What about Massachusetts CASA’s mission compelled you to join the organization?

I’m a previous foster youth, adoptee, and an adoptive father through kinship care. My son had a CASA. I’m not overexaggerating when I say that she was by far our number one resource as we were becoming a family. She’s still in our lives over a decade later. I believe that the child welfare system needs to be reimagined and redesigned. Massachusetts CASA provides all of us the opportunity to be catalysts for change, including bringing greater dignity, humanity, and justice to the system. I love participating in developing compelling and evocative marketing campaigns, launching dynamic and impactful trainings, contributing to legislation that creates meaningful change, and empowering CASA programs and their volunteers to advocate for the best interests and well-being of some of our state’s most vulnerable children.

 Can you tell us a little bit about your professional background?

First, I should share that I believe my greatest asset is my lived experience. It has taught me more than any job or college course. However, I’ve spent over 25 years in the nonprofit sector in the fields of child welfare and mental health. This experience, and the people that I’ve been mentored by and worked with all along that way, have taught me a lot. They’ve helped me become a better and more effective human being. I was the founding Executive Director of Boston CASA. I’m proud that during my seven-year tenure, Boston CASA increased its revenue from $60,000 to over $800,000, volunteers from 33 to 175, and children with advocates from 60 to 225. I also led the first LGBTQ foster-to-permanency program in California as well as taught at multiple universities including California State University, Cambridge College, and Harvard University. I have a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Syracuse University and started my career as a therapist. While I moved on from that as a career, the training I received has set the stage for a career that I couldn’t even imagine 25 years ago. What a blessing!

What brings you joy?

I’m a Capricorn and apparently we like to recharge in nature. This makes sense considering the sun, trees, a nice breeze, chirping birds, and the rabbits who seem to have set up shop in my yard all bring me joy. I love to sit in my rocking chair with a cup of coffee on a beautiful day. That also might be my southern roots (maternal family’s roots are in Southern Appalachia). We love our rocking chairs down south!