Board of Directors
Leadership
Our Board of Directors
Robbins Nest Alliance is governed by a board of directors who bring professional expertise, personal experience, and a shared commitment to making accurate, peer-reviewed caregiver education freely accessible to every family that needs it.
Heather Robbins
Executive Director & Co-Founder
Heather Robbins is the Executive Director and co-founder of Robbins Nest Alliance, which she built from the ground up while serving as the primary caregiver for her husband Rob, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the special operations medical community, California-licensed paramedic, and retired emergency physician with a 29-year career in emergency and prehospital medicine, living with Parkinson's, dementia, aphasia, FND, and probable CTE. Her background in business operations and organizational development gave her the operational foundation to build a peer-reviewed educational nonprofit from scratch. Her daily life gave her the reason.
Heather launched RNA because she could not find the kind of clear, medically accurate, caregiver-focused information she needed when Rob's diagnoses began compounding. Every resource on the site is peer-reviewed, every article is cited, and every tool is built around what caregivers actually need to navigate a complex neurological diagnosis. She believes that access to accurate information is not a luxury, and RNA exists to close that gap.
Brenda Cianciarusa
Board Member
Brenda Cianciarusa is a business transformation and process improvement leader with expertise in operational strategy, Agile methodologies, Lean Six Sigma, and enterprise technology implementation. She has spent her career helping organizations build systems that work, and brings that same operational discipline to her role on the Robbins Nest Alliance board.
Brenda joined RNA because she believes that organizations doing critical work deserve infrastructure that matches their mission. She is committed to helping RNA grow with intention and sustainability.
Christie Daniel
Board Member
Christie Daniel is a seasoned entrepreneur, certified residential real estate appraiser, and business owner with more than 25 years of experience helping individuals and families make informed financial and real estate decisions. As the founder of multiple businesses, she brings expertise in strategic planning, marketing, financial analysis, fundraising, and organizational growth.
In recent years, Christie sustained a traumatic brain injury that provided her with firsthand understanding of the challenges faced by individuals and families navigating recovery. This experience deepened her commitment to supporting organizations that improve the lives of those affected by neurological conditions. She is honored to contribute both her professional expertise and personal perspective to Robbins Nest Alliance as it advances its mission of education, caregiver resources, and evidence-based support.
Faith Kellam
Board Member
Faith Kellam has spent more than a decade serving her community through volunteer leadership, holding nearly every position on PTA and band booster boards including president, vice president, parliamentarian, and membership and events chair. She has also volunteered with Rancho Damacitas and local homeless community outreach, and previously founded a nonprofit, giving her firsthand understanding of what it takes to build a mission-driven organization from the ground up.
When her son Talon sustained a brain injury, Faith became deeply familiar with the challenges families face when navigating neurological recovery with limited resources and support. She joined the Robbins Nest Alliance board to help ensure that other families have access to what she had to search hard to find.
Marla Ness
Board Member
Marla Ness is an attorney with a background in general liability defense, bringing sharp analytical skills and sound legal judgment to her role on the Robbins Nest Alliance board. She is committed to supporting the organization's mission of educating caregivers and families navigating brain injury and neurological conditions.
Outside of her legal career, Marla is an engaged community member who values connection, advocacy, and service. She looks forward to contributing to an organization that takes caregiver education as seriously as clinical care.
Angela
Board Member
[Bio coming soon.]