Meet Our Team
Home » Meet Our Team
Blue Star Families Leadership Team
Kathy Roth-Douquet
CEO and Board President, Marine Corps (Ret.) Spouse
CEO and Board President, Marine Corps (Ret.) Spouse
Kathy Roth-Douquet
CEO and Board President, Marine Corps (Ret.) Spouse
Kathy Roth-Douquet is a non-profit executive, author, commentator, strategist, and attorney.
As co-founder and CEO of Blue Star Families, Kathy is a national spokesperson for military-connected families, actively addressing the issues facing military families, including socioeconomic challenges, access to mental health care, and the toll of frequent relocations—such as child care and high unemployment rates among military spouses. She regularly appears on the Today Show, Fox and Friends, NPR, CNN, and other media outlets. She is frequently traveling across the country talking about how to bridge the military-civilian divide. She is an invited speaker at universities, policy forums, military audiences, and civic groups. She is the co-author of two books, including AWOL: The Unexcused Absence of America’s Upper Classes from Military Service and How It Hurts Our Country (HarperCollins, 2006), with Frank Schaeffer.
Kathy has served in the White House and the Department of Defense, where, as Acting Principal Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, she received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service for her work on defense reform. She is also a recipient of the Secretary of the Navy Award for Civilian Service, the Chief of Staff of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award, President George H. W. Bush’s Daily Point of Light Award, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. She was inducted into the Ford Hall of Heroes at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
She serves on a number of boards and commissions, including Princeton University’s Board of Trustees, the Reserve Forces Policy Board at the Department of Defense reporting to the Secretary of Defense, the Commission to select the Under Secretary of Benefits for the Department of Veterans Affairs, reporting to the Secretary of the VA, and an advisory board to the Export-Import Bank of America, and America250.
As a military spouse and mother of two, she managed four combat deployments and nine moves over 16 years. She lives with her now-veteran husband in northern Virginia.
Noeleen Tillman
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Noeleen Tillman
Chief Operating Officer
Noeleen Tillman is COO of Blue Star Families (BSF), a not-for-profit organization that supports and serves military families. Ms. Tillman leads and oversees BSF’s operations as the nation’s largest military family support organization.
Prior to joining BSF in 2010, Ms. Tillman was Executive Vice President of the Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF), a non-profit devoted to promoting sustainable approaches for government and businesses. While at GETF, Ms. Tillman managed a portfolio in excess of $30M and founded the International Institute for Sustainable Seaports (I2S2), a non-profit that provides technical support to the global maritime industry. Additionally, Ms. Tillman was a principal at TEC, Inc. responsible for leading the company's seaport environmental sustainability/engineering practice. Early in her career, Ms. Tillman served as Chief of Environmental Compliance for the 21st Space Wing; US Space Command where she managed civilian and military personnel responsible for environmental engineering activities at 32 geographically separated units located around the world.
Vin Duncan
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Vin Duncan
Chief Financial Officer
Vin Duncan serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Blue Star Families. Previously, Duncan led the finance organization for Frito-Lay’s Foodservice Division.
He has over 30 years of experience in various financial leadership roles, including financial planning and analysis and transformation projects, serving at PepsiCo/Frito-Lay. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University. While at PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, Duncan founded the PepsiCo Valor Employee Resource Group, focusing on supporting PepsiCo Veterans and their families. He received two PepsiCo Chairman’s Awards for his commitment to supporting Veterans.
Duncan’s background and experience in finance will support Blue Star Families’ commitment to nonprofit excellence and financial stewardship. Duncan is also a retired U.S. Army Reservist, serving for 30 years, with his last role as Brigade Commander of the 333rd Military Police in New York.
Lindsay Knight
Chief Impact Officer
Chief Impact Officer
Lindsay Knight, PhD
Chief Impact Officer
Lindsay is a social impact leader with two decades of experience spanning grassroots community non-profits, multinational private sector firms, and academic and policy-adjacent institutions. Her niche area of expertise is creating ways for public, non-profit, philanthropic, and private sector stakeholders to discover and achieve collective ends.
She received her PhD in Political Science from the University of Chicago, with an area focus on civic responsibility, institutional change, democratic theory, and mixed-methods research. Her work has been recognized with awards and fellowships from the Mellon Foundation, the Marguerite Casey Foundation, and the United Nations - Chicago for achievements in "Innovation, Industry, and Infrastructure" in social development. She is a mentor in the Institute of Politics’ Women in Public Service program, and an Advisory Board member at the Outdoor Alliance. Lindsay lives in Washington D.C. (...but as a 20 year Chicagoan and Wisconsinte by birth, she calls the Midwest home).
Sarah Blansett
Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
Sarah Blansett
Chief Marketing Officer
Sarah Blansett joins Blue Star Families as the Chief Marketing Officer where she leads a talented team to promote the Blue Star Families brand, partnerships, and reach in support of America’s military families. She comes to the role after serving as publisher and vice president of Military.com where she ran daily operations of the website overseeing news and content teams, marketing, social media, customer service, and veteran employment initiatives. Sarah was responsible for managing the Military.com brand through strategic partnerships, coordinating media appearances, and promoting the website through external channels and events. Sarah is a proud veteran and veteran military spouse. She served as a Public Affairs officer in the Navy as a reservist with assignments to the Navy’s Chief of Information office in the Pentagon, Fleet Forces Command, the Office of Community Outreach, and many others. She retired in 2017 as a Commander.
Ryan Callahan
Executive Vice President, Digital Marketing & Innovation
Executive Vice President, Digital Marketing & Innovation
Ryan Callahan
Executive Vice President, Digital Marketing & Innovation
Ryan is the Executive Vice President of Digital Marketing & Innovation at Blue Star Families (BSF), where he leads efforts to connect military and veteran families with resources that enable them to thrive in their communities. A passionate social impact leader, Ryan has dedicated his career to supporting military communities. Before joining BSF, Ryan served as Vice President of Marketing at RallyPoint, the world's largest online military social network.
Ryan holds a Master of Science in Advertising from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts in New Media from Fairfield University. He is also a 2022 graduate of the George W. Bush Institute’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, where he focused his work on helping veterans access VA health care, benefits, and services. Ryan’s contributions to public service were recently recognized with an Emmy win in the Public Service Announcement – Campaign Category for his work on the Combat the Silence Campaign.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Ryan is a mentor and board advisor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts, where he was honored as Massachusetts Big Brother of the Year in 2020. He is also a recipient of the Patriot Award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Ryan also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Kids in Tech.
Ryan is the son of a USMC Veteran. He lives in the North Shore of Massachusetts with his wife and two children.
Meredith Terrian
Executive Vice President, Chapter Impact
Executive Vice President, Chapter Impact
Meredith Terrian
Executive Vice President, Chapter Impact
Meredith Terrian is the Executive Vice President of Chapter Impact at Blue Star Families and a nationally recognized fundraising strategist, consultant, and speaker. In her role, Meredith is a member of the executive leadership team and oversees the organization’s national chapter and outpost network, providing strategic oversight, management, and direction for growth and expansion across the country.
She has more than 16 years of experience in the nonprofit sector as both a front-line fundraiser and consultant, guiding organizations through strategic planning, capital campaigns, and leadership development. In 2018, Meredith founded The Allied Group, a consulting firm specializing in military and veteran service nonprofits, where she has partnered with organizations including the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation, Naval War College Foundation, Marine Corps University Foundation, and Space Force Association.
In addition to her executive leadership, Meredith serves as an Instructor with National University’s Fundraising Academy, where she trains nonprofit professionals around the world, and co-hosts The Nonprofit Show podcast, which reaches more than 200,000 viewers annually. Her thought leadership has been featured in Advancing Philanthropy Magazine, Bloomerang, OneCause, and AFP.
As a former USMC spouse, Meredith brings a practitioner’s perspective shaped by both professional expertise and personal experience in the military community. She lives in South Florida with her family.
Elizabeth Donatelli
Senior Vice President, Communications and Brand Marketing
Senior Vice President of Communications and Brand Marketing
Elizabeth Donatelli
Senior Vice President of Communications and Brand Marketing
Elizabeth Donatelli joins Blue Star Families as Senior Vice President of Communications and Brand Marketing. She is an award-winning storyteller with more than two decades of experience across television, video production, communications, and content marketing.
Elizabeth began her career as a television news reporter, earning multiple Associated Press and Society of Professional Journalists honors as well as nine Emmy nominations while covering politics and major national events in Virginia, Kentucky, and Nevada. She also served as vice president of communications and content marketing at the National Association of Broadcasters, where she led media relations, social media, influencer campaigns, and video production for one of the industry’s largest trade shows. Elizabeth’s career also includes digital advertising, where she produced hundreds of ads that raised millions of dollars.
A graduate of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Elizabeth has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, NBC’s Nightly News, and the Weather Channel.
Ashley Saville
Senior Vice President, External Affairs
Senior Vice President, External Affairs
Sports + Entertainment Partnerships
Ashley Saville
Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Sports + Entertainment Partnerships
Ashley joins Blue Star Families after serving in fundraising and sales roles for the past 15 years. She has led development, event, and gift planning departments, where she coordinated and directed initiatives for principal-level partnerships with individuals, corporations, and organizations to advance philanthropic endeavors.
As the daughter of two senior master sergeants in the Air Force, Ashley was led to serve upon graduating from Kennesaw State University, commissioning as a second lieutenant in 2009. While on active duty, Ashley was a platoon commander in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, leading convoy operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Her last duty station was Marine Barracks Washington. She is pursuing her MBA at the Marshall School of Business at USC.
Ashley resides in San Clemente, California, with her husband and two sons.
Jennifer Akin
Vice President, Strategic Alliances and White Oak Collaborative
Vice President, Strategic Alliances and White Oak Collaborative
Jennifer Akin, MPA
Vice President, Strategic Alliances and White Oak Collaborative
Jennifer Akin is a national leader, prolific writer, and Gold Star spouse who has dedicated her career to building a stronger nation by understanding core problems facing military, Veteran, and survivor communities, and working to develop innovative solutions to solve them. She believes in the power of strong coalitions and today leads Blue Star Families’ critical cross-sector collaborations, creating trust-based, resilient networks capable of supporting military- and Veteran-connected families now and into the future.
Jenny has a Bachelor of Arts in Peace, War, and Defense (and History) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from North Carolina State University. She is the surviving spouse of Army Special Forces Veteran, Cooper Akin, who died in 2023 of cancer likely caused by environmental toxins he was exposed to during his military service. Jenny and her two children reside in Davidson, NC.
John Barr
Vice President, Accounting and Finance
Vice President, Accounting and Finance
John Barr
Vice President, Accounting and Finance
Assisting organizations’ expansion in their Accounting & Operational functions John utilizes his past experiences in professional services to implement processes improvements, controls and financial data sharing systems.
John currently provides consulting services to Non-Profits and Government Contractors with areas of proficiency in Accounting System design-procedures & workflows, Applications integration (Accounting ERP, Payroll-T&A, purchasing, banking, etc.), Operations and HR tie-ins, financial analysis-reporting, budgeting & proposals, grants and Government contracting, Net Assets, compliance and Tax & Audit management.
John has collaborated with all levels of organizational staff in strengthening Finance & Accounting operations during his career, from the C-Suite and Board to the Summer Intern.
Emily Becher
Vice President, Research & Evaluation
Emily Becher
Vice President, Research & Evaluation
Penny Bolden
Vice President, Brand Partnerships
Vice President Brand Partnerships | Marine Corps Spouse
Penny Bolden
Vice President Brand Partnerships | Marine Corps Spouse
Penny Bolden brings a rare combination of fundraising expertise, strategic marketing, and entrepreneurial drive to her role as Vice President of Brand Partnerships at Blue Star Families.
A graduate of the University of New South Wales, Australia, Penny launched her career managing strategic marketing for Otis Elevator Company across Australia, New Zealand, and later the Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Singapore.
Moving stateside, her global business acumen naturally led to a partnership with Sunchi Capital Corporation, an international consulting firm specializing in U.S. market expansions.
Penny then built an impressive track record in economic and business development - first as Director of Economic Development for the San Diego Regional EDC, then as Business Development Director with PRA International, a global clinical research organization - closing more than $30 million in new business.
When the military family lifestyle required her to pivot, Penny did what entrepreneurs do: she adapted. She launched a leadership consulting and motivational speaking practice and founded an international distribution business in the sporting goods industry.
Now in her element at Blue Star Families, Penny has generated more than $25 million in partnership value by securing and executing campaigns with brands including Ford Motor Company, Starbucks, The Home Depot, Chobani, and Target. Her work bridges the private sector and the military community in meaningful, measurable ways.
Penny has served on committees for the San Diego World Trade Center and the MIT Enterprise Forum, and as a founder and board member of nonprofit GetGear.org.
A Marine Corps spouse for more than 27 years - through seven deployments and six moves - Penny resides in McLean, Virginia with her husband, Col. Ché Bolden (Ret.), USMC, and their three daughters.
Stephanie Cain
Vice President, Development
Stephanie Cain
Vice President, Development
A U.S. Army veteran and seasoned nonprofit development executive, Stephanie has dedicated her career to strengthening mission-driven organizations through strategic philanthropy, donor engagement, and community partnership building. Her professional work is grounded in service, stewardship, and a deep respect for the military-connected community.
Before joining Blue Star Families, Stephanie held development leadership roles with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Crescent Region, and The Salvation Army. Through these organizations, she led multimillion-dollar fundraising efforts, supported major, planned, corporate, and foundation giving strategies, and guided high-performing teams.
Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). She has completed advanced fundraising and leadership training through the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.
Adriene Engstrom
Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
Adriene Engstrom
Chief of Staff
Adriene Engstrom is Blue Star Families' Chief of Staff. As an active-duty Army spouse and former Air Force dependent, she hopes to integrate BSF survey findings and REI initiatives to better assist military families of color in her area. Further, she works to build bridges between existing community services and those families.
Adriene Engstrom earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech; Communications from Kansas Wesleyan University and her Masters of Science in Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University. She has served on several corporate boards including Employee Engagement and Inclusion and LGBT Business Resource Groups. Likewise, she has enjoyed volunteering for the military community since her youth. She is active in the West Point Spouses Club and is the mother of two girls.
Michael Kang
Vice President, Technology and Analytics
Vice President, Technology and Analytics
Michael Kang
Vice President, Technology and Analytics
Michael Kang is the Vice President, Technology and Analytics at Blue Star Families. Prior to BSF, Michael worked in the corporate sector for almost two decades in various roles such as technology implementations, project management, finance, process improvement, strategy, and analytics. Some of the companies he has worked for include IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Thomson Reuters, and Live Nation.
Michael received his bachelor’s degree in Economics with a Minor in Computer Science from UC Irvine and an MBA in Finance from the University of Southern California (USC). Michael lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
Vicky Perkins
Vice President, Programs
Vice President, Programs
Vicky Perkins
Vice President, Programs
Vicky is the Vice President of Programs at Blue Star Families, where she has served for 9 years. She oversees a diverse portfolio of programs, including Caregiver, Veteran, and Suicide-Prevention Support Circles; Outdoors; Campaign for Inclusion, Careers; Museums; and Books. Vicky has extensive experience in pilot program development, evaluation, and scaling innovative solutions at the national level and in partnership with Blue Star Families Chapter locations. She excels in stakeholder management, leading collaboration with federal and nonprofit partners, and oversees fiscal management of large-scale federal and private funds. In addition, she leads a growing internal team, ensuring the successful execution and expansion of high-impact programs.
Vicky holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from Notre Dame of Maryland University and previously taught third grade for two years at William Tyler Page Elementary School in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Vicky is a Naval Aviator spouse, currently based in Jacksonville, Florida, where she and her husband Chris have raised three children. Vicky's favorite hobbies are getting outside to walk her dog, exercising in the fresh air, and spending time at the beach with her family.
Tom Porter
Vice President, Government Affairs
Vice President, Government Affairs
Tom Porter
Vice President, Government Affairs
Tom Porter is Vice President, Government Affairs at Blue Star Families in Washington, DC. He leads the organization’s national advocacy to empower and improve the lives of military and veteran families.
Porter comes to BSF with nearly three decades of Washington, DC experience as Congressional staff and as a government relations leader. Focusing first on national energy, water supply, and natural resources policy, he has spent the last nine years exclusively representing the interests of veterans and military families, primarily for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
Porter played a lead role in passing significant legislation benefitting veterans and servicemembers, including the Honoring Our PACT Act to establish unprecedented new benefits for those who suffered military toxic exposures and their families, the Deborah Sampson Act which was the most comprehensive women veterans legislation in history, and reforms to the military justice system to protect victims of sexual assault and other serious crimes. He also was instrumental in defending the Post-9/11 GI Bill from cuts and abuse, among other accomplishments.
In addition to being a longtime Washington advocate on Capitol Hill and in front of federal agency leaders, Porter has also communicated on behalf of the military and veteran community through national, regional, and local media, including CNN, Fox News, NBC, ABC, Washington Post, NPR, and many others. He has testified numerous times before House and Senate veterans and armed services committees.
Porter is also a US Navy Captain (Ret.) with 27 years of reserve and active service around the world as a public affairs officer for US and Coalition forces, including during deployments to Afghanistan and the Middle East.
He is married to Northern Virginia attorney Jennifer Porter and has three teenage daughters.
Sheila Stevens
Vice President, Chapter Impact and Outposts
Vice President, Chapter Impact and Outposts
Sheila Stevens
Vice President, Chapter Impact and Outposts
Sheila Stevens serves as Vice President of Chapter Impact & Outposts at Blue Star Families, where she leads a nationwide network of chapters and community-based outposts dedicated to strengthening military families. She oversees strategy, growth, and day-to-day operations, ensuring local communities are equipped to deliver meaningful programs and support aligned with Blue Star Families’ mission.
Since joining Blue Star Families in 2010 as a chapter leader and volunteer in Jacksonville, Florida, Sheila has been instrumental in expanding the organization’s community impact model. She has helped build and scale chapters across the country, strengthen local partnerships, and connect national initiatives to on-the-ground support for military families.
Sheila comes from a rich legacy of military service. Raised by a Naval aviator, married to a Naval aviator, and the parent of two Naval aviators, she brings a deeply personal connection to the military community that shapes her leadership and lifelong commitment to those who serve. She also serves on multiple boards and advisory boards, further advancing support for military families and strengthening community partnerships.
Sheila has been recognized as one of Jacksonville’s Top 50 Women Leaders for the second consecutive year and is a recipient of the Chief of Naval Operations Superior Public Service Award for her work in the nonprofit sector serving military families.
Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Sheila remains closely connected to the military community and is proud to support those who serve.
