Meet Our Faculty

Alan Nunes, AAS, LMT, NCBTMB
Program Director, Chair of Allied Health and Assistant Professor II of Massage Therapy
Email: anunes@cocc.edu 

Alan entered the world of massage therapy in 2002 at National Holistic Institute and began a rewarding career helping others. Fascinated by the effects of massage therapy and their ability to allow clients to reconnect to their health, he set out to broaden his practice and pursue education, eventually leading him to COCC in 2007.

Alan loves passing on the rich traditions of eastern and western-based massage techniques. This field of work has allowed him to travel the country, speak at national conferences, serve on committees for the AMTA and ABMP and work closely with the OBMT. He is a lifelong student, loves volunteer work in the community and provides continuing education for LMT's in several states. He is a dedicated advisor and passionate instructor that embraces an academic experience that is engaging, diverse and cultivates student success. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing music, and traveling.

Alissa Locke, AAS, LMT

Alissa began her massage therapy journey here at COCC in the Fall of 2003, completing the 2-year degree program.

Since then, she has worked alongside chiropractors, physical therapists, and fellow massage therapists in addition to building her private practice. Alissa would describe her massage style as “Therapeutic Swedish”, focusing on pain relief while allowing for a connected relaxing experience for her clients.

After gaining 5 years of clinical experience in the field, Alissa joined the COCC massage therapy team in 2010 as a teaching assistant. Enjoying the balance of private practice and working with the student community, she seized the opportunity to move into an instructor role in 2019. With a commitment to upholding a high standard of excellence in the profession and student experience, Alissa is honored to be part of the educational team at COCC.

Kristan "PeaceBird" Banks, LMT

Kristan “PB” Banks is a COCC graduate and has been teaching in the program since 2019.  With a primary focus on Kinesiology, Business and Prenatal Massage, PeaceBird (PB) brings over 15 years of body and energy work experience through her work within various communities, teachings from indigenous elders, and later through her own practice, Healing Spaces.  Drawing from her interests in psychology, biology, and the spirit that connects us all, she discovered a way to blend her unique qualities and intuitive talents along with massage therapy, into a healing opportunity that goes beyond the surface of the physical.

With a passion for helping individuals identify the source of their “dis-ease”, PeaceBird is continually practicing the arts of self-care, and fine tuning the inner and outer layers of releasing that which no longer serves us, both individually and collectively.  She is convinced that the philosophy of “as one heals, we all heal” holds as much truth as “everything happens for a reason”, further inspiring her to reach out as a facilitator of healing the spaces within. 

Ruth Werner, BCMTB (ret.)

Ruth Werner is an award-winning educator, writer, and former massage therapist who loves to share her passion about the role of bodywork for people who live with health challenges. She is especially thrilled to be back in the virtual classroom at COCC to teach pathology.

Her textbook, A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology is now in its 7^th edition and used all over the world. She is a columnist for Massage and Bodywork magazine, and she teaches continuing education workshops on pathology, research, and ethics both virtually and in person world-wide. Her popular podcast, “I Have a Client Who… Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner”, is available wherever you get your podcasts.

When she's not teaching or writing, Ruth can usually be found on the beach walking her dog Gigi, or in her sewing room, working on a quilt. 

Elyse J. Williams, MS, CNS, RH (AHG)

Elyse brings nearly two decades of experience studying and practicing herbal medicine.  Her early fascination with plant medicine led to over eight years of self-study with native people in rural Alaska, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize and Peru, and prompted her to pursue a Master of Science degree in Herbal Medicine at the Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, MD (now Maryland University of Integrative Health). Elyse is a ‘Registered Herbalist’ through the American Herbalist Guild.

She began teaching Aromatherapy and Reflexology for credit courses in 2015. She also teaches extended trainings through COCC’s Community Learning/Professional Ed programming, teaching Healing with Essential Oils (Physical, Emotional, Energetic), Elemental Herbal Medicine (Roots, Shoots, Flowers, and Fruits), and Reflexology for Everyone.

Katie Cunnagin, BA, LMT, CMLDT

Katie’s fascination with the human body grew from decades of experience coaching gymnastics.  She was dedicated to learning as much as she could about strength and flexibility training to help her athletes perform their best and avoid injury.  While coaching full time in Seattle, she developed her own over-use injury which led her to discover the amazing healing capabilities of massage. 

In 2015, after spending a year traveling the globe, she moved with her husband to Bend and enrolled at Sage School of Massage.  She has worked in various settings including an injury/treatment-focused clinic, a high-end spa, and private practice.  

Katie has been teaching massage since 2021 where she brings her passion for massage to the classroom and helps her students build strong foundations, develop good body mechanics, and encourages humility and kindness toward their clients… skills that will benefit their future practices for years.

Besides massage, she loves traveling, being outside, practicing yoga, growing food and flowers, and spending time with people who love her and inspire her to be her best, most authentic self.

Sarah Golden, AAS, LMT

Sarah graduated the COCC Massage program with an AAS in Massage Therapy in 2020. She has since worked in the Chiropractic field as a massage therapist and a Chiropractic Assistant. Additionally she has greatly enjoyed being a TA at COCC in more recent years. Getting to share what she has learned and experienced with other students wanting to enter the massage field gives her great joy and fulfillment. You can also find Sarah at some of the career fairs in the area representing the COCC massage program.

Erin Hardy, AAA, LMT

Erin, a proud Oregon native, graduated from the Central Oregon Community College Massage Program in 2019. Before she found massage Erin received her degree in art and had a photography business. While art and photography will always be apart of her she was ready for a change. She, is well-versed in Swedish, Therapeutic, Medical and Thai massage, She loves massage, giving and receiving.  When she is not in her office or the class room she is most likely outside walking the trails or in her kitchen making a mess and something yummy to eat.

Lacey Weddel, LMT

Lacey’s path in massage therapy began in Thailand, where she first learned the art of Thai massage. She is a graduate of the Academy of Massage and Bodywork in Delaware and has been practicing since 2018. Working alongside chiropractors, physical therapists and practicing in a hospital setting she takes interest in working with different health professionals to help clients with pain management. She is grateful to be a teachers assistant and to be  apart of the community at COCC.