Staff
Executive Director
ICDL Advisory Board, Colorado State University Affiliate Faculty, Salem State University Visiting Assistant Professor
Virginia Spielmann is an Occupational Therapist and the Executive Director of STAR Institute for Sensory Processing. She obtained her PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development in August 2021 and is Visiting Adjunct Faculty at Salem State University Occupational Therapy Department, and Affiliate Faculty at Colorado State Department of Occupational Therapy. She is a published author, researcher, and well-travelled and masterful public speaker.
Dr.…
Treatment Center
Alexa graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science. She then went on to complete her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at Belmont University. Alexa’s doctoral capstone was on the role of occupational therapy in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and sensory modulation in POTS. She has spoken on POTS at the AOTA Inspire Conference and Dysautonomia International Annual Conferences.
Alexa has experience practicing in outpatient, early intervention, and home health settings. Alexa is passionate about providing…
Sarah Anne graduated from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill with a double major in human development and family studies and psychology and was co-president of UNC's Disability Advocates Committee. Their honors thesis investigated occupational barriers for autistic youth with and without a co-occurring mental health condition. They completed their Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at Wingate University magna cum laude and received the Outstanding Fieldwork Student Award.
Sarah Anne served as their school's co-chair for the Coalition of Occupational Therapists…
Hannah graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Human Physiology, with a minor in psychology. She then went on to complete her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at St. Ambrose University. During her time at St. Ambrose University, she worked closely under a faculty mentor to support efforts towards establishing test-retest reliability and collecting normative data for the Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI) standardized assessment. Hannah's doctoral capstone project was on the role of occupational therapy in neurodiversity affirming feeding…
Marissa graduated from Utica College with a bachelor's in Health studies. She then went on to complete her masters in Occupational Therapy at Utica College. Marissa has experience practicing in a school setting. Marissa is passionate about providing neuro-diversity affirming care. She holds certifications in DIR Floortime 101 and STAR Mentorship program level 1.
Rachel graduated with her Bachelor of Arts from the State University of West Georgia and received her Masters in Education in School Counseling from Georgia State University. Following three years of work as a high school counselor, Rachel served for two years in Burkina Faso as a Peace Corps volunteer, working in the sector of Girls’ Education and Empowerment. Prior to coming to STAR Institute, Rachel worked in community mental health with families of children and teenagers who were in the foster care, adoptive, juvenile or truancy court systems. This multi-faceted work included…
Consultants
Mariah Person joined STAR Institute in 2020 excited to partner alongside STAR Institute's commitment to social, occupational and disability justice.
Mariah is an aspiring dance movement therapist with a passion for helping people to heal and develop through movement, and advocating for the significance of stimming for health and wellness. Mariah creates accessibility conscious curriculum for their dance/creative movement students and collaborates to create "autistic space" events.
Mariah received their official autism diagnosis at the age of 25, in July 2019. Mariah's…
Kieran Rose is a published Writer and International Public Speaker whose essays at www.theautisticadvocate.com have been read by over a million people and cited in numerous research papers.
With a background in Education and service delivery, Kieran delivers his own specialist Autism training to families and Professionals and provides private consultancy for charities and organisations across the world that support Autistic children, adults and their families. An experienced international public speaker, Kieran regularly…
Education Center
Ewa joined the STAR team in April 2023 as the Education Coordinator. She has a master's degree in human resources and considers herself a people person. Ewa is a traveler by heart. Her greatest journey started a few years ago when she moved to the US. Since then, Ewa lived in 6 different states, finally choosing Colorado as her home. Now she’s focused on her professional career and ready for new endeavors.
With over 25 years of experience in the field of Education and working with learners of all ages, Pari brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to STAR. Holding degrees in both Special Education and Elementary Education, Pari has dedicated her career to enhancing the lives of individuals through specialized educational strategies. She also brings case management and large scale assessment experience.
Pari is excited to take over the role of Education Manager. She is driven by a deep-seated belief in the potential of every individual and strives to create an inclusive…
Research Center
Marketing
Crystal is a creative professional with over 15 years of experience in strategy development, marketing, design, and project management. She has a Design Management degree from the Art Institute of Colorado. Crystal has a strong customer service philosophy, developed leadership, and effective management. These attributes allow her to drive creative insights and brand messaging that align with the wants, needs, and budgets within her current role and projects.
As part of the STAR team, Crystal's expertise and wide-range skill set allow her to elevate STAR's marketing and fundraising…
Operations
Tory serves as the Assistant Director at STAR Institute, where she helps guide strategic planning, development efforts, and community initiatives. Since joining the team in 2020, she has played a key role in expanding access to sensory-informed care through fundraising, programming, and inclusive events. With over 15 years of experience in non-profit leadership, Tory is passionate about connecting people to STAR’s mission and building systems that are sustainable, equitable, and rooted in care. She thrives on collaboration and believes that sensory health belongs in every part of life—from…
Ann supports the executive and clinical teams with all things administrative. She is also a Master of Arts in Counseling student at Regis University pursuing licensure as an LPC and further training in Jungian Analysis. Ann is passionate about holistic wellness and is excited to support the STAR team in their pursuit of delivering sensory health to the world. In her free time, Ann enjoys video games, art, yoga, and learning about spiritualities and cultures from around the world. On the weekends she can be found at your local coffee shop or at the dog park with her husky, Ziggy Stardust.…
RaeAnne graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with degrees in Literature, History, and Secondary Education. She taught high school in BVSD before moving to Italy to teach for almost 2 years. She ran an in-home childcare and preschool for almost ten years before her kids both started full time school. Then she worked as the Chief of Staff for Axium Inspections before coming to STAR.
RaeAnne loves the mission of STAR and is looking forward to helping us grow. When not working she loves to be dancing, camping, and playing with her kids.
Front Office Team
Jessica will be your point of contact if you have questions or concerns regarding Billing/Insurance or any general questions regarding STAR’s process. She has 20+ years of experience working in a Customer Care role where 5 of those years were dedicated to being an Admin & Support Staff to Adults with Disabilities. During her off times, she enjoys playing video games, board games, photography, outdoor activities, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and dog.
Kayla comes to us with a variety of talents and experiences from customer service to education. She has her Bachelor’s in Psychology, and after several years as a preschool teacher decided to pursue her Master’s in Divinity. When she’s not at STAR Kayla leads the children’s program at her church, and enjoys adding to her library, catching up on her favorite TV shows, visiting the family farm, and playing board games, D&D, and PokemonGo.
Morgan moved here from Missouri after working with the Girl Scouts for over 3 years. Providing excellent client care for all inside and outside of the organization. Moving to Colorado was a life-changing experience for her and she is excited to be a part of the STAR Institute.
She loves seeing the mountains on her way to work and is passionate about arts and crafts. Morgan is one of our Client Care Coordinators and would be happy to greet you at STAR.
I’m a dedicated Client Care Coordinator who recently moved to beautiful, sunny Colorado to escape the Michigan winters. My passion lies in building meaningful connections and ensuring exceptional client experiences. As a proud mom of four—two grown and flown and two still in elementary school—I understand the importance of balance, care, and perseverance in both life and work. One of my favorite quotes that inspires me daily is “Purpose is not the thing you do, it is the thing that happens in others when you do what you do.” Dr. Caroline Leaf
Founder
As founder of the first comprehensive Sensory Processing Disorder research program nationwide and author of groundbreaking Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder and No Longer A SECRET: Unique Common Sense Strategies for Children with Sensory or Motor Challenges, Dr. Lucy…