Board of Directors

Danny Little

DANNY LITTLE, Chair, is a shareholder at the law firm of Noland, Hamerly, Etienne, & Hoss. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (2011) and Juris Doctorate (2015) from the University of Texas. Danny’s legal practice focuses on business and real estate transactions and corporate matters for nonprofit and for-profit clients throughout the Central Coast. He joined CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors in January 2019 and has served as Board Secretary since July 2021. In addition to CASA, Danny is involved with the California Rodeo Salinas and the Salinas Downtown Rotary Club. Danny is very passionate about bettering Monterey County, particularly the lives of children here. He chose to serve on the Board of Directors after seeing the impact his mother made as a CASA advocate in Travis County, Texas.

AERIN MURPHY, Vice Chair, is an experienced civil attorney, having handled cases ranging from representing victims of domestic violence to representing Fortune 500 companies in complex civil litigation. Her current position is Deputy County Counsel for the County of Monterey. In her off-time, Aerin enjoys spending time with her husband Christopher and their two young children, in addition to lending a hand in the family winery. Aerin joined the CASA of Monterey County Board of Directors in 2016. She served as Board Secretary from 2017 to 2019, and Vice Chair of the Board from 2019 to 2020.

SAM JIMENEZ, Treasurer, has served as Chief Executive Officer of 1st Capital Bank since April 2020. Prior to joining 1st Capital Bank, Mr. Jimenez served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Bank of Commerce Holdings, the $1.5 billion (assets) parent company of Merchants Bank of Commerce, Sacramento, California, from 2013 to 2020. He served as Chief Financial Officer of Bank of Commerce Holdings from 2009 through 2014, and previously served as Director of Risk Management of subsidiary bank Redding Bank of Commerce from 2003 to 2009. Previously, Mr. Jimenez was a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Examiner, from 1992 to 2003. He is a certified public accountant.

JULIET DEL ROSARIO, Secretary, born and raised in Monterey, has a very deep connection to our community and the overall health of our children. A BA from San Diego State University in communications, a minor in Spanish and another BA from CSUMB in social communications have allowed her to be a stable business owner in the real estate industry in Carmel for 15 years. Because Juliet personally knows the benefit of mentorship, she has been involved in youth centers in our community and has been a CASA volunteer for 14 years. She feels that being involved has put into perspective the constant need for advocacy for our underprivileged children’s growth and development. She is honored to be there for them as many grownups took the time to be there for her.

Rich Aiello

RICH AIELLO was born and raised in Monterey and currently serves as Senior Vice President, Regional Manager for Santa Cruz County Bank. Rich was hired in 2019 to lead the Bank’s expansion into Monterey County and was instrumental to the staffing and opening of its Monterey branch in early 2021 and the opening of its Salinas branch in early 2023. Rich holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

ELIZA DECIANTIS has resided on the Monterey Peninsula since 2003.  She spent 22 years in television set design, and currently owns landscape design company InsideOut Landscape Design.  Eliza was instrumental in developing a crisis intervention center and hotline in Darien, CT, and has served as a Big Sister in the Big Brother, Big Sister program.  Before joining as a CASA board member, Eliza served on the CASA of Monterey County’s Development Committee, and we look forward to her continued participation and support on this team.  Eliza joined CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors in 2020.

Siobhan Green

SIOBHAN GREENE is President/CEO of Hospice Giving Foundation, focused on end-of-life care and services.  She specializes in nonprofit executive management and board governance.  Her career includes working with children, mental health services, marketing, and non-profits.  Before joining the Foundation, Siobhan was Executive Director of CASA of Monterey County for over seven years, and for three years was CASA’s Director of Development.  Siobhan served on California CASA Board of Directors, was President of the Rotary Club of Carmel-by-the-Sea (2016), and is past-Commissioner for Monterey County’s Juvenile Justice Commission, having been Chair in 2012.  Siobhan joined CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors in 2018.

CATHERINE GRIGGS and husband Ken, own and operate Griggs Nursery located in Carmel. Catherine enjoys spending time with her two young children and family. Catherine joined CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors in 2017 and previously served as Board Secretary in 2019 and currently serves as the Board Chair.

Martha Gustavson

MARTHA GUSTAVSON, CPA, MST, is the Chief Financial Officer of Scudder Roofing and Solar. Martha holds a BA in Business Management Economics from UC Santa Cruz and a Masters in Accounting from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Previously, Martha worked in public accounting for 7 years, including estate & trust and high net worth tax preparation at a regional CPA firm. Martha joined the CASA board in 2018 as a director and was originally involved (by the persistence of Pete Scudder) on the 2016 Gala Committee. Martha was previously a director and board Treasurer for Legal Services for Seniors and while the age variance of those served by CASA and LSS may seem large, Martha believes strongly in advocating for those who may not be able to do so themselves.

LANCE KOEHLER, moved to Monterey in 2005 and obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University Monterey Bay. He has over 18 years of experience in restaurant and hospitality management on Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf and the city of Monterey. Lance has served on the Cannery Row Business Association since 2010 and is the current Board President. He has also worked closely with the Monterey County Health Department to establish the Food Safety Advisory Council where he also serves as the Board President. Lance has fundraising experience and has organized and hosted benefit dinners at Louie Linguini’s Restaurant since 2017 for CASA of Monterey County. Most recently, Lance and his wife Christina opened Pacific Pet Treats which is a pet bakery and boutique located in Monterey’s Cannery Row District. Pacific Pet Treats specializes in making pet treats with local and sustainably caught seafood with no fillers or preservatives. Lance joined CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors in 2020.

Katie Padilla

KATIE PADILLA joined the CASA board in 2022. She is a collaborative divorce lawyer and partner at Frudden & Padilla Family Law, a law firm she co-founded based in Oakland, as well as a life coach at Bloom Coach + Consult, a coaching firm she founded based in Carmel Valley. She has dedicated many years to support children and parents involved in the dependency systems in the US and abroad in different capacities, including as a counselor at an emergency group home, by supporting impact litigation related to systemic failures of the dependency system, and by advocating for parents and children in court as attorney of record in individual cases. Additionally, Katie is proud to have previously served as a CASA volunteer herself. These different experiences led to a deep appreciation for the attention, intention and support that all foster youth deserve in order to heal from the trauma and retraumatization from abuse, neglect and family dismemberment. CASA is near and dear to her heart for this reason–it provides the wraparound, holistic services that are so severely lacking in the traditional system, as well as a means of empowerment for the voices of our youth that need to be heard in order to promote substantive change by way of raising awareness.

CASA of Monterey Board of Directors

DENISE O’LAUGHLIN, is a Co-Owner at Leavitt Central Coast Insurance Services and is the practice leader of the Employee Benefits Team. Prior to joining Leavitt, Denise held various Human Resources Director roles in Silicon Valley and the Central Coast. In addition to CASA, Denise has held Board Positions with Sacred Heart Parish School, Hollister High Boosters, and The Workforce Development Board of Santa Cruz County. She has a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Master of Science in Human Resources and Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco. Denise has lived on the Central Coast for 25+ years with her husband, Neill. She has two grown children, Morgan and Kellen, who both live in New York.

Dina Ruiz

DINA RUIZ has lived on the Peninsula since 1991. She is a former weeknight anchor at KSBW-TV in Salinas. She co-hosted the pioneering television show Candid Camera and created and starred in a reality show for the E! Network. Ruiz now writes for Carmel Magazine, Coastal Canine Magazine, and Today Show Shop. Dina has a thirty-year history of service on non-profit boards including The California Museum, The Panetta Institute for Public Policy, Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Greater Bay Area, and Max’s Helping Paws. Dina was thrilled to join the CASA of Monterey County Board of Directors in 2022, as she has always admired CASA’s impact on vulnerable children in our community.

ROBERT SHAW serves as the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for Central Coast Community Energy, a joint powers authority serving 4 counties and 29 cities from Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz County. Mr. Shaw oversees 3CE’s operations, including customer and community engagement, marketing, energy programs, business development, energy procurement, as well as being responsible for all of 3CE’s legal, regulatory and policy matters. Mr. Shaw works with the Boards, the CEO, and executive team to set long range goals, develop strategy, and build relationships with key partners to ensure successful business operations.  Rob and his wife Melissa have two young boys and live in Santa Cruz County.

ETHAN HARE (Emeritus) was born and raised on the Monterey peninsula. Ethan began working in construction and Real Estate Development in high school, building high end custom homes, school campuses, hospitality projects, and many others. He founded Hare construction in 2006 growing the company throughout California’s Central Coast with offices in Pacific Grove, San Francisco, and Napa. Complimenting the construction operations he formed Bright Sky Development, focusing on multifamily and mixed-use real estate. Ethan joined the board of CASA in 2012 serving on all committees, including executive committee and Board Chair until 2022, before being asked to serve as board member emeritus. He has served as interim CEO and acted as an advisor to several startups and continues to advise young professionals and mentees with an eye on giving back to and improving the community. Ethan’s passion for CASA comes from his parents, individuals, and the community that have supported him as both a youth and throughout his professional career.

GIANNA JACKSON (Emeritus) has spent most of her career in technology sales in Silicon Valley.  For the last 20 years, she has been with OpenText where, year over year, she is recognized as one of the top account executives globally. Born and raised on the Monterey Peninsula, in 2013, she welcomed the opportunity to move “home” with her husband where they raise their two young daughters.  She has supported and benefited various other local nonprofit organizations including Big Sur Land Trust, Monterey Museum of Art, and Stevenson School. Gianna joined CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors in 2016.

PETE SCUDDER (Emeritus) and wife Karen, founded Scudder Roofing out of his Prunedale garage in 1982. Today, the award winning, multi-million dollar roofing company represents the highest standards in the industry. When he’s not working on roofs, you will usually find Pete volunteering his time to organizations like the Boy Scouts or CASA of Monterey County, and spending time with his close-knit family.  Pete served on  CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors from 2010 to 2019, and due to his dedication to CASA, is recognized in designation as Board Chair Emeritus.

JEANNETTE WITTEN (Emeritus) has been practicing law since 1998 and serves as the Managing Partner of Hudson Martin Ferrante Street Witten & DeMaria PC.  Voted by the Monterey County Weekly reader’s as the best Attorney in Monterey County for 2012-2018, Jeannette has been recognized as one of the most 25 influential people in Monterey County.  Jeannette is also very active in the public sector, supporting and benefiting numerous charitable organizations.  Jeannette served on  CASA of Monterey County’s Board of Directors from 2007 to 2017, and due to her dedication to CASA, is recognized in designation as Board Chair Emeritus.