Meet the Squad
Owner/ Master Stylist/Hand Tied Extension Specialist
Jill Gay-Garay
Jill is our owner and fearless leader. She goes to war for her girls and always has our back. She's been doing hair since 2000 and then opened Salon EllaPar in 2007. If you want to butter her up, grab her a sweet tea with EXTRA ice or a Iced Apple Crisp non-dairy Cream Chai! If you want a funny reaction from her, just hide around the corner and scare her. When she's not being a boss babe, she can be seen cheering on her son at his sports games, spending quality time with her daughter, or traveling with her husband. She is a follower of Jesus and tries to show that through her work and love for her clients. Jill really enjoys installing hand-tied extensions on her clients. We asked her what her favorite thing about SEP, "The relationships we have with each other. We are truly more like family than coworkers"
Brenda Patterson
Master Stylist
Brenda has been a stylist since 1990 and is an SEP original since day 1 in 2007. She is our go-to for curly hair cut and is certified to cut the DevaCurl method. Originally from Connecticut, her and her husband have 3 adult children and 2 grandsons. When she’s not working or hanging out at the golf club, she’s cheering on her grandsons at there many sports events. Her go to coffee order is a Tuxedo Freezer with no whip from Elliano’s. Her favorite thing about working at Salon EllaPar is the way we all get along.
“I love that we’re a family and we cheer each other on.”
Hallie Bruce
Master Stylist
Hallie has been a stylist since 2005 and been a SEP gal since the beginning in 2007. You can find her running her son to baseball practice, hanging with her chickens, or yelling Go Dawgs! She’s a sucker for an Iced Tuscany Toffee from Elliano’s. A fun fact about Hallie is she still lives in the house she grew up in. Her favorite thing about working at Salon EllaPar is working next to her biggest cheerleaders.
Clarissa Dutton
Master Stylist
Clarissa is our resident fashionista who runs on Sugar Free Redbull. She’s been doing hair since 2002 and started to call Salon EllaPar home in 2008. Clarissa’s love language is food so you can find her in the kitchen or showing up with snacks for the people she loves.
Clarissa can sling some red hair and some super bright blondes. Her favorite part about working at SEP is working with her sister and the relationships she built with her clients and coworkers.
Stacy Monticello
Master Stylist
Stacy has been slingin’ hair since 2008 and has been as SEP gal since 2014. Her go-to sweet treat in the morning is flying by Elliano’s for a Tuxedo Freezer. When she’s not killin it at the hair game, she’s probably out in her boat with her husband, 4 kids, and fur baby. Something interesting you might not know about Stacy is she was adopted when she was a newborn, even though she’s told she looks like her mom.
One thing you need to know about Stacy is she loves to joke around. When asked what she loves most about working at SEP she replied with, “100% the atmosphere and the people I work with.”
Sam Sikes
Master Stylist
Sam is our go-to fashion colorist and the one who isn’t afraid of color. Peach Mango Green Tea Celsius keeps her going on a busy day. Sam has been doing hair since 2005 but has called SEP home since 2016. Her favorite thing to do when she’s not making you look beautiful is spending time with her daughter. You’ll find them at the beach looking for sharks teeth or cruising the lazy river at Summer Waves. You might not know, Sam was a cheerleader when she was younger and had bright blonde hair. Her favorite part of working at SEP is that we are like family.
Anna Fletcher
Master Stylist
Anna is the one who never let us have a silent moment and we wouldn’t have it any other way. She doesn’t meet a stranger. Anna’s been doing hair since 2004 and has called SEP home since 2010. When she’s swinging through Elliano’s, shes grabbing a Sugar Free Sicillian Redbull Rush. If she’s got the weekend off, she’s probably by the water with her husband and 3 kids.
If you want a sassy, short cut she’s your girl. She can also throw around some blonde hair. Anna is the first to boast about the love and sisterhood we have at the salon. Her favorite part is cuttin up with her clients and coworkers.
Chare Roland
Master Stylist
Chare' is the one of our fabulous stylist. She's been with us since 2020 but has been making her clients feel beautiful since 2004. She prides herself on really knowing her clients and there hair needs. Chare' mostly loves upstyles but she's also a master at the perfect blonde and brunette blends. When she's not behind the chair, Chare is most likely spending time with her husband and 2 daughters or enjoying the sunshine on the boat.. Chare also loves to run. She's completed a few half marathons and is always training for the next one. Chare' stays busy every year when she's planning our local Father Daughter Dance. She's been the Founder and President since 2011 when she started. Chare' says her favorite part about working at SEP is her coworkers. "They make my job fun."
Trinity Valderrama
Assistant/Upcoming Stylist
Trinity is our newest recruit as she graduated hair school in 2024. She loves learning new things about the beauty industry and is excited to start seeing clients soon. Her drink of choice to keep her going is a Coconut RedBull. When she’s not working, you might find her baking or playing mama to her 3 ducks. Since starting at Salon EllaPar, she’s come to see the fun environment we have and loves how everyone helps each other.
Melissa Ramirez
Nail Tech/ Esthetician
Melissa has been making your nails and skin look beautiful since 2009 . She loves Korean Soju and trying new foods. When she can snag some time off, she’s at the beach with her husband and 2 boys, or shopping with her mom and sister.
Fun fact about Melissa is that she played piano and violin when she was younger. She loves the relationships with long time clients and coworkers. “We’ve seen each other at our best and worse, and I love them like family.”
Nadine Jenkins
Nail Tech
Nadine is one of our amazing nail technicians. Originally from Germany, She moved to the States in 2019 with her husband and 2 daughters. She has been doing nails since 2005 when she opened her own shop in Germany, and started with us at SEP in 2024. Her go-to coffee order is a Hot Caramel Latte from Starbucks. Nadine's favorite service to provide her clients is hard gel manicures. She would describe herself as a perfectionist and pays very close attention to detail. When she’s not making your nails look fabulous, she might be cooking or baking. Something she wants her clients to know about her, “I promise I’m nicer than I look. haha”
Her favorite part about working with us at Salon EllaPar is the team.
Wendy Lay
Massage Therapist
Wendy is one of our amazing massage therapists. When she needs a pick-me-up, she’s grabbing at Iced Carmella from Elliano’s or a Pomegranate Plunge from Tropical Smoothie. When Wendy isn't working, she’s traveling the country. She loves being in the mountains and hiking. Something that you might not know about Wendy is that she has been in breast cancer remission since 2022. Since then she has seized every opportunity to spend time with family and make the most of life. Her favorite part about working with us is that we are a family and we support each other.
Lou Gotshall
Massage Therapist
Lou is one of our fabulous massage therapists. She loves her Iced Matcha Latte with Lavender Syrup. When Lou isn’t at work she loves to relax and play video games. She’s been a massage therapist since 2022 and started with us here summer of 2024. She wants to make sure her clients feel safe and comfortable when they are getting a service with her. Something about Lou you might not know is that she is Autistic and has ADHD. She enjoys talking about it to help raise awareness for the diagnosis.
Her favorite part about working at SEP is how much of a big family we are.
Lindsey Leavitt
Massage Therapist
Lindsey's bio is coming soon.
Julie Gladden
Operations and Boutique Manager
Julie is our go to for everything. In order to keepuis together, she needs her Iced Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks. You’d be interested to know, Julie has been a licensed cosmetologist since 2005, started working at SEP in 2011 and switched over to management side in 2016. She grew up in Iowa and tries go back as much as she can. When she’s not seen running all over the salon, she’s can most likely be found at the baseball field with her 2 sons and husband.
Her favorite part about working at SEP is being able to work with her besties!
Kayla Clark
Salon and Spa Manager
Kayla joined us in 2016 and took on managing the girls a few years later. As a true lover of caramel flavored coffee, her go-to Starbucks order is iced Caramel Macchiato. You can always find her with a cold Dr. Pepper in hand and loves to cozy up with a good book when she finally has peace and quiet. On her days off, she’s probably spending time with her husband and 2 girls.
She is our controller of chaos for the front desk and salon; don’t let her 5" height fool you, she packs a punch! We asked her what her favorite part about working at SEP, “They know me so well. It’s a blessing to work with my best friends and sisters.”
Emmy Price
Salon Coordinator
Emmy has been the friendly voice you hear on the phone since 2022. She takes care of our stylists and clients with love. When she wants a sweet treat she goes to Starbucks for a Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Emmy and her husband love to head to Mezcal for a Friday night date. When she’s not at the salon, she relaxing on the beach with a good book. When asked what her favorite thing about working at SEP is she told us, "Being about to work with the girls who feel more like best friends than coworkers."
Ella-Morgan Riendeau
Salon Coordinator
Ella-Morgan is the other friendly face at the front desk on Saturdays. You'll find her sippin' on a Redbull Sicillian or the sweetest of sweet teas. Her drive-thru lunch of choice is Chick-Fil-A. She's been with us since she was 3 but only recently started getting paid for it as she's finally joined the team. A little something Ella-Morgan would like for clients to know about her is she is attending College of Coastal Georgia and majoring in business administration and plans to follow in her moms footsteps by starting cosmetology school in summer of 2025. I asked her what her favorite part about finally working at the salon was and she said, "I love working for my mom and with the girls who have watched me grow up!"
Marisa Conaway
Boutique Assistant
Marisa is the lovely face you see in boutique pictures. She’ll help you pick out the perfect outfit and loves every minute of it. She’s always got to have a Cherry Vanilla Coke in the fridge to stay going. If you were to ask her what she likes to outside of work she’d say, “I love starting new projects or hobbies and abandoning them a month later.”We all know she does great work in the boutique but you might not know Marisa graduated Georgia Southern with a major in fashion design. Her favorite thing about her job is the creative flexibility and fun environment we have.