CASA of Los Angeles (CASA/LA) organizes the community to take action and advocate for children and families in LA County’s overburdened child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Through an intentional, restorative and culturally relevant lens, we train committed, consistent and caring adults who provide equitable access to resources and life-affirming connections.
Our Mission
CASA of Los Angeles organizes the community to take action and advocate for children and families in LA County’s overburdened child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
Our Vision
CASA/LA’s vision is a Los Angeles in which all children and families impacted by the child welfare and juvenile justice systems have equitable access to the resources and support they need to thrive.
Our Values
Deep Love
We have deep love for the children and families in the child welfare system and for our staff and volunteers. Deep love is the glue that holds CASA/LA together.
Justice
We work towards justice for children and families and for improved systems that increase access to justice.
Authenticity & Integrity
We are committed to our values and acknowledge power structures and bias.
Accountability
We strive for professionalism, collaboration, and the honest measurement and reporting of our outcomes.
Respect
We treat everyone with respect and work to deserve the respect of all our partners.
CASA volunteers help children feel like they have someone to listen to them. Being heard gives them a sense of control. In a system where their needs and wishes are often disregarded or ignored, having an adult actively paying attention to what they say means everything. Even if the results aren’t instant, it plants a seed in their mind that they are worthy of respect. That is something they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.”
— Attorney, Children’s Law Center
History
In 1977, a Seattle juvenile court judge concerned about making drastic decisions with insufficient information conceived the idea of citizen volunteers speaking up for the best interest of children, in the courtroom and the community, who have experienced abuse and neglect. From that first program has grown a network of nearly 1,000 CASA and guardian ad litem programs that are recruiting, training and supporting volunteers in 49 states and the District of Columbia.Today, CASA of Los Angeles is one of the largest CASA programs in the country, affiliated with the California CASA Association and the National CASA Association of 949 community-based programs and over 76,000 volunteers serving 251,000 children nationwide.
Tawny Alurac
Payroll Accountant
323-859-2888 ext. 6573
Jeannet Cendejas
Antelope Valley Resource Hub
Office Operations Assistant
661-723-2272 ext. 5101
jcandejas@casala[dot]org
Kati Farina
Data & Evaluation Specialist
323-859-2888 ext. 6309
Ramona Kan
Accounting Controller
323-859-2888 ext. 6403
Molly Snow
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Senior Accountant
323-859-2888 ext. 6345
Jacquelyn Mancia
Human Resources Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6377
Tina Rowe
Executive Assistant
Joshua Saxelby-Valle
Director of IT
323-859-2888 ext. 6354
Evangelina Vasquez
Human Resources Director
323-859-2888 ext. 6383
Jocelyn Velasquez
Office Operations Assistant
323-859-2888 ext. 6300
jvelasquez@casala[dot]org
Advocacy Team Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6302
Kedrea Battle
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext. 6432
Kari Becker
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext. 6556
Lesley Bois
Advocate Supervisor
661-723-2272 ext. 5100
Caroline Christ
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext. 6434
Ekaterina Danton
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888, ext. 6379
Tammy Dietrich
Advocate Supervisor
661-723-2272 ext. 5103
Adriana Lopez
Advocacy Team Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6317
Stefanie Jadidi
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext. 6337
Joseph Luciani-Cervantes
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext. 6313
Ben Miller
Advocacy Team Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6365
RitaRenne Najla Muhammad
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext.6407
Carolyn McGee
Advocacy Team Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6327
Chelsea O’Neill
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext. 6370
Jessica Rivas Valle
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext. 6305
Jontae Watkins
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext. 6341
Aimee Lencsak
Director of Programs
323-859-2888 ext. 6356
EARLY CHILDHOOD &
EXPECTANT AND PARENTING YOUTH PROGRAM
Lauri Halderman
Early Childhood and Expectant and Parenting
Youth Program Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6312
YOUTH JUSTICE PROGRAM
Jessica Gonzalez
Youth Justice Project Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6320
Eduardo De Anda
Pre-Trial Interventionist
323-859-2888, ext. 6564
ESSENTIAL HISTORY PROGRAM
Arlene Anguiano
Essential History Program Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6349
Chandler Bruyn
Essential History Program Coordinator
323-859-2888 ext. 6367
PREVENTION & EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM
Sherrie Bradford
Prevention and Early Intervention Training Coordinator
323-859-2888 ext. 6577
Tristan Bulatao
Prevention and Early Intervention
Program Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6578 tb******@****la.org
Suzen Pando
Prevention & Early Intervention Resource Navigator
323-859-2888 ext.6402
Joy Joukhadar
Grant Writer
323-859-2888 ext. 6575
jjoukhadar@casala[dot]org
Patrick Lee
Donor Engagement Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6576
plee@casala[dot]org
Jade O’Keefe-Mitchell
Development Associate
323-859-2888 ext. 6561
jokeefe@casala[dot]org
Aimee Borrayo
Training Specialist
323-859-2888 ext. 6562
Lance Cortez
Training Specialist
323-859-2888 ext. 6567
Sierra Doxey
Training Specialist
323-859-2888 ext. 6566
Sheila Hernandez
Manager of Volunteer Administration
323-859-2888 ext. 6315
Michael Santell
Volunteer Coordinator
323-859-2888 ext. 6409
Emily Scrimshaw
Director of Training and Volunteer Relations
323-859-2888 ext. 6315
escrimshaw@casala [dot] org
Board of Directors
Aishwarya Bhave— Chair
Neogov Inc.
Court Appointed Special Advocate
Jeff Newman— Secretary, Vice Chair
Dama Financial
Court Appointed Special Advocate
Alaynè Marie Sampson — Emeritus Chair
Chandler Asset Management
Ricardo Gonzalez — Treasurer
Southern California Gas Company
Doug Bond
Amity Foundation
Kristin DuPont
Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher LLP
Andrew Goldberg
Leonard Green & Partners. L.P.
Christian Green
Professor, West Los Angeles College, African American Studies
Belinda Heard
Capital Group Companies
Court Appointed Special Advocate
Samuel Herod
Court Appointed Special Advocate
Dr. Tamara Hunter
Commission for Children and Families, Los Angeles County
Veronica Keegan
Riot Games
Lori Kozak
Fox Rothschild LLP
Mark Lamia
Activision (retired)
Hemal Master
Frandzel Robins Bloom & Csato, L.C.
Debra Ravden
Klopert & Ravden, LLP
Daniel Sarkis
Mercer
Nathan M. Spatz, JD
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
David Stein
Retired Music Executive
Court Appointed Special Advocate
Courtney Torres
Courtney Torres Consulting
Elvira Valenzuela
East West Bank
Victor Xing
Kekselias
Jacqueline Dolan
CASA of Los Angeles Founding President