Our Team

The People Behind the Mission

Our team is united by a shared commitment to advocacy, connection, and empowerment of foster children, at-risk youth, and families.

  • Flor Castellanos – CASA Case Manager
  • Hannah Clyde – Family Services Program Supervisor
  • Preston Doyle – Be Bold Case Manager
  • Aaron Fernandez – Office Administrator
  • Rhonda Logar – CASA Case Manager
  • Faith Lyles – CASA Program Supervisor
  • Heather Manley – CASA Case Manager
  • Tanya Mark – Family Services Case Manager
  • De Anna Martin – Family Services Case Manager
  • Cynthia Matthews – Be Bold Case Manager
  • Lauren Muhoberac – Be Bold Case Manager
  • Katie Rineer – CASA Case Manager
  • Julie Stark – Executive Assistant
  • Jessica Strawn – Family Services Case Manager
  • Kara Wilson – Volunteer Engagement Coordinator

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Amy Sugimoto
Chief Executive Officer

As a seasoned non-profit veteran, Amy has over 20 years of experience leading multifaceted organizations through change to improve operations, service delivery, and fundraising. In her personal and professional life, she is passionate about advocating for children and families in crisis. Whether it is ALS, domestic violence, human trafficking, or working with foster youth, Amy pours her heart into bridging gaps and creating hopeful futures for children, families, and communities.

Amy believes that every child deserves to feel safe, supported, and empowered in their own lives. Whether through direct service work or advocating for policy change, she is committed to creating a world where all children have the opportunity to thrive.  In her personal life, she finds joy in embarking on travel adventures with her husband of 30 years. She also values quality time spent with her two adult sons and her faithful Australian Shepherd, Bell. When not traveling, she often explores the trails of her community in Roseville, embracing the beauty of her local community.

Taylor Baierlein
Youth Services Director

Taylor has been working at Child Advocates since 2014. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Sacramento State University. She also studied Journalism and Early Childhood Development and worked as the Editor-in-Chief and featured writer in the newspaper there. She has experience working in visitation with a private foster agency and has volunteered at Shiners Hospitals for Children in the Therapeutic Child Life Center. She has been working with children coaching, mentoring, and teaching in many capacities since she was a teenager. Her passion to serve children and people has allowed her to travel to Spain, Italy, Scotland, Jamaica, France, Germany, Holland, and Mexico.

I have always loved working with youth! Over the years, I have had the opportunity to spend time with, and learn about children from all over the world. Through that, I have realized that my heart really lies with those who are living in poverty and are a part of the foster care system. When I first happened upon Child Advocates of Placer County I was immediately intrigued. The mission statement and programs were right up my alley. A good chunk of my background has been through volunteering, so seeing that this organization was volunteer-run was so impressive and inspiring to me! To see so many people coming together for an incredible cause, that speaks volumes. I am still, after all these years, inspired every day by the people I have met through our program. I now get to work and volunteer with some of my closest friends!

Katja Pollmann
Community Engagement Director

Katja Pollmann, Director of Community Engagement, holds an M.A. from the University of Hamburg, Germany, in Sociology, Latin American Studies, and Economics. In 2017 Katja joined Child Advocates of Placer County to create the Prosper Placer program. In 2021, she assumed the role of Director of Family Services, overseeing all our Family programs, including the expansion of Family Mentors through the Parent Empowerment Group, the creation of Immigrating Advocacy within Prosper Placer, and the launch of the Kinship Allies program, supporting kin caregivers.

Katja enjoys building networks across social lines, believing strongly in the power of connecting people from very different paths of life and different cultures so that they can help and learn from each other. Katja loves bringing extraordinary people together who wish to help each other.

Erin Anthony
Marketing Manager

As the Marketing Manager at Child Advocates of Placer County, Erin brings a dynamic blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and hands-on expertise to the role. With a marketing background in the entertainment and retail e-commerce sectors, extensive experience in event planning, and a BA from Chico State, Erin is well-equipped to create compelling campaigns, engage diverse audiences, and execute memorable events that resonate with the community and support the organization’s mission.

Erin’s journey with Child Advocates of Placer County began in 2022 as a CASA, working closely with a teenage girl in the Be Bold program. This impactful experience deepened her commitment to advocacy, leading to a formal role within the organization.

Erin is enthusiastic about leveraging her skills to amplify the organization’s message, recruit passionate volunteers, and drive engagement through targeted marketing initiatives and well-orchestrated events.

Driven by a dedication to making a tangible difference in the lives of foster children, at-risk youth, and struggling families, Erin is delighted to contribute to an organization that truly changes lives—one volunteer and one child at a time.

Julia Boal
Community Engagement Manager
Dana Loschiavo
Volunteer Engagement Manager
Dana has always been called to public service, having previously worked for the United Way, the Department of Environmental Protection, and most recently in public education. Whether it’s standing up for environmental justice or teaching kindergartners, she’s drawn to supporting people. She holds a B.A. in Journalism & Biology and has recruited and led scores of volunteers throughout her career – organizing urban tree plantings, historical re-enactments and theatrical productions. She has been volunteering her own time in some capacity since she was a teen, beginning with helping people with special needs, to running Big Day of Giving campaigns and now as a CASA. Some day she dreams to spend all of her time volunteering.
Born and raised on the east coast, she lived in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New Jersey before moving to California in 2011 with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs. She enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and creating crazy costumes for a local children’s theater.
“Raising children can be challenging and stressful even when you have all the support and resources you need. This is what led me to become a CASA volunteer this past year. Every child and family deserves to feel heard and supported. I feel drawn to advocating for children who need that consistency and encouragement in their lives.”
Ariel Neff
CASA Program Manager

Ariel brings a deep passion for child welfare to her role as a Case Manager at Child Advocates of Placer County. Her journey began with a successful career in the private sector before she discovered her calling as a CASA Volunteer. During her first case, Ariel realized she wanted to dedicate her life to supporting the most vulnerable children in the community. The fulfillment she found in advocating for children led her to serve as the Recruiter, Trainer, and Marketing Specialist for CASA of San Joaquin County, where she focused on promoting and educating others about the vital work of CASA Volunteers and their impact on the community’s youth.

Since 2021, Ariel has been a dedicated CASA volunteer and has a longstanding background in childcare. With firsthand experience interacting with the child welfare system, she understands the challenges children face and the profound impact that just one caring, safe adult can have during their toughest times. Ariel is deeply committed to making a positive difference in the lives of youth in her community. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, traveling, and sailing.

Selena Owen
Family Services Program Manager

Prior to Child Advocates, Selena worked as a Drug and Alcohol Counselor (Intern) at Granite Wellness Center for almost 4 years. She has also worked at a local animal shelter and as a Certified Nurse Assistant, helping the elderly and people with disabilities.

Selena comes to us with the unique perspective of having been through nearly every program that CACP offers. Before she overcame a 20 year cycle of addiction in her own life, her children had CASAs who made a positive impact on them. Eventually, Selena joined the Family Mentor program for support to maintain her sobriety and strengthen her life. She went on to graduate from the Prosper Placer program, having gained the additional skills she needed to create a safe, stable home where her family could thrive.

In addition to her soon-to-be completed CADCII Certification, Selena looks forward to drawing upon her unique personal experience to help CAPC serve the most vulnerable people in our community better than ever.

Stacy Sewell
Training Manager

Stacy Sewell is a certified wellness coach, parenting coach, and an education consultant with over 30 years of experience in working with children and families. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development, a teaching credential, and a Graduate Certificate in Mental Health. She is an authorized instructor for trauma responsive strategies and strengthening families. Coming from the Sacramento County Office of Education, Ms. Sewell has worked on many state grants such as the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Aware grants, professional development grants, and she assisted with leading the work to develop 10 online transitional kindergarten professional learning modules for the California Department of Education (CDE). Prior to this work, Ms. Sewell was a transitional kindergarten teacher, K-2nd grade teacher, an early childhood education/parent education consultant, a parent education program administrator, and a preschool teacher.

Stacy enjoys the beach, traveling, reading, hiking, biking, and spending time with her family and friends. She’s working on training her new doodle pup for the K9 for Kids program. She started as a CASA volunteer and is thrilled to be on staff at Child Advocates of Placer County.

April Williams
CASA Operations Manager

April joins Child Advocates of Placer County with more than 10 years of experience in the political arena as a legislative assistant for a prominent government relations firm where she worked to preserve Tribal Rights and to strengthen laws around and aimed at improving access to medical care, housing, and education for those in underserved communities. Before joining CAPC, April served as both a CASA volunteer and as a Volunteer Case Supervisor.

In addition to being a Case Supervisor, April currently runs CAPC’s Court Supervisor Team and serves as our Out of County Coordinator, helping to ensure that the needs of youth placed out of Placer County are still met and ensuring that their voices are heard.

It’s April’s belief that a true leader is “anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people…and who possesses the courage to develop that potential”. It is such an honor to work alongside an incredible group of volunteers that seek to step into the role of being leaders for the youth in our community.