Meet Our Team

Rhonda Reed - Travel and Accounting Manager

Rhonda with Sean and Howard in Barcelona

Rhonda, our travel and accounting manager, has over 23 years experience in the travel industry. She has a certificate in travel agency operations, and a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. Rhonda is a certified airline reporting corporation (ARC) specialist and responsible for the extremely complex task of booking all the various components of our vacations as well as being the lead accountant for the business.

Since coming to Trips Inc. in 1998, Rhonda has chaperoned over 20 trips including Scotland, England, Germany, Austria, Rome, Ireland, New Zealand and France.

Rhonda is known in the office for doggy day care...we never know what dogs she will show up with!

Rhonda believes traveling is a way to enhance a person's independence and personal growth. Traveling with our groups gives an opportunity to make new friends and she has found our travelers are the best ambassadors at the international destinations!

Janet Fenley - Accounting Coordinator

Janet relaxes in the shade at the Trips Inc. office.

Janet came to Trips Inc. as a highly regarded travel agent working for 22 years all at the same travel agency, Adventure in Travel. Janet is responsible for all the Trips Inc. registration accounts, billing and paperwork. She has been a part of the Trips Inc. family for five years and counting, and just chaperoned her first trip to Disneyland! Janet has also completed a certified nurse's assistant training.

Janet has always had an open door policy supporting all kinds of people (and animals!) who need assistance. Because of her caring and gentle nature she is always an avid advocate for our travelers!

Tracey Henshen - Program Coordinator

Tracey enjoys a day at Disney World with Laurie, Mickey and Matt.

Tracey started working with Trips Inc. in October of 1999. Tracey has been an active volunteer in the community and has a background working for the ARC of Lane County.

As the Trips Inc. program coordinator, Tracey works directly with our tour group leaders, chaperones and travelers in preparing the trip information packets for each vacation. Tracey also books all the hotel & entertainment on city trips and backs-up the travel & accounting manager on refunds, changes, and ticketing.

Tracey became a hotel sales specialist in 2008 when she completed the Hotel Excellence travel agent training program. She is also a ARC Specialist after successfully completing the ARC specialist examination demonstrating comprehensive knowledge of ARC procedures and commitment to professionalism in the travel industry.

Many of our travelers have gotten to know Tracey as she regularly drives our Oregon groups to the Portland airport, and she has chaperoned more than 20 trips.

Tracey and her husband Eric have a son, Cody, who is a very busy 4 year old!

Leslie Peterson - Communications Director

Leslie flanked by Eugene travelers, Amelia and Monica

Leslie came to Trips Inc. after working eleven years at the Bureau of Labor & Industries as a Senior Civil Rights Investigator. She has a broad knowledge of disability laws and the Americans with Disabilites Act. She has her Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture & Allied Arts from the University of Oregon. Leslie has her mediation certification and volunteered two years for a community mediation service. She also recently became a mentor for a big brother/big sister program, Committed Partner's For Youth.

Leslie started at Trips Inc. as the communications director in March 2005. She is involved in everything from creating the Trips Inc. brochure to managing the volunteer chaperone program and staffing all our vacations. Leslie has chaperoned and led many trips but has an attachment to one in particular--Dude Ranch!

Leslie's free time is spent raising her two sons, Caleb (13) and Sage (9). Both boys can't wait for the day they can chaperone trips!

Russ Johnson - Tour Group Leader/Traveler Screener

Russ and Chaperone Anne Jensen

Russ began working in the DD field in Colorado over 20 years ago. He has managed group homes, worked as a live-in companion, and assisted with day programs via the community center boards of two counties. He has been a Trips Inc. chaperone, and later a Tour Group Leader. Since 2000 he has done more than 80 trips. Russ personally knows over 75% of all our travelers! Russ also works in the Trips Inc. office screening all our travelers and leads about 8 trips a year.

Russ is known for being able to capture the true essence of a trip in his photographs!

Julia Scheri - Tour Group Leader/Marketing Coordinator

Julia and a traveler camping in Central Oregon

Julia is our newest in-house tour group leader and over the past year has led over 15 vacations. She is also quite the linguist speaking Spanish, Italian, and sign language!

Julia comes from a family of human service professionals and began learning about physical & developmental disabilities at a very young age. She has done a psych internship focusing on PTSD and social anxiety, as well as respite care for children with aspergers and autism. Julia worked as a care provider through Full Access Brokerage for over three years.

Julia's main studies have been at the University of Oregon, but she has participated in many study abroad programs including the University Per Stranieri in Peruguia, Italy; the University of Puerto Rico; as well as a work study volunteer program in Croatia.

Julia believes that travel is important for everyone! It has helped her become the great person she is today.

Danell Boggs - Tour Group Leader

Danell dancing with a traveler in Nashville

Danell has been chaperoning and leading trips since the 1990's. She is also well known at Trips Inc. as one of the most loved tour group leaders by both the travelers and the chaperones who work with her!

Danell is a case manager in Tillamook, Oregon where she lives with her three children, one of whom has special needs.

Kim Ostberg - Tour Group Leader

Kim and a traveler on the Hawaii Cruise

Kim Ostberg has worked for Trips Inc. for over 17 years and is an outstanding Tour Group Leader and definite favorite of the travelers. Kim has been an adult foster care provider for many years and has over 20 years experience in the field of developmental disabilities. She has also been a long term care provider through Full Access Brokerage.

Kim is a true horse lover as well as a duck lover--the University of Oregon Ducks, that is!

Jared Hale - Tour Group Leader

Jared and travelers in Las Vegas

Jared's background with developmental disabilities started out by volunteering with Trips as a chaperone back in 2001. It’s been 9 years and counting that he have traveled with Trips Inc. as both a chaperone and most recently as a tour group leader. He has been on more than 15 trips!

Jared graduated with a BA from Oregon State University in 2006 and from there moved to Korea where he taught as an English instructor for one year. He now lives and works in Corvallis, Oregon, and is an after school piano instructor.

Jared says, "Trips Inc. really gave my family and I the confidence and desire to travel more! Trips has allowed me a unique opportunity to travel and serve people with special needs, both of which I love to do. I love the energy and enthusiasm our travelers bring to each trip. It’s always a good time and I always look forward to leading another vacation! I would recommend Trips Inc. to anyone in a heart beat!"

Shiela Zerngast - Tour Group Leader

Shiela and a traveler in Disneyland!

Shiela has been a chaperone for Trips Inc. since the early 1990's! After having kids and working as a case manager in Western Oregon, she graduated into becoming a tour group leader. She is now a case manager on the Oregon coast.

Shiela is very experienced, fun loving with a sense of adventure. She has a very mischievous and playful side! If you ever get her as a tour group leader you will find out what we mean!

Lee Allen - Tour Group Leader

Lee and travelers on the Hawaii Cruise

Lee Allen is a case manager for a group home in Wyoming and comes to us with extensive knowledge and skills in working with people with special needs. She has been chaperoning and leading trips since 1999 and is our hub person for Denver, Colorado.

Lee loves signing up folks from her agency on Trips Inc. vacations! Everyone describes Lee as a fun, dependable, and ready for anything!

Ed Wanner - Tour Group Leader

Ed arriving at NASCAR with traveler, Jamie

Ed Wanner loves to travel! When Ed, a Community Employment Manager for Mid-Valley Rehabilitation in McMinnville, Oregon, heard that Trips Inc. was looking for chaperones, he and his wife, Cheryl, applied and soon they were off to Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth. Ed and Cheryl have put together local excursions to sporting events and theater plays, so they find it a pleasure to work with Trips Inc. having them handle all the details! Ed says, “Trips knows how to do vacations right, and they always have that little extra that makes it special!”

Ed’s interest in sports and people lead him to coach golf and basketball with Special Olympics for the past four years. He looks forward to having enough athletes to field a baseball team, his favorite sport.

In addition to traveling, Ed spends a week in the summer as a counselor at Royal Family Kids Camp, a program designed for foster and abused youth. Ed and Cheryl also bring their vacation experiences to their home by hosting foreign exchange students from places such as Japan, Korea, and Germany—which, of course, are places they hope to travel in the future!