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.

Our Staff

Administration

Dr. Charity Chandler-Cole
Chief Executive Officer
323-859-2888 ext. 6318
cchandlercole@casala [dot] org

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

LaTasha Christian
Grant Accounting Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6558

Kati Farina
Data & Evaluation Specialist
323-859-2888 ext. 6309

Melissa Bordenave
Director of Contracts
323-859-2888 ext. 6389

Ramona Kan
Accounting Controller 
323-859-2888 ext. 6403

Timon Lo

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

Hiba Zakkour
IT Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6333

Advocacy

Rosa Arevalo

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

Madison Bradfield-Davis
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext. 6569

LaWanda Brown
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext. 6574

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

Jeanine Espejo
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext.6583

Yosie Gonzalez
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext.6557

Adriana Lopez
Advocacy Team Manager
323-859-2888 ext. 6317

Stefanie Jadidi
Advocate Supervisor
323-859-2888 ext. 6337 

Cristian Lopez
Advocate Supervisor
657-767-5603

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 

Programs

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

Sylvia Martin
Expectant and Parenting Youth Specialist
323-859-2888 ext. 6405

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******@ca****.org

Danielle Espinoza
Prevention & Early Intervention Resource Navigator
323-859-2888 ext.6401

Suzen Pando
Prevention & Early Intervention
Resource Navigator

323-859-2888 ext.6402

Development and Communications

Marie Carpenter

Chief Development Officer
323-859-2888 ext. 6328
mcarpenter@casala [dot] org

Kim Goldman
Director of Development
323-859-2888 ext. 6560
kgoldman@casala[dot]org

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
jokeefe@casala[dot]org

Recruitment and Outreach

OT (Otesha) Mosely-Bremond
Director of Recruitment & Outreach
323-859-2888 ext. 6408
omosely-bremond@casala [dot] org

Jamila Clark
Community Organizer Antelope Valley
323-859-2888 ext. 6581

Marjorie Diaz
Community Organizer
323-859-2888 ext. 6579

 

Volunteer and Training Services

Denise Preciado
Manager of Volunteer Recruitment and Outreach
323-859-2888 ext. 6371

Jasmine Sanchez
Community Organizer
323-859-2888 ext. 6571

Valerie Vazquez
Community Organizer
323-859-2888 ext. 6580

 

Isabel Bloom
Manager of Volunteer Relations
323-859-2888 ext. 6559
ibloom@casala[dot]org

Aimee Borrayo
Training Specialist
323-859-2888 ext. 6562

Shawniqua Bush
Training Specialist
323-859-2888 ext. 6584

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

Alaynè Marie Sampson — Chair
Chandler Asset Management

Ricardo Gonzalez Treasurer
Southern California Gas Company

Johna Rivers — Secretary
Filmmaker

Aishwarya Bhave
Neogov Inc.

Doug Bond
Amity Foundation

Andrew Goldberg
Leonard Green & Partners. L.P.

Christian Green
Los Angeles Community College District, Pasadena City College District, Compton College, UCLA and CSU Dominguez Hills

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

Erika Johnson
The Center for Early Education

Veronica Keegan

Riot Games

Lori Kozak
Fox Rothschild

Mark Lamia
Activision (retired)

Hemal Master
Frandzel Robins Bloom & Csato

Jeff Newman
Dama Financial
Court Appointed Special Advocate

Debra Ravden 
Klopert & Ravden, LLP

Daniel Sarkis
Mercer

Nathan M. Spatz
Pillsbury

David Stein
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

Justice is what love looks
like in public