Board of Directors

President:

Middle age white female with brunette hair in a teal shirt and black blazer

Jenn Raley Miller (she/her)
Consultant, Jenn Raley Miller LLC

Jenn Raley Miller is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health at Sacramento State University with the aim of working on systems change for neurodiversity. She has been a nonprofit professional and human resources practitioner for over 20 years, working with both national and community-based organizations within a variety of impact areas from public health to climate change. She has a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.

Jenn is especially passionate about elevating the status of sensory health due to the amazing experience her family had with the occupational therapist who supported sensory integration therapy for her twice-exceptional son.

Jenn has served as a board member of a $4M K-12 private school, and was previously treasurer of the board for a startup faith community. She is active within the Mental Health section of the American Public Health Association (APHA), and is also a member of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR), the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD), and Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD).

Past President:

Middle age white female with brunette hair in a navy blue blazerLeigh Kahn
President, Kahn Research, Inc.

Leigh is President of Kahn Research Inc, a marketing research firm specializing in consumer and shopper research. She received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and completed her undergraduate degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. Prior to forming Kahn Research, she held positions with several top national marketing research firms, was Research Director for National Demographics and Lifestyles (a subsidiary of RL Polk, now Equifax), and was Consumer Insights Manager for Coors Brewing.

Leigh’s past board and volunteer experience includes president of the Colorado American Marketing Association, as well as serving on the Chicago American Marketing Association Board of Directors. She and her husband established a golf tournament fundraiser for Denver Academy, and Leigh served as Chair of the event for 5 years. She has also served on the Castle Pines Village Homes Association Board of Directors, and chaired several committees for the Association. Leigh has 3 children, and lives with her husband in Castle Rock, CO.

Treasurer:

Ron BlairRon Blair
CFO, Renco Properties, Inc.

Ron Blair attended Santa Clara University, where he received his bachelor of science in management. After graduation, Ron worked for a market research firm for several years before returning to Santa Clara for his law degree and his master of business administration with concentrations in finance and international business. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as a graduate student for his outstanding scholarship. After working in education a few years, Ron joined a fellow college alumnus as a partner in a venture capital firm in the Silicon Valley

For the last five years, Ron has been a partner and chief financial officer for Renco Properties Inc., a commercial real estate firm that owns property in Colorado and California. He is the managing member for Blair Family Investments, LLC, and serves as an officer for a non-profit foundation that focuses on education and children's causes. Ron is married and the father of two daughters. He lives in Parker, Colorado. Ron joined the STAR Institute Board of Directors after learning about how many children are affected by this disorder and about the progress STAR Institute is making in increasing knowledge through research and raising awareness of Sensory Processing Disorder.

Members:

Older white woman with white short hair in a green topAnita Bundy
Professor Department Head, Department of Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University

Anita Bundy has more than 40 years of experience as an occupational therapy practitioner, researcher, and educator. She returned to Colorado in early 2016 after spending 13 years in Sydney, Australia. She is probably best known for Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the textbook she co-edited with Dr. Shelly Lane and for her work in assessing and promoting play. She has taught sensory integration and play content to therapists and others working with children on 5 continents and has more than 200 publications.

Anita lives in Estes Park Colorado with her partner and two cats. She enjoys hiking, biking, and cooking.  She is trying to relearn backcountry skiing after having lived in Australia for such a long time. In joining the STAR board, she will offer her expertise in research, theory and grant writing. She also hopes to strengthen collaborations between Colorado State University’s Occupational Therapy Department and STAR.

 

 

Fair skinned woman, long brunette hair, wearing baby blue blouseAlexa Brascetta (she/her)
President, Aligned Wealth Strategies

Alexa Brascetta is a passionate member of the STAR Institute Board of Directors, bringing 22 years of experience in financial services alongside parenting a neurodivergent child. She is currently President and Wealth Advisor of her own financial planning and investment management firm, Aligned Wealth Strategies. A graduate of Texas Woman’s University, with a degree in finance and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER©. Using her financial planning background Alexa hopes to help further the mission and growth of the STAR Institute, alongside her knowledge of parenting a child with sensory needs. She looks forward to making a positive impact in raising awareness and creating positive change within the community.

 

 

Elisa AucancelaElisa Aucancela, MA (she/her)
Co-Executive Director/ Co-Directora Ejecutiva, El Grupo Vida

Elisa Aucancela is an experienced bilingual (Spanish-English) professional with expertise in education and advocacy. Her work has focused on diverse populations, leadership, parent involvement, and play-based assessments. Her expertise lies in social-emotional and developmental evaluations, differentiated instruction, and running a grassroots non-profit. She has held roles in academic and non-profit settings, including as the Co-Executive Director of El Grupo Vida, a nonprofit organization supporting Immigrants with disabilities and their families. Her educational background includes a Master’s in Special Education: Early Childhood Special Education, Clinical Psychology, and studies in Infant and Early Childhood Development. She is an active participant on advisory boards such as the Colorado Infant Mental Health Association, Denver Commission for People with Disabilities, STAR Institute, Bresnahan-Halstead Center at UNC, and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) National Advisory Board.

 

Reina M. Olivera, DrOT, OTR/L (she/her)
CEO, Taking OTs Online

Dr. Reina M. Olivera is an occupational therapist, educator, and entrepreneur with a passion for advancing the profession through innovative practice models and business education. She graduated with her post-professional doctorate from Nova Southeastern University in 2017 and went on to develop the Entrepreneurship elective for their OT program. Dr. Olivera also teaches Trends in OT Practice through Rehab Essentials and the University of Montana, highlighting emerging roles for OTs across diverse settings.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Olivera served on an autism research team and worked clinically with children with sensory processing disorders. She founded a telehealth private practice focused on supporting homeschooling families of children with sensory needs.

Today, Dr. Olivera focuses on empowering occupational therapy practitioners to expand their reach and income by creating scalable online programs and services through her business, Taking OTs Online. She joined the STAR board to share her expertise in business and online marketing to help expand the awareness of sensory processing across the globe.