CASA of Shawnee County Welcomes New Executive Director Denise Stevens

CASA of Shawnee County is pleased to announce Denise Stevens will assume the role of Executive Director. CASA- Court Appointed Special Advocates – of Shawnee Co. is a not-for-profit agency that recruits, trains and supervises volunteers to advocate for local children in the court system due to abuse or neglect. As a native Topekan, Stevens brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge of the child welfare system. Her leadership and connections to professionals in child welfare, public health, law and mental health will be instrumental in guiding the organization to and through post pandemic organizational reinvigoration and growth.

"I'm excited to bring my experience and skills to the Executive Director position for CASA of Shawnee County, and I look forward to many years working with this fine program. A good day to me is leaving the office each evening knowing that something I did helped at least one child in foster care,” states Stevens.

Stevens is a life-long Kansan, born and raised in Topeka for most of her life. She graduated from Washburn University with a Master's in Clinical Psychology. The majority of her career has been spent working in family and children's services, including supervising residential placement facilities, being a case manager to children in foster care, directing placement of children into foster homes, and directing the foster care licensing division at the Kansas Department for Children and Families. Stevens has one grown son, a dog and two cats.

Thad Halstead, CASA Board of Directors President, expressed his excitement in welcoming Stevens to the organization, "after an extensive search, CASA of Shawnee County is thrilled to announce that Denise Stevens will lead our organization as our Executive Director. Denise has an established history of advocating for the youth of Kansas and Shawnee County. The children that CASA of Shawnee County serves, deserve an advocate of the highest qualification and dedication, and we have found that in Denise.”

CASA extends their gratitude to Shelley Ramos for serving as the interim executive director and to the Topeka Civic Theatre for demonstrating a “We Are Topeka” attitude by putting our community first and allowing Ramos to assist CASA during this time of transition while operations were on hold at the Topeka Civic Theatre due to COVID-19.