BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
MARCIE RHEE (FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Marcie Rhee, PT, DPT, PCS is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She graduated from the University of Southern California in 1999 with a clinical doctorate in Physical Therapy. Marcie is a board certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric physical therapy, a distinction she earned in 2005. She started her Pediatrics career at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center evaluating and treating children on the acute rehabilitation service primarily with brain injuries and spinal cord injuries and broadened her Pediatric experience while at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach on the inpatient acute service, acute rehabilitation service and outpatient clinics including the rehabilitation clinic and cystic fibrosis clinics. She spent 6 years working exclusively in early intervention during which time she completed comprehensive developmental evaluations for thousands of infants and toddlers to assist with eligibility determination for the Early Start program. Marcie has been dedicated to working with children for her entire career and is the founder and director of Kids in Motion Pediatric Therapy. She is exceptionally proud of the dedicated and talented group of Kids in Motion therapists and Admin team she has assembled. She is passionate about helping every child meet his or her full potential using an evidence based, family centered approach that focuses on parent participation and an emphasis on play. Marcie has two sons and in her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children, traveling and experiencing life’s adventures, and enjoying the company of friends and family.
MONICA BRAGANZA (HR AND COMPLIANCE DIRECTOR)
Monica Braganza is the HR and Compliance Director, having previously served as the Office Manager and School Based Services Coordinator at Kids in Motion. She graduated as a Licensed Vocational Nurse in 2008, where she developed a strong passion for working with children. She joined Kids in Motion in 2012 and is proud to be a part of a team that helps promote continual growth and progress to children in the community. Outside the office, she loves going to the movies, going on trips and experiencing outdoors with friends and family.
JACKIE BRESNAHAN (CLINICAL MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR)
Jackie Bresnahan, M.S., OTR/L earned her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy 2012 from Tufts University. She joined Kids in Motion in 2016 and has served as the Occupational Therapy Clinical Manager for several years. She is now the Clinical Management Director leading all 3 clinical teams (PT/OT/ST).
TIFFANY GALLEGOS (SCHOOL BASED SERVICES DIRECTOR)
Tiffany Gallegos is the School Based Services Director, having previously served as the Scheduling Manager at Kids in Motion for 7 years. Prior to Kids in Motion, she worked in an Urgent Care facility near LAX as the physical therapy clerk. That is where she became interested in Physical Therapy and decided to start pursuing a career as a Physical Therapy Assistant. She is currently attending Long Beach City College and plans to transfer to Cerritos College for the Physical Therapy assistant program. Tiffany loves working in a pediatric setting and seeing the amazing impact therapy has on children and their families. When Tiffany is not at Kids in Motion, she enjoys spending time with her niece and socializing with friends.
TIFFANY “TJ” LORENZANA (DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS)
Tiffany “TJ” Lorenzana has been a part of the Kids in Motion family since January 2017. She is the Director of Operations, having previously served as the Intake Coordinator and Front Office Receptionist. She graduated from Marymount California University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences. TJ has previous experience in customer service/management and strives to make each and every family served at Kids in Motion feel at home. Her favorite part of the job is seeing the kids each day and getting to know all the amazing families.
SILVIA GUTIERREZ (BILLING AND COLLECTIONS DIRECTOR)
Silvia Gutierrez is the Billing and Collections Director at Kids in Motion. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development with a Minor in Child Development from California State University Long Beach. She first joined Kids in Motion in 2010 as a volunteer, becoming an Administrative Assistant shortly after that. Through hard work and dedication she has worked her way up to Billing and Collections Manager, a position she has held since 2012. Her motivation to start volunteering at Kids in Motion came from having a younger brother with special needs. She is the mother of an adorable little girl. When she is not at Kids in Motion, Silvia enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, playing soccer, and watching movies.
ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM:
SHERRY ABBOUD (FRONT OFFICE RECEPTIONIST)
EMILY BERTULANO (FRONT OFFICE RECEPTIONIST)
LISA GUTIERREZ (COLLECTIONS SPECIALIST)
FELINA MARTINEZ (INTAKE COORDINATOR)
KAYLA NAVARRO (SCHEDULING COORDINATOR)
CRISTINA ORTEGA (FRONT OFFICE RECEPTIONIST)
JOSLYNN TOGIOLA (AUTHORIZATIONS SPECIALIST/ COLLECTIONS SPECIALIST)
Joslynn Togiola initially joined Kids in Motion as a Front Office Receptionist in 2020, transitioned into the role of Front Office Administrative Assistant and now serves as a Collections and Authorizations Specialist. She has previous experience in customer service, including working at a children’s club. In her free time, Joslynn loves spending time with her nephew and spending time with her loved ones.
RUBY RIVERA (COLLECTIONS SPECIALIST)
PHYSICAL THERAPISTS:
RACHEL DERIAN (PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINICAL MANAGER)
Rachel Derian, PT, DPT is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Virginia in 2013 and her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California in 2016. She first discovered her passion for working with children as a volunteer at UVA Children’s Hospital, and has been working in pediatric settings throughout her career. She is thrilled to work with the Kids in Motion team to help children and their families achieve their goals. In her spare time, Rachel enjoys rock climbing, gardening, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
CARLY FRANCIS (PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINICAL MANAGER)
Carly Francis, PT, DPT is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California. She has pediatric experience in the outpatient clinic and school settings, working with kiddos between the ages of 1 month to 18 years of age. Carly discovered her passion for working with children during high school, while volunteering at a camp for children with special needs. She is excited to be a part of the Kids in Motion team and to help children reach their full potential while having a lot of fun!
SARA MCMILLAN (SCHOOL BASED PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINICAL MANAGER AND ADMINISTRATIVE LEAD)
Sara McMillan, PT, DPT,PCS is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatrics. She earned her BS in Biomedical Science at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO and her clinical doctorate in physical therapy from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO. Sara first fell in love with helping children as a figure skating coach in St. Louis, MO, where she worked with children aged 2 and older. Sara has experience working in the outpatient clinic, early intervention, and school based settings. Sara is excited to be working with children and families in the Southern California area and is dedicated to helping children gain confidence and reach their goals.
THÉRÈSE WILLIS (PHYSICAL THERAPY AMINISTRATIVE LEAD)
Thérèse Willis, PT, DPT is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sports Science with an emphasis in Pre-Physical Therapy from the University of Kansas in 1995 and her clinical doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California in 2000. She has been working in the pediatric setting throughout her career. She has worked with infants, toddlers, children and adolescents with varying developmental, neuromuscular, orthopedic, genetic and cardiopulmonary diagnoses in a clinic setting and as a staff physical therapist with California Children Services. In addition, she has provided in-home physical therapy intervention to infants and toddlers through Regional Center’s Early Start Program. She joined the Kids in Motion Pediatric Therapy team in 2010 with enthusiasm to work closely with children and their families to assist each child in achieving his or her optimal potential.
EVA CICCODICOLA
Eva Ciccodicola, PT, DPT is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from Boston University and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California. She has experience in inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient clinic settings working with children of varying diagnoses and ages. Eva shares her time between clinical treatment at Kids in Motion and completing research at the Motion and Sports Analysis Lab at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She is excited to be part of the Kids in Motion team to help children and families return to the things they love!
SARAH CURIEL
Sarah Curiel, PT, DPT, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Integrative Biology and Psychology from the University of California Berkeley and her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Southern California. She has experience in inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient clinic setting and received training at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Kids in Motion during her graduate studies. Sarah was a competitive gymnast from elementary school through college, and also has over 8 years of experience coaching children and young adults of all ages in the sport. This was how she first discovered her passion for helping kids reach their dreams. She is very excited to be at Kids in Motion and contribute to such a positive, inspiring, and fun environment geared towards helping every child achieve their goals!
MADDIE DAVIS
STEPHANIE DAGNINO
LAURA DELGADO
Laura Delgado, PT, DPT is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Sciences from the Loyola Marymount University in 2014 and her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Western University of Health Sciences in 2020. She discovered her passion for working with children as a counselor for a summer camp for inner city, underprivileged children in Los Angeles. Since graduation, she has been working in the outpatient pediatric and acute adult settings. She is thrilled to work in the South Bay with the Kids in Motion team to help children and their families achieve their goals and improve the way they move. In her free time, Laura enjoys reading, traveling, hiking, spending time with her family, friends, and dog Jackson, and planning her wedding.
MONA ESLAMANIAN
Mona Eslamian, PT, DPT graduated with her B.S. in Kinesiology from Cal State Northridge and went on to receive her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. During her time there, she volunteered with the homeless population at Union Rescue Mission and with young athletes at The Special Olympics. Mona is passionate and experienced with various populations from pediatrics to geriatrics and is trained in both land and aquatic therapy. She is a first-generation Iranian-American and a South Bay local who’s hobbies include biking, hiking, yoga, and spending quality time with friends and family. She is excited to be a part of the Kids in Motion team to help children and their families meet their goals in a fun, safe, and supportive environment.
SARA MOLINA
DANI SANCHEZ
Daniella Sanchez, PT, DPT is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She earned her B.S. in Kinesiology from San Diego Christian College and earned her clinical doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine in San Diego. During her graduate studies she received training at Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital. Daniella played volleyball throughout high school and college as well as coached young girls which is how she discovered her love for pediatric physical therapy. In her free time she enjoys being outdoors and can generally be found with her dog at the beach. Daniella is so excited to be part of a team and add to the positive, fun, and energetic environment at Kids in Motion Therapy.
ELLIE UNDERHILL
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS:
ALISSA BRENNAN (OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY CLINICAL MANAGER)
Alissa Brennan, OTD, OTR/L, earned her clinical doctoral degree from Northern Arizona University in Phoenix, AZ. She pursued a career in occupational therapy after observing her mother working as a physical therapist with children in the school system. She was born and raised in the Phoenix desert and recently moved to Redondo Beach in January. Prior to moving, she worked at an outpatient pediatric clinic with children with a variety of diagnoses. She is passionate about making each child feel independent, capable, and confident to complete important tasks in their everyday lives.
JACKIE BRESNAHAN (OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY CLINICAL MANAGER)
Jackie Bresnahan, M.S., OTR/L, RYT earned her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy 2012 from Tufts University. Jackie specializes in Feeding Therapy and DIR Floortime. She is committed to ongoing professional development, and has completed many courses including SOS Approach to Feeding, Get Permission Approach to Feeding, Handwriting Without Tears, and DIR Floortime. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher and an AOTA certified fieldwork educator. Jackie is committed to a family-centered team approach to helping your child succeed.
KRISTIN BAUGHMAN (OT FEEDING CLINICAL MANAGER)
Kristin Baughman, M.A., OTR/L earned her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from University of Southern California (USC) in 2005. Kristin has spent her career as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist working with infants and children with varying disabilities. Kristin is dedicated to working with children and their families to foster growth and development in each individual child. Kristin acquired her SIPT certification through USC in 2009. Kristin has dedicated a lot of her continued education and experience in feeding related disorders and has training in SOS Approach to feeding. Kristin’s goal is for children to gain confidence, feel successful and in turn become internally motivated to learn and master new skills within their daily environments.
KAYTI CORCORAN
Kayti Corcoran, OTD, OTR/L earned her Masters and Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Loma Linda University. She has experience working with a wide age range, from babies through teens in both the rehabilitation and clinical setting. Kayti also received her SIPT certification in 2007 from USC and continues to have an interest in sensory processing, feeding, and the vision therapy aspects of OT. She primarily works in the school setting and has a passion for helping parents to find support, resources, and tools to help support more functional skills and independence in their children.
JESSICA ESPEJO
Jessica Espejo, M.S., OTR/L earned her Master’s of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy from Touro University Nevada. She has experience working as an OT with children of various ages in the school system. Jessica always had a passion of working with children. Prior to becoming an occupational therapist, she worked as a teacher’s assistant at a preschool, a therapy aide at an outpatient pediatric clinic, and an early intervention teacher. Jessica is excited to be part of Kids in Motion and is dedicated in helping children feel empowered, confident, and independent in their daily activities.
KIANI FLORES- LACANGAN
MICHELLE FRANCO
JENNIFER KIM
EUN JI (MICHELLE) KOO (OT ADMINISTRATIVE LEAD)
Eun Ji Koo, MS, OTR/L earned her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Stanbridge University in Irvine, California. Michelle has always been passionate about helping children; she has worked as an academy teacher, a babysitter for children with special needs, as well as a Behavioral Therapist for children with developmental disorders. Michelle was drawn to pursue a career in occupational therapy when she saw that therapy could be provided in an active and playful way but still be meaningful to each child. She loves being creative and client-centered with the activities and games she presents to her kiddos. Her goal is to create a comfortable and positive environment for the families she works with and believes that collaboration and individualizing treatment for each family is the key to progress.
NADIA SALEH
NATALIE WAECHTER
Natalie Waechter, MSOT, OTR/L earned her bachelor’s degree in health sciences and her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Springfield College in Springfield, MA where she also competed on the collegiate swim team. She has spent her career working with children in both outpatient and early intervention settings and worked with children with various disabilities and diagnoses. Natalie is passionate about making therapy fun and enjoyable for children and their families in order to best support them and help them achieve their goals.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS:
REA RAMOS (SPEECH THERAPY CLINICAL MANAGER)
Rea Ramos, M.S., CCC-SLP, earned her Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College. Before the decision to pursue her Master’s, she worked for several years at a non-profit organization serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as an Art Instructor, Program Director, Community Outreach Coordinator, and later as a consultant for program development and community-based programs. It was here that Rea was inspired to find new ways of helping people find their voice, not only through their artwork, but through their unique ways of communicating, in hopes of leading to more independence for this population. Rea has provided individual and group clinic-based therapy to a variety of populations, diagnoses, and disorders, including Early Intervention, Autism, Down syndrome, phonology and articulation disorders, expressive/receptive language delays, social-pragmatic disorders, cleft palate, and fluency. She has helped develop feeding therapy groups for preschoolers and summer camp programming for school-age children with Autism. Rea enjoys creating a fun and positive environment to encourage each child’s growth and empower families.
ANI ANDERSON (SPEECH THERAPY CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT LEAD)
Andrea Anderson, MS, CCC-SLP, earned her Master’s degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Redlands in 1995. Her pediatric speech therapy experience has been gained across varied settings including a pediatric internship at Rancho-Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center. Andrea has provided clinic based therapy for children to adults and home based therapy as a part of early intervention programs for many families in Santa Monica and the South Bay since 2001. She has been a presenter for the Infant Development Association, “Edu-play”, and Regional Center on the topic of Language and Play. She developed a social skills program for children with Autism and emphasizes targeting functional communication exchanges across settings. Andrea’s therapeutic approach focuses on each child’s unique profile of strengths and needs while incorporating evidence based practices. She finds joy working with children and supporting them in reaching their greatest communicative potential.
ABIGAIL TADLOCK (SPEECH THERAPY ADMINISTRATIVE LEAD)
Abby Tadlock, MS, CCC-SLP earned her Master’s Degree in medical speech-language pathology from the University of Washington. During graduate school, she sought as many pediatric experiences as possible, ultimately completing her final internship at Seattle Children’s Hospital as part of the Craniofacial and Velopharyngeal Dysfunction team. She then went on to complete a clinical fellowship at a non-profit organization in Seattle, offering early intervention speech-language therapy to children ages birth to three and their families. Abby is passionate about collaborative, inter-disciplinary care. She values the opportunity to build lasting relationships with patients and families, and believes there is great importance in empowering families to support their children by involving them in the therapeutic process. A Seattle native, Abby is excited to explore her new home in Southern California, along with her rescue pup Molly.
KRISTA BARATTI
EMILY BRADY
Emily Brady, M.A., CF-SLP, earned her Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from California State University, Long Beach. She discovered the field of speech therapy as she was working toward her teaching credential and has always had a passion for working with children. During her academic career, she had the opportunity to intern in the middle school setting and at Kids in Motion where she worked with children and adolescents with a variety of speech and language disorders and diagnoses including autism, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injury, AAC, social skills, speech sound disorders, expressive/receptive language delays, and early intervention. Emily is dedicated to helping children reach their full potential through engaging and individualized therapy. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her nieces and nephews.
JESSICA DAO
BRIANNA DELEON
MEI LIPARI
Mei Lipari, M.A., CCC-SLP, earned both her Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from California State University, Long Beach. Throughout her academic career, she gained pediatric experience in private practice and school settings. Mei has completed assessments and implemented individual and group therapy for children with a variety of diagnoses and speech/language disorders including Autism, Down syndrome, phonology and articulation disorders, expressive/receptive language delays, fluency and social skills. She has also worked with children and adolescents affected by disability in family camp and church settings. Mei loves working with children and their families, and she enjoys creating a fun learning environment for each child.
EMMA MCLEOD
Emma McLeod, M.S., CCC-SLP earned her Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from California State University, Sacramento. Throughout her academic career, Emma focused on gaining pediatric experience, therefore, she worked as an extern in pediatric outpatient and school-based settings. Upon graduating, she began working at a multidisciplinary clinic in Woodland, CA serving the birth-21 population. Emma has experience working with a variety of disorders including Speech Sound Disorders, Expressive/Receptive Language Delays, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, and Social/Pragmatic Language Delays. Emma enjoys working with an interdisciplinary team to help kids and their families grow and learn together. She loves discovering each child’s unique personality and strengths to create individualized child-led therapy. Her favorite part about being an SLP is creating growth and functional changes through play and laughter. When she is not being an SLP, Emma is walking with her dog, reading a book, or finding somewhere new to eat!
ANNIE MIODOVSKI
ROXY RUBIO
Roxy Rubio, M.S., CCC-SLP earned her Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders with an emphasis in Speech-Language Pathology. During her academic career, Roxy had the opportunity to work with children and adults with a variety of diagnoses and disorders across multiple settings including the school, skilled nursing facility, and hospital setting. After graduating, she worked in a private clinic setting with the pediatric population ranging from Early Intervention to school-age children with various diagnoses and disorders including Autism, Down Syndrome, receptive/expressive language delays, phonological and articulation disorders, fluency, and social skills. After seeing the work an SLP did with her brother when he was non-verbal, Roxy was inspired to join the field and is passionate about helping children find their voice the same way her brother found his.
MAKAYLA SPRINGER