Our Team

Kesha has been with CASA of the TN heartland for nearly ten years. First as a Board member and currently as Executive Director. She has a heart for service and a passion for helping and empowering the helpless, especially the children that we serve. Kesha is active in our community by mentoring young women. She also serves on several boards and volunteers at community organizations with bake sales, clothing drives, or fundraisers. Kesha is a member of Altrusa International of Oak Ridge where she serves as Programs Committee Chair, and Rotary Club of Oak Ridge Sunset. She is also a member of the Suburban Leadership Council for National CASA. She recently graduated the University of Tennessee’s Consortium of Social Enterprise Effectiveness Program and is currently pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Business.

Amanda has lived in East Tennessee most of her life. She graduated from Maryville College in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Child Development. Amanda has experience in social services, program development, and was a CASA volunteer. She has a passion for helping those in need, especially children. She is active in our community by serving on several boards and committees. Amanda is thrilled to be a part of the CASA team and the Anderson County community.

Jackie has lived in the Knoxville area for over 20 years. She earned her Pharmacy degree from University of Colorado and Masters in Pharmacy degree from University of Iowa. As a pharmacist, Jackie enjoyed teaching nurses and physicians and working as an analyst in health information systems. As a volunteer, her efforts have been focused on working with children in various settings. After several years as a CASA, Jackie came to CASA of the Tennessee Heartland in 2016. She believes that caring for children is critical to the success of our communities and feels privileged to be supporting the advocates who provide a voice for children in juvenile court.

Janie M. Wallace joined CASA of the Tennessee Heartland part-time in September 2018, and started as the Blount County Program Coordinator in January 2019. She has had successful careers in both administration and human resources. She previously worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Nyrstar Tennessee Mines. Janie earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Organization Management degree from Tusculum College and holds two professional certifications in human resources (PHR and SHRM-CP). She has spent time involved in a variety of non-profit and faith-based activities. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees for the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. She was a former board member of Family Promise of Knoxville. Additionally, she has participated in both local and foreign mission trips supporting children in need. Janie and her husband are long-time residents of Knoxville and enjoy spending time with their grandsons. She also enjoys cooking and travel and has visited ten countries on four continents.

Matt is our Program Coordinator for Scott County. Having grown up in Dallas, TX, he went on to receive his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University, followed by a Master’s degree in Psychology at the University of Southern California. From 2018 to 2020, Matt served as a Los Angeles County CASA while working as a market research analyst for both AT&T and Honda Research & Development. Matt’s work as a CASA inspired me to pursue foster care advocacy work full-time, and he is excited to begin this career shift as the Scott County Program Coordinator with CASA TNH.