Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Barbara County, a nonprofit organization that trains and supports volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in the dependency court system, announces the appointment of Nancy Iarossi to its board of directors.
Iarossi moved to Santa Maria in 1990 when her husband was transferred to the Central Coast from Washington, D.C., by the federal government. Iarossi received her bachelor’s degree in sociology and social science from Montclair State University and master’s in education from George Mason University.
In 2013, she retired from the Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) and spent three years as a teacher on special assignment, working as a mentor with new SMBSD teachers in the Santa Barbara County beginning teacher program. She kept working for the county as a BTSSA instructor from 2000 until 2013, then returned to the classroom.
Iarossi has served as president of the Santa Maria Elementary Education Association (SMEEA), a CTA-affiliated teachers’ union local chapter, and negotiator for SMEEA from 1995-2013.
She continues to work as a substitute teacher for SMBSD and is on the board of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Eta Lambda chapter, an international organization dedicated to impacting education around the world.
“I admire Nancy’s commitment to children. Her background and passion in education make her a great candidate for our dynamic group of CASA board of directors. I know we will benefit from her experience!” said CASA Executive Director Kim Colby Davis.
The mission of CASA of Santa Barbara County is to assure a safe, permanent, nurturing home for every abused and/or neglected child by providing a highly trained volunteer to advocate for them in the court system.
For more information about CASA, contact Crystal Moreno, 739-9102 ext. 2594 or email Crystal@sbcasa.org.
— Marissa Acker for CASA.