Meet Our Team

Jason and Debbie Baker have been Home Instead Senior Care franchise owners since 1999. Seventeen years later, the company has grown out of buildings but into the homes of over 2,500 clients. Their compassion to help those in need spills out of their daily lives and into the hearts of others. As a Physical Therapist, Jason has a vast understanding of the physical body, and in combination with his humility and graciousness, he exemplifies an extraordinary company owner. He and Debbie have six children together. They are loved by family, friends, the staff and the community. Their character and leadership makes us proud to say that Home Instead is the trusted source of companionship and in-home care of seniors in the San Diego area.

​Melissa Leon is our General Manager and fearless leader. She has directed and coordinated all activities for our franchise in the past 7 years. Under her leadership, we have experienced service area growth, business development, and steadfast direction. Her guidance comes from her service-oriented, joyful heart, and her genius for motivating the Key Players within our office. Her passionate drive and knack for problem-solving motivate her to create profitable solutions and generate innovative ideas. Her heart for people, the Lord, and her work is evident in how she manages our Franchise 158. When she is not promoting our business’s development or encouraging the team during the challenging times, you can find her spending time with her large family, being Nana to 4 beautiful grandchildren, or enthusiastically hunting for new treasure at local estate sales.

Tim Norris is the Community Liaison and Home Care Consultant for our office. Tim establishes strong work relationships with clients, the public, and local organizations. His successes have been instrumental to our location’s development. His gregarious nature and influential work ethic solidify his importance to our team. He productively invests his time in the office and enjoys contributing to the Home Instead Big Picture. When Tim is not dedicating his enthusiasm to our Franchise, you can find him dedicating time to his family, roasting mallows at a nightly family bonfire, or Penny-Boarding Carlsbad Village with his friends.

Dianna Hillaker is our office Human Resources Manager. Multitalented, Dianna oversees the recruiting department and CAREGiver engagement department, as well as finances and Long-Term Care Claims. Her wealth of knowledge stems from her previous experience working in the areas of After-Hours support, Staffing, and Recruitment. She welcomes the daily opportunity to work for a respecting, caring, God-fearing and people-loving corporation like Home Instead. When she is not devoting her purpose-driven work ethic in our office, you can find her devoted to her family, or to attending Hill Country Community Church, or braving the early mornings at Planet Fitness.

Rebekah Meehan is a key player in the success of our franchise through her role as Recruitment Coordinator. Rebekah works with the recruitment team to spread the word about Home Instead’s excellent career prospects as a CAREGiver. She is known for her go-getter work ethic, her friendly personality, and her enthusiasm for finding the best quality CAREGivers for our seniors. Without her, we would not have the opportunities we do to connect with so many quality workers in San Diego. When Rebekah is not recruiting great Home Instead CAREGivers, you can find her spending time with her family, attending a Padres game, or enjoying one of the many beaches in San Diego.

Mary Cortez serves as our Service Manager, overseeing the staffing department. She works daily with our CAREGivers and Clients to keep the ongoing schedule running smoothly and flawlessly. She enjoys building and creating the schedules for our new CAREGivers and Clients. She uses her servant’s heart to provide best care solutions for our seniors, while also strategically finding the best solution to the care-schedule’s constantly moving puzzle pieces. Her ability to maintain calm in high stress situations and adapt to sudden changes with effective solutions gives her the title of our scheduling wizard. When Mary is not working her magic in our office, you can find her hanging out with her best friends, enjoying time with her family, or proving to be a fierce teammate and opponent in her coed softball and dodgeball teams.

Ruby Magana operates as our Service Coordinator. She started with our Franchise as a Caregiver 5 years ago and now works in our office. Her kind-heart and talent for scheduling help her succeed at handling the difficulties of staffing. She has always had a desire to serve seniors. She loves keeping them company and empathetically sharing in the family’s precious moments. Her passion translates into her work. She always goes the extra mile to assure the Client’s family that they have the Home Instead family to rely on now so they can enjoy being family members, assured that Home Instead is here to do the caretaking. When she is not sharing her heart or in dedicated service to our CAREGivers and clients, you can find her serving as a mom, friend, or master craftswoman as she completes a complex knitting project.

Kristen Gomez is our office’s Client Care Manager. Kristen serves to create quality and personalized experiences for our clients and their families. Her daily tasks consist of quality assurance visits, introducing Caregivers to Clients, and creating trusting relationships. Kristen understands the importance of meeting people where they are. She is perceptive and modifies our service care plan to best support the on-going needs of the clients so they can improve and enhance their quality of life. Kristen is a Certified Nursing Assistant and uses these skills to recognize needs in our clients and find valuable, lasting solutions. When she is not using her ingenious to improve the well-being of our clients, you can find her travelling, dancing, spending time with her family, or bonding with her fur baby.

LaTasha Haynes is the Client Care Coordinator in our office. As a former Caregiver, LaTasha recognizes the importance of building great relationships with Clients and their families. She uses this insight to recruit quality Caregivers, create new community partnerships, and recruit new staff who share our vision and values. She exemplifies the compassion and values of Home Instead while conducting personal care training and being a supportive team member for Caregivers. When she is not engaging the community or being diligent within our office, you can find her engaging in family time at the beach with her kids or delighting in being a much-loved grandma.

Candis Johnson serves as our Client Care Coordinator. She provides quality assurance calls to clients and their families. She addresses any concerns they have and provides resources as needed. She began her interest in aging adult care when she worked at an assisted-living facility during high school. From there she turned toward residential care services where her passion for CAREGiving ignited. Since then, she has gained experience as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant in the hospital and as one of our own CAREGivers before she joined our office. If she is not joyfully checking in on our clients and meeting their needs, you can find her home with her family, enjoying a game night, or lounging with her pets.

Joyce Shepard is our Lead CAREGiver & On-Call Coordinator. She started serving seniors as a Certified Nursing Assistant, PT aid for 35 years in the state of Rhode Island. In 2012, she moved to San Diego to start working for Home Instead. She loves how Home Instead makes it possible for her to be there for her clients. She is known for being there for not just her client’s needs but also their heart, listening to them, and listening to our CAREGivers whenever they place a call. Her hard work and dedication are apparent in the office, from her attention to clients’ needs in detail, even to her organization of the filing cabinets. If she were not at work, you can find her spending time with her grandkids as Grandma GG or finding a great bargain at Ross, Hobby Lobby, or the local shopping malls.