Our Team - Court Appointed Special Advocates

Meet the Staff

Gina Clement

Executive Director

Gina’s passion is being able to find a child a loving and stable home. She joined CASA five years ago, serving four years as CASA staff. As the executive director, she is responsible for daily operations, policy, and advocacy. Prior to joining CASA, she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and was both a substitute teacher and stay-at-home mom. In her free time, she enjoys running.

Carrie DeSimone

Volunteer Recruiter and Outreach Coordinator

Sylvia Ferguson

Nikki Hazelton

Volunteer Supervisor - Teen Specialist

As a coordinator with a focus on teens, Nikki assists CASAs with questions about their cases and develops tools to help them have maximum impact with older children. She’s passionate about keeping teens with families and out of institutions. A member of the CASA team for three years, she previously served as a caseworker at the Children’s Division and as an officer with the Holts Summit Police Department. Nikki earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in psychology. She enjoys crafts and spending time with her son in her free time. She says her most rewarding experience was hearing that a CASA volunteer had received a call on his birthday thanking him for being the first positive male role model in the child’s life.

Stephanie Knotts

Volunteer Supervisor

Susan Stark

Volunteer Supervisor

The phrase “never say never” has served this Volunteer Supervisor well throughout life, so it is only fitting that it would apply to her work assisting volunteers who advocate for kids who come from hard places. Volunteer Supervisor Susan Stark was hired in November of 2020 after serving as a volunteer CASA for six years. Susan graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Criminal Justice. Susan enjoys spending time with her family, antiquing, and road-tripping.

Board Of Directors

Kelly Jackson, President
Eric Wilde, Vice President
Katie Hug, Treasurer
Elizabeth Sheehan, Secretary
Miranda Fredrick, Member & Marketing
Miranda Backes
Lynda Cornejo
D’Arcy Crane
Pam Gentry
Bob Gilbert
Kim Marshall
Greg Phillips
Bridget White

Board Advisory Members

Bill Deeken
Vicki Myers
Mike Prenger
Mike Ryno
Mary Winter

Ex-Officio Members

Kathy Farmer
John Landwehr
Melva Dean Lipsey

*This project was supported by funding made available through the Victims of Crime Act Fund administered by the Missouri Department of Social Services, Office of the Director. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice programs.