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Meet Ashley!

Ashley Ailey became a Tulsa CASA volunteer in March 2018. After reading Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter and being moved by her story, Ashley decided that she wanted to help children in foster care and provide a voice for them; it just so happens that Ashley Rhodes-Courter was our CASA Casino guest speaker that same year!

Before CASA, Ashley Ailey volunteered with Girl Scouts and Reading Partners. Ashley enjoys being a CASA volunteer because she is able to work with the same child until their case closes, while gathering information from the caseworkers, foster parents, biological parents, and other service providers to determine the best interest of the child.

Ashley works as a family law paralegal, and was recently accepted into the Law program at the University of Tulsa. She and her husband have two daughters, as well as two Labradors.

When she is not working, attending classes, or visiting her CASA child, Ashley’s children keep her busy with their sports schedules—especially softball! She and her husband also love college football, and although they are both OSU alumni, he roots for OU while she loves OSU.

Ashley, thank you for everything that you do on behalf of Tulsa CASA. Your passion for helping children in foster care does not go unnoticed, and we are lucky to have you as an advocate for children in Tulsa County!

“Tulsa CASA offers children a person who is involved in their case from beginning to end. A person who is not associated with DHS, the ADA, or the child’s attorney. A person who is solely there for their best interest. These children are the future of our community; giving them the supports they need to be successful is extremely vital.” – Ashley Ailey

A Note from her Advocate Manager

Ashley is a tremendously hardworking advocate who is wholeheartedly devoted to her CASA children. She has a very full schedule with work, being a wife and mother, and starting law school in July; yet she still makes time to focus on a teenager and three young children each month in order to be a voice for them as they experience the uncertainty of foster care.

As a new Advocate Manager with Tulsa CASA, it has been a pleasure to work with such a dedicated volunteer!

– Cheryl Wright

Meet Debbie!

Debbie King has served on the Tulsa CASA Board of Directors for 4 years, previously as Treasurer and Vice President, and now as our current Board President! She truly goes above and beyond for CASA and is dedicated to our mission.

Debbie got involved with CASA after another board member and colleague “consistently talked about what a fantastic organization CASA was and described how much they helped children.” We couldn’t be more thankful to have her expertise on the board and in a leadership role!

Debbie describes her typical responsibilities for CASA as leading board meetings, communicating with other board members, and coordinating with CASA staff regarding financials, fundraising, and staffing.

Professionally, Debbie is the Vice President of Audit Services for ONEOK, Inc. and has been with the company for 17 years. She has lived in Tulsa for 28 years and has been involved in volunteerism with a variety of organizations, such as dog rescues, the Bixby Outreach Center, Komen-Race for the Cure, Child Abuse Network, and serving on the YMCA board.

Debbie and her husband Jeff have two children, Lauren and Ryan, and recently welcomed their first grandson, James! In addition, they have two furry family members—rescue dogs Jake and Haze.

In her spare time, Debbie enjoys running, camping, and attending any OSU event. It is an honor to work with Debbie and her service as Board President will have a lasting impact on our organization. Thank you for all that you do on behalf of CASA!

“CASA offers Tulsa children a voice, to communicate their best interests to parties on the case, including the judge. Find an organization that supports something you are passionate about and focus your efforts there to see what areas you can best use your talents.” – Debbie King

A Note from our Executive Director

Over the last few months of working with Debbie I have come to recognize her giving spirit and rely on her thoughtful input. She is passionate about the mission and dedicated to growing CASA to serve more children to meet the need in the community.

Debbie is beloved by the CASA staff and has truly gone out of her way to demonstrate her support for them and all their work. She is an invaluable asset to Tulsa CASA and we are grateful to have her as our Board President. — Elizabeth Fisher

Meet Carrie!

Carrie Mulder is a life long Tulsan, and one of our Dual Status volunteers at Tulsa CASA. Our Dual Status docket is comprised of youth who are both deprived and delinquent—handling both of their court cases inside of one courtroom, with one court team.

Carrie describes

her typical activities as a Dual Status team member as calling in and checking on her kiddo in his placement, and visiting him as often as possible. She collects and organizes all of his information and keeps both his DHS and Office of Juvenile Affairs workers informed of his current status. She says that no two days look alike, and we know that is absolutely true in the work of a CASA volunteer!

Carrie understands the importance of CASA in the Tulsa community, stating “it is priceless for our community to have an advocate for children and to have someone solely interested in what is deemed ‘best’ for the child. CASA volunteers have no agendas, except for advocating for the child.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! Carrie truly understands the mission of our program and exemplifies that through her own CASA advocacy.

Carrie is married to her husband Bill, and they have a daughter, a son, a daughter-in-law and an 11-month-old grandbaby. In addition to their human family members, they have three pets—a 115 pound lazy mastiff, a 7-month-old Aussie, and a cat named Charlie.

Carrie’s hobbies include walking, reading, listening to music and playing with her grandson. A previous business owner and educator with Jenks Public Schools, she is currently helping her son establish his own business.

Carrie has served in many volunteer capacities through her children’s school and extra curricular activities, and was looking for the “right” volunteer experience when the ads for CASA caught her eye. Carrie, we are so glad that you decided to join the CASA team. Thank you for being a Court Appointed Special Advocate!

“I highly recommend being a CASA volunteer to anyone who is interested in helping our kids. My advice is, just do it! Getting started is the hardest part; make the first call or take the first steps, but do it. Wherever you volunteer, Tulsa needs you. So get going!” – Carrie Mulder

A Note from her Advocate Manager

Carrie Mulder is an amazing advocate who has a fierce determination. Carrie knew early on that she wanted to work with teenagers because she understands them.

Since saying yes in May 2018, to a very difficult case, Carrie has been a steady, calming influence to all parties involved. The team members assigned to her case have come to depend on Carrie’s perspective, and truly believe she is a rock star!

She has a huge heart filled with compassion, while at the same time she is able to report objectively about what she knows is in the child’s best interest. Carrie Mulder was meant to do this work and I am so grateful to her.”
– Julie Blake