Meet your allies

Lalanya was born in Sunnyside, Washington, and raised in the lower Yakima Valley. She graduated from Grandview High School in 1988 and spent much of her young adult life in Prosser, WA. Lalanya’s passion for helping others began early. When she was 18, she worked at Sunny Haven in Sunnyside, where she found fulfillment working with clients with special needs, a calling she has felt since she was eight years old.

From 1991 to 1996, she worked at her parents’ bed and breakfast as well as at their two restaurants. In 2002, Lalanya earned her cosmetology license and began offering in-home hair services, often to individuals with special needs. Over the past 22 years, she’s built a career in cosmetology, while also nurturing a love for learning and exploring new opportunities.

Her interest in wine from working at her family’s restaurants led her to work at a winery in 2002, where she met the love of her life. They married in 2005 and shared 18 wonderful years together with her two children from a previous marriage. Their time together was filled with love and shared experiences until his passing in 2023. She then worked briefly at another winery before moving to Colorado, where she now resides.

Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, cycling, cooking, baking, and entertaining family and friends. Lalanya states that family is at the heart of her life.

In addition to her work in cosmetology and hospitality, Lalanya has been in the medical field since 2015, where she has found great meaning in supporting patients through their health journeys. This role is especially significant, as it brought her full circle—she and Dawn have been friends since they were five years old, and Lalanya is grateful that Dawn recognized her potential and invited her to be part of this incredible team.