September Staff Recognition
Monthly Highlights of our CASA Community
Every month we recognize a few of our staff members for different achievements and milestones they've reached. This month we highlighted four individuals and invite you to read below to get to know them.
Juan Reyna
Team Manager
How long have you been with CASA?
I've been with CASA 5 years.
Fun Fact:
I have hike the whole Appalachian trail from Georgia all the way thru Maine. On my spare time I enjoy hiking, biking, and adrenaline rush activities like roller coasters, bungee jump, etc.
Juan was recognized this month for going outside of his department to help Recruitment prepare some awesome presentations for our Volunteers.
Monica Mejia
Vice President of Operations
How long have you been with CASA?
I've been with CASA 1 year and 6 months.
Fun Fact:
I love to stay active! I enjoy Latin dancing and going to the gym.
Monica and her team are recognized this month for getting everything organized and ready to move our entire office into our new facility.
Henry Hernandez
Operations Support Specialist
How long have you been with CASA?
I've been with CASA for 11 months.
Fun Fact:
I worked at the Laguna Madre that's now down the street from us 5 years ago.
The Operations Team is recognized this month for getting everything organized and ready to move our entire office into our new facility.
Kathy Vallejo
Senior Administrative Assistant
How long have you been with CASA?
It will be six years in January that I have been with CASA.
Fun Fact:
I worked in the dental field after I left the Air Force and had my daughter.
The Operations Team is recognized this month for getting everything organized and ready to move our entire office into our new facility.
In March 2025, Child Protective Services removed four young children, just 7, 4, 2, and 3 months old, from their mother’s care. This difficult step followed ongoing concerns about neglect, largely connected to the mother’s struggle with substance use, even during her most recent pregnancy. Although CPS offered support through Family Based Safety Services, the mother was unable to engage in the help provided. The children’s father was also unable to support them due to his own substance abuse and his incarceration in Bexar County Jail. Before removal, the children’s basic medical and educational needs were going unmet. They had been moved repeatedly between their mother and other relatives, leaving them without the stability, routine, and nurturing supervision every child deserves. When CASA Staff Advocate, JoAnn Herring, was assigned the case in April 2025, she immediately reached out to both kinship caregivers to understand the children’s needs and how to best support the families stepping in to care for them. JoAnn quickly learned that the paternal grandmother, who lovingly took in some of the children, was struggling financially and facing barriers due to limited English proficiency. To ensure she wasn’t facing these challenges alone, JoAnn submitted a CFE (Collaborative Family Engagement) referral and personally provided translation support so the grandmother could access services with dignity and understanding. Throughout the case, JoAnn has witnessed moments where cultural sensitivity was lacking, and personal biases influenced important decisions; often at the expense of what was best for the children. Despite these obstacles, she continues to advocate steadfastly and compassionately for the children to remain with the kinship caregivers who have opened their homes and hearts to provide safety, consistency, and love. Although the case is not yet over, Joann’s story demonstrates that CASA’s advocacy reaches beyond the children themselves, strengthening the village of care and support surrounding them, because CASA wants children to be safe, to thrive, and to have their overall well-being protected.
Johnathan Cobb
