CASA Announces New Board Member

PORTLAND, OR – January 15, 2014: CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for Children of Multnomah and Washington County announced the addition of Bill Gardner to its Board of Directors. CASA for Children is a non-profit organization whose volunteers serve the best interests of foster children in the courts and in the community.

Bill Gardner is the Director of Sales and Relationship Management at Morley Financial where he has responsibility for marketing and managing the firm’s stable value client relationships. Mr. Gardner joined Morley in 2011. He has twenty seven years of financial service experience, including more than twenty three years in the stable value industry.
Prior to joining Morley Financial, Mr. Gardner was a Senior Vice President with Dwight Asset Management, where he provided client service and investment support to stable value and fixed income clients. Clients included commingled trusts, defined contribution and defined benefit plans. Mr. Gardner is also a past chairman of the Stable Value Investment Association. Mr. Gardner attended the University of Oregon where he received both his B.S. and M.B.A.
“I was moved to participate in CASA due to the organization’s mission of protecting and aiding those children in our community without the help and support necessary to navigate life-altering decisions,” explained Mr. Gardner. “My wife and I have participated in and supported a range of organizations targeting at-risk children and we believe in the transformative impact that a CASA can have in a child’s life.” CASA for Children is the only organization in Oregon that advocates on behalf of the rights of abused and neglected children who are under the protection of the Court.
CASA volunteers are community citizens who are deeply committed to helping abused and neglected children. All CASA volunteers receive more than 30 hours of in-depth training, plus an additional 12 hours of continuing education per year through in-services, lectures, videos and books. Upon completion of the initial training, CASA volunteers then become sworn officers of the court. In 2012 – 2013, 403 CASA volunteers advocated for 946 children in Multnomah and Washington Counties.
CASA conducts many volunteer orientations and training sessions per year. Potential volunteers must be 21 years of age or older, and possess no criminal record. CASA welcomes volunteers from all cultures, professions, and ethnic and educational backgrounds. For additional information about CASA or to volunteer, please call 503-988-5115, or visit www.casahelpskids.org.