Meet our board

our

Board of directors

dedicate time and energy to diversifying our donor options and fundraising for the organization

Kay Norton

Board Chair

Kay Norton is Professor of Musicology in the ASU School of Music, part of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. She just completed a 4-year term as Vice President of the Society for American Music. Norton teaches courses on musical research and the history of music, as well as on what music means in the contexts of wellness, gender, and community. Her publications examine the wellness benefits of music, American sacred music (most recently, African American gospel), and music of the American South.

Katie Griffith

Vice-President

Katie has been involved with Higher Octave Healing for over ten years as a client. She is also a member of the new rock band music therapy program through Higher Octave Healing. Her favorite instrument to play is the drums. Outside of music therapy, Katie is an active member of many self-advocacy groups including President of People First of Arizona and inspire Inc., where she is the Vice President and Chair of Membership Development. inspire is a member-run provider agency through the Division of Developmental Disabilities. Katie is also the 2016 Miss Wheelchair Arizona and and her platform is to actively encourage and engage youth leadership through advocacy and education. She is also part of the community service project Miss Sparkles Arizona 2017 and she loves to make a difference in anyway possible, including being a new member of the board of Higher Octave Healing. She is so happy to give back to an organization that has and continues to do so much for her

Mark Springsteel

Treasurer

Mark Springsteel is the Principal of Springsteel Investment Advisors located in Phoenix, AZ. Mark established his practice in 2012 after a 15-year career in banking, corporate finance and as Treasurer and Director of Financial Services for AAA Arizona. He works in partnership with his wife Rachel who is the Principal of Springsteel PC, a CPA firm, located in the same offices. Mark holds the designations of CPA, CFP and PFS and, when he is not counting beans, enjoys woodworking and spending time with his family fishing, camping and traveling.

John Doller

Secretary

John is a professional civil engineer who specializes in the planning, design, and construction of water and wastewater treatment facilities. He retired in 2020 as a principal and National Director of Project Delivery with the national consulting firm Carollo Engineers, Inc.

John is also a percussionist/drummer. He has been involved in a wide variety of musical organizations from symphony orchestras to marching bands and drum corps. From jazz bands and pit orchestras, to “wedding bands” and church praise bands, John has always kept active in music performance.

John has also used his musical skills as an educator. He taught marching percussion for six years at Barry Goldwater High School in Phoenix. During that time, he was also a percussion adjudicator for many Phoenix area marching band competitions.

In his remaining free time, John enjoys spending it with his wife, raising his four children, boxing, and competitive target shooting.

Stacie Wylie

Director

Stacie Wylie has a long history of service and community involvement. Prior to her career in the insurance industry, she worked as a high school English teacher and coached the Academic Decathlon team at Desert Ridge High School. In the past 15 years in the insurance industry, she has served customers through her service in claims, quality assurance, tech support, and corporate responsibility. She currently works as a Corporate Responsibility Analyst where she reviews grant requests from non-profit organizations and organizes volunteer and community events. Stacie holds a bachelor’s degree in English Education with minors in music and studio arts from Northern Arizona University and an MBA with an emphasis in Accounting from University of Phoenix. Stacie is passionate about education and loves serving as the Advocacy for Disabilities and Education Employee Resource Group (ADE ERG) Phoenix Area Lead. She has completed her CPCU, CLU, ChSNC, FLMI, AIC, AINS, API, AIS, ALMI, ACS, AIRC, and ARA designations and recently completed a Developmental Disabilities Specialist Certificate from Glendale Community College and a Data Analytics Certificate from Scottsdale Community College.

In her free time, Stacie loves spending time with her husband, David, and their 8-year-old son, Liam. She has one dog and a goldfish—she likes to boast that she won Gatsby the Goldfish at a carnival, and he is now 16 years old! Stacie is very involved in the Down syndrome and Autism communities and enjoys volunteering for Gigi’s Playhouse, DSNetwork, Higher Octave Healing, Special Olympics, and Arizona Academic Decathlon.

Stacy Bellavia

Director

Stacy Bellavia is a dynamic and upbeat professional with a proven track record in community relations and major gift acquisitions. Currently serving as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Arizona Science Center, Stacy has led major multi-million dollar fundraising initiatives, securing grants and corporate sponsorships, in addition to contributing to the enhancement of the experiences for students, families, visitors, and staff at Arizona Science Center. Before joining the Arizona Science Center, Stacy served as a K-12 Special Education Teacher in Peoria, Spokesperson for Sun City Fire Department as well as serving as the Spokesperson for the State of Texas, Department of Aging and Disability Services.

Stacy obtained her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Bachelor of Science in Education through Northern Arizona University. Stacy holds credentials as a certified K-12 Principal, K-12 Special Education Teacher, K-8 Elementary Teacher, and Notary. Additional postgraduate work included completion of grant writing programs at Notre Dame University, and various studies while attending the United States Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. She is a member of the Grants Professional Association, Phoenix Community Alliance, Membership Engagement Committee, 2024 Arizona Foundation for Women SHE Leads Program Mentor, NAU Alumni Association, Alpha Omicron Pi, and Arizona Science Center President’s Club.

As an Arizona native, Stacy enjoys spending time with her husband Scott, and two fur children, Madison and Mallory. Stacy loves all genres of music, travel, flying drones, Legos, gardening, crafting, DIY house projects, hiking, scuba diving, photography, and food lover (dining and cooking).