Orange County is home to thousands of nonprofits, all competing for the same limited supply of volunteers, donors and attention. Why do some deliver on their mission year after year while other well-meaning organizations fade away? It starts at the top, with talented leadership and a well-run board of directors.

At CASA OC, CEO Regan Phillips and board chair Michael Wong, President and CEO of Genea, have developed a winning formula with a cohesive, focused, passionate board.

A Board That Shows Up

Michael, now in his second three-year term as chair, laid out his vision early on: deeper engagement from every board member. He restructured board terms and size, reworked the meeting and committee structure, and better defined the engagement expected of each member.

“We cut down the number of meetings, but required each member to get actively involved in a committee and commit to making an impact through a project to augment the efforts of the CASA staff,” explains Michael.

The result is a board that is present in the field, with members attending events with youth throughout the year. “It’s such a gift to really see firsthand the relationship shared between advocates and youth,” says Michael. “It’s hard to describe in words why advocates are so important, but when you see it firsthand, it really drives home the impact.”

Regan agrees. “Our board members consistently show up and leverage their professional and personal networks to do good for CASA’s mission of serving children in the dependency system.”

Vice Chair Lindsey Poker, an attorney with Kennedy McCarthy & Rumm, says the board takes that responsibility seriously. “None of us are just here to ‘check the box’ of serving on a non-profit board. We want to be responsible stewards of our supporters’ money and really leverage our members’ own business experience and expertise to give supporters the best return on their investment when they choose to donate to CASA.”

She adds, “We’ve been very intentional as a board to add people with unique and diverse experience. Our goal is to leverage people’s existing talents rather than trying to make them fit into a pre-determined box.”

Strategic Additions

That approach has shaped the board’s expansion. Paula Steurer, owner of Sterling Public Relations, Inc., is a long-time CASA supporter and former advocate. She brings expertise in storytelling and in building relationships between donors and nonprofits. “When I work with a company who’s looking to give back to the community, it’s important that we create a relationship rather than just a transaction,” she says. “I’ve been on both sides, creating deeply intentional matches where it’s a great marriage for both the donor and the non-profit.”

Paula has served on several boards, which sharpened her sense of what sets CASA OC apart. “Some act as a rubber stamp for everything the CEO wants. Others seem to thrive on dissension. Really successful organizations have very specific leadership goals and mission-driven principles. At CASA OC, this comes from the top. Regan and Michael not only articulate these priorities, but they hold members accountable.”

Another recent addition to the CASA board is Kelly Galligan, a Partner with Rutan Law Firm.  Kelly, who was recently recognized as the Orange County Attorney of the Year, wasn’t initially sure how she could contribute as a more junior member of the board. She decided to leverage her high profile in the community by promoting CASA via her social media and through in-person events. 

Her colleagues in the legal profession, she says, are a natural fit. “Lawyers are very familiar with court appearances, and we don’t find that environment intimidating.” She adds, “Expanding support for CASA within the legal community also helps enhance the relationship between CASA and the judiciary. I’ve found that Orange County Judges love CASA.” 

Kelly recently hosted a CASA Lunch & Learn for attorneys from her firm and several other local firms, with Norma Mendoza of CASA OC as the speaker. “Norma needs to be everywhere! It’s so powerful to learn about the impact CASAs have on these kids,” Kelly says. Several attendees became donors or signed up for CASA advocate training following the event.

Joanne Lucas, VP Asset Management with CCI, is another one of the newer members of the CASA board. With a professional background in commercial real estate asset management, Joanne brings deep expertise in financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting. She applies this extensive experience to her role on the CASA board’s finance committee. 

She also enjoys working with young people who are exploring their future career opportunities. Joanne shares, “I have a passion for mentoring college age youth and am hoping to develop innovative ways to align my experience with helping older CASA youth.” 

“Since joining the CASA board, I’ve learned that many youth remain in the system until age 21 and that’s the demographic I’m really closely aligned with,” says Joanne. “How do we help prepare them for success? Equip them with life skills? Expose them to employment or educational opportunities?  I’d like to design something in line with CASA OC’s HELP model, with a focus on life skills training for older youth.”

Kristen McCarthy recently returned to the CASA board after previously serving for six years prior to the Covid pandemic. Kristen's long, distinguished career spans over 37 years in public accounting, including her current role as Assurance Market Managing Principal for BDO. She brings a rich background in finance, accounting, and governance to her role on the board. 

Kristen shares her enthusiasm for the changes she’s seen since her previous tenure. “Michael has done a great job of elevating the board and really making sure we’re bringing on board members because of their true skill sets.” 

“Highly functioning boards have the variety of disciplines needed to advise the management team. You can’t have all attorneys or accountants, you also need experts in PR, marketing, systems, finance and experience working in the foster care system,” she says.

Michael and Regan asked Kristen to join the audit committee, a role she calls “the perfect location for me.” She explains why it matters: “As a non-profit, there is an annual requirement for an audit by an independent accounting firm. This is an important fiscal practice when raising millions of dollars from stakeholders and ensures money is being put to the proper purpose.”

Returning Members, Meaningful Impact

These newer members of the CASA OC board join the returning members who each bring their own unique expertise to advancing CASA’s mission in creative and intentional ways. Here are just a few examples of the ways they contribute.

Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, President and CEO of ECOS shares her business of manufacturing plant-powered cleaning products with CASA youth by offering on-site Earth Day educational events and job internships for youth.

Courtney Thom, a trial attorney specializing in sexual assault cases with Manly, Stewart, Finaldi & Thom, has led CASA staff trainings on identifying predatory grooming behavior and supporting youth who may have experienced sexual abuse.

Long time board member David Nusz helps CASA in a variety of ways by providing expertise as an employment attorney with O’Hagan Meyer, serving as an advocate himself, and even appearing as Santa Claus at the annual CASA holiday party alongside his wife and daughter as Santa’s elves. 

Jeff Rodersheimer, a retired technology executive who now advises clients through his consulting firm, 3rd Wave Architecture, is helping the CASA program team build data collection and analysis into its work, so trends can drive better outcomes for youth. He also volunteers as an advocate.

Finance Chair Jim Chergey, a partner with Deloitte, engaged his colleagues in a service day for CASA. Together they assembled graduation kits for CASA youth finishing high school last spring. He and his company also host an Impact Fair where CASA and other nonprofits share their mission and volunteer opportunities with Deloitte team members. 

Jay Nugent, an Executive Managing Director at Newmark, assisted CASA OC in finding new office space. He helped locate the ideal location, negotiated favorable terms and secured most of the furniture as a charitable donation as part of the deal.

The Result

Each individual contributes their own diverse expertise and experience and shows up in meaningful ways to engage in the work, expand capacity and, ultimately, serve more children.

Regan sums it up: “Every one of our board members is here because of their commitment to our mission. The unique and creative ways they show up, and give their time in service to our youth, demonstrates how dedicated and talented this group of people really is.”

Want to help? Join CASA for an upcoming Information Session to learn how you can support local youth in the Orange County foster care system. Email Norma Mendoza to learn more.