Court Appointed Special Advocate Introduces New Board President

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County is proud to announce the election of Bruce D. Edwards, Esq., as the newest President of its Board of Directors. A family attorney and exemplary community member of Prince George’s County, Edwards brings a legacy of service in child welfare and advocacy to the presidency.

In addition to his leadership as a CASA Board member, Edwards is an adjunct professor with Anne Arundel Community College and teaches courses on career readiness to inmate students at the Dorsey Run Correctional Institute in Jessup, MD. When he’s not teaching or working as an attorney, Edwards serves as a Commissioner with the Prince George’s County Commission on Fathers, Men, and Boys and leads a youth male mentorship program with Kappa Alpha Psi’s Kappa League.

Driven by his passion to build positive male influences for young men in Prince George’s County, Edwards came to CASA in 2013 with a personal mission to increase male presence in the child welfare system. “Having positive male representation is something many youths in this system are deprived of. That’s something that pushed me to say, ‘I have to be the change that I want to see’, and I knew I had to get involved,” he says.

Edwards accepts leadership of the Board of Directors at a critical moment for CASA. As a rapidly expanding nonprofit with the goal to advocate for all children in the county’s foster care system, CASA welcomes Edwards to the role as he works with the Board to advance the organization’s strategic plans.

Edwards’ election is a clear reflection of CASA’s current stage of growth: eager to take on the newest challenges presented by the pandemic where CASA’s mission and service is needed the most. Despite the uncertainty that many in the nonprofit sector currently face in their transitions to remote operations, Edwards’ vision for CASA entails clear advances in development, fundraising campaigns, and community engagement.

“One thing I really look forward to doing collectively with the Board is making this virtual format work for us and using this opportunity to collectively increase our visibility [and] funding. There’s so much room for us to be creative with our growth,” he says.

“Bruce’s extensive experience as a family attorney, community mentor, and CASA Board Member allows him to see firsthand the importance of CASA’s mission and the children we serve,” says CASA Executive Director, Ann Marie Binsner. “We are excited to move forward with his leadership as CASA continues to work towards our goal of serving all children in the foster care system.”

CASA’s Board of Directors is led by an executive committee and all members participate actively on committees. The committees are actively working to bolster CASA’s public presence in the community and to recruit additional members to serve on the Board.

Interested in joining CASA’s Board of Directors? Visit CASA’s website at https://pgcasa.org/about-us/board-and-staff/ to download and complete a Board Member Nomination Form.

About Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)/Prince George’s County, Inc.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)/Prince George's County is a volunteer-based organization that partners with the juvenile court to improve the lives of children living in foster care who have suffered from abuse and neglect. With a strong commitment to diversity, CASA trains and supervises volunteers from the community who advocate for the best interest of children, recognizing and respecting each child's individual needs. By providing a voice to children in the foster care system, CASA’s goal is to help children and promote the timely placement of those we serve in safe, permanent homes.

To volunteer with CASA, call 301-209-0491 or go to www.pgcasa.org.