boys Boomer and Gus. She enjoys going out to the Lane County wineries, biking to summer shows at the Cuthbert, and supporting local restaurants.

As a Project Coordinator, Justin helped bring Spark on 7th to life! He also works toward expanding the reach of digital literacy curriculum in Lane County. Justin brings years of experience coordinating maker spaces and engineering labs and uses hands-on design challenges and curriculum to support Lane County educators and students in exploring STEM curriculum and computer science pathways.

Monica came to Connected Lane County with a bounty of volunteer experience involving youth in various capacities. She has traveled to Mexico and Guatemala on Medical Mission Trips, provided mentorship and tutoring to students in the 4J School District, and served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate of Lane County. Monica has a wealth of medical and pharmaceutical knowledge, with 23 years of combined experience in those industries. She is passionate about providing advocacy for youth in her community. You might catch her exploring the outdoors with her partner, reading, cooking, dancing, or spending time with family, friends, and her two Yorkshire Terriers in her spare time.

Elsa graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communications. A Portland native, she attended French immersion school growing up and has lived in France on and off for a few years. She is passionate about design and art, and in her free time enjoys bouldering, camping, and exploring Lane County’s natural beauty. She also enjoys playing guitar, drawing, trail running, and attending local concerts. She has experience in social media, graphic design, and communications and is excited to connect students to their passions and help set them on meaningful and enjoyable career paths.

Annie has a Masters in Education from the University of Oregon and has always had a passion for empowering and guiding youth. She started her career as a middle school Language Arts teacher, then an elementary Montessori teacher, and is now excited to bring her dedication to community building and youth growth to Connected Lane County. When she isn’t working, she occupies her time by hanging out with her family and fur babies, binging nerdy TV shows, reading sci-fi and fantasy books (and trying to write her own), and drinking lots and lots of tea.

Sean grew up in Northern California and has spent the past decade in San Diego. He has years of experience inside the classroom and is dedicated to making a difference in the Eugene community. When he is not working he loves exploring the area with his dog Payton and loves to cook and tinker with flowers and plants.

As a Peer Support Specialist, Cheyenne uses her lived experience and training to help support those who struggle with navigating everyday life stressors, mental health, psychological trauma, and substance abuse. She has an educational background in Human Development and Family Science and Psychology from Oregon State University. In her free time she enjoys camping, star gazing, and spending time with her two dogs.

Iliana is committed to helping community-based nonprofit organizations increase their financial sustainability while measuring, enhancing, and sharing their impact. In her early career, she supported international nonprofits to crowdfund online and managed donor-advised funds for corporations, family foundations, and individuals. After moving to Eugene, Oregon and completing her master’s degree in nonprofit management at the University of Oregon, she is thrilled to be contributing directly to her new community by bringing her marketing and development skills to Connected Lane County to support youth from diverse backgrounds to gain the confidence and skills they need to thrive in their lives. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, hiking/exploring, and trying new restaurants and food carts with her husband, Hunter, and dog, Rori.