Pennsylvania CASA Conference
Advocacy Matters: Igniting Hope for the Children We Serve Through Volunteer Advocacy
Presenters
Keynote Plenary Session | Embracing the Challenges: Reigniting Your Volunteer Fire and Uplifting Others When Your Energy Runs Low
Workshops A & H | Sustaining Volunteer Health and Avoiding Burnout: Strategies for CASA Volunteers
Tahitia Timmons (she/her), Chief Lead, Conscious By Us, LLC
Tahitia Timmons
Tahitia has over 20 years of experience working with organizations and individuals, developing, and presenting inclusive content.
She is the owner of Conscious By Us, LLC., a Certified Small Business, Minority Women, and LGBTQ+ Owned Business in New Jersey, which focuses on DEI and raising awareness around health equity through coaching, consulting, and speaker events. She also hosts the podcast, 52 Weeks of Health Equity. When she is not coaching, creating content, speaking, volunteering, or podcast hosting, you’ll find her spending time with her family, including one anxious dog, and a very bossy cat.
Workshops B & I | Unlocking Ambiguous Loss and Nurturing Grief Expression in Children/Teens
Beth Tyson, MA (she/her), Chilldhood Trauma Consultant
Beth Tyson, MA
Beth Tyson, MA, is a childhood trauma consultant, 3x best-selling author, CASA volunteer, and PA Child Abuse Prevention Team co-chair. Before becoming a consultant and trainer, Beth was a family-based trauma therapist who helped stabilize mental health crises in foster, kinship, and adoptive homes. Her time as a therapist inspired her to educate a broader audience to prevent and mitigate the impact of developmental trauma in our communities. In 2019, she founded Beth Tyson Trauma Consulting to educate organizations on trauma-responsive care. That same year, she published her first children's book, A Grandfamily for Sullivan, a therapeutic resource to help children raised by their grandparents cope with adversity. Since then, she’s co-authored two other best-selling books and has published a 2nd children’s book about supervised
visitation called Sullivan Goes to See Mama. Beth is also the co-creator of “All Connected,” an animated YouTube series to help teens understand the neurobiology of trauma and how to heal from it. Above all else, Beth is a mom to one little girl who shares her love for skiing and getting into good trouble!
Workshops C & J | Advocating For the Education Rights of Children in Foster Care: In the Courtroom and Beyond
Maura McInerney, Esq. (she/her), Legal Director, Education Law Center
Maura McInerney, Esq.
Ms. McInerney serves as Legal Director at the Education Law Center. She has been a litigator in the private and public sectors for over thirty-five years. Since arriving at the Education Law Center in 2007, she has litigated precedent-setting state and federal cases, including impact litigation on behalf of children in foster care, students experiencing homelessness, and students with disabilities. She also engages in legislative and policy work at the national and state level focused on advancing the rights of students who are most underserved, particularly students in foster care. She represented ELC as a founding member of the Legal Center for Foster Care and Education. Prior to coming to ELC, she co-counseled numerous cases, including trials and appeals at the federal, state and administrative level. As an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland, she handled dozens of administrative hearings and appeals. She also served as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Ms. McInerney is currently lead co-counsel in a class action lawsuit challenging the mistreatment and failure to educate youth at Glen Mills Schools, formerly the nation's oldest reformatory school until it was shut down by the state in 2019. She was also lead counsel in Pennsylvania’s school funding lawsuit which resulted in Pennsylvania’s school funding system being declared unconstitutional.
Workshop D | Centering Lived Experience: Enhancing Support for Older Youth in the CASA Network
Idelia Robinson-Confer, PA CASA, Impact Project Coordinator; Chloe Williams, Emerging Leaders Fellowship; Kie Walcott, Emerging Leaders Fellowship; Marshall Gruber, Emerging Leaders Fellowship
Idelia Robinson-Confer
Idelia Robinson-Confer joined PA CASA in June 2022 as the Impact Project Coordinator, where she leads the Emerging Leaders Fellowship, Older Youth Advocacy initiatives, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and the organization’s book club
Driven by her own lived experiences, Idelia is deeply committed to improving outcomes for children and families. Beyond her role at PA CASA, she also serves as a young adult consultant for the Capacity Building Center for States and the United States Children’s Bureau, advising youth engagement strategies. She also serves as a policy consultant for the Children's Defense Fund where she works on federal policy issues that remove barriers to youth success and a Co-Chair of the Western Pennsylvania Youth Action Board where she was key in securing a $3.7 million grant from the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP).
She previously served as a Congressional Intern in the United States Senate, providing policy recommendations for improving our foster care system to the Biden Administration, The Department of Health & Human Services, and Congress.
She holds a B.S. in Psychology and a Trauma-Informed Care Certificate from the California University of Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration in Policy Research and Analysis at the University of Pittsburgh.
Marshall Gruber
Marshall Gruber is a 20 year old activist, youth mentor, and a full-time worker. Marshall is currently working on different projects in his life such as maintenance with his vehicle and moving in on his own. Marshall became a part of the CASA fellowship in april of 2023 and enjoys learning and expressing himself with the other fellows. Marshall finds motivation to help correct flaws in the system by sharing his lived experience. Marshall enjoys fishing, writing lived experience music and socializing with others.
Kie Walcott
Kierstyn Walcott is currently serving as an Emerging Leader Fellow at Pennsylvania Court Appointed Special Advocates Association. She is currently attending college full time working to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services. Kierstyn strives to learn all she can about advocacy and how she can bring awareness to the issues with adoption, and training for foster/adoptive families.
Chloe Williams
Chloe Williams is an Emerging Leader Fellow at the Pennsylvania Court Appointed Special Advocates Association. In this role, she works closely with PA CASA staff to enhance her leadership and advocacy skills and play a central role in advancing initiatives for advocacy for older youth in foster care. She is a dedicated advocate for health care access for foster youth. As a previous foster youth, she would love to leave my mark on the foster care system, leaving it better than it was when I was in it. She is a full-time student at Shepherd University pursuing her Bachelors of Science in Nursing. She graduated school from South Park High School at sixteen years old. She is a first-generation college student just trying to figure it all out!
Workshop E | Standards and Rules and Requirements, Oh My!
Robert Hahn, Co-Founder, Evinto Solutions
Robert Hahn
Robert Hahn is current one of the co-founders and principal directors for Optima. Having more than a decade of involvement with CASA on the local, State and National level, Robert thoroughly enjoys bringing his knowledge, experience, and wacky sense of humor to his workshops.
Workshop F | Ensuring Tomorrow: The Role of Insurance in Boardroom Leadership
Brett N. Benton, Esq., Partner, Richard M. Ochroch & Associates, P.C.; Andy Enders, Esq., President & General Counsel, Enders Insurance
Brett Benton, Esq.
Brett Benton is a partner at the Richard M. Ochroch & Associates, P.C. law firm, where he has practiced since 2005. During this time, he has represented businesses and individuals in complex insurance coverage and recovery actions in both state and federal court. Brett routinely assists individuals and businesses with disputed liability claims. He has worked on behalf of his clients to successfully challenge improper liability claim denials, ensuring his clients receive both a defense and indemnification to claims asserted against them, with a significant amount of experience in the construction, property development, and transportation industries. Brett has also assisted clients in obtaining substantial recoveries from property and health insurance carriers. He obtained a significant recovery of insurance proceeds on behalf of an oil refinery following a large industrial fire, and served as co-class counsel in an action that recovered $1.5 million on behalf of approximately 3,500 Pennsylvania automobile policy holders. Recently, he served as co-class counsel in an action that resulted in a more than $3 million settlement on behalf of insureds diagnosed with head, neck, and brain cancers who were denied Proton Beam Therapy treatment by their health insurer. He also represents victims of negligence in a wide variety of personal injury actions including motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, and professional liability claims.
Brett Benton graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.A. in Political Science. In 2004, Brett received his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, with honors. Brett also received an LL.M. in Trial Advocacy in 2010 from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU ® ). Brett is the Board Chair of the Pennsylvania Court Appointed Special Advocates, and serves a volunteer attorney at the Philadelphia Support Center for Child Advocates, where he represents children in dependency actions."
Andy Enders
Andrew Enders is an attorney turned insurance expert with a passion for educating clients on risk management. With a background in law and experience serving with the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office, Andy now focuses on providing tailored insurance solutions, specializing in the craft beverage industry and assisting professional services, human services, and nonprofits. Outside of work, he is deeply involved in community service, having served on various boards including the Dauphin County Library System and the Harrisburg Area YMCA. Currently, Andy is entering his sixth year as a Board Member of Capital Region Water. Andy resides in Midtown Harrisburg.
Workshops G & M | Using Today's Media to Deliver Your Message
Ryan Leckey, Ryan Leckey Media, Jillian Shields, Lead Content Producer, Grace McHale, Content Producer/Creative Liaison
Ryan Leckey
Ryan Leckey created Ryan Leckey Media (RLM) after spending two decades as a morning show television personality. Ryan Leckey Media is like the Swiss Army knife of marketing agencies and is a full-service production company. The Ryan Leckey Media team is made up of media experts, including former news people, who produce and manage social media platforms, commercial productions, and handle digital ad placements. RLM also offers website design, pre-roll/streaming ads, all ad placements, internal training videos, and unforgettable billboard creatives.
Ryan is high energy, innovative, and an Emmy award-winning content creator & storyteller. He is considered an expert in delivering messages on every conceivable media type. Ryan knows how to tell a story in the most exciting and eye-catching way possible. Colleagues describe Ryan as “the human version of the energizer bunny.” Practically moving in fast forward, he’s a master of brevity in getting a message across to the broadest possible audience.
Ryan became well-known for creating non-traditional television and engaging the community through his morning TV show segments involving social storytelling. His daily segments, Leckey Live, aired on WNEP-TV, one of America’s Highest-rated ABC television stations (Nielsen Media Research).
In addition to his knack for creating eye-catching content, Ryan also, for 13 years, led the “Ryan’s Run” campaign. The charity raised nearly 5 million dollars for kids and adults with disabilities served by Allied Services, one of Pennsylvania’s largest nonprofits. Ryan is also a respected social media influencer (@RyanLeckey). He dominates more than 80% of the social media market in Northeastern & Central Pennsylvania. Ryan has a combined 100K social media followers.
Ryan also holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership & Administrative Studies from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He also taught media-related courses at Marywood for five years. Ryan’s research expertise surrounds social media’s effects on men. His dissertation examined: The Effects on Self-Esteem of Viewing Male Idealized Bodies on the Setting of Social Media: A Comparison of Gay and Straight Men.
When Ryan is not busy running Ryan Leckey Media, his other passions include nutrition and fitness along with spending time with his partner, Matt, and their Goldendoodle, MetCon.
Jillian Shields
Jillian Shields is a social media guru, who edits amazing videos and creates outstanding eye-catching content.
Jillian joined Ryan Leckey Media in August of 2022. She is not only great at editing videos, she sets up on-scene video shoots, comes up with super creative ideas for social media content, and manages various social media accounts.
Jillian holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Media Strategies from The University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It was during her college career when Jillian developed her love for out-of-the-box marketing on social media and where she learned the power of creating good content.
In her free time Jillian enjoys traveling, reading, being with friends and family, and her two cats, Cora and Percy.
Grace McHale
Grace McHale is a super-creative content writer and copy editor at Ryan Leckey Media. She was extremely excited to join our team and have the opportunity to showcase her writing and editing skills. She believes that her keen eye for detail and her love for English is what makes her unique and will help her serve clients well and grow a successful career with RLM.
Grace is a recent graduate of Marywood University where she received her degree in the Liberal Arts. As a double major in English/Writing and English/Literature, Grace has found a genuine passion for writing both creatively and professionally as well as copy editing. Her schooling and her internship with a publishing company helped her discover this intense passion.
Outside of her career, Grace enjoys reading, writing creatively, and playing with her dogs, Phinneas and Hazel.
Workshop K | Ditch Lazy Storytelling: Be an Ally in Amplifying Voices of Lived Experience
Keri Richmond, CEO, Keri Hope CO
Keri Richmond
Keri Richmond, a dynamic force in foster care advocacy, is an international speaker, podcast host, and policy wonk. Shaped by her personal journey in the U.S. foster care system, Keri champions the power of lived experience in Washington, DC, influencing policy on child welfare and health. As CEO of Keri Hope CO, she strategically leverages authentic storytelling to reshape perceptions of foster care, making a tangible impact on children and families. Additionally, as a co-founder of Unbelievably Resilient, a nonprofit centering voices of lived experience, Keri is dedicated to shattering stigmas and stereotypes about foster care. Her commitment to empowering individuals and inspiring transformative change is evident in her TEDx talk, "What Can You Learn from a Trashbag?" — a testament to her dedication to breaking free from limiting beliefs and fostering positive transformation.
Workshop L | Risky Business: How to Analyze, Assess and Anticipate Potential Pitfalls and Potential Challenges of Volunteer Recruiting and Volunteer Management
Sam Affinito, Sr. Director, Human Resources, Comcast/NBC Universal; Robert Hahn, Co-Founder, Evinto Solutions
Sam Affinito
Sam has over 25 years’ experience in cross functional disciplines of Human Resources. His background includes organizational development, recruitment, talent management, employee and labor relations and strategic planning. Sam spent 25 years in leadership positions with Macy’s before joining the leadership team with Comcast/NBC Universal. His current position is Sr. Director, Human Resources for the Pacific Northwest Region. Sam is active in his community, sitting on the Corporate Advisory Board with the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA), the nation’s largest LGBTQ chamber of commerce and also is an active member of the Penn State Alumni Association – Puget Sound Chapter. Sam and his husband live in Seattle, WA and enjoy spending time outdoors, traveling and biking.
Robert Hahn
Robert Hahn is current one of the co-founders and principal directors for Optima. Having more than a decade of involvement with CASA on the local, State and National level, Robert thoroughly enjoys bringing his knowledge, experience, and wacky sense of humor to his workshops.