BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Stuart J. Young - Board Chair
Stuart was an international and U.S. school superintendent for close to twenty-five years. An Oregon school superintendent who also lived in Pakistan, Jamaica, Norway, Bangladesh, Japan (14 years), Thailand and Costa Rica, he and his wife, Sandy, have worked with children and their families for their entire lives. Settling in Central Oregon since 2000, Stuart has three grown children and eight grand children. He also serves on the Bend-La Pine School Board.
Ellen Wolff - Vice Chair
Ellen Wolff is very familiar with CASA programs, as she served on the board of Clackamas County CASA for more than a decade. She holds an undergraduate degree from Ohio University and a JD from University of Oregon. She served as law clerk for the Oregon State Circuit Court, and worked in private practice and for Multnomah County Legal Aid. She served on the Clackamas County CASA Board of Directors from 2002 to 2013 and on the Forward Stride Board of Directors for three terms.
Kat Mastrangelo - Secretary
Kat is executive director of Volunteers in Medicine and has more than 30 years of experience in economic development and health care administration. She holds an undergraduate degree in International Relations from Georgetown University, and a Masters in Public and Health Care Administration from Indiana University. She has served as the Executive Director for Volunteers in Medicine since 2008, after beginning her work there as a volunteer in 2004. Kat and her husband, Mike, and their three daughters moved to Bend in 2003. She has a long standing interest in serving vulnerable populations.
Donna Mills - Treasurer
Donna Mills is currently serving the Central Oregon Health Council, as their Executive Director. Prior to joining COHC she was the Chief Executive Officer for Integrated Community Health Partners (ICHP), one of the first Regional Care Collaborative Organizations (RCCOs) in Colorado. Donna has a strong background in finance, healthcare, and healthcare payer systems. Donna obtained her BS in Accounting from Strayer University in Washington DC, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She also worked as a Chief Financial Officer for over 20 years. She is dedicated to advancing Healthcare Transformation. She is currently serving as Board Treasurer for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Central Oregon; she is a volunteer chaplain for the Colorado State Patrol, and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Before relocating to Central Oregon, she served as Mentor for the President’s Leadership Program (Colorado State University, Pueblo), and also served as a volunteer and counselor for a special bereavement camp for children sponsored by Sangre de Cristo Hospice. Donna is pleased to serve the Tri-County region both professionally and personally. She and her husband have five grown children and 4 grandchildren. They enjoy serving in their community and being outdoors.
Adam Bledsoe
Adam is a broker at Compass Commercial Real Estate Services and has lived in Bend since 2005. He has a longtime commitment to working with organizations that serve children and help equip them for adulthood, so serving on the CASA board was a natural progression. He has served on the board of Parenting with Dignity, a curriculum for parenting, since 2005. He also served on the board of the Greater Bend Rotary Club. In addition to coaching youth and high school football, he enjoys a variety of outdoor activities in beautiful Central Oregon and spending time with his wife and children.
Ryan Boyle
Ryan is Corporate Counsel for Les Schwab Tire Centers. He holds an undergraduate degree in communications and history from the University of Puget Sound and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon. He began his legal career working in private civil litigation firms in the Portland area before moving to Central Oregon with his family in 2017. Ryan now handles employment, transactional, and litigation matters for Les Schwab. He was drawn to the CASA board by his commitment to help children thrive during critical times of development. Ryan enjoys playing basketball, traveling with his wife and children, and coaching youth sports.
Michelle Brenholdt
Michelle is the Director of Emergency and Trauma Services at St. Charles Healthcare in Bend and Redmond. She began her career as a pediatric emergency room nurse in Southern California. Her commitment to advocating on behalf of vulnerable children began as when, as a pediatric nurse, she saw firsthand the ramifications of abuse and neglect. Michelle and her husband moved to Bend in 2015. She enjoys hiking, mountain biking, rafting, and all Central Oregon’s outdoor adventures.
Joe Huseonica
Joe is a retired high-tech industry executive who now calls Sunriver home. Both he and his wife Susan have served as CASAs in the past and are very committed to the value of the program. Joe is a firm believer in committing a portion of one’s time and talent in support of community causes and programs. He has served on the boards of Catholic Charities-Portland, Rebuilding Together-Portland, JOIN-Portland Homeless Advocacy Group, Associated Oregon Industries, Anthem Cares Through Service-Arizona and now CASA of Central Oregon. He has also been active in the leadership of his Church community wherever he has lived.
Jason Kropf
Jason is an Attorney for the Deschutes County District Attorney's Office. A long time Oregonian, he received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Oregon State University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon. Jason began his legal career in Portland and moved to Bend in 2003. In 2005, he began working for the Deschutes County District Attorney’s office. He currently handles a caseload of juvenile dependency and delinquency cases. Inspired and impressed by CASA’s presence in the courtroom, Jason joined CASA’s Board of Directors in 2012. Jason is married with a lovely young daughter. When he’s not in the courtroom, he enjoys biking, running, skiing, golfing and just about every other outdoor activity Central Oregon has to offer.
John Laherty
John was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. After law school, John spent a decade running a juvenile court defense firm in Utah, and helped implement a new child welfare system in that state. Now, John is an attorney with the Deschutes County Counsel’s Office, where he handles the County’s litigation in federal and state courts. John, his wife and daughter moved to Bend in 2005.
Courtney MacMillan
Courtney MacMillan grew up in Bend, graduating from Bend Senior High School. After attending college in California, she and her husband moved to back to Bend in 1998, to raise their three boys. She is active in the community, including P.E.O. and Bend Study Club and is involved with many nonprofits. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Deschutes Children's Foundation.
Don Tavolacci
Don is Managing Partner Cornerstone Realty Holdings and has over 35 years of experience as a business executive. He is a graduate of Oregon State University. He and his wife moved to Bend in 2006, where he co-founded Cornerstone Realty Holdings, an owner/operator of multifamily communities and adult residential care facilities. Don joined the CASA board in July of 2009 because of a personal interest in making a meaningful contribution to the lives of children in need in Central Oregon.
Cathy Tai - Ex Officio
Cathy Tai is a semi-retired interior designer who has worked in California and Hawaii. She has been involved with many nonprofits through the years, including Pacific Cancer Society, Women Helping Women, Ka Lima O Maui, Growing Dreams, Maui Youth and Family Services, and the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. She served on the Board of Directors of the Maui Medical Center Foundation for six years, chairing several committees on development and fundraising.
