Alex LaGanke can look back to 2015 and recall the first time she met Caroline Drummond. At the time, Alex, now president of the board for CASA of Jefferson County, was a senior at UAB and joined a pilot program called Standards of Excellence. The program paired students with local nonprofits, and when Alex sat down at the CASA table and met Caroline, it was a serendipitous match.
“She sold CASA really well,” Alex laughs. “I was interested in law, too, and Caroline is a lawyer.”
Today, the two have a fruitful professional relationship and friendship, and Alex isn’t the only one. Others involved with CASA share similar sentiments about Caroline, who has been a leader within the advocacy organization since 2012. Board Vice President Suzanne Ashe, a founding member, explains that when CASA broke away from local government in 2009 (Previously, Jefferson County handled court advocates for children) and a new board formed, friends suggested Caroline to be executive director for the fledgling nonprofit. Fortunately, Caroline accepted the position, which offered no pay at the time.
“The very fact that she was willing to serve when we had no money was a lifesaver,” says Suzanne. “If she hadn’t done it, I don’t know if we would have made it.”
But they did make it through the growth phase and the rebuilding period after almost four years of being managed by CASA of Alabama. During that era, CASA of Jefferson County had a state-appointed executive director and no board, Suzanne explains. Later, in the fall of 2019, when the national CASA decided to forgo states managing state chapters, Caroline was the first person they called. By early 2020, a small board of five members — Caroline, Suzanne, Alex, Drew Barnett, and Katy Ottensmeyer — revived CASA of Jefferson County, led by Caroline as president. A few things shifted, such as changing staff titles from “Case Managers” to “Advocate Coordinators,” but the mission to protect and support children has never faltered.
For Caroline, CASA’s mission is personal. Her parents divorced when she was 12 years old, and she was asked to speak in the courtroom all those years ago. Though she had a guardian ad litem, she wishes she’d experienced the incredible support CASA strives to give children — support she has been proud to witness over the last 12 years.
“The family court guardians are fantastic, and these kids need people to go to bat for them,” she says. “Children in domestically compromising situations need advocacy. They need a grown-up to help them communicate their thoughts.”
While it was a personal decision to devote time and energy to CASA, Caroline has been consistently inspired by the talent of staff and volunteers. “It's not a position for the faint of heart,” she says. “You have to be a special person to do what our advocate coordinators do on a daily basis. To work with these cases and get to know these children can be emotionally and mentally taxing.”
As much credit as Caroline readily bestows on CASA staff and board members — crediting Alex as an “incredibly well-humored, patient person” whom she admires deeply and Suzanne as “the historian, glue, and keeper of knowledge” — they, in turn, feel the same about her. Caroline's influence continues to be present since stepping down from the board in December 2023.
“Even though I’ve succeeded her as board president, I couldn’t have done it without her leadership and modeling of what a good president looks like,” Alex says. “It's weird to think that I’m in this role at just 31 years old, but I attribute that to Caroline.”
Current executive director Kelly Burke says that she, like so many other people, was drawn to the organization by Caroline’s enthusiasm and multifaceted service as a volunteer, executive director, and board president. Even now, Kelly says, they know Caroline won’t be a stranger. “She’s a vault of institutional knowledge and always makes time for us. We miss her, but we know that we can always call with a question or an idea.”
Alex agrees, admitting that she has “picked Caroline’s brain” a time or two since December.
“It's been great to talk to her about personnel matters or how she handled things. She is gracious, thoughtful, and wise and knows how to support our executive director and navigate the board.”
Even with new projects on the horizon — going back to school to pursue a career in biotechnology and having another baby — Caroline continues to give her time and resources to CASA. Whether fundraising or managing the holiday gift program, the organization can count on her support.
“We have a ways to go to make CASA truly a household name, but she helps us spread the word,” Alex says. “Anyone involved in any capacity knows Caroline; that says a lot about her passion for this mission.”
Support CASA of Jefferson County on October 29 at their fundraising luncheon at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens through the Friends of CASA.