Erica has served as Passaic County CASA’s Executive Director since the organization's founding in 2007. Prior to joining CASA, Erica had built both professional and personal experience in child welfare, adoption, program management, and child advocacy. She holds a B.A. from Drew University and an M.A. in Child Advocacy from Montclair State University. Erica currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the Paterson Rotary Club, the National CASA Association Suburban Leadership Council and the National CASA Association National Leadership Council. As a lifelong resident of Passaic County, Erica has been dedicated to the growth and success of CASA and is pleased to be able to work for her own community. Erica's background and passion is in the areas of open adoption, international children's rights, and medical advocacy for at risk foster and adopted youth.

With more than a decade of experience in social services, Nicole has dedicated her career to advocating for the underserved. She holds a Master's Degree in Family and Child Studies and a Certificate in Child Advocacy from Montclair State University, and has worked in case management for adults with disabilities and as a behavioral tech with a certified behavior analyst. A passionate advocate for harm reduction, Nicole works to create safer, more supportive environments for vulnerable populations, as demonstrated by her testimony before the New Jersey Senate supporting syringe-access programs to combat the opioid crisis. Her work with NJSBCT furthers her commitment to ensuring individuals have access to the resources and support needed to thrive.

Davetta joined the CASA staff in January of 2018 as an Advocacy Supervisor, and transitioned to the role of Safe Babies Court Team Community Coordinator for Passaic County in January 2021. In May 2024, Davetta took on the role of State Coordinator, Safe Babies Court Team. From the age of seven, she was raised in the foster care system, eventually aging out at 21. Her childhood background sparked a passion of wanting to help children who were victims of child abuse and neglect. She received her B.A. in Human Services with a minor in both Cultural Studies and Child Advocacy from Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Rich joined the SBCT team in February 2021. He holds a B.S. in Engineering from Rutgers University and an M.S. in Computer Science from Stevens Institute. Prior to this position, Rich was a Strategic Consultant and Project Manager working with numerous retailers at NCR Corporation. In addition to his work as a Project Manager, Rich has worked as a Programmer and Team Leader for various software projects. Rich is excited to put his technical skills to use in helping children and the adults who support them. In addition to working as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, Rich enjoys being involved in his community, volunteering at his church as well as coaching sports teams and even teaching a computer class for seniors in his town.

Grace joined the Safe Babies Court Team staff in April 2021, bringing with her a deep background in nonprofit program development, strategic partnerships, and funding sustainability. Prior to this position, Grace spent over a decade building programs at the intersections of early childhood development, parent support, K-12 education, and technology. She has worked with a wide range of leading national organizations and researchers, as well as local programs in New England and in the tri-state area. Grace holds a BA in English and International Development from the University of Wisconsin Madison, and a certificate in nonprofit leadership from Columbia University in New York.

Michelle joined the CASA staff in September 2017 as a Case Supervisor and has since expanded her role as Passaic County CASA's Director of Strategy and Impact. In the fall of 2020, Michelle became the Quality Improvement Manager for NJ’s Safe Babies Court Team. Prior to her work with CASA/SBCT, Michelle was a Director in the Corporate Finance Consulting practice at Duff & Phelps, LLC, focused on valuation of intellectual property and on strategic finance for companies in the Pharmaceutical and Life Science industry for over twelve years. She graduated from New Jersey Institute of Technology with a dual B.S./M.S. in Applied Mathematics. Michelle has balanced her professional career with many volunteering opportunities through the years, and she was intrigued by CASA when she first learned of it in 2014. Michelle became a CASA volunteer in September 2014.

David joined the Safe Babies Court Team as Director of Stakeholder Engagement in 2024, after a nearly 40-year career with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP). Most recently, David served more than 12 years as DCPP’s Essex County Area Director, managing operations of the seven child welfare offices there, and implementing progressive changes, including the county’s comfort call initiative to bridge the gap between children’s resource parents and biological parents. David is a member of the Board of Directors at Advocates for Children of New Jersey, the New Jersey Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Protection Services, the Multi-Disciplinary Child Fatality Review Team, and has served as co-chair of DCF’s Statewide Race and Equity Steering Committee tasked with identifying implicit bias, racism and reducing racial disparity in the child welfare system.

Kirstin Uptegrove holds more than 15 years' experience in community advocacy and organizational leadership, developing relationships and driving engagement within human services, nonprofit, and private organizations to advance complex initiatives. With a background as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer in Hudson County, Kirstin leverages her lived experiences to passionately advocate for vulnerable individuals within the community. She is committed to fostering positive change and ensuring equitable outcomes for all in her position as Community Coordinator for the Safe Babies program.