Neawanna By The Sea
Our Team

Shawna Weist has worked as the Administrator for Neawanna since January 2019 and has worked with seniors for over 20 years. Her passion to work with the elderly came after seeing how difficult it was for her own family to find care and help for her grandfather after her grandmother passed away.

Shawna has been married to her husband for over 20 years with a blended family of 6 grown boys and has 12 grandchildren. When not working Shawna loves to travel, spend time with family, and of course loves spending time on the beach!

Wall-E, as seen in the photo, is Shawna’s Pitbull mix who loves to come to work so he can visit the staff & residents. He first came to Neawanna when he was just a couple months old and now has decided to work a couple hours a week. The team and residents have decided that Wall-E is now the community mascot.

Jamie Leyden has been with Neawanna since January 2021. She has worked and lived in the Seaside area for the past 25 years. Jamie loves seeing the residents daily and being able to interact with them. In her spare time, she enjoys crocheting, going to the beach, and spending time with family, especially her first grandchild.

Kristyne Ranney “Kris” has been an RN with Neawanna since September 2023 and a nurse since 2009. Most of her experience has been with working with seniors, which she enjoys. Kris graduated in Colorado Springs, Colorado where she received her RN license. She has lived in Seaside on the Oregon Coast since 2013. Kris enjoys spending time on the beach with her dogs.

DeAnna VanDuzer has been the Resident Care Coordinator at Neawanna since July 2019 and has worked with the elderly for over 10 years. After her mom was diagnosed with dementia, DeAnna started learning as much as she could about the disease and started her career working with the elderly. DeAnna has worked in various health care settings including trauma centers, memory care, and assisted living.

When not at work DeAnna is busy raising three of her grandchildren, who also volunteer and spend time doing activities with the residents. In her spare time, DeAnna enjoys spending time attending the kids' volleyball & basketball games, choir concerts, and like all of us loves spending time on the beach!

Jim Raniero has worked as the Executive Chef for Neawanna since November 2019 and has a decade of cooking experience. He specializes in Italian cuisine. During his free time, Jim enjoys reading a good book and playing a good board game with some friends.

Helen Pringle has been the Life Enrichment Director at Neawanna since October 2018. She has always known that she was called to care for the elderly. When she was a teenager, she helped a gentleman so that he could still do what he wanted and learned so much from him. She became a CNA and licensed MA for several years. When Helen moved to Oregon, she took a three-day course and several classes to become a licensed Activity Director. She loves spending time with the elderly, helping them to live life to the fullest, and to have fun throughout the days of their lives. Laughter is good medicine, and Helen encourages her residents to laugh often.