Meet Our Team

Helen Fisher

Executive Director – As Executive Director of Ashley Gardens of Mt. Vernon for over seven years now, Helen has worked hard to create a highly skilled and self-reliant staff whose actions reverberate throughout the community and influence others they come in contact with.  Helen prides herself in her great ability to train and teach her staff members to provide the highest level of care and to treat their residents with the utmost dignity and respect.  Helen's dedication to providing the quality care for the residents of Ashley Gardens of Mt. Vernon is evident the second you walk in the door – and Helen wouldn't have it any other way!

Shawn Whitlock

Wellness Director – Shawn has been a nurse for 15 years, all of which have been in the long-term care industry.  She worked at a skilled nursing facility in Coupeville before going on to assisted living in 1997, as a Wellness Director. She has remained in that position ever since.  Shawn and her husband have lived in Oak Harbor, WA since 1993 and raised three children.  She is very happy to be at Ashley Gardens and looks forward to a bright future with this community.

Jaime Cornell

Life Enrichment Director – It was through Jaime’s father-in-law, Bill Cornell, that she became familiar with Alzheimer’s disease. Jaime saw a need for people to step up and improve the quality of life of those suffering from this disease. The position of Ashley Gardens Life Enrichment Director is the perfect way for Jaime to fulfill her part in this area. Jaime has been blessed with a wonderful husband of 17 years, as well as three wonderful children ages 16, 13 and 8.

Angel Cortazar

Maintenance Director – Angel has been working for Ashley Gardens for the past 7 years. He enjoys his position as a Plant Operations Director and keeping the building crisp and clean.

Angel also enjoys interacting with Residents and Staff. His goal is to provide a pleasant atmosphere to make our Residents stay enjoyable and feel like home.

Angel has a wonderful wife Veronica and is a proud father of three children; Jonathan, Karina and Angela. Their achievements in school and life are very rewarding. He has lived in the Mt. Vernon area for many years and takes great pride in calling it home.

Kathy Kajfas

Business Office Manager – Kathy Kajfas grew up in Iowa and moved to Washington in 1970.  Kathy had been an office manager in the Heat Treating Industry for 13 years. before coming to Ashley Gardens in June of 2007.  Kathy has been married to her wonderful husband, John, a self-employed contractor, for 9 years.  Kathy has 3 sons, 2 daughter-in-laws, 2 daughters, 4 step-children, 3 of them who are married and 7 grandchildren.  She loves spendingb time with her grandchildren whenever possible and working in the yard.  She also loves to make jewelry using Kazuri beads that are hand made out of clay and hand painted from women in Kenya, Africa.  As office manager at Ashley Gardens, she is responsible for many aspects of our community, including accounts payable and receivable, ordering and payroll.

Jackie O'Neil

Dining Services Director – Jackie’s cooking career started out at the age of 16 as a need to help her mother out. She would cook daily for her siblings. Later on, the facility that she was working in as a Nursing Assistant had an immediate need for a cook to serve the 27 residents. Jackie was the perfect fit to fill this need. Jackie loves to be able to interact with the residents. She is from Sedro Woolley, enjoys playing bingo and worked for Ernst Hardware for 23 years.

Robbie Liechty

Robbie grew up in Texas and Alaska, enjoyed Hawaii for a couple of years and has lived in Washington state since 1979. She has been happily married to Mark (a contractor) for 11 years and lives in Granite Falls. They also enjoy a cabin in Mazama, WA. Ashley Gardens has a very special place in her heart as both of her parents lived at Ashley Gardens. She wants everyone with dementia needs to have the chance to experience the quality life style that Ashley gardens has to offer.