Coordinators

Amber Mirko, Coordinator

Amber began her career at Community Interface Services shortly after graduating from San Diego State University. With a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Counseling and Social Change, she knew that she wanted to use that knowledge and work closely with the community to make a lasting impact in people’s lives. Amber started as a Day Your Way resource counselor and moved into a Day Your Way coordinator position a year later. Her focus in life is to love others and continue finding ways to make a difference.

Breana Shockley, Coordinator

Shortly before receiving her master’s degree in human resource management from Colorado State University, Breana knew that helping individuals with developmental disabilities was her true passion and began the search of finding an organization that reflected her beliefs. After applying with Community Interface Services in 2019, she quickly found that she enjoyed working for all departments offered at CIS, including DYW, IL, ILT, and SE. After working in the field for a year and a half, Breana was promoted to CCE coordinator where she has the pleasure of working with each member of her team to continue to foster growth in each participant they serve through community-based activities and fostering meaningful relationships with their natural supports. Breana is excited about her future with Community Interface Services and hopes to continue to make a difference every day!  

Carly Calica, Coordinator

Carly Hintz graduated from San Diego State University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in social psychology. Throughout her time in college, she was an intern for the  San Diego County Office of Emergency Services and for the National Conflict Resolution Center. Her passion for working with individuals and supporting others in the community grew. Carly began working with Community Interface Services in 2017 as a resource counselor for DYW and IL and was promoted ten months later to a CIT Coordinator position. As a coordinator, she enjoys working as a team and assisting individuals in achieving their personal goals. She is excited about the future of Community Interface Services and looks forward to being able to provide services to even more individuals.

Danielle Diaz, Coordinator

Danielle graduated from California State University of San Marcos with a Bachelor’s degree in   Indigenous Anthropology with an emphasis in Ethnobotany and Spanish. She has collaborated with indigenous communities in Southern California, Baja California, and in Quito, Ecuador in creating collaborative medical practices to address health disparities, as well as identifying ways to enhance the lives of individuals living with developmental disabilities within their community. Danielle joined the Community Interface Services team in 2017 as a resource counselor and was promoted to a coordinator position in 2019. Danielle hopes to be able to put into practice the skills, experience, and guidance she gained from the members of the communities to better serve individuals who choose Community Interface Services to be part of their team.

Danielle Visscher, Coordinator

Danielle graduated with her bachelor’s in psychology from Cal State Fullerton in 2015. She has always had a passion for community-based, non-profit work. Prior to joining Community Interface, she worked as a Program Facilitator with Girls INC. where she led an after-school program for girls ranging from first through fifth grade. After moving to San Diego from Huntington Beach, Danielle found Community Interface Services and started as a Resource Counselor. After seven months, she was quickly promoted to a DYW/IL/SE Program Assistant and then Day Your Way Coordinator a year later. Danielle says, " I really enjoy being part of something that is bigger than myself and leaves the world as a better place." 

Emma Davis, Coordinator

Emma graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2019 with a bachelor’s in Business Management Economics. During her undergrad, Emma was a teacher’s assistant in Mandarin and sustainable engineering courses. Emma was drawn to CIS because of the unique nature of the work, and the CIS culture. Emma began her career at Community Interface Services in 2020 after having a diverse background in the fields of engineering, music, and digital marketing. She utilized these skills in her position as an Independent Living resource counselor, and was promoted to a Coordinator position in Day Your Way in 2021. 

Jennie Perez, Coordinator

Having earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Cal State San Marcos, Jennie knew that helping individuals with developmental disabilities was the career path she wanted to pursue. After joining Community Interface Services in 2016, she has been fortunate to work alongside numerous individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, and other community agencies. Jennie began as a Resource Counselor in the Day Your Way program and was most recently promoted to Coordinator in Independent Living and Supported Employment. “Helping enhance the lives of people with developmental disabilities by promoting and encouraging self-advocacy, independence, and community inclusion is what I strive for every day”. Jennie is excited to continue being a part of the CIS family and making a positive impact in other peoples lives.

Jessica Vasquez, Coordinator

Jessica Vasquez joined Community Interface Services as a Coordinator for the Day Your Program in August of 2022. She has a Bachelor's degree in English from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and a Master's degree in Counseling from California Lutheran University. While the majority of her previous work experience has been in the realm of education, especially for low-income, first-generation students, her years of providing educational counseling and teaching Personal Development courses in community colleges has provided her a unique set of skills that applies to the various needs of the individuals CIS serves. Working for a non-profit organization has always been a goal for Jessica, and she is happy to take part in helping individuals with disabilities reach their fullest potential and truly become integrated in their communities. 

Kate Garcia, Coordinator

Kate began her career with Community Interface Services in 2019 after her sister, and CIS participant, pushed her to apply... her sister was right; it was a great fit for her! Prior to joining the team at Community Interface Services, Kate worked for about 10 years at various school districts in the Special Education field. Working at a non-profit was always something she strived to make happen but she hadn't found "the right fit" until she started at CIS as a CCE Resource Counselor. A few years later Kate was promoted to CCE Coordinator where she continues to serve and foster the relationships and progress made with participants. Kate's passion is to assist individuals in forming meaningful relationships and reaching their personal goals in life even through the smallest of steps.

McKenzie Reynolds, Coordinator

McKenzie began her career with CIS in 2015 as a resource counselor in the Community Integration Training (CIT) department before being promoted to Supported Living coordinator in 2017. Through high school, McKenzie worked in several odd jobs such as: milking cows, building fences, leatherwork, and as a certified nurse’s assistant (CNA). After moving to sunny California from Idaho, she worked as a CNA for several years before working for the San Diego Sheriff’s department as a corrections deputy. McKenzie dreamt of a job where she could truly make a difference and is proud to say that working for Community Interface Services is her dream job! McKenzie graduated from California State University-San Marcos with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

Melissa Varela, Coordinator

Melissa graduated from UC San Diego with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a specialization in Human Health. While in univeristy Melissa worked for two years in a psychology research lab for UC PreLinks, a project to develop curriculum for preschoolers to develop an interest in reading. She found that she really enjoyed working with students with disabilities and wanted to work in a non-profit organization. She was excited to join Community Interface Services after her graduation and began in 2017 as a resource counselor for Day Your Way. She quickly found an interest in working for all departments including CCE, IL, ILT, SE, and Respite. She became a lead resource counselor to help welcome new staff members and also volunteered to work special projects with SSF. Melissa became a Day Your Way program assistant in 2019 and has since promoted to join Supported Living as a coordinator in 2022. She is looking forward to continue to grow and contribute to the CIS mission to making meaningful everyday impacts in the community. 

Yvette Scarcella, Coordinator

In 2013 shortly after earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development from Cal State San Marcos, Yvette Scarcella joined the Community Interface Services team as a Resource Counselor in the Community Integration Training (CIT) department. During this time, she learned how much she enjoys building relationships, making a positive impact, and helping those to meet their personal goals. Yvette was promoted to CIT Coordinator in 2016. As Coordinator she is able to tackle new challenges all while still working with the individuals she loves. Yvette thoroughly believes in the mission of CIS and aims to apply it to her daily interactions.