FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  
Contact: Amy Wilson, CASA Mississippi Inc.
amywilson@casams.org
769-572-2993

Director of local children’s organization wins prestigious national award

Jackson, Mississippi – June 26, 2019 – The director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Hancock County, a local program that works with children who have experienced abuse or neglect, has been named the program director of the year by the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian Ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Association for Children. Mrs. Cynthia Chauvin is one of nearly 900 local program directors nationwide.

The National CASA/GAL Association’s Kappa Alpha Theta Program Director of the Year Award was created to recognize the exceptional work program directors do every day. The recipient of this award is someone who has taken significant actions to establish or expand a CASA/GAL program.

Cynthia joined CASA of Hancock County five years ago and has since expanded program revenue by over 400 percent and achieved the goal of serving all children in foster care in the county. CASA of Hancock County recruits, trains and supports volunteers who advocate for the best interests of these children in court. Prior to serving with CASA in Mississippi Cynthia also directed a suburban CASA program in the Greater New Orleans area.

“Cynthia is a model for other program directors,” said Amy Wilson, State Director, CASA Mississippi. “As she has achieved remarkable programmatic growth, she has maintained focus on ensuring that the services her program provides are high-quality and will measurably improve the lives of vulnerable children.”

Cynthia stated, “This recognition is an incredible professional honor and it would not be possible with the support of our local Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, community supporters and our judiciary.”

The Kappa Alpha Theta Program Director of the Year Award was named for the Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity, which has provided substantial monetary and volunteer support to National CASA/GAL and its network of programs for nearly 30 years.

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About CASA Mississippi, Inc.

CASA Mississippi, Inc. is a non-profit organization that advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children through the development and support of court-sanctioned, community-based programs which provide trained and supervised volunteers.