I was born Kelly Lees Thurston in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

My father was in medical school at the University of Minnesota and my mother was a teacher.

At 5 months, we moved to San Francisco where my father accepted a residency. This was his chance to escape the snow and mosquitoes and as fate would have it, mine too. By the time I was 4, we had settled in Coalinga, California where my father opened his family medical practice. I remember my father caring for little old ladies and making house calls. He would also give them rides to the hospital in his foreign sports cars. This is where my sense of community and caring originated.

Throughout my youth, I cared for the younger children in my neighborhood until I was old enough to babysit. I gave swim lessons to children in our pool. As a teen, I worked as a waitress at restaurants on I-5; Howard Johnsons and Harris Ranch Restaurant.

While attending UC Davis, I met Paul Swanson. I also worked at the Nut Tree in Vacaville and the coffeehouse on campus. We both received degrees in Plant Science in 1985. After graduation, Paul moved to Petaluma to pursue a career as a landscaper and I went home to Coalinga to substitute teach in the elementary school and high school that I had attended as a student, not sure how to address my former math teacher either as Mr. Voice or Rod? I was offered a long term substitute teaching position in Avenal a small town 17 miles from Coalinga where my father had moved his practice. I took over the class of 3rd grade bilingual students on Halloween and came dressed as a ladybug. I attended Fresno State in the evenings, working toward my teaching credential.

While visiting Paul in Petaluma, there was an opening at the nursery across the street from where Paul was working. I applied and worked for Landscapes Unlimited Nursery for 15 years as a customer service representative; selling and buying plants.

Paul and I were married in 1987 in Coalinga and our wedding reception was held at Harris Ranch Restaurant.

Our first son, Ryan was born in 1989; second son, Shawn was born in 1992 and our daughter, Amy was born in 1994.

In 2000, I received my teaching credential from Dominican University - Ukiah campus while working part-time at the nursery. I then taught high school math and science and coached volleyball at Casa Grande High School for 2 years until my children became very busy with afterschool activities and sports. I wanted to spend these active moments with my children so I became a “stay at home” mom until the school bell rang and the activities began.

As I was not accustomed to staying home, I answered a newspaper ad that caught my eye with the word “flexible” in it. I began caring for seniors in their homes while my children were in school and I loved it!

In 2007, the company I worked for was bought by Sequoia Senior Solutions. Shortly after the acquisition, I took a position as the scheduler who coordinated the caregiver staffing for our senior clients. Next, I was offered a position as marketing coordinator. And now I am working for Sequoia Senior Solutions as an area manager in Santa Rosa north up to Willits. I manage the care for our clients and coach our caregivers in order to offer the excellence in in-home care that Sequoia Senior Solutions is known for.

Our children continue to grow along with Paul’s nursery plants in our backyard. Ryan attends UC Santa Cruz majoring in ecology and evolution and plays basketball for the Slugs, Shawn will attend Cal Poly SLO majoring in chemistry and will play football as a Mustang next season and Amy will be a junior at Petaluma High School and play volleyball for the Trojans as her third year on the varsity team. My father still cares for little old ladies and makes house calls and can offer rides in his foreign sports cars and my mother loves to hang out with her grandchildren.

To keep my green thumb: I am a member of Santa Rosa Garden Club, a volunteer gardener at the Luther Burbank Home & Garden, and Paul’s garden assistant at the Sonoma County Fair Hall of Flowers Professional gardens.

Call me to talk about gardening…

Kelly Swanson
Horticulturist
350 Scenic Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
707.586.0884  Cell: 707.696.1619
kellyswnsn@yahoo.com