Our Staff
Duanni Hurd
President and CEO
Duanni is a co-founder, president and CEO of Starlight Caregivers. She is originally from Beijing, China, where she graduated from the University of International Business and Economics with a bachelor’s degree in finance. She also obtained a master’s degree in communication from the University of Arizona.
Duanni spent over a dozen years as a business development executive with major tech companies before stepping aside to pursue her passion of serving the vulnerable. She is a registered administrator for Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) and a registered administrator for Adult Residential Care Facilities (ARF) in California, as well as a certified care manager (CMC). Duanni is also a certified and highly experienced yoga and fitness instructor and champions a donation-based yoga clinic benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. She is an active member of the Los Altos Rotary Club, sitting on multiple boards serving the community.
David Hurd
Chief Marketing Officer
David is co-founder and serves as chief marketing officer. He is originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and attended University of Wisconsin La Crosse and Brown University in Minnesota. David began his career as a creative consultant for Adobe, a major software company in San Jose, before spending over 25 years leading the corporate marketing communications departments of several Nasdaq publicly traded semiconductor companies.
Cynthia Pratte-Giebler
Office Manager
Cindy joined Starlight first in 2014 then again in 2019 as our office manager following an extended career in the world of banking and finance. With the equivalent of juggling a dozen balls in the air, Cindy helps oversee both staff and clients and delivers sanity to our ever-changing 24-hour agency. Born and raised in the Philippines, she has lived in Los Altos for over 40 years where she raised two children. Cindy earned a BA in history with a minor in business economics from Assumption College, Philippines.
Tom Keenan
Client Care Coordinator, Lead
Tom joined Starlight in 2015 and plays a key role as our client care coordinator lead. With extensive experience in caregiving, he started in the field caring for his own father, followed by numerous clients living with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and quadriplegia. Tom is passionate about his work and operates on the philosophy of client advocacy first. A Bay Area native with five siblings, he graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in business administration and is now working toward geriatric care manager certification.
Barbara Motuliki
Scheduler, Care Coordinator
Barb joined Starlight in early 2020 and quickly became an essential team member as our scheduler and care coordinator. This is a highly complex role that requires finesse, as the service complications change on an hourly basis. With over 25 years working in healthcare, she is fully equipped to help drive client success with previous experience as a medical assistant working in doctors’ offices and rehab centers. A Bay Area native, Barb enjoys spending time with family and her two children, volunteering, singing and participating in church activities.
Vanessa Gilders
Staffing Coordinator
Vanessa joined Starlight in 2015. As our staffing coordinator, she plays a critical role in managing our caregiver employees’ daily journey with clients across the Bay Area. She leads in recruiting, onboarding and training our caregivers. As a previous elder care caregiver herself, Vanessa fully grasps the complexities of ensuring clients’ needs are fulfilled with ever-changing staffing scenarios. With a busy home life and five children to manage, she enjoys being the “team mom” for the variety of sports the kids play ranging from football, volleyball and softball.
Isabel Michael
Client Care Coordinator
Isabel Michael joined Starlight in 2021 as a client care coordinator. She obtained a BS in public health from Santa Clara University. Isabel was born in South Korea and grew up in San Francisco. Prior to Starlight, she worked at the University of California, San Francisco as an assistant for researchers of cancer and HIV/AIDS. She also volunteers at the Sacred Heart Community Center and for the American Red Cross. Isabel is passionate about social justice and improving the health of her community through her work. She enjoys hiking, playing soccer, going to concerts, and cooking.
Paola Lloyd
Office Administrative Assistant
Paola joined Starlight in 2016 as our office administrative assistant and assists with billing and payroll, as well as monitors all our caregiver staff’s daily time cards and shift reports. This helps to anticipate and deliver the care that our clients need and keeps loved ones informed of activity whether they live around the corner or around the world. With a passion for serving older adults, she also enjoys time with family and hobbies including hiking, reading, kayaking, traveling and learning new things like knitting.