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Colonial CASA Staff

Chantelle Richardson

Chantelle Richardson

Program Director, Child Advocacy

[email protected]
757-229-3306

Chantelle Richardson joined Colonial CASA in May of 2023 as the Program Director for Child Advocacy. She has spent the last 20 years in the field of Sleep Medicine; which includes 9 years of civil service with the Army, and 4 years working with pediatrics at CHKD. Chantelle recently married her husband Chadd. They have a blended family of four children, ages 2 – 12, and currently reside in Yorktown.

Chantelle is passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of others, empowering women to pursue and achieve their goals, supporting mental health acceptance, and generally leaving the world a better place than when she found it.

She intrepidly approaches this new chapter in her life and looks forward to learning and growing alongside the staff and volunteers of Colonial CASA.

Melissa Degaraff

Melissa Degaraff

Program Director, Youth Mentoring

[email protected]
757-229-3306

Melissa joined the staff in November 2021 to develop and implement the youth mentoring program at colonial CASA. Before joining CASA, Melissa served over twenty years in higher education with focus in admissions, academic advising, educational and career planning, training, and assessment. Melissa looks forward to recruiting and training volunteer mentors as well as supporting youth to make progress toward their academic, career, and life goals.

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Education. Melissa’s special interests include equitable access to education and training and the positive impact of a meaningful career on life satisfaction.

Victoria L. Canady, Ph.D

Victoria L. Canady, Ph.D

Executive Director

[email protected]
757-229-3306

Victoria Canady, Executive Director, began her journey with CASA as a volunteer in 2006. In 2007 she joined the program as a part-time staff member but soon became full-time with CASA’s expansion into York County Courts. Over the 14 years of dedicated service, Victoria has served in every CASA capacity, including Program Director, Volunteer Services Coordinator, and trainer.

Victoria holds a Master’s degree in Professional Counseling and a Ph.D. in Mental Health Policy and Practice. In addition to her commitment to mental and emotional health, Victoria is a passionate advocate for the educational rights of children with an emphasis on children with special needs.

Victoria met her husband of 32 years in the Marine Corps (Semper Fi). Together, they have two sons, Kenaan, and Kyle who live in Williamsburg and Norfolk.

Colonial CASA Volunteer Ambassador

Bill Cripe

Bill Cripe

CASA Ambassador

757-229-3306

Bill and his wife Mary moved from Northern Virginia to Williamsburg in 2011. He joined Colonial CASA in 2013 as a volunteer advocate. Bill serves on the CASA Fair committee, has been the driving force behind securing school supplies for CASA children, and in November 2021 joined our staff as Public Relations Coordinator. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Psychology and has done extensive graduate work in the field of Organizational Leadership. For 7 years he was an Executive Partner at the College of William & Mary.

Bill’s role is to promote community outreach and education efforts, establish partnerships, and expand Colonial CASA’s footprint.

Bill loves spending his time with his wife, 2 children, and 5 grandchildren. He enjoys traveling, reading, and hanging out with friends.

Colonial CASA Board of Directors 2022-2023

Aaron Williams, President

Aaron Williams, President

President, Williams Landscape & Design, Inc.

Tucker Edmonds, Vice President

Tucker Edmonds, Vice President

Mortgage Loan Officer, Chesapeake Bank

Mitchell Farkas, Treasurer

Mitchell Farkas, Treasurer

Retired, Princeton Financial Insights

April Lawrence, Secretary

April Lawrence, Secretary

Director of Field & Clinical Experiences, School of Educational, William & Mary

Shanee' Bryant-Cooke, Director

Shanee' Bryant-Cooke, Director

Special Education Teacher

Mary Lou Crosbie, Director

Mary Lou Crosbie, Director

Retired, Colonial CASA Program

Pat Dent, Director

Pat Dent, Director

Williamsburg City Council/Vice Mayor, Williamsburg City Council

Deborah Grosser, Director

Deborah Grosser, Director

Director, Training and Technical Assistant, William & Mary

Lauren Moore, Director

Lauren Moore, Director

Event Director, Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce

Loretta Roman, Director

Loretta Roman, Director

President, Council of City of Williamsburg

CASA Advocates

Jeanne Garrison

Advocate since 2011

Linda Palmer

Advocate since 2012

Darcy Morrison

Advocate since 2012

Sylvester Smith

Advocate since 2017

Beverly Stewart

Advocate since 2017

Niki Thrash

Advocate since 2017

Laura Walls

Advocate since 2019

Ruth Plagenhoef

Advocate since 2019

Barbara Barham

Advocate since 2019

Chuck Simmons

Advocate since 2019

Claudia Rinaldi

Advocate since 2020

Rowena Seaman

Advocate since 2020

Sarah Ortego

Advocate since 2020

Karen Guglielmo

Advocate since 2020

Melissa Jones

Advocate since 2023

Grace Rutledge

Advocate since 2023

Betty 'BJ' Guberman

Advocate since 2023

Kelley Clark

Advocate since 2023

Claire Wood

Advocate since 2023

CASA Mentors

Contact Us

Tel: (757) 229-3306
Fax: (757) 229-3972
3917 Midlands Road, Ste 2A
Williamsburg, VA 23188

Office Hours

Monday -Thursday 8:00 – 4:30
Friday: 8:00 – noon – working remotely