OUR TEAM

Sara Larios Mitchell was appointed CEO of StarVista in October 2012. She has a master’s in counseling psychology from Golden Gate University and a doctorate in transpersonal psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. With over 15 years experience in clinical services including early childhood, domestic violence, trauma, youth development, family support, and counseling, Sara is strongly committed to the children, families, and individuals in our diverse community, and to strengthening opportunities for everyone to transform their lives.

Lea and her family immigrated from Ethiopia when she was in 5th grade. She grew up traveling around the world and has been passionate about humanity and advocating for humanitarian injustices since she was a kid. She enjoys her work in the philanthropic world with major contributions to fundraising, strategic planning, major gifts, donor development and stewardship, and mentoring staff. Her most recent experiences were at GirlVentures and the American Lung Association, where she served as the Director of Development for the Greater Bay Area. Lea has vast experience running her own businesses, including an Event Planning Company, and holding Executive Director and Development roles with various nonprofits, including the National Crohn's and Colitis Foundation and the National Psoriasis Foundation. She also worked as an attorney recruiter and intellectual property litigation paralegal with major international law firms in Silicon Valley.

Lea attended California State University-Chico, where she majored in Political Science and obtained her paralegal certificate. Lea also co-founded several nonprofits serving the Eritrean and Ethiopian communities in the Greater Bay Area. She has had the privilege to serve on many boards, including the CSU-Chico Alumni Board Association and the Kensington Education Fund.

Her joy in life comes from being a mother of 3 kids and helping others overcome life's challenges.

Mike’s career includes over thirty years of progressive financial and managerial leadership, built on integrity and customer service and developed in Silicon Valley global hi-tech leaders such as Unisys and KLA-Tencor. As a CFO in diverse industries such as manufacturing, warehousing & distribution, professional services and national retail, Mike’s acumen stretches beyond finance and accounting with prior oversight of Operations, Information Technology, Human Resources, and Customer Service.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the StarVista team. This organization has a long history of serving the San Mateo County community, and everywhere I turn—whether volunteers, staff, leadership team, board of directors, or the many valued business partners we have, the passion and commitment to service and changing lives is a joy to witness and now be a part of.”

A native Michigander and US Army veteran, Mike completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Phoenix and went on to earn an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He resides in San Ramon, CA with his wife and daughters.

Shareen (she/her) has a Master's Degree in Counseling and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She was trained in family systems and psychodynamic psychotherapy and her early clinical work was in school-based counseling and with adolescents in the juvenile justice system. She went on to work with individuals and families affected by substance use and her clinical expertise is in substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders and trauma. Shareen is dedicated to treatment that is compassionate, trauma-informed and strength-based.

For almost 30 years, Shareen has been managing and developing behavioral health care programs and organizations. She co-developed an organization that provided mental health and substance abuse treatment to federal offenders and she is a strong advocate for building alliances across systems of care. Shareen is committed to supporting behavioral health care organizations that are diverse, inclusive and collaborative.

Adrienne is a San Francisco State University graduate, and has been a Human Resources professional for over 30 years and experienced in multiple people relations disciplines. Adrienne has chosen to spend her career in the non-profit world as it more closely aligns with her personal life goals and values.

Martha holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from The University of San Francisco. Martha is a bay area native who is passionate about bringing mental health services to communities that need it the most. She knows the importance of being able to provide bilingual support to the community and advocates for this at all levels of support. She has experience in working with youth, families, adults, school-based services, and psychiatric services. On her off days she enjoys going for long walks and hikes with her dog.

Michelle uses she/they pronouns and is passionate about helping to build healthy, informed, connected, and resilient communities everywhere they go. Michelle has over 15 years of experience working in the areas of social and environmental justice, youth development, and community building in the Pacific Northwest. After receiving a Master's degree in Public Affairs from the University of Washington, Michelle took a 3 year career break to work and study as a community midwife before returning to the nonprofit field to work with girls and queer youth through the lens of preventing childhood trauma and abuse and promoting holistic healing and wellness.

In their spare time, Michelle loves going on adventures with their 3.5-year-old, trying out new cooking recipes, dancing, connecting with plants and animals, and living in perpetual gratitude.

Nancy Quiggle (she/her) has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Vanderbilt University and is a licensed clinical psychologist. She has over 30 years of experience working at not-for-profit organizations that serve children, youth and adults, most of whom experienced significant life traumas. She has provided direct services, has supervised clinicians and clinicians in training, has been involved in program development, and has participated in community outreach and client advocacy. Prior to becoming a Department Director, Dr. Quiggle was the Program Director for StarVista’s Women’s Enrichment Center for seven years. Dr. Quiggle is committed to strengths based, trauma informed, culturally sensitive care that empowers individuals to live a life in alignment with their personal values and goals.