Jayson Downs
Director of Business Development
Jayson is a native of Virginia Beach and graduated from Old Dominion University in 1996. He married Paige Downs in 2000 and they have 2 sons, Cole and Reid. Before joining Downs Dental Care, Jayson was a Territory Manager for KRAFT Foods. He has a diverse background in sales, territory management and business, which is very beneficial to helping the practice grow.
Outside of the office, Jayson is very involved with his sons' baseball teams and he loves fishing!
Jayson believes, "Having a great passion for the relationships we have with our patients and their oral health is the cornerstone of our dental practice."
Claudia Hamrock
Office Manager/Insurance Coordinator
Claudia graduated from Old Dominion University and has been in the dental field since 1995. She specializes in overseeing the operational side of the practice.
Excellent customer service is her priority for patients. She enjoys helping patients to better understand their dental benefits as related to their treatment. This enables patients to make a better decision when it comes to their dental treatment.
Claudia is married and has two adult children. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time at her lake house, going to the beach, and working out.
Melissa Paradiso
Dental Hygienist
Melissa is one of our dental hygienists here at Downs Dental Care. She was born and raised in Virginia Beach, and graduated from Kellam High School. She obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Dental Hygiene from Old Dominion University in 2009.
Melissa currently lives in Virginia Beach with her family, and in her free time, enjoys spending time with them and going to the beach.
Melissa says, "I enjoy forming relationships with my patients and helping them maintain their dental health."
Christi Pattishall
Dental Hygienist
Christi joined Downs Dental Care in 2014. She moved from Fairfax, Virginia to attend and graduate from Old Dominion University with a Bachelors Degree in Dental Hygiene in 2003. As a Registered Dental Hygienist, she is an oral healthcare fanatic and loves to share her knowledge with others. She has lectured as a hygiene educator and speaker for Johnson and Johnson/Orapharma since 2007, working to increase the awareness of systemic links to dental health.
Christi enjoys Vinyasa yoga, running, and family snowboarding trips. But most of all, she enjoys being a Mom. Her boys, Jax and Grant, keep her laughing everyday!
Bobbie Jo Taylor
Dental Hygienist
Bobbie Jo is one of our part time hygienists here at Downs Dental Care. Bobbie Jo graduated from Old Dominion University where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Dental Hygiene, as well as a Minor in Community Health specializing in Geriatrics. Before moving to Virginia Beach, she lived in Savannah where she earned her Associates Degree in Dental Hygiene from Armstrong Atlantic University in 2003.
She is married and has two children that keep her very active. Between being a team mom for her sons baseball team and teaching Sunday school at her church, she enjoys running and reading.
Bobbie Jo says, "I am blessed to be one of the few who has a job doing what they love!"
Jennifer Anderson
Dental Hygienist
Jennifer is a Virginia Beach native and has been working in the dental field for over ten years. She worked as a Dental Assistant and Patient Care Coordinator until she achieved her goal of becoming a Dental Hygienist in 2020. She joined the Downs Dental Care team in 2021. Jennifer is currently living in Virginia Beach with her husband and two children. She enjoys spending time with her family and loves being outdoors as much as possible.
Jennifer says: “I enjoy getting to know my patients and helping them feel comfortable while educating them on oral health and helping them achieve their goals.”
Jennifer Ermita
Dental Hygienist
Jenny Ermita was thrilled to join our team of excellent dental hygienists in 2022. She graduated from Old Dominion University in 2002, receiving a BS in Dental Hygiene and Community Health Professions. Since then, she has cherished her time working as a hygienist alongside esteemed practitioners of various specialized disciplines in dentistry – including orthodontics, periodontics, and prosthodontics – and she has enjoyed working in both urban and suburban settings in several states.
Born and raised in the Hampton Roads area, Jenny enriches her free time by spending as much of it as possible in the company of family and friends. She is always eager to travel to new destinations, attend concerts, visit museums, try out new restaurants and, perhaps more than anything else, hit the beach – even her soul wears sunglasses and flip flops! She also loves crafting, pet-sitting, and taking care of plants, and she loves flowers as much as she loves making her patients smile."
Adriana Montiel
Dental Assistant
Adriana is one of our dental assistants here at Downs Dental Care. Adriana has been in the dental field for over 20 years. She was born and raised in Venezuela where she trained as a Dentist prior to moving to Virginia. Upon her arrival in the U.S., she became a U.S. citizen and completed a Certified Dental Assisting program.
She is fluent in English and Spanish, and stays current with the newest dental treatments. In her free time she enjoys being outdoors, and being her son Christian's biggest fan.
Adriana says, "I take helping patients and maintaining their dental health very seriously, and love to help patients achieve their desired smile!"
Gaylia Vaughan
Dental Assistant
Gaylia has lived in Virginia Beach for eight years with her daughter Savanna and her puggle Joe. She has been a dental assistant for 34 years and finds the most rewarding part of her job is providing warmth and comfort to her patients. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, walking, biking, and cooking.
Ian Jones
IT Support & Administrative Assistant
Ian is a Virginia Beach native and a graduate of Ocean Lakes High School. He is currently studying information technology at Old Dominion University. Ian joined the team in 2020, helping with IT challenges. Today, he handles insurance, payments, care coordination, and collections. Ian enjoys working at the practice as well as a local waterpark and spending time with his rottweiler Lincoln.
Ian says, “I can’t wait to show you how Downs Dental Care is the best at every interaction from the phone to the chair and how we take care of family!”
Karen Trujillo
Patient Care Coordinator
Karen (not a “Karen”) is originally from Queens, New York. She moved to Virginia in 2021 with her two daughters, now 5 and 18 years old. She enjoys walking with her yorkie, Lola. During her free time, Karen works on her small business, making and selling crafts. Karen is from Colombian descent and assists Spanish speaking patients frequently. Karen is sure to welcome you with a smile on your next visit.
Mindy Eastwood
Patient Care Coordinator
Mindy is originally from Greenville, NC and moved to Virginia Beach in 2014. She attended a local community college and received her Medical Assistant Certificate before moving to Virginiaand getting a job in dentistry. Mindy joined Downs Dental Care in 2021 as our treatment coordinator. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach and spending quality time with her son Aidan, her boyfriend Doug, and there two dogs Luna and Mila.
Mindy says "I really enjoy gettinng to know our patients and making them feel at home."
Holly Herndon
Patient Care Coordinator
Holly was born and raised in Wilmington, NC. A graduate of UNCW, Holly moved to Virginia Beach in 2012. Holly is a former small business owner and mother of 2 to Paige and Brooks. In her spare time, you can find Holly cheering on her beloved UNC Tarheels, Boating and fishing with her husband Brad and the kids or reading a good book.