Staff & Board

The California CASA Association relies on a shared sense of purpose. With a variety of backgrounds, each of these remarkable individuals is dedicated to improving the lives of foster children. Meet our staff and board members.

Staff

The purpose of our Board of Directors is to govern California CASA Association (CalCASA).  Each Board member is a voting member with the authority and responsibility to establish vision and direction, to develop policies and procedures for the CalCASA; to ensure adequate funding; to monitor and sanction CalCASA activities.

Bylaws of the California CASA Association

 

Officers:

The Honorable Patricia Bresee, Chair a recognized expert in Juvenile Law, the Honorable Patricia Bresee (ret.) has devoted most of her professional life to children’s issues. Serving as a Superior Court Commissioner in San Mateo County for 15 years, she was assigned to sit as a Juvenile Court Judge, and handled dependency and delinquency matters, as well as adoptions and guardianships.  As an original member of the California Judicial Council Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee, she served as Chair of the Juvenile Law Rules and Forms Committee. 

She continues to participate as faculty for the California Center for Judicial Education and Research, and is a regular presenter at Beyond the Bench and other conferences.  In 1994 Commissioner Bresee was named Juvenile Court Judge of the Year by the California Judges Association, and in 1998 the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) awarded her the title of Judge of the Year. She is an American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley fellow.  As former Chair of the Peninsula Community Foundation Board, she participated in the negotiations for, and implementation of the merger with Community Foundation Silicon Valley, and in January 2008 completed a term as Chair of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation Board of Directors.  She has recently joined the Board of Directors at Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT.)

Michael Avriette, Vice Chair has over 20 years of experience in health care, mental health, social services and health care policy. He is currently the Utilization Management Executive at Sutter Health in their Sacramento Sierra region. His teams provide case management, social work, palliative care, and other services in hospitals, physician offices and patients’ homes in seven counties. 

Michael is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who provided mental health services to children transitioning out of foster care early in his career. Prior to moving into health care administration, Michael held a series of progressively responsible roles in mental health services and co-authored two books on psychotherapy treatment planning. Michael is actively involved in multiple initiatives to improve the health of vulnerable people in our communities.  One example is the partnership between Sutter and The Effort; a Sacramento based non-profit. The program, “T3”, provides intensive case management to homeless clients with multiple health and mental health conditions. This collaborative program has successfully found permanent housing for over 90 percent of their participants within one year of enrollment.  Michael has served on multiple boards and is a member of the American College of Health Care Executives, the American Case Management Association, and the Case Management Society of America.  Michael obtained his Master’s degree in Social Work from California State University at Long Beach.

J. Michael Hughes, Secrtary is a juvenile law attorney, specializing in dependency, delinquency and adoption in Orange County, California.  He has represented and advocated for children's and parents' rights in over 2000 cases, represented pro bono over 100 Guardian Ad Litum cases, and represented pro bono the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma in litigation involving Native American children.  He was a founding member of CASA in Orange County working with the Junior League of Orange County to establish the program.  He has served on the Orange County CASA Board of Directors for over twenty-five years as President, Secretary and legal advisor.  He received the CASA Judicial Honoree award and the CASA Children's Champion award.  J. Michael Hughes is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of California and the Orange County Bar Association.  He is also a member of National CASA, ISPCAN (International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect) and the National Association of Council for Children.  He is currently serving on the board of CAL CASA and the board of CASA Orange County.

Jim Hatter, Treasurer is Senior Vice President, Area Manager and heads National Banking Division Offices in San Francisco, San Jose and San Ramon.  Jim joined Bank of the West in 2007 and is responsible for Corporate Banking activities in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jim has over 20 years of senior level experience in Commercial Banking, Leveraged Finance and Investment Banking.  Prior to joining Bank of the West, Jim was Senior Vice President with Citi Group’s Global Wealth Management division focused on corporate finance opportunities.  His prior experience includes positions on the east and west coasts with Merrill Lynch, Heller Financial, Fleet Capital and Barclays Capital.  Jim holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Investment Finance from California State University Northridge and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.

Jim has been a long time volunteer in community affairs activities including: Cub Scouts were he was a Den Leader and Pack Committee and Fund Raising Chairman; Boy Scouts were he was an Adult Advisor and Primo’s Run for Education were he was a member of the Organizing Committee.  Additionally, he has been active in youth sports including: Coach and Manager for the San Ramon Valley Little League; Coach for Youth Soccer and Coach for TBird’s Football.  Jim is single and lives in Alamo with his two high school aged children.

Members:

Steve Ashman is the Executive Director for CASA in Stanislaus County. In addition to his role as Executive Director, he also represents six children in foster care as their CASA volunteer. A credentialed teacher, he is also a national trainer for the AVID program.

A recognized expert in the field of Special Education Law, Steve has trained judges, social workers, attorneys, probation staff, and school district staff on Education Law and statutes related to those in foster care. He has also served on the National Governor’s Board Policy Committee on Education and has worked to develop policy changes to benefit all dependent youth in California and their educational outcomes.

A proud father of three (including a child adopted out of foster care), Steve is a passionate advocate for all children, especially those marginalized by their circumstances.

J. Riccardo Benavides is the Creative Director and Founder of i-de-as, The Special Events Co., Inc. Mr. Benavides has 20 years of experience transforming venues to create unique and beautiful corporate functions and social galas.  

Mr. Benavides has volunteered with Hospice by the Bay, Marin Advocates for Children, and the Mill Valley Film Festival. He has served on Boards of Directors for the San Francisco Visitors and Convention Bureau, the Mexican Museum and the Marin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  

His most long-standing service has been to CASA where he first served on the Marin CASA Board of Directors 16 years ago. Mr. Benavides is presently Board Member Emeritus in Marin and is serving his fourth year on the Cal CASA State Board.

Alison Carlson is the Director of Development of the Churchill Centre, raising funds and awareness for Churchill and the War Cabinet Rooms in London.  Alison is also the lead fundraiser for the Josephine Fogg School in Kafue, Zambia; a school that educates nearly 700 children every year with extraordinary academic success. Alongside her mother, who is still very involved in this school, Alison and her mother have enabled the school to grow, which would not otherwise be possible if tuition were its only source of income.   Alison is passionate about giving every child a chance and a voice.  By using her fundraising skills, she is committed to helping California CASA accomplish this for California’s abused and neglected children.

Patricia Clark-Ellis was appointed the Associate Dean in the College of Health and Human Services at California State University, Sacramento in 2002.  Prior to this appointment, she had achieved the rank of full professor and held the position of coordinator for the undergraduate program in the Division of Social Work at Sacramento State.   Previously, she was an associate attorney at The Crow Law Firm in Sacramento and later a sole practitioner, specializing in Social Security Law.

Patricia serves on several boards, including her recent membership on the California CASA Association Board.  She is also a member and serves on two committees of the Sacramento Children’s Home Board of Directors and is a member of the President’s Sacramento State University Foundation Board of Directors. 

She has continuously volunteered in her community and at her university.  Presently Patricia is a mentor for the Guardian Scholars Program, a program that mentors foster children who are attending college.  She is a mentor and member of the Sacramento State Cooper Woodson Enhancement Program Advisory Board, an academic support and retention program.  She has provided pro bono legal assistance to the HIV-Positive Women’s Group in Sacramento for more than eight years and is a volunteer for special projects.

Patricia has a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Davis School of Law, and a Master of Science in Social Work from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Social Work and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida.  Patricia is a member of the California State Bar Association, the American Council on Education and the Zonta International Club.

Kevin Gardner is a marketing consultant in Silicon Valley with 25 years of experience in product marketing and marketing communications in the areas of semiconductors, networking and decision support software. Kevin is a past president of the CalCASA board of directors, and serves on the board of Child Advocates, Santa Clara County’s CASA program. He also chairs the advisory board of the Outlet Program in Mountain View, which provides support for LGBTQ youth.  Kevin Gardner became affiliated with CASA in 1996 when he became an Advocate volunteer for two teenagers aged 15 and 17. Kevin worked with these young men until they emancipated from the foster care system. 

Siobhan M. Greene is the Executive Director for CASA of Monterey County as well as a board member for California CASA Association. Originally serving as the agency’s Development Director, she has been with CASA since 2002. She is an appointed commissioner for the Juvenile Justice Commission.  

Ms. Greene is part of the local implementation team for the Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care. An integral part of the Phase II implementation of the California Permanency for Youth Project, Ms. Greene serves on the planning team to engage Monterey County foster youth. 

Don Kleinfelder has worked in the non-profit sector for over 17 years, including 13 years as Executive Director. He holds a MS in Hydrology/Hydrogeology from the University of Nevada-Reno, and prior to entering the non-profit sector, worked in the private sector as a hydrogeologist, focusing on groundwater remediation.  

Since assuming the role of Executive Director of Child Advocates of Placer County (the Placer County CASA program) in 2006, he has overseen a six-fold increase in the number of CASA volunteers trained and youth served.  

In addition to being a member of the California CASA Board of Directors, Mr. Kleinfelder is the Chair of the Placer County Community Services Commission, a member of the Auburn Exchange Club. Mr. Kleinfelder continues to serves as an active CASA volunteer. 

Johnny Madrid is a research associate for the Investment Advisory service of Lombardia Capital Partners in Pasadena, California. Previously, he worked at Goldman Sachs in the securities division in both structured equity and equity derivatives marketing. Subsequently, he worked in the options trading team as Vice President at Sanford Bernstein. In the period before joining Lombardia, he led the finance arm of a congressional race for the 32nd Congressional District in Los Angeles where his efforts garnered national attention.  Mr. Madrid graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Urban Studies (2005).

Alison Mauze biography coming soon.

Kerry Mazzoni is one of California’s foremost experts on education policy, having served as Secretary for Education for former Governor Gray Davis and as Chair of the Assembly Education Committee.  

During her tenure in the State Assembly (1994-2000) representing the counties of Marin and Sonoma, Ms. Mazzoni developed a reputation as a consensus builder, garnering support from both Democrats and Republicans on several important policy initiatives.  

She is currently a contract lobbyist with Government Strategies, Inc. located in Sacramento and is a principle consultant in Mazzoni and Associates, Inc. located in San Rafael. 

Lynda Perring currently serves as part time Director of Programs at Orange County CASA. Ms. Perring served 17 years in the Orange County Probation Department, supervising children in foster care, training new Probation Officers and performing the role of Juvenile Court Officer.  

Ms. Perring served on the Technical Advisory Committee of the Orange Co. Children and Families Commission for 4 years as well as a coach for the Fieldstone Foundation’s Executive Coaching Program. 

Tish Reyes is the Director of Regional HR Services for the Northern California Region of Kaiser Permanente.  In addition to previous experience in field operations, her background includes HR strategic planning, employee relations, change management, with an emphasis in restructure, and employee wellness.  She also leads investigations and is legal liaison for HR operations.

Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, Tish was the Divisional Director of Human Resources for the California Division of Hyatt Hotels.  Tish holds a BA degree in Sociology and Mexican American Studies from the University of Arizona, Tucson and is also a graduate of the Advanced Leadership Executive Education Program at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Flagler School of Business, Chapel Hill. 

Tish served on the Mission Hiring Hall Board of Directors in San Francisco and on the Board of Directors for the Northern California Human Resource Association as VP of Organizational Planning.  Her volunteer work includes consulting for Career Closet, a non-profit organization that assists low-income women with their transition into the workforce by preparing them to dress for success and learn job interviewing skills.   

Adam Wallace is a CPA and Tax Senior Manager at Deloitte in Costa Mesa, California.  He has over eleven years of experience as a CPA, working at Deloitte and serving multi-national corporations, high net worth individuals and pass through entities.  His range of client service experience includes federal and state tax compliance, income tax planning strategies, accounting methods optimization, GAAP accounting for income taxes, and merger and acquisition planning.  Adam currently serves some of Orange County’s leading consumer business, manufacturing and financial services companies. 

Adam is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and California Society of CPAs.  He is also a loyal supporter of the United Way of Orange County and has participated in various efforts to introduce and encourage individuals to become part of the United Way donor programs. 

Adam completed his undergraduate studies at University of California at Irvine and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.  He continued his educational pursuits at the University of Southern California, obtaining a Masters in Accounting and was awarded top student honors in his graduating class. 

Adam lives in Orange County, California, with his wife Alisa of 14 years and two children, Ava (8 years old) and Austin (4 years old).  Outside of professional and family activities, Adam’s spends time playing drums in a popular Orange County based cover band, exercising and is an avid USC football fan and supporter.

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