Movers and shakers
Professional Women in Building Council installs 2019 board
The new Professional Women in Building Council has been installed. The Council supports the North Idaho Building Contractors Association through assistance related to the Parade of Homes Show, Home & Garden Show, Gone Wild and many other events. The Council awards higher education scholarships annually to deserving students pursuing a building industry-related field.
Newly installed executive directors include Michelle Garcia, Windermere Coeur d’Alene Realty, president; Rachel Moore, Keller Williams Realty Coeur d’Alene and Tina Thompson, Century 21 Beutler & Associates, vice presidents; Tammy VanBrunt, Premier Mortgage, secretary; and Barb Bradley, NIBCA life director, treasurer.
Directors include Debbi Long, Wells Fargo Advisors, venue; and Jennifer Jenkins, Pioneer Title Company, membership.
The North Idaho group is the only one of its kind in Idaho and one of the larger Councils in the country.
The Council meets the second Friday of each month. Membership in this Council is available to NIBCA member company employees only for a cost of $60 per year. For more information on the PWB Council, contact the NIBCA office at 208-765-5518 or go to NIBCA.com about tab, select Councils and Committees.
Brant appointed to National CASA/GAL Leadership Council
North Idaho CASA announced the appointment of KJ Brant, CEO, to the National Leadership Council of the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association.
Brant was nominated to serve as one of 12 National Leadership Council members through her membership on the CASA Tribal Leadership Council, to which she was appointed in 2018.
Serving a two-year term, Brant, along with child welfare leaders from across the nation, will play an integral role in voicing the unique needs of more than 900 local programs that make up the CASA and Guardian ad Litem (GAL) network. In 2018, the CASA/GAL network, with its 85,000 volunteers, served more than 260,000 children who have experienced abuse and neglect. With more than 400,000 children in foster care on any given day, the leadership council will focus its efforts on ensuring that the network achieves its mission of serving all children through best-interest advocacy.
“The Leadership Councils are a vital part of our efforts to serve more children in the foster care system, while continually improving their outcomes,” said Tara Perry, chief executive officer of National CASA. “We are so excited and grateful to have KJ providing her insight and expertise as we strive to move our mission forward on behalf of all children who have experienced abuse or neglect.”
Brant served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for over six years before joining the CASA team in May 2015 as the First Judicial District CASA Program CEO. She previously worked in leadership roles for nonprofits for most of her career. Brant has 20 years of business management experience specializing in operations, strategic planning, program development and fundraising. Under her leadership, the North Idaho CASA program now serves every child victim appointed to the program, is overseen by a board of directors of 21 community leaders, maintains 140 highly trained volunteer Advocates and has 10 staff. The program served 490 child abuse and neglect victims during 2018. Additionally, in 2018, North Idaho CASA signed an MOU with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe of Indians to serve Youth In Need Of Care cases on the reservation.
This year is the 20th year anniversary of the North Idaho CASA program. The nonprofit receives less than half of its operating budget from the state of Idaho. The remaining funds come from grants, corporate sponsorships, personal contributions and fundraisers. CASA will host a spring community awareness event, the Ray of Hope Luncheon, March 19 in Coeur d’Alene. Visit www.NorthIdahoCasa.org for more event information.
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