Bruce brings to Star a background is technology and product management. He has a BS in Electrical Engineering from UC Berkeley, and an MBA From UCLA. He began my career designing computer chips in Silicon Valley. For the past twenty years, he has worked in the money management industry creating software tools to help manage risk.
He was born in San Francisco, grew up in Berkeley, and currently lives in Orinda with his family and two cats. His son is in the 12th grade at Star, and our daughter is in Boston pursuing a career in audio journalism.
He spends as much time as possible on the water sailing. He also enjoys hiking, skiing, baking, cooking, and performing magic!
Summit Engineering, Inc. Head of Finance and Administration LinkedIn Profile
Ashleigh's background includes experience working in accounting roles in the wine industry, motorsports, and currently engineering. She also has her MBA from UC Davis, and loves the opportunity to utilize her knowledge to serve Star's mission.
In her free time, she loves to travel to new places, read as many books as possible, and spend time hiking or otherwise enjoying the beauty of the Bay Area.
With a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from UC Davis, and an extensive background in marketing, Anna knew she would be a great fit for the Star Board. She is knowledgeable and passionate about her work, and brings that expertise to her work with Star.
A native of Marin, she is an Account Executive at a Communications firm in San Francisco, and spends time enjoying all the Bay Area has to offer.
For the past 20 years, Nichole has been working in the Financial Services industry as a Chief Talent Officer and Human Resources professional. Through this work, Nichole has had the opportunity to partner with and develop talented leaders who create business-strategy focused on long-term growth, innovation and inclusive cultures. She has a BA in International Studies and Modern Language from Seattle University. Nichole is very proud of the Star Mission and is honored to be a part of the Board.
Joy Branford is a Biotech/Life Sciences Human Resources Executive who has spent the last 10+ years working with Senior leaders on leading global People and Culture and Talent Management strategies. Her work has been focused on leadership excellence, talent management, talent acquisition, and creating inclusive and innovative workplaces. Joy is also a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach. She is also passionate about fostering environments that enable early-in-career pathways and communities of Belonging that celebrate Diversity. Her most recent collaboration has been with SF State University on developing the gStar certificate in Data Science and Machine Learning for Biotechnology.
Outside of work and her role as a Board Member at Star Academy she enjoys golf, classic film, and traveling with her husband.
Paige’s background is in finance, human resources and consulting. She also brings a parent perspective as the mother of a Star alumnus. She earned a BBA in Accounting from University of Georgia and practiced as a CPA. Paige brings strong experience in public accounting/tax, consulting on executive compensation and benefits for corporate boards and as an HR executive in the financial services industry. She recently retired from the corporate world and now enjoys volunteering and serving on several for profit and nonprofit boards, leading and participating on their finance, development and facilities committees.
For the past 20 years, Cameron has practiced tax law in the Office of Chief Counsel, IRS. While she has spent most of her legal career working for the federal government, once it became clear she had a child with special needs, she began educating herself to become a legal advocate for her daughter who is now a thriving student at Star Academy. Through her experience as an attorney with a special needs child, she gained invaluable experience and perspective resulting in a clear inner call to support and advocate for children and families with unique needs. She loves making a difference in the lives of families. She looks forward to continuing this experience as a member of the Star Academy board.
When not working or volunteering with various organizations including Sonoma Charter School and her church, she loves spending time with her husband and three daughters. Her hobbies include watching her children dance ballet, gardening, hiking and practicing yoga.
Barry Mohn owns and operates Speak and Write, a corporate-training company providing workshops in communication skills. As a consultant, he leads programs in business and technical writing, presentation skills, and meeting facilitation for his clients in high-tech, financial services, bio-tech, and more. He has traveled the world delivering programs and trained with over 100 Fortune 500 companies.
Barry’s daughter, Ila, is currently a high schooler at Star Academy. After a long road seeking the right fit for her schooling, Ila began at Star in 6th grade. She immediately connected with her teachers and classmates, and her growth and attitude in school soared. She feels understood and at home at Star. Barry is honored to serve on the Board and does so with gratitude for all the school provides.
Michele is a passionate educator who strives to build authentic learning environments that support inquiry, investigation, and building a better world, both for students and teachers. Michele was a high school science teacher in the 1990’s, and soon became curious about the decline of middle school girls’ interest in math and science, as this research was just published. She pursued a PhD in science education to create meaningful and accessible science programs that would interest and motivate girls to dig into science and find connection between science concepts and real world issues. Michele conducted research and taught in the Schools of Education at both University of Michigan and UC Berkeley. When a new Bay Area independent school opened in 2001, the opportunity to create a k-8th grade science program was intriguing! Michele jumped onboard, to first lead the school’s science program and next to lead the whole school’s curriculum and faculty development. Michele is now the Head of School at the Julia Morgan School for Girls in Oakland, California, a girls' middle school. Michele is inspired to support both the students and the faculty to create the best learning environment possible for girls to thrive academically and socially.
