Meet Our Team
Clinical Leadership
Cailin M. Ockert
Executive Director
MS, BCBA, LBA
Cailin has been working with children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities since 2005. She holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Child Development from Arizona …
Emily E. Nuño
Clinical Director
M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
Emily has been working with children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities since 2009. She holds a Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Psychology and Family …
Matthew LeVac
Director of Therapy
MS, OTR/L
Matthew LeVac is a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist and Assistive Technology Specialist. He holds a Master of Science degree from A.T Stills University and a Certificate in Assistive Technology …
Liz Singer
Assistant Director
MS, BCBA, LBA
Liz has been working with children and teens with developmental disabilities since 2014. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. …
Behavior Analysts
Jennifer C. Santoemma
Behavior Analyst
M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
Jenny graduated from Belmont Abbey College in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. After graduating, Jenny moved to Arizona and began working in the …
Staci Marquez
Behavior Analyst & State Certified Teacher, Special Ed K-12
M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
Staci Marquez is a Licensed Behavior Analyst possessing a Masters of Education from The University of Toledo in Special Education. Early on in her career, Staci cultivated her passion working …
Chaynee Tabet
Behavior Analyst
MS, BCBA, LBA
Chaynee graduated from Texas A&M University in 2018. After graduation, Chaynee moved to Arizona to begin working in the field of applied behavior analysis. In 2021, she completed a Master …
Dylan Nikkel
Behavior Analyst
MS, BCBA, LBA
Dylan has been working with children, teens, and adults with developmental disabilities since becoming a behavior technician at Bista in 2015. He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor …
Stephanie Bakazan
Senior Behavior Analyst
MS, BCBA, LBA
Stephanie has been working with children and teens with developmental disabilities since 2015. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2016 and holds a …
Laura Milstrey
Behavior Analyst
M.A., BCBA, LBA
Laura Milstrey started her career in applied behavior analysis in 2004, completing her Masters degree and practicum experience at The Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, an affiliate of John’s …
Zackary Sinex
Behavior Analyst
MS, BCBA, LBA
Zack graduated from ASU in 2022 with a masters in Applied Behavior Analysis after completing fieldwork focused on the science of learning, flexibility training and early language intervention for children …
Jacy Wallace
Behavior Analyst
MS, BCBA, LBA
Jacy has been working with children, teens, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 2020. After receiving her Bachelor of Health Science degree in 2021, Jacy moved to Arizona …
Speech Therapy Team
DeEsta D’appollonio
Speech Language Pathologist
SLP
DeEsta is a licensed speech-language pathologist passionate about working with individuals with developmental disabilities. DeEsta began her career in 2016, after graduating from the University of Arkansas with a Master’s …
Mariana Gertz
Speech Language Pathologist
MS, CF-SLP
Mariana is a compassionate and highly dedicated speech-language pathologist (SLP) who possesses an unwavering commitment to helping individuals find their voice and overcome communication challenges. Her journey in the field …
Occupational Therapy Team
Gabby Alcantar
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
COTA/L
Gabby Alcantar is a certified and licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant. She formerly worked as an RBT in our Bista Clinic while completing her Occupational Therapy Program. She graduated with an Associate Degree in Occupational Science from Pima Medical Institute in 2023.