Family Law CASA Staff

Caroline D. Davis is the Executive Director and Attorney for the Family Law CASA program. Caroline has been licensed as an attorney since 1979 and her primary practice area was family law. She also worked as a private guardian ad litem and continues to speak frequently at GAL trainings. She is a past president of the King County Bar Association and previously served as a CASA volunteer and a part-time staff attorney for the program.

Dustin Johnson is the Director of Development for Family Law CASA and leads all fundraising, marketing, and community outreach efforts for the organization. He is active in the Northwest Development Officers Association, Association of Fundraising Professionals, and Young Nonprofit Professionals Network. Dustin is originally from Meridian, Idaho and moved to Seattle to attend Seattle University, where he majored in political science and pre-law.

Michelle Fontenot joined the Family Law CASA program in June 2011 as a Program Attorney. Michelle is a licensed attorney and master’s level therapist with over 20 years of experience as a child and family therapist. Michelle first entertained the idea of going to law school when she saw that children with challenges in school often need more than just caring adults and good teachers. These children are often over-looked and under-served in legal settings. During law school, Michelle interned for Columbia Legal Services, the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill,  and the Center for Children and Youth Justice.

Vanessa Figueroa joined Family Law CASA in October 2011 as an Advocate Supervisor. She began her career in social work in college, where she worked with special needs children and developed a passion for the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Vanessa then earned her Masters of Social Work from the University of Washington in 2008, where she was part of the Child Welfare Training and Advancement Program. After completing her degree, Vanessa worked in Snohomish county as a case manager for the Department of Child and Family Services. Before coming to Family Law CASA, Vanessa worked as a mental health liaison for King County juvenile court, where she provided mental health assessments and referrals for services to youth in juvenile detention, many of whom were also victims of child abuse and neglect.

Karen Keys brings 25 years of experience as a mental health and social services professional to her role as an Advocate Supervisor at Family Law CASA. Her background includes a Master of Science degree in Training and Leadership, as well as fluency in Spanish. She is a doctoral candidate working toward her Ph.D. in organizational behavior. Karen devotes some of her free time to volunteering as Editor of Naptural Roots community magazine.

Amanda Harpell-Franz is joining our CASA team as an Advocate Supervisor after over seven years of working in the court systems in Snohomish County and having a Masters degree in Social Work. Amanda has worked as a Public Defender's Office investigator, CPS worker, teen mother advocate, supervisor at ROOTS Young Adult Homeless Shelter, and has provided rent assistance for families who are homeless or at-risk for homelessness. She has worked in emergency rooms, homes, school, youth detention centers, and courtroom settings. Amanda worked at Dawson Place Child Advocacy Center as a Child Forensic Interviewer, performing forensic interviews of kids ages three and up and testifying in court to the disclosures of child victims and/or witnesses.

Kristy Sorensen hails from Fayetteville, Arkansas. After earning a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from the University of Arkansas, she traveled the world and eventually settled to put down new roots in Seattle. By day she is the Family Law CASA Administrative Assistant; outside the office she is a practicing fiction writer, Shakespeare enthusiast, and home chef.

Brenna Pink is Family Law CASA's part-time Development Assistant. She works to ensure the development office runs smoothly by assisting with events, scheduling, and updating our donor database. Brenna is close to completing her B.A. in political science at Seattle University.