Board of Directors and Staff

Nancy is a senior adult living with Spina Bifida.  After a nearly 30 year career with BellSouth (now AT&T) followed by a decade teaching high school and community college, Nancy joined the SBA Board in 2020 because she fully supports the focus on solving the healthcare cliff that adults with Spina Bifida endure.  She lives in Roswell, Georgia with her husband, Mike, and their dog Beauregard.  In addition to her work with SBA, Nancy enjoys volunteering at her church, camping in their RV, and spending time with her great- grandsons.

James Armijo is CEO of Inktavo, a SaaS platform for the printing and decorating industry formed from the merger of Printavo and InkSoft. He previously served as CEO of Smartcare, leading its growth, acquisitions, and exit to Vanco. James also advised Global Healthcare Resource, driving tech strategy and M&A. Earlier, he was COO at PatientPop, VP at Kareo, and held leadership roles at 8×8, where he led a major restructuring. He began his career as a research analyst at Engemann Asset Management, focusing on SaaS companies. James holds a BA in Diplomacy and World Affairs with an Economics concentration from Occidental College. Across roles, he’s scaled teams, raised capital, and driven innovation in tech-enabled services.

Heidi Siegel is a South Florida native, mom to Shoshana, a young adult born with Spina Bifida, and advocate for the Spina Bifida community. Since attending Teal on the Hill in 2019, she’s served on its planning committee and as MC since 2023. Heidi and her wife, Jennifer, enjoy RVing, travel, and collecting vintage memorabilia. With over 25 years in local government, Heidi is currently Town Manager of Jupiter Inlet Colony. Her career spans roles in Miami Beach, Biscayne Park, Hollywood, Wilton Manors, Palmetto Bay, and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. She led a successful federal law amendment to protect historic signage and has overseen planning, operations, and development across multiple municipalities. Heidi holds degrees in history and historic preservation.

Sara Struwe has served as President & CEO of the Spina Bifida Association (SBA) since 2014. With nearly 40 years of nonprofit leadership, she is recognized nationally for her expertise in public health and disability advocacy. Since joining SBA in 2009, she has spearheaded initiatives that transformed care for people with Spina Bifida, including the Spina Bifida Collaborative Care Network (SBCCN) and the annual Teal on the Hill advocacy event. A champion of “Nothing About Us Without Us,” Sara has expanded opportunities for individuals with Spina Bifida to shape policies, programs, and research. Her career also includes senior roles with the Lupus Foundation of America and Girl Scouts of the USA. She holds MPA and BPA degrees.

GlenRae Brown has served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of SBA since 2020, bringing over 15 years of experience within the organization. Throughout her tenure, she has held key roles, including Staff Accountant, Director of Finance, and Chief Operating Officer (COO). As CFO, she acts as a strategic advisor to the CEO, COO, and Board of Directors on all financial matters, ensuring compliance with financial and regulatory standards while safeguarding the organization’s fiscal integrity. GlenRae holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Southern University in New Orleans. Her commitment to SBA’s financial health and mission is deeply personal, inspired by her stepdaughter’s journey with myelomeningocele, the most severe form of Spina Bifida.

Bharathi joined the SBA in November 2024, bringing over eight years of experience working with multiple nonprofit organizations. She is passionate about using technology to support nonprofits committed to making a positive impact. With expertise in Salesforce, Pardot, Mailchimp, email marketing, and web development, she leverages her technical skills to advance SBA’s mission of enhancing the lives of individuals affected by spina bifida. As the Database and Technology Manager, she focuses on optimizing systems and processes to help SBA efficiently deliver vital resources, advocacy, and support to the spina bifida community. Her goal is to ensure smooth operations that allow the organization to focus on creating lasting change. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, cooking, spending time in nature, and being with her family.

Kelli Deferme brings more than a decade of experience in nonprofit strategy, community engagement, partnerships, and fundraising. She spent six years at JDRF (now Breakthrough T1D) as Community Engagement Manager, where she built lasting relationships with families, volunteers, and donors, and led the large-scale events that connected the community with the resources they needed most. As Director of Cause Alliances at HundredX, she helped scale an innovative national fundraising program from 50 to more than 2,500 nonprofit partners, generating nearly $30 million in revenue for causes across the country.

Kelli understands firsthand what it means to walk alongside families navigating chronic conditions, and she is known for showing up with warmth, practical solutions, and a deep belief that the people closest to a cause are its strongest advocates. She lives in the Denver area with her husband and their three daughters, and can be found outside enjoying hiking trails, birds, and beautiful scenery.

Leslie joined SBA in 2022 as Financial Data Entry Specialist. Prior to joining SBA she was at Gannett Co., Inc. for 15 years as part of Corporate Accounting and participated in system implementations and trainings. She has 3 years of nonprofit accounting experience at AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology as well as 4 years of event planning experience.

Stephanie joined SBA in 2022 but has been passionate about serving individuals with disabilities since she started her fundraising career in 2014 at a home for people with severe and profound disabilities. Throughout her ten-year career in Development, she has worn various hats including Development Coordinator, Community Events Manager, Race Director, and Individual Giving Manager. What motivates her is connecting with the Spina Bifida community and creating lasting and authentic relationships with people and corporations. Stephanie recently relocated from her hometown outside of Chicago, IL to Sparks, NV to spend more time enjoying the outdoors, hiking, skiing, and traveling with her husband and two little girls. 

Juanita has managed the SBA’s National Resource Center since 2014, and has been associated with SBA over 15 years. Juanita fields inquiries from persons with Spina Bifida, family members, health care personnel, case workers and many others who are connected to the Spina Bifida community (She is the National Resource Center). She is fluent in Spanish and uses that ability to respond to queries from Spanish speakers, and to coordinate the translation of SBA’s informational materials into Spanish. Her favorite part about working at SBA is when she is able to connect individuals with each other and to local services, and especially when she can meet them in person at events such as the SBA National Conference, Education Days, and Walk-N-Rolls. 

Colleen Payne joined the SBA staff in June 2026 as Director of Research and Services. Prior to that, she spent 15 years supporting SBA as both a consultant and volunteer and also served as Executive Director of the SBA of Kentucky. Colleen is trained as a rehabilitation counselor and brings personal perspective as the parent of a young adult with Spina Bifida. She is a passionate advocate for the power of community connections, education about Spina Bifida and resources, and the application of research to create meaningful change.

Judy Thibadeau joined SBA in a staff capacity in January 2018, and moved to a consulting role June 2026. Prior to SBA she served as a Health Scientist for Spina Bifida on the Rare Disorders/Health Outcomes Team, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the CDC. For more than 30 years, she has been involved with the care of people affected by Spina Bifida, including collaborating in the development of an independence enhancement program for children with Spina Bifida while at the Shepherd Center and developing continence management approaches in pediatric urology at the Emory Clinic, both in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Dicianno is the Medical Director of the UPMC Center for Assistive Technology, Director of the UPMC Adult Spina Bifida Clinic, Medical Director and COO of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL). He also is a Professor, Endowed Research Chair, and Assistant Dean for Medical Student Research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His clinical interests are in the areas of spina bifida and assistive technology. His research interests focus on developing and studying interventions targeted to improving health and wellness in individuals with complex disabilities (such as wheelchairs, mobile health, and preventative care programs).