Board & Staff

Danny is a shareholder at the law firm of Noland, Hamerly, Etienne, & Hoss. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (2011) and Juris Doctorate (2015) from the University of Texas. Danny’s legal practice focuses on business and real estate transactions and corporate matters for nonprofit and for-profit clients throughout the Central Coast. He joined CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors in January 2019 and served as Board Secretary from July 2021 to July 2023. In addition to CASA, Danny is involved with the California Rodeo Salinas and the Salinas Downtown Rotary Club. Danny is very passionate about bettering Monterey County, particularly the lives of children here. He chose to serve on the Board of Directors after seeing the impact his mother made as a CASA advocate in Travis County, Texas.

Katie joined the CASA board in 2022. She is a collaborative divorce lawyer and partner at Frudden & Padilla Family Law, a law firm she co-founded based in Oakland, as well as a life coach at Bloom Coach + Consult, a coaching firm she founded based in Carmel Valley. She has dedicated many years to supporting children and parents involved in the dependency systems in the US and abroad in different capacities, including as a counselor at an emergency group home, by supporting impact litigation related to systemic failures of the dependency system, and by advocating for parents and children in court as attorney of record in individual cases. Additionally, Katie is proud to have previously served as a CASA volunteer herself. These different experiences led to a deep appreciation for the attention, intention, and support that all foster youth deserve to heal from the trauma and retraumatization from abuse, neglect, and family dismemberment. CASA is near and dear to her heart for this reason–it provides the wraparound, holistic services that are so severely lacking in the traditional system, as well as a means of empowerment for the voices of our youth that need to be heard to promote substantive change by way of raising awareness.

Born and raised in Monterey, Juliet has a very deep connection to our community and the overall health of our children. A BA from San Diego State University in communications, a minor in Spanish and another BA from CSUMB in social communications have allowed her to be a stable business owner in the real estate industry in Carmel for 15 years. Because Juliet personally knows the benefit of mentorship, she has been involved in youth centers in our community and has been a CASA volunteer for 14 years. She feels being involved has put into perspective the constant need for advocacy for our underprivileged children’s growth and development. She is honored to be there for them as many grownups took the time to be there for her.

Rich was born and raised in Monterey and currently serves as Senior Vice President, Regional Manager for Santa Cruz County Bank. Rich was hired in 2019 to lead the Bank’s expansion into Monterey County and was instrumental in the staffing and opening of its Monterey branch in early 2021 and the opening of its Salinas branch in early 2023. Rich holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

Eliza has resided on the Monterey Peninsula since 2003. She spent 22 years in television set design and currently owns landscape design company InsideOut Landscape Design. Eliza was instrumental in developing a crisis intervention center and hotline in Darien, CT, and has served as a Big Sister in the Big Brother, Big Sister program. Before joining as a CASA board member, Eliza served on the CASA of Monterey County’s Development Committee, and we look forward to her continued participation and support of this team. Eliza joined CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors in 2020.

Catherine and her husband Ken own and operate Griggs Nursery located in Carmel. Catherine enjoys spending time with her two young children and family. Catherine joined CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors in 2017 and previously served as Board Secretary in 2019 and currently serves as the Board Chair.

Martha, CPA, MST, is a Tax Manager for Clark Nuber PS. Martha holds a BA in Business Management Economics from UC Santa Cruz and a Masters in Accounting from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Previously, Martha worked as Chief Financial Officer for Scudder Roofing and Solar, and in public accounting for 7 years, including estate & trust and high net worth tax preparation at a regional CPA firm. Martha joined the CASA board in 2018 as a director and was originally involved (by the persistence of Pete Scudder) on the 2016 Gala Committee. Martha was previously a director and board Treasurer for Legal Services for Seniors and while the age variance of those served by CASA and LSS may seem large, Martha believes strongly in advocating for those who may not be able to do so themselves.

Lance moved to Monterey in 2005 and obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University Monterey Bay. He has over 18 years of experience in restaurant and hospitality management on Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf and the city of Monterey. Lance has served on the Cannery Row Business Association since 2010 and is the current Board President. He has also worked closely with the Monterey County Health Department to establish the Food Safety Advisory Council where he also serves as the Board President. Lance has fundraising experience and has organized and hosted benefit dinners at Louie Linguini’s Restaurant since 2017 for CASA of Monterey County. Most recently, Lance and his wife Christina opened Pacific Pet Treats which is a pet bakery and boutique located in Monterey’s Cannery Row District. Pacific Pet Treats specializes in making pet treats with local and sustainably caught seafood with no fillers or preservatives. Lance joined CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors in 2020.

Denise is a Co-Owner at Leavitt Central Coast Insurance Services and is the practice leader of the Employee Benefits Team. Prior to joining Leavitt, Denise held various Human Resources Director roles in Silicon Valley and the Central Coast. In addition to CASA, Denise has held Board Positions with Sacred Heart Parish School, Hollister High Boosters, and The Workforce Development Board of Santa Cruz County. She has a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Master of Science in Human Resources and Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco. Denise has lived on the Central Coast for 25+ years with her husband, Neill. She has two grown children, Morgan and Kellen, who both live in New York.

Dina has lived on the Peninsula since 1991. She is a former weeknight anchor at KSBW-TV in Salinas. She co-hosted the pioneering television show Candid Camera and created and starred in a reality show for the E! Network. Ruiz now writes for Carmel Magazine, Coastal Canine Magazine, and Today Show Shop. Dina has a thirty-year history of service on nonprofit boards including The California Museum, The Panetta Institute for Public Policy, Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Greater Bay Area, and Max’s Helping Paws. Dina was thrilled to join the CASA of Monterey County Board of Directors in 2022, as she has always admired CASA’s impact on vulnerable children in our community.

Aerin is an experienced civil attorney, having handled cases ranging from representing victims of domestic violence to representing Fortune 500 companies in complex civil litigation. Her current position is Deputy County Counsel for the County of Monterey. In her off-time, Aerin enjoys spending time with her husband Christopher and their two young children, in addition to lending a hand in the family winery. Aerin joined the CASA of Monterey County Board of Directors in 2016. She served as Board Secretary from 2017 to 2019, Vice Chair of the Board from 2019 to 2020, and again from 2023 to 2024.

As President & CEO of TMD Creative, Monica comes with over 20 years of experience creating and overseeing multi-level marketing strategies for multiple businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Her passion for the community has led her to sit on multiple boards and committees such as Salinas Valley Health Foundation, United Way of Monterey County, Big Sur Land Trust, Monterey County Rape Crisis Center, and Hartnell College’s Women’s Education & Leadership Institute. She values the amazing work CASA does for our foster youth and couldn’t be more thrilled than to serve the organization.

Ethan was born and raised on the Monterey peninsula. Ethan began working in construction and Real Estate Development in high school, building high-end custom homes, school campuses, hospitality projects, and many others. He founded Hare Construction in 2006 growing the company throughout California’s Central Coast with offices in Pacific Grove, San Francisco, and Napa. Complementing the construction operations he formed Bright Sky Development, focusing on multifamily and mixed-use real estate. Ethan joined the board of CASA in 2012 serving on all committees, including the executive committee and Board Chair until 2022, before being asked to serve as board member emeritus. He has served as interim CEO and acted as an advisor to several startups and continues to advise young professionals and mentees with an eye on giving back to and improving the community. Ethan’s passion for CASA comes from his parents, individuals, and the community that has supported him as both a youth and throughout his professional career.

Gianna has spent most of her career in technology sales in Silicon Valley. For the last 20 years, she has been with OpenText where, year over year, she is recognized as one of the top account executives globally. Born and raised on the Monterey Peninsula, in 2013, she welcomed the opportunity to move “home” with her husband where they raise their two young daughters. She has supported and benefited various other local nonprofit organizations including Big Sur Land Trust, Monterey Museum of Art, and Stevenson School. Gianna joined CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors in 2016.

Pete and wife Karen, founded Scudder Roofing out of his Prunedale garage in 1982. Today, the award-winning, multi-million dollar roofing company represents the highest standards in the industry. When he’s not working on roofs, you will usually find Pete volunteering his time to organizations like the Boy Scouts or CASA of Monterey County, and spending time with his close-knit family. Pete served on CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors from 2010 to 2019, and due to his dedication to CASA, is recognized in designation as Board Chair Emeritus.

Jeannette has been practicing law since 1998 and serves as the Managing Partner of Hudson Martin Ferrante Street Witten & DeMaria PC. Voted by the Monterey County Weekly readers as the best Attorney in Monterey County for 2012-2018, Jeannette has been recognized as one of the most 25 influential people in Monterey County. Jeannette is also very active in the public sector, supporting and benefiting numerous charitable organizations. Jeannette served on CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors from 2007 to 2017, and due to her dedication to CASA, is recognized in designation as Board Chair Emeritus.