Summer 2023

WELCOME TO OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS, RETURNING MEMBERS, AND OFFICERS

It's a new fiscal year as of July 1st and time to welcome our new and returning board members and officers!

New board members:

• Bill Holbert, Prieto, Marigliano, Holbert, & Prieto, LLC (Atlanta) - joined in January 2023
• Lindsay Dycus, Alcovy CASA (Covington)
• Kip Lynch, Radiologist (Atlanta) - returning from one-year sabbatical
• Ericka McClam, Gwinnett County CASA (Lawrenceville)
• Jessica Merriman, Clayton State University (Mableton)
• Wendy Polson, iHeartMedia (Atlanta) - returning from one-year sabbatical
• Becky Wallis, Community Volunteer (Roswell) - returning from one-year sabbatical

Continuing board officers:

• Lauren Hyatt, Chair
• Kim Harrington, Vice Chair
• Dianne Scoggins, Secretary
• Daniel Hathaway, Treasurer

GEORGIA CASA CONFERENCE HAPPENING THIS WEEK ON SATURDAY IN ATLANTA

We look forward to seeing 500 CASA staff, board members, volunteers, and others in child welfare at the upcoming Georgia CASA Conference this Saturday, August 12th in Atlanta!

At our largest statewide event, 21 workshops will be offered (click here for the listing). The Opening Session will feature special guest Kem Ezeoke and the Awards of Excellence for two affiliate CASA programs and a CASA board member. The Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon includes keynote speaker Natosha Reid Rice with Habitat for Humanity and All Saints' Episcopal Church, recognition of the CASA Volunteer of the Year in Georgia nominees and the award presentation to the CASA Volunteer of the Year.

The Georgia CASA team is excited to see all registered attendees! Be sure to check out the CASA pop-up store as well as several vendor tables at the event. Click here to visit the conference website.

A big thank you to our conference sponsors:

THANK YOU, DONORS!

Thank you to our donors who supported the work of Georgia CASA for Spring 2023. Because of your investment, children in foster care in Georgia are assigned a CASA volunteer to provide best-interest advocacy. We truly appreciate your investment in children!

Click here to view our donor listing for April 1 - June 30, 2023.

If you are not yet part of our donor group, you can give online here! Please consider becoming a Georgia CASA donor or give your next gift as a recurring donor. Gifts of any amount, either one-time or recurring, are greatly appreciated!

RECENT NATIONAL CASA/GAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY MANY FROM GEORGIA

Strong Families. Strong Futures.

This year's National CASA/GAL Association Conference theme was perfect for June as Reunification Month! Held in St. Louis, MO, from June 9 - 13, the conference offered a wonderful way to connect with peers across the country to share best practices and learn more from national leaders in the child welfare space. A large CASA delegation from Georgia was in attendance. As part of the event, Walk Run Thrive, National CASA/GAL Association's signature event to generate awareness, was held in-person with a walk from the St. Louis Arch to Busch Stadium, in advance of the evening St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. Across the country, other Walk Run Thrive attendees participated in their own communities to generate awareness for the shared CASA mission.

Pictured below: (l) Attendees from Georgia; (r) Georgia CASA team ready for Walk Run Thrive event

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to Jen King, Georgia CASA's Executive Director, for being recently appointed by Governor Kemp to serve on the Child Advocate Advisory Commission. Jen is serving in a nonprofit seat on the commission.

(A future announcement will be made once a person in the CASA network in Georgia is appointed to the CASA seat on the Commission.)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS