- Executive Team
Lance Nelson, MS LPC NCC
Chief Executive Officer
Lance Nelson moved into the position of Chief Executive Officer of Waterfall in February 2023, and has been involved in various leadership roles since he arrived at the clinic in 2014. He was born and raised in Coos Bay and graduated from Marshfield High School in 1990. He attended the University of Oregon and Northwest Nazarene University and graduated with an undergraduate degree in Secondary Education and a Master’s of Science in Community Counseling. He specializes in Acute Mental Health and Adolescent Behavioral Health. Lance has extensive experience in the mental health field which include working in acute psychiatric hospitals, outpatient clinics, private practice counseling and as a mental health crisis responder. Before taking his role as CEO, Lance has been responsible for creating and developing the integrated model of care, the clinic’s autism program and other programs designed to increase services to the citizens of Coos County. Lance is committed to continue to strengthen and expand services and relentlessly work to remove barriers to care in our community. Lance is a strong advocate for suicide prevention and volunteers his time with several other community organizations. His time outside Waterfall Clinic finds him fishing, camping and enjoying the Oregon Coast with his family.
Andréa Zamora, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Andréa Zamora is the Chief Financial Officer. Although raised in Oregon, she has lived in Molokai Hawaii and spent much of her life with her family in Costa Rica. Andrea has a Bachelor of Science from Portland State University and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She is a graduate of the UCLA Healthcare Administration Program and serves in various leadership roles in our community and at the national level. Andrea specializes in public and community health with a passion for serving in mission based nonprofit agencies. As CFO of Waterfall Community Health Center, Andrea is responsible for the financial success of the agency. Andrea is dedicated to ensuring that the future of Waterfall Community Health Center includes being the Employer and Provider of Choice.
Justin Casey
Chief Operating Officer
Justin Casey is the Chief Operations Officer and oversees the facilities, clinical education, and health information technology programs. Born and raised in Coos Bay he is a Marshfield graduate and is currently attending Portland State University to further his education. His goal through his job is to ensure smooth daily operations of the clinic as a whole. Outside of his work he enjoys cooking, spending time with family and friends, and exploring new places on the coast.
Nicole Norris, MA, THW
Chief Quality Officer
Nicole Norris is the Chief Quality Officer and oversees the Social Health program and all quality improvement processes that ensure the delivery of quality care to Waterfall patients. Though she was raised in San Francisco, Nicole spent quite a bit of her youth visiting her grandparents in Oregon, camping and exploring all the different and beautiful Oregonian landscapes, from the high desert to the mountains to the coast; she has been a resident for more than 25 years. Nicole has a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Oregon University and a Masters in Anthropology from the University of Oregon. She was an Anthropology instructor at Southwestern Oregon Community College from 2005 to 2021, as well as a tribal archaeologist and Tribal Historic Officer for the Coquille Indian Tribe. She finds the unique beauty of the landscape features on the South coast interwoven with its rich human history invigorating and with her human and canine kids, is happy to call Coos County her home.
Karen Sheelar, MS, LPC, NCC
Chief Behavioral Health Officer
Karen is a native Oregonian and grew up in the Willamette Valley. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Communication in 2016 from Southern Oregon University. She then went on to complete her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Southern Oregon University in 2018. Karen has previously worked in rural health centers, schools, and with non-profits across Oregon. Over the last five years, she has practiced as a generalist in primary care supporting those of all ages with acute and chronic conditions such as anxiety, depression, diabetes, and substance use. She utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy with a specialty in supporting women’s health and those in the LGBTQAI2S+ community. Karen loves spending time with her family and friends, being in nature, and sleeping in on the weekends.
Dr. Craig Wright, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Craig Wright, MD is a board-certified Family Physician who practiced primary care for a decade before moving into management and leadership positions. He was the CEO of Swedish Physicians in Seattle and Providence Medical Group in Oregon. Also, at Providence he was the Oregon Chief Clinical Officer as well as Corporate SVP of Physician Services in Renton, WA. He served as Chief Medical Officer for The Portland Clinic before co-founding the Physician Leadership Project (www.physicianlp.org). He is currently a consultant and executive coach for medical groups and health systems across the country (www.CraigWrightMD.com). He serves on boards for Piedmont Health System in Georgia and Comagine Health in Oregon. He also sits on advisory boards for Scribe-X (virtual scribes) and Synergia (virtual behavioral health). In 2022 Craig took the position of Chief Medical Officer for Waterfall Community Health Center and lends his extraordinary expertise to our medical providers.