Inside CASA: Inside the Board of Directors
Valerie Burchfield Rhodes
Inside CASA is a series about the child welfare system and the role CASA OC plays in providing trained volunteers to advocate on behalf of youth within the system.
CASA OC embraces the tagline, “Showing up is extraordinary.” And the members of CASA OC’s Board of Directors, under the leadership of Board Chairman Michael Wong, show up in meaningful ways both personally and professionally to advance CASA’s mission to serve children who have been abused or neglected.
What exactly is the role of a board in the work of a non-profit like CASA OC? A non-profit typically has a tax-exempt status that reduces the organization’s tax burden and allows most donations from supporters to be tax deductible. CASA OC must meet strict criteria to maintain this exempt status and the Board of Directors has the fiduciary responsibility to oversee these efforts, ensure adherence to the mission, raise funds, and guide spending.
Over the past few years, CASA OC has seen exciting growth in the creative collaboration between CASA’s leadership team and the board. The past year in particular has produced some innovative expansions in this collaboration. This partnership has proven so successful that CASA CEO Regan Phillips and Board Chair Michael Wong were invited to present their best practices at the 2023 California CASA Executive Directors Conference. The conference is an annual meeting of the 44 Executive Directors from CASA organizations throughout California’s 52 counties.
Board Chair Michael Wong and CASA CEO Regan Phillips. Michael Wong with wife Lauren Wong, CASA Celebration 2023
Regan gives Michael credit for these innovations, “As a board member, Michael had the opportunity to connect with the cause and identified an opportunity to harness the tremendous talent of the people on our board who wanted to make a difference. When he became the board chair, he was intentional about making sure everyone was clear about the value they brought to the board and had a tangible opportunity to contribute.”
Michael, his wife Lauren, and their three children relocated from Los Angeles twelve years ago when he became CEO of a software company based in Orange County. Ted Nark, a former CASA OC board chair, introduced Michael and Lauren to CASA and Lauren jumped in to co-chair the Celebration Gala for several years. When Michael’s schedule opened up a bit he explored a variety of non-profit volunteer opportunities until he found something where he felt a strong connection. He ultimately found a good fit with CASA and said, “CASA really energized me; the mission and the people involved. After a few years on the board, it was a good time for me to accept the board chair role.”
Once Michael agreed to take on the role of chair, he was deeply committed to implementing meaningful change. According to Regan, “Michael leads with his whole heart and his whole head and really embraces servant leadership.” He spent the year prior to assuming his new role having weekly calls with Regan. “I really wanted to forge a partnership with Regan and have us be a sounding board for one another,” he said. Michael laid out his plan to get deeper engagement with board members which included restructuring the terms and number of board members, changing the meeting and committee structure, and better defining the level of engagement expected from members of the board.
Lindsey Poker & Anar Patel at 7th Annual Pinwheel Project, Paul Tacorian at Men of CASA Mixer
Board member Lindsey Poker has worked closely with Michael on these efforts. As the chair of the Governance Committee she is responsible for creating the rules, structure and expectations of board members and ensuring these goals are met. One of her key priorities is ensuring there is a deep understanding by all board members of the work CASA does. “We want board members to be very knowledgeable about what CASA is all about. We expect board members to attend dependency court from time to time and to show up at CASA events with the youth we serve. There is NO WAY you can explain in words how special these events are without seeing them up close,” said Lindsey.
When asked to describe the impact of Michael's leadership Lindsey says, “Michael’s objective for the board is to help Regan and the rest of the CASA leadership team break down barriers to achieve the organization’s goals. We’re always looking for creative ways the board can do more to support CASA staff.”
Michael Wong, Anar Patel, Lindsey Poker, Todd Vande Hei, Courtney Wittkop, Jassel Kaye, Carol Moore, Judge Gail Andler, David Nusz at the 2023 CASA Youth Holiday party.
One of the innovative ways this happens is by pairing each board committee chair with a member of the CASA executive team. This has generated some really creative partnerships where board members are able to bring their professional experience to the CASA staff in ways that benefit the organization.
Lindsey gives the example of board member Jay Nugent who helped CASA locate and negotiate favorable financial terms for a newer, safer office space for staff. “From my viewpoint it’s a great partnership, we have 20+ professionals with a wealth of experience sitting on the board who can provide insights. For example, Jay proposed the outgoing tenant of CASA’s new office space leave behind their office furniture as a charitable donation to CASA. This was a really collaborative approach.”
Courtney Wittkop has been committed to CASA for the past fifteen years in a variety of roles including, most recently, as a member of the board. She began supporting CASA as a volunteer on the Holiday Luncheon committee and, within a short period of time, was co-chairing the annual luncheon. She eventually was asked to be on the CASA staff where she headed up fundraising efforts. Courtney remembers that time with great enthusiasm, “I absolutely loved working for CASA but I grew to realize we aren’t telling our story well enough. We are doing SO much more than we can express in an ‘elevator pitch’. How do we share what we do? Because what we do is extraordinary. And it can be a game-changer for these kids.”
Anar Patel, Courtney Wittkop, Dana Strader, Regan Dean Phillips, Judge Gail Andler, Jassel Kaye at the 2023 Friends of CASA Holiday Luncheon
Having been deeply involved with CASA for so many years, Courtney has seen a tremendous evolution and is really enthusiastic about the changes she’s seeing on the board. “Michael is very motivated to change the status quo. The changes he’s made make people feel more invested. We’ve updated and refined our bylaws and procedures, and Lindsey has brought great structure to the board. We’ve been on a positive trajectory bringing in board members who can be good donors, but who also bring interesting skills and professional development that assist internally at CASA and help our board grow.”
Regan is really enthusiastic about the board’s current composition having served on the board herself for many years. “I was on the board when I was still practicing law and advocating for youth in foster care. I realized then how important it was to have representation and perspective from people who are intimately involved with the work and understand the unique challenges of the children we serve.” So Regan was thrilled when Judge Gail Andler agreed to join the board after retiring as a bench officer.
Judge Andler spent time as the Supervising Judge of the Orange County Juvenile Dependency Court and handled a caseload involving youth who had been subjected to abuse or neglect. She says of her time on the bench, “I witnessed first-hand the difference CASAs made in the lives of children in the foster care system. I carefully reviewed the reports submitted by CASAs and when I asked questions, found the information they provided to be very valuable as I tried to make decisions in the best interest of the child.”
Judge Gail Andler with husband Steven Andler at the 2023 Friends of CASA Holiday Luncheon. Karen Jordan and Bobbie Howe at the 2022 Friends of CASA Holiday Luncheon
The insights provided by Judge Andler bring a unique and important perspective to her role on the board according to Regan. “When Judge Andler is at the table she reviews all the information through the lens of the youth. She provides unique expertise that’s mission specific and addresses the needs of the child. She is absolutely committed to the kids we serve and it's so valuable to have someone on the board showing up with that perspective and credibility,” said Regan.
Judge Andler will be honored as the Children’s Champion at CASA’s annual Celebration Gala on Friday, May 17th at Pendry, Newport Beach. The gala is CASA’s single largest fundraiser of the year and is largely driven by the board. This year’s event is being chaired by two of CASA’s board members; Karen Jordan and Jassel Kaye. Regan describes Karen and Jassel as, “dynamic leaders and philanthropists whose commitment to CASA is inspiring.”
CASA Board Members at the 2023 CASA Celebration
This year’s gala theme is CASA 24 - a nod to Studio 54 - and will feature disco glam and great music. In addition to honoring Judge Andler, the gala will recognize CASA Advocate of the Year, Pat Cahill who is celebrating 28 years of volunteer advocacy. Regan said, “The Celebration Gala is a way to celebrate the people who make CASA great and an opportunity to shine a light on the breadth and depth of what advocacy looks like. Pat is our longest serving volunteer and has seen it all. She’ll spotlight the many ways we provide advocacy to children in crisis.”
The gala’s Outstanding Corporation honoree will be Stark, who will be recognized for their comprehensive approach to charitable engagement with CASA. Stark’s CEO, Todd Vande Hei, is a board member who heads the Program Committee. According to Regan, “Stark is not only a corporate donor, but Todd has hosted workout sessions for youth, advocates, and staff. He’s offered a series on health and wellness for CASA employees, and he’s encouraged his staff to volunteer at CASA events and pursue advocate training. Stark has hosted youth and advocate workout sessions and staff educational events, and they host the annual Stark Naked workout challenge to raise funds and awareness of CASA.”
The annual CASA Celebration Gala and Friends of CASA Holiday Luncheon are both proven fundraisers for CASA but Michael wanted to broaden the demographics targeted by these two marquee events. “These two events are very female-centric and we wanted to increase CASA’s exposure to a male audience. Board member Paul Tacorian, along with Jay Nugent, co-chaired our inaugural golf tournament, rounding out the fundraising events with the CASA Classic. An event that was so successful, we’ll repeat it this year. This was a great example of a new initiative coming from one of our working committees,” said Michael.
CASA Board Members at the 2023 CASA Classic Golf Tournament
The hands-on engagement of the CASA board really fuels the passion that board members feel for the mission of CASA.” Michael shares, “Attending the Back To School Picnic last summer was such a gift, to see firsthand the relationship shared between advocates and youth - it’s really hard to describe in words why advocates are so important but when you see it, you definitely get a sense of the depth of these relationships.”
Lindsey echoes this sentiment saying, “Coming from a legal background and working with this organization for so long, you understand the purpose. But until you see siblings who only see each other at the holiday party or kids who attend the Back To School Picnic, and that's the only place they can get school supplies for their whole family, you realize this only happens in this kind of environment that we provide for them.”
Courtney Wittkop, Michael Wong, Jay Nugent, Regan Dean Phillips, David Nusz, Anar Patel and Lindsey Poker at the 2023 Back to School Picnic
Both Michael and Regan are optimistic about what’s ahead for CASA. Regan shares her hopes for expanding the board with additional representation from those with lived experience - either as an advocate or by a youth who’s previously been in the dependency system. “We now have five former advocates on the board who bring a perspective that is so helpful to decision making at the board level,” said Regan.
Michael wants people to understand the work is important not just to help children who are disadvantaged and at risk, but is equally important on a broader societal level. “If you are a child who is abandoned and you feel that people have given up on you, then it’s unlikely you will care about your life. Once you have that mindset, you’re more likely to be careless in the choices you make. That’s impactful on a human level, but also impactful on a societal level. If we spend the dollars up front to help these kids, then hopefully it makes a positive impact in both their lives and in the broader world.”
Regan said, “From where I sit, I see the challenge and pain and heartbreak that is so rampant in the lives of these children but I also have the privilege of seeing the very best of humanity through my interactions with the board, the auxiliaries, our volunteers, and with our staff. CASA’s lucky to have an incredible tribe of human beings who want to be part of the solution. It’s such a gift. For every horrific struggle that is happening in our community, it seems there are twice as many people trying to be part of the solution.”
Lindsey Poker, Dana Strader, and Anar Patel at the Weekend Max Mara In-Store Event
Michael closes by saying, “We’ve only just started making a positive impact. I’m particularly proud that we’ve gotten this level of engagement and now is where the fun begins. With these resources, what else can we begin to do? I can’t wait to reflect 3-5 years from now on what we’ve been able to accomplish. I can't wait to see how the next chapter unfolds.”
If you’re interested in supporting or attending one of our upcoming board-led events, please visit CASA Celebration Gala or CASA Classic to learn more. If you’d like information about becoming an advocate with CASA, please email Norma Mendoza. If you’d like information about CASA’s auxiliaries, please find more information on our website.