Lara Graham, Executive Director
Born and raised in Rochester, Lara joins CASA with nearly 30 years' experience working with children and other at-risk and under-represented populations. After spending her professional life thus far in the Philadelphia area, Lara Graham is excited to return home to Rochester as the new Executive Director of CASA Rochester/Monroe County. After teaching elementary school for many years, she transitioned into the nonprofit sector, serving as the Managing Director of an organization supporting women experiencing homelessness, and then most recently, as the Director of Marketing for a senior living community.
Lara has a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in Elementary Education from Allegheny College, as well as a MA+45 in Writing, Evaluation, and Assessment from St.Joseph's University/Drexel University. Specializing in the areas of fundraising, grant writing, marketing, public relations, and strategic planning, she will use those experiences to further CASA's mission of supporting children who are subject to abuse and neglect proceedings in family court.
Outside work, Lara enjoys kickboxing, gardening, puppy training, and exploring the many restaurants and cultural events Rochester offers. She enjoys spending time on Keuka Lake with her family, nearly all of whom are in the Rochester area as well.
Lea Hamasaki, Advocate Supervisor
Lea joined CASA in 2022 after working in a variety of social service roles over the previous 10 years. This work has encompassed a wide variety of sectors from working with teen parents to the chronically unhoused population.
Lea has personal experiences with the world of family court: from her own childhood and adolescence and then as foster/ adoptive parent. These experiences have shown her the need for children and teens to have advocacy throughout the Family Court process.
Lea lives in the city of Rochester with her wife, children, a dog and several cats and is also a grandparent now.
Ashley Trott, Program Assistant
Ashley is our first Program Assistant, joining us in October 2023. Our program is growing and additional administrative support is needed.
Ashley Trott has a degree in Human Services which she is excited to apply to this position. Formerly she worked in the Pharmaceutical industry coordinating clinical trials. She has trained to become an Advocate and will be responsible for supporting recruitment of volunteers and visibility of the program as well administrative tasks.
Outside of CASA, Ashley loves to make memories with her family, work out and travel.
Justin Wilson, Program Coordinator
Justin joined CASA with eight prior years of experience from a variety of social service roles, working primarily with disadvantaged populations. Prior to CASA, he has worked at Trillium Health and Pre-Trial Services Corporation in Rochester, along with additional case management and direct service positions in Chicago. He served two years in AmeriCorps from 2010 to 2012. He completed the PRIDE in Leadership training at the United Way of Greater Rochester as well.
As a former foster parent, Justin understands the need for advocacy in the Family Court system. As part of that role, in addition to his role as a Diversion Counselor at Pre-Trial Services Corporation and an Education Mentor within Chicago’s Cook County Jail system, Justin came to understand both the resources available and the lacking supports for many of our families. He is acutely aware of the needs of our LGBTQ communities. Helping others to understand and navigate systems, identify solutions, and improve their lives has always been his passion.
Justin is married and lives with his husband, Mike, in the city of Rochester.
