METAIRIE, LA – Derek D. Bardell has joined the Board of Directors of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Jefferson Parish to help abused and neglected children.
With more than 20 years experience in education and nonprofit organizations, Bardell is a veteran educator in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area who currently serves as an adjunct professor of Business Administration and Teaching & Learning at Delgado Community College. He will use his expertise to help CASA Jefferson serve more abused and neglected children by optimizing funding for volunteer recruitment and training, reps said.
Currently, there are 150 abused or neglected children in the Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court System, with more needing advocacy every year. CASA Jefferson, Inc. recruits and trains community volunteers to work one-on-one with these children, advocating for their best interests, reps said. Essentially, CASA volunteers speak up for these children in the court and child welfare systems, making sure they are safe and well-cared for, have access to needed services, and placed in a permanent, safe, nurturing home as quickly as possible.
"For years, CASA Jefferson has been a beacon of hope for countless abused and neglected children and I am truly honored to be able to assist the organization in servicing young people and developing it to its fullest potential,” says Bardell.
As a nonprofit corporation, CASA Jefferson Directors work closely with the program’s professional staff to ensure compliance with a variety of laws, regulations and fiduciary duties, while also securing sufficient funding to fulfill the organization’s mission. Bardell joins ten other directors, all caring community members who are donating their time to ensure the sustainability and accountability of CASA Jefferson, Inc.
CASA Jefferson, Inc. is part of a statewide network of community-based, nonprofit programs that recruit, screen, train and supervise volunteers to “Speak Up for a Child” removed from home due to abuse or neglect. CASA is the only program in Louisiana that uses trained volunteers to work one-on-one with children, ensuring that each one gets the services needed and achieves permanency in a safe, nurturing home, reps said.
