This spring season, we’re taking the time to introduce you to the Board behind our wonderful organization. If you attended this past year’s CASAblanca At Home Gala, you may already know board member, Pat Howe, who also served as Gala Chair. Get to know Pat in our first Board Member Bio Blog post. Enjoy!

How many years have you been on the CASA Board?

I have been on the Board since 2019, but started as a CASA volunteer in 2006.

Tell us about your time outside CASA. Any career highlights to share?

I have been very fortunate to have experienced a wide variety of occupations that helped me with my work with CASA. 
I have been a high school visual arts teacher, an educational travel consultant, a resort sales manager handling events and honed my management skills in a boutique CPA firm while running their small art gallery.

I received the Outstanding Educator Award in 1990-1991 for Charlottesville City Schools. I am also the 2017 recipient of the CASA Caring Heart Award.

How did you come to learn about CASA?

I first heard about it through a radio ad in Charlottesville, Virginia in the spring of 2006. We moved to Anne Arundel County in August 2006 and I quickly began training. I was sworn in: December 2006.

What inspired you to get involved with CASA?

As an educator and a parent, I had experienced professional and family situations that opened my eyes to the frightening, confusing and often misguided world children in traumatic situations must handle. I was intrigued by the thought that a trained, stable and objective adult volunteer could monitor and speak truth to a child’s situation, giving the court system a clear understanding so life altering decisions could be made in the best interest of the children they serve.

CASA’s help guide, acquiring necessary services a child, family or situation may need to help with the goal of finding and securing safe, stable, permanent homes. We do whatever we can to rebuild trust and give hope!

Tell us more about what you like to do in your spare time:

I am an artist. My degree is in Art Education K-12 and I taught visual art in high school for 10 years. I now have fun throwing paint on a canvas to see what happens! You can view my art, “PatoodleArt by Pat Howe,” on Facebook!

My husband Bill and I love the beach, and are partial to Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina where we spend a lot of time. We also love to ski when we get the opportunity. We have wonderful adult children and a growing number of grandchildren who steal our hearts away every day.

What’s something fun and quirky about you?

Well, growing up in Baltimore I was a year-round swimmer and swam for the same team (North Baltimore Aquatic Club, NBAC) that Michael Phelps swam for–of course many years later! Pretty quirky, huh?

Thank you Pat!