Home | About | Meet the Staff

Meet the Staff

The staff at our cosmetic plastic surgery practice serving Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Riverside, is the foundation of our success. Each and every one of the healthcare professionals at Cosmetic Surgery Institute has been an industry leader in their own right. Through circumstance, timing, and good fortune, CSI has been able to attract this talented group of professionals and offer our patients the highest quality of care and compassion.

Our patients come to us to restore their bodies, yet we help them transform their lives. We feel honored to be able to provide support and solutions to our patients through their journey. It is truly a privilege to do excellent, reputable work and take part in positive transformations each and every day.

Find out more about our staff or learn about the nonsurgical and surgical services we offer by requesting a complimentary consultation online or calling 760-837-0364.

Staff Bios

Judy Carron, Front Office Patient Coordinator

Judy has worked for Cosmetic Surgery Institute for the past seven years as the Front Office Patient Coordinator. She is extremely service oriented and attributes this quality to her many years in the hotel and hospitality industries. From the moment the patient enters the office, they are greeted with Judy's friendly smile and sparkling personality. She treats each patient like family, whether it is their first visit to Cosmetic Surgery Institute or monthly skin care treatments.

---

Sue Pelletier, Front Office Representative/Marketing Assistant

Sue has worked in the cosmetic surgery industry since 2008. Prior to moving to the desert, Sue worked for practices in La Jolla and Beverly Hills as a Patient Care Manager, Assistant Practice Manager and Front Desk Representative. In addition, she has experience in cosmetic marketing and social media. Sue was born and raised in San Diego, and attended Arizona State University.

Sue believes that every member of the staff plays a crucial role in the satisfaction and well-being of each individual patient, and strives to make everyone's experience at Cosmetic Surgery Institute the best it can be!

---

Rebecca Barnett, Surgical Coordinator

Rebecca, known to our patients as "Becky," has been with CSI for eight years and has spent the last six as the Surgical Coordinator. She takes great pride in making each patient feel comfortable and confident – handling everything from the initial consultation appointment to recovery arrangements after their procedure. Prior to CSI, Becky spent eight years in the hospitality industry and credits her ability to work well with others and juggle multiple projects at once to her experience in this field.

---

Tamara Sullivan, Office Manager

Tamara began working at Cosmetic Surgery Institute in 2008. She has an extensive management and marketing background in the spa, hospitality and retail industries. Excellence in customer service is a top priority of Tamara's and she is very involved in the day to day operations of the practice. Prior to coming to work for Dr. Zakhireh at Cosmetic Surgery Institute of Palm Desert, Tamara managed a spa at a local resort and held other management positions for different companies in her home state of Colorado.

---

Adrienne Cascio, RN, Esthetician

Adrienne has worked in medical aesthetics for the past six years, specializing in chemical peels and medical-grade facials. She takes pride in patient satisfaction and patient care, and recently went on to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Cal State San Bernardino. Adrienne's patients often remark on the difference she has made in their skin, and describe her as "knowledgeable, bubbly and kind."

---

Marisa Rivera, Esthetician

Marisa joined Cosmetic Surgery Institute six years ago as a medical Esthetician. Marisa completed her training in San Francisco, which is where she and her husband lived. Prior to pursuing her passion in the skincare industry, she graduated from California State University, Chico with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and worked for the Kimpton Group as a Public Relations Manager. Marisa specializes in dermaplaning, peels and oxygen treatments.

---

Peggy Murgo, RN

Peggy completed her nursing studies in 1985 at Williamsport Hospital School of Nursing in Williamsport, PA. Peggy has worked in the plastic and cosmetic surgery industry since 1995 and has had the opportunity to work with several, world- renowned plastic and cosmetic surgeons.

Peggy is the Director of Nursing at Cosmetic Surgery Institute and joined the team in 2003. Her primary emphasis has been injecting fillers and BOTOX®/Dysport, of which she has been doing for over 15 years, with a secondary emphasis on surgeries.

---

Vanessa Howitt, Dermatechnician

Having a natural ability in the fine arts since childhood, applying makeup came naturally out. Vanessa quickly developed a reputation for her ability to transform women into a radiant, younger version of themselves. Early on in her career as a makeup artist, which spans 13 years, she began to notice permanent makeup on several women. What she didn't like was how harsh and unnatural it generally looked. Feeling someone needed to take a more artistic approach, she learned the craft was certified in micro-pigmentation in 2002. Wanting to perfect her work, she then decided to become a tattoo artist so that she could learn how to make realistic portraits and design colorful tattoos that would last years. She then applied what she learned to her permanent makeup practice, finally achieving the natural-looking results she was after. She has now been doing permanent cosmetics for 10 years and has added permanent makeup correction, scar camouflaging, areola pigmentation, collagen stimulation, and brown spot removal to her list of services.

---

Staff Interviews

Get to know the dedicated workers at Cosmetic Surgery Institute by clicking on one of the videos below.

Peggy Murgo, RN

Marisa and Adrienne