Feb. 1, 2010 ---

Four new employees joined the staff of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of San Luis Obispo County this month.

Officer Manager Susan Graves, Event Coordinator Alissa Maddren, Advocate Supervisor Pete Skarda and Volunteer Support Coordinator Alex Nguyen all bring strong professional experience to their respective positions.

CASA is a program in which trained community volunteers (CASAs) are appointed by a judge to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in juvenile court proceedings. 

Graves has worked in the legal field for many years and as a vocational rehabilitation counselor. Maddren has many years of event planning experience, and Skarda has a background in education and business management as well as three years as a volunteer advocate with CASA.

Nguyen is completing his undergraduate degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and is assigned to CASA through the Central Coast Volunteer Corps, the local AmeriCorps program.

For more information about CASA, call 541-6542 or visit www.slocasa.org.