Meet Our Team
Pamela Iron
Executive Director
Pamela Iron has over 45 years working with non-profits and tribal organizations. She serves as the Executive Director consultant for CCHSC. She leads the planning and development of the organization and has oversite of all the programs operated by CCHSC. Ms. Iron enjoys mentoring her grandchildren and the outdoors including camping, hiking, foraging for wild plants, and traditional encampments.
Lora Buechele
Cherokee County TSET Healthy Living Program
Program Coordinator
As Program Coordinator, Lora works to prevent and reduce tobacco use and obesity across Oklahoma. Throughout her time, she has built strong partnerships to successfully improve the health of families, friends, and neighbors in Cherokee County. Lora enjoys exploring new opportunities with her family around the world and in the backyard.
D.J. Battiest-Tomasi
Tri-County Self Management Care
Program Director
DJ Battiest-Tomasi grew up Hugo, Oklahoma. She is a graduate from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant Oklahoma with a masters in behavioral studies and speciality in counseling psychology, a specialized masters under behavioral health. She had worked for 34 years has a psychotherapist. Prior to working at CCHSC in 2021 she worked at Riverside Indian school in Anadarko Oklahoma as a substance-abuse specialist. She is passionate to share with her community that there’s a cure for pain. In her free time she enjoys time with her granddaughter who is in Competition cheer. DJ plays a traditional flute and received the homegrown concert series with the Library of Congress at the Kennedy Center and was awarded that back in 2012.
Deputy Director
Rozlyn Locust has been working with CCHSC as the Office Services Specialist since December 2020. She assists with the development and distribution of each grant housed at CCHSC. Rozlyn has also acted as the lead coordinated throughout 2021 for the Cherokee County CATCHUP Project and guided efforts for disseminating rapid and standard COVID Testing for Tahlequah as well as the surrounding rural areas. Rozlyn obtained her Bachelor's from the University of Oklahoma in 2020 and is currently studying for her MBA and Healthcare Administration.
Rozlyn Locust
Jennifer Phillips
RCORP -Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
Outreach Coordinator/Peer Support Specialist
Jennifer moved to Cherokee county from Oklahoma county 7 years ago. She chose to start working on her recovery. She struggled finding her sobriety at first. She didn’t know about the resources available in this area. She thought that she was alone. Jennifer ended up enrolling into Vo-tech, Indian Capital Technology Center for Business Management Administration as an Executive Administrative Assistant and graduated. When she was given this job after graduation she learned that there were resources available as well as groups of people who were like her. Jennifer is now an Outreach Coordinator and Peer Recovery Support Specialist. She loves being able to help her community and receiving support services has helped her stay on track and sober.
Dusty Rollice
RCORP -Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
Transportation
Dusty is from Cherokee County and has a passion for her recovery community. She has worked as a peer support specialist and event coordinator for CCHSC. She has presented in New York with Marcus Buchanan on the Cherokee County RCORP program. Prior to that she was the restaurant manager at Wheelhouse Kitchen. She enjoyed cooking homemade meals and serving food from local farmers .
Monica McCrary
RCORP -Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
Program Director
Monica McCrary is a dedicated professional with a passion for improving behavioral health care and supporting individuals in addiction recovery. As the project director for the RCORP Behavioral Health Care Support Grant, funded by HRSA, she leads initiatives that aim to enhance access to high-quality behavioral health and substance abuse services in our community. She is no stranger to the challenges of addiction, having overcome opioid addiction since September 5, 2019. This personal journey has not only shaped her professional path but also deepened her empathy and understanding of individuals struggling with substance abuse. Monica holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern State University and has also obtained PRSS certification on both a state and national level, highlighting her expertise in peer recovery support services. She is a wife and a mother to five beautiful children.
Emmie Sweet
Americorps
VISTA Leader
Emmie grew up in Cherokee County and has always had a strong passion for leadership and giving back to her community. As the VISTA Leader, she has been given the opportunity to mentor, coordinate with, and provide support to multiple VISTA members serving at various organizations throughout Cherokee County. She is currently getting her bachelor’s degree in political science at Northeastern State University.
Bryan Francis
Americorps
VISTA Leader
Bryan Haeshowi Francis is a locale of Cherokee County. Raised north of Tahlequah in the wooded hollows of Rocky Ford, Bryan has met many members of the community. He continues to strengthen Cherokee County by providing support to the Deputy Administrator and all the other members of the CCHSC staff.
Amber Johnson
RCORP Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
Outreach Coordinator
Amber Johnson, a native of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, serves as the Transportation Coordinator for the Cherokee County Health Service Council. She has been instrumental in ensuring efficient transportation services for the community, driven by her passion for assisting those in recovery. Amber's journey was guided by her commitment to helping others, leading her to her current role. Alongside her professional responsibilities, she balances motherhood with her pursuit of a pre-social work degree, aiming to further empower herself to make a meaningful impact on the community.
Lori Carey
RCORP -Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
Delaware County
Outreach Coordinator
Lori grew up in Miami, Oklahoma. she has lived in Raleigh, NC, Galveston, TX, Joplin, MO, and then found her way back to the Delaware and Ottawa County area in 2008. Lori worked in human resources for 18 years and then in Domestic Violence for three years. She has always had a passion for helping other people. She currently serve as the Executive Director of the Delaware County Community Partnership and began working with CCHSC in November 2023. Lori is very passionate and understanding about substance abuse issues due to her own past experiences with it. Lori loves spending her spare time planting flowers, gardening, and playing with her two Dogs.
Savannah Anderson
Cherokee County TSET Healthy Living Program
Assistant Coordinator
Savannah has a background in nursing and nutrition. She graduated from Northeastern State University. She worked on the HEART TEAM at Tahlequah City Hospital and was a hospice nurse. She was born and raised in Cherokee County and has a passion to help her community become healthy and fit.
Marcus Buchanan
RCORP -Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
Program Director
When I graduated from college with my degree in American Indian Studies in 2019, my goal was to come back to Tahlequah and give back to my tribe, the Cherokee Nation. When it came to experience, the one topic I felt I was an expert in was drug use. With the RCORP I have been able to turn that lived experience into productive conversations toward stigma reduction and hope for individuals living with substance use disorder. We are able to provide peer recovery support 24/7 to anyone seeking assistance on the road to recovery.
Teresa Carnes
RCORP -Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
Delaware County
Program Director
Teresa grew up in Kansas, Oklahoma. She has been with DCCP since 2011. Teresa has worked with ROCMND area youth services. She has a passion for serving her community. She enjoys being a Mom and Grandmother. She loves animals and hates vegetables.
Katina Dugger
AmeriCorps VISTA Intermediary Site Director
Katina Dugger, from Haileyville, Oklahoma, is a dedicated individual with a deep-rooted passion for community service. She has always nurtured a strong drive to give back to her community. Katina's educational journey led her to graduate from the University of Arkansas, where she obtained a degree in Social Work. Building on her commitment to care for others, she also acquired a nursing home administrator's license, expanding her expertise in working with aging community.
Since 2021, Katina has been an integral part of the Americorps Vista program. As a Vista member, she finds great joy in witnessing the expressions of individuals when they realize that serving their community can reward them by assisting with their education expenses. Katina Dugger's unwavering commitment to serving others, coupled with her extensive experience in social work and aging communities, makes her a valuable asset in her mission to improve lives and foster community development.
Jane Bevan
Americorp Senior
Senior Coordinator
Jane is currently the Senior Volunteer Coordinator for CCHSC. Client-focused, dedicated community organizer and advocate, Jane has been committed to mental health and social justice concerns. As someone who is over the age of 55, she understands the importance of community to one’s mental health for persons who are at or near retirement age. When she’s not at work, Jane enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren and making people laugh.