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CASA Child Advocates names Susan Truscott Program Director
CONROE, TX – CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County announced Susan Truscott as its new program director, effective May 1, 2023. Truscott will succeed Marilyn McQueeney who is retiring at the end of April after more than 14 years with the organization, five years as program director.
Truscott has been with CASA Child Advocates—Montgomery County’s only organization appointed by the court to advocate for abused and neglected children—since February 2020 when she joined the staff as a case supervisor. She was promoted to assistant program director in 2022. She was a volunteer advocate for two years prior to joining the staff. A Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) practitioner, Truscott believes passionately in CASA’s vision and mission and appreciates the opportunity to make a positive impact within our community, one child at a time.
CASA President and CEO Ann Marie Ronsman said Truscott is a natural fit for this critical role within the organization.
“Susan brings a unique perspective to CASA Child Advocates with her years of experience in leadership positions around the world,” Ronsman said. “With her passion for child advocacy and trauma-informed care, Susan will continue to work toward our goal of a community that is free of childhood abuse and neglect and filled with connected families.”
As program director, Truscott will lead, motivate and support a team of case supervisors and volunteer advocates to ensure that the mission, goals and objectives of CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County are met within the overall operations of case management. She will also oversee the continued efforts to improve outcomes for teens in care and assist with initiatives to move Montgomery County toward a shared understanding of the impact of childhood trauma.
“I’m incredibly honored to move into this position,” Truscott said. “I look forward to leading CASA’s dedicated team of program staff and advocates and collaborating with our community partners to support the best interests of the children and families we serve.”
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics with honors in European Studies and French from the University of Wales (United Kingdom), Truscott worked for the British government, serving overseas for several years in the British Diplomatic Service, with the last five years at the British Consulate in Houston as the vice consul (consular). Truscott left the Foreign Service after she and her husband fell in love with Texas and decided to make their home here. Shortly after, she began volunteering at CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County.
Truscott and her husband, Andy, live in Spring with their boxer and share a love for traveling, musical theater, sailing and classic cars.
CASA volunteers are specially trained and appointed by judges to advocate for a child or sibling group while they are in the foster care system. They advocate for the child in court, school and other settings. Volunteers also get to know everyone involved in the child’s life, including their parents, foster parents, teachers, doctors, family members and others.
CASA volunteers advocate first and foremost for children to be reunified with their parents whenever safe and possible. When reunification is not an option, they may advocate for the child to live with another relative or family friend. They can also advocate for the child to be placed in an adoptive home. In all cases, CASA volunteers are steadfast, consistent presences for the children they serve, making sure they are safe and have the resources and connections they need to grow and thrive.
To learn more about CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County, visit the CASA website at www.CASASpeaks4Kids.com or call (936) 441-5437.
CASA Child Advocates is Montgomery County’s only organization appointed by the court to advocate for abused and neglected children. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) speak up for the best interest of children who have been removed from their homes and are under the Court’s jurisdiction. CASA’s goal is to continue to provide a court-appointed volunteer to serve as Guardian ad Litem for every child in the foster care system. For the past 31 years, CASA has been training volunteers, raising awareness in the community, and working to stop the cycle of child abuse in Montgomery County. Learn more about CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County at www.CASASpeaks4Kids.com and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CASAChildAdvocatesofMontgomeryCounty.
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