Leadership

  • Erica has served as Executive Director since the organization's founding in 2007. Prior to joining CASA, Erica had built both professional and personal experience in child welfare, adoption, program management, and child advocacy. She holds a B.A. from Drew University and an M.A. in Child Advocacy from Montclair State University. As a lifelong resident of Passaic County, Erica has been dedicated to the growth and success of CASA and is pleased to be able to work for her own community.

  • Davetta joined the CASA staff in January of 2018 and transitioned to the role of Safe Babies Court Team Community Coordinator for Passaic County in January 2021. In May 2024, Davetta took on the role of State Coordinator, Safe Babies Court Team. From the age of seven, she was raised in the foster care system, eventually aging out at 21. Her childhood background sparked a passion of wanting to help children who were victims of child abuse and neglect. She received her B.A. in Human Services with a minor in both Cultural Studies and Child Advocacy from Ramapo College of New Jersey.

  • David joined the Safe Babies Court Team as Director of Stakeholder Engagement in 2024, after a nearly 40-year career with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP). Most recently, David served more than 12 years as DCPP’s Essex County Area Director, managing operations of the seven child welfare offices there.

Community Coordinators

Community Coordinators serve as a support to the parents, the children, the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, and to service providers. Community Coordinators have lived experience and will offer holistic, compassionate mentoring to parents in order to best connect them to the services they need. Their goal will be to make sure parents feel heard and empowered on their path towards reunification.

  • With more than a decade of experience in social services, Nicole has dedicated her career to serving her community. She holds a Master's Degree in Family and Child Studies and a Certificate in Child Advocacy from Montclair State University, and has worked in case management for adults with disabilities and as a behavioral tech with a certified behavior analyst. A passionate advocate for harm reduction, Nicole works to create safer, more supportive environments for vulnerable populations, as demonstrated by her testimony before the New Jersey Senate supporting syringe-access programs to combat the opioid crisis. Her work with NJSBCT furthers her commitment to ensuring individuals have access to the resources and support needed to thrive.

  • Lori joined Safe Babies Court Team in April 2025; she has more than 30 years’ experience in child welfare, 27 of those with the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP), serving seven counties in various capacities. Prior to DCPP, Lori’s impact was made through such direct-service programs as St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center’s Harbor House, Eva’s Kitchen and Shelter, and Women Aware. She earned a Master’s Degree in Child Advocacy and Policy from Montclair State University, and an undergraduate degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. Personally, Lori has volunteered teaching religious education, coaching youth athletics, and has served as a trail maintainer for the NY-NJ Trail Conference.

  • Sonia joined Safe Babies Court Team in April 2025; she has extensive experience in the New Jersey legal arena, including more than four years as judicial assistant to the Hon. Marc R. Brown, J.S.C., now Family Presiding Judge for the Union Vicinage. During her tenure with Judge Brown, his docket included Children in Court cases, which involve children in foster care. Sonia, a Family Law Paralegal, has directly served managing partners at several Garden State law firms. Sonia, holds a degree in Paralegal Studies, and has also served as Law Office Manager, overseeing all aspects of firm functionality. She is active with Woman Emerge Ministries in Union County and the surrounding area, distributing food, outerwear, and resources to those experiencing housing insecurity.

  • Kirstin Uptegrove holds more than 15 years' experience in community and organizational leadership, developing relationships and driving engagement within human services, nonprofit, and private organizations to advance complex initiatives. With a background as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer in Hudson County, Kirstin leverages her lived experiences to passionately advocate for individuals within the community. She is committed to fostering positive change and ensuring positive outcomes for all in her position as Community Coordinator for the Safe Babies program.

Support

  • Rich joined the SBCT team in February 2021. He holds a B.S. in Engineering from Rutgers University and an M.S. in Computer Science from Stevens Institute. Prior to this position, Rich was a Strategic Consultant and Project Manager working with numerous retailers at NCR Corporation. In addition to his work as a Project Manager, Rich has worked as a Programmer and Team Leader for various software projects. Rich is excited to put his technical skills to use in helping children and the adults who support them. In addition to working as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, Rich enjoys being involved in his community, volunteering at his church as well as coaching sports teams and even teaching a computer class for seniors in his town.

  • Michelle joined the CASA staff in September 2017 as a Case Supervisor and has since expanded her role as Passaic County CASA's Director of Strategy and Impact. In the fall of 2020, Michelle became the Quality Improvement Manager for NJ’s Safe Babies Court Team. Prior to her work with CASA/SBCT, Michelle was a Director in the Corporate Finance Consulting practice at Duff & Phelps, LLC, focused on valuation of intellectual property and on strategic finance for companies in the Pharmaceutical and Life Science industry for over twelve years. She graduated from New Jersey Institute of Technology with a dual B.S./M.S. in Applied Mathematics. Michelle has balanced her professional career with many volunteering opportunities through the years, and she was intrigued by CASA when she first learned of it in 2014. Michelle became a CASA volunteer in September 2014.