Maryland CASA Announces 2017-2018 Officers

TOWSON, Md. – Maryland Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring abused and neglected children their right to safe, permanent homes has elected the following individuals to serve as officers on its board of directors:

President: Rhonda Jones, E.d.D. of LaurelVice President: Geanelle Griffith Herring, MSW of RandallstownTreasurer: Deborah Blair, CPA, CGMA of Ellicott CitySecretary: Lt. Stephanie Lansey-Delgado of Baltimore County

“I am excited about our new leadership team and the plan that we are developing to guide our progress in the next few years,” said Ed Kilcullen, Maryland CASA’s state director. “As a former CASA volunteer with considerable professional experience in human resources and nonprofit governance, Rhonda has a unique blend of skills and knowledge that, coupled with the talents and energy of Geanelle, Debbie, and Stephanie, will serve the organization well,” he added.Jones“Accepting a leadership position with Maryland CASA Association is quite an honor because it means my fellow Board members have confidence in me,” said Jones, director of executive resources for the Federal Communications Commission where she handles the recruitment, training, and performance management for the agency's senior leaders.“I'm excited to help shape the future of the nonprofit and look forward to continuing to raise awareness about the needs of youth in foster care throughout the state. Maryland CASA and its mission – to ensure every child in foster care has a safe and permanent home – is very dear to me because I used to be a CASA volunteer in Howard County. I saw firsthand the tremendous dedication CASAs have to youth and to advocating for their rights.”Serving her second term on Maryland CASA’s board of directors, Jones earned her Doctorate of Education in Human Resource Development from the George Washington University. She has published articles, book chapters, and presented her work at numerous professional conferences.Outside of CASA, Jones is a lifetime member of the NAACP, Co-Advisor for the Howard County NAACP Youth Council, and a former Chairperson of the NAACP MD State Conference Education Committee. She also owns a consulting company, Human Capital Focus, LLC. that helps nonprofits reach their business goals by developing their staff and volunteers.Griffith Herring“I am elated to have been elected as vice president for Maryland CASA’s board of directors,” said Griffith Herring. “As a social worker, I’ve come to learn more and more about how important the work of CASA is in the lives of children who have been removed from their homes; I look forward to helping the organization achieve great things for our children!” she added.Griffith Herring earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Morgan State University and went on to attain her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. As a policy analyst for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, she is responsible for drafting and coordinating Federal legislations, regulations, and policies for the healthcare industry and its programs.In addition to her service to Maryland’s abused and neglected children, Griffith Herring is an active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Patapsco River (MD) Chapter of the Links, Inc., and the Junior League of Baltimore. She presently resides in Randallstown, MD with her husband and two daughters.Blair“It's an honor to have been elected treasurer of Maryland CASA, and I look forward to working with the other officers and members to achieve our vision that every child in Maryland has a safe, permanent home,” said Blair, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) for Nazelrod & Associates, P.A., a tax and accounting firm based in Towson, Md.“Having served as a director and Treasurer for over two years, I have seen how important it is for children to have volunteers who advocate for their best interests,” she said. “As a mother and grandmother, it's been humbling to realize that not all children have what many take for granted; I'm looking forward to working with the community to expand awareness of Maryland CASA and to secure the resources necessary to achieve our mission."A University of Maryland University College graduate, Blair received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. She resides in Ellicott City, Md. with her husband, William, and daughter, Jackie.Lansey-Delgado“The acceptance of the leadership role as secretary means I have the opportunity to give back competent expertise through my organizational skill set to assist Maryland CASA in its upward growth and development,” said Lansey-Delgado. “I am excited to see the progress MD CASA will make in the next year through new fundraising strategies and a focused direction,” she added.A Baltimore-area native, Lansey-Delgado serves as a lieutenant for the Baltimore Police Department, Office of Administrative Hearings where she handles the administrative hearings of sworn and civilian personnel. Under her leadership, the unit facilitates all agency disciplinary cases ranging from management of suspension hearings, preventable accidents, and other policy violations.Lansey-Delgado earned her Masters of Science in Criminal Justice with a specialization in Policing from the University of Baltimore, and her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Social Deviance from the College of Notre Dame.Outside of CASA, she is involved with Higher Achievement Baltimore, a program under the Baltimore City school system, the Baltimore Humane Society, and the Baltimore Child Abuse Center where she provides administrative support. About Maryland CASA AssociationMaryland (Court Appointed Special Advocates) CASA Association is the statewide organization for 15 local CASA programs that recruit and train volunteers to advocate for children in the child protection system. Last year, 1,371 CASA volunteers served 1,589 children in 21 of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions. Maryland CASA supports the local CASA programs by providing training and technical assistance to program staff, board, and volunteers, as well as increasing public awareness of CASA and assisting with program development. For more information about Maryland CASA or becoming a CASA volunteer, visit www.marylandcasa.org or call 410-828-6761.