Most Impactful
Executive Director: Gina Clement, Capital City CASA
Operating with a true passion for helping others and a drive to assist the children of Cole County and the surrounding area, Capital City CASA Executive Director Gina Clement wears many different hats on a given day.
CASA is an acronym for Court Appointed Special Advocate, and the organization’s mission is to provide volunteers appointed by the court to serve as voices for children in court as well as the eyes and ears of the court in the community. There are over 200 children in foster care in Cole County, and volunteers are always needed because their commitment provides a consistent adult in children’s lives and helps them build relationships.
In her role, she manages the organization, oversees the cases of 180 children, contributes to fundraising efforts, and works with the board of directors to advance their mission. Actively fostering partnerships with the Juvenile Court Children’s Division and other community nonprofit organizations, such as United Way of Central Missouri, ensures CASA’s continued impact and expansion in the community.
Since Gina entered her career, her focus has mostly been on the nonprofit sector. She volunteered in the AmeriCorps VISTA program with Prevent Child Abuse Missouri and then served as the executive director for River City Habitat for Humanity. Her journey into nonprofit work can be traced back to witnessing her parents’ community involvement.
“Growing up, my parents were active in the community and church,” Gina says. “My dad was a social worker, and they both served as foster parents to several teenage children.”
Additionally, Gina’s father helped grow their community by establishing the WIC program in her hometown of Ottumwa, Iowa. Looking back on her childhood, she credits their service mindset for the foundation of her future career.
“I didn’t understand what a nonprofit was,” she recalls. “I think it was the service aspect of helping children and families that I saw and that became a part of me and my interests.”
In 2016, Gina started working with Capital City CASA as a volunteer, and she went on to become the organization’s executive director the following year. In addition to organizing volunteers, Capital City CASA also hosts events and fundraisers, like the Raise Your Glass event in October.
“My dad always told me that children need a voice, and that’s what a volunteer does,” Gina explains.