CASA of Lexington Staff
Melynda Jamison, Executive Director
Melynda graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2004 with a BA in Political Science and Integrated Strategic Communications with an emphasis on Public Relations. Upon completion of her undergraduate work, Melynda served as a Hall Director for the University of Kentucky and earned a Masters of Public Administration from the Martin School in 2006. Since then, she has served as a Legislative Aide for the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government City Council and Executive Director of another CASA program.
Melynda was named 2018's National CASA/Kappa Alpha Theta CASA Program Director of the Year for the entire United States.
In her free time, Melynda enjoys running, traveling, hiking, meeting new people, spending time with her husband and experiencing new cultures!
Jenifer Bahr, Director of Volunteer Management
Jenifer is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She is a native Kentuckian who was born in Louisville but chose Lexington as her home after college.
Previously, Jenifer has worked for Girls on the Run Central Kentucky focusing on instilling healthy lifestyle habits in elementary and middle school-aged girls. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, practicing yoga, reading, and taking her dog on runs!
Ben Kleppinger, Director of Communications
Ben is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He is a native of Kentucky who grew up in Berea; his hobbies include woodworking, photography, birding and pickleball. He enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and kids.
Ben spent more than a decade working for newspapers in central Kentucky. He earned the 2018 Media Award from the Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the 2018 Community Impact Award from the Boyle County Chamber of Commerce. He was named one of EKU's outstanding young alumni in 2019. He served as a CASA volunteer for 4 years after learning about the CASA program through his reporting work.
Kealy Griffin, Development Manager
Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Kealy moved to Kentucky to attend the University of Kentucky. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion in 2016. After finishing her undergraduate degree, she worked retail for a few years before attending Shenandoah University, where she received her master's degree in Performing Arts Leadership and Management with a focus on nonprofit work.
She spends her free time outdoors, kayaking, hiking and camping, with her two dogs, Milo and Jackson. You can also find her frequenting local coffee and/or ice cream shops, dancing, and crafting.
Allison Sanders, Administrative Assistant
Allison grew up in Eastern Kentucky, but has lived in Lexington for the past 16 years. Allison graduated from Transylvania University in 2017 with a teaching certification. Before coming to CASA of Lexington, she spent six years teaching high school English in central Kentucky. She enjoys hiking with her dog, Beasley, and spending time with family and friends.
Cathy Stringfield, Quality Assurance Assistant
Cathy grew up in central Kentucky. She lived in Florida, Oklahoma and Indiana before settling back in Kentucky about 14 years ago. She has an associate’s degree from Florida Southwestern State College and has a background in office management and finances. In addition to CASA of Lexington, she currently serves as the church administrator at Centenary Methodist Church in Danville. In her free time, Cathy enjoys spending time with her daughter and their cat, traveling, gardening, reading, and photography.
Kyrsten Adkins, Volunteer Manager
Kyrsten is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work. She came to CASA as a practicum student, went through volunteer training and took on a case. After being a volunteer advocate for over a year, she joined the staff as a Volunteer Manager. Kyrsten is a Lexington native.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, shopping for bargains and spending time with family.
Dennis Stutsman, Volunteer Manager
Dennis grew up in Indiana, with a couple of sojourns in Alaska. He graduated from Hanover College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He subsequently obtained his law degree from Indiana University School of Law, and practiced for 31 years as a legal services attorney and public defender before retiring from state government. In that work, he represented hundreds of people who have the same issues which challenge the families of CASA children, and is experienced in working with the social workers, judges and therapists engaged with our children. He is married and has adopted four girls and a boy from foster care, who had two CASA volunteers themselves.
In his free time, he enjoys helping his kids grow, hiking and serving as a volunteer chapter adviser to 50 young men in the Sigma Chi chapter at Hanover College.
Rebecca Brereton-Farr, Volunteer Manager
Rebecca graduated from Northern Kentucky University in 2019 with a Bachelor’s of Art in Business Marketing and Administration, along with an Honors College Degree. She was a member of Kappa Delta sorority and served in many leadership positions within the chapter. Upon graduation, Rebecca returned to Lexington to work in corporate customer service. Rebecca was born and raised in Manchester, England, until age 12 when she relocated to Lexington. In 2019, Rebecca became a U.S. Citizen.
Rebecca enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and recently adopted a cat called Lopie. She also enjoys a healthy lifestyle and gardening.
Jennifer Lamb, Volunteer Manager
Jennifer has spent most of her life living and working in Garrard County. After earning both her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and master's in School Counseling from Western Kentucky University, she taught 3rd and 4th grade in Lancaster for thirteen years. Most recently, she was the Account Manager for a local insurance agency.
Jennifer and her husband have six children between them and recently added a sweet Golden Retriever named Henderson to the mix. In her free time, she loves to read and has discovered a new favorite genre in historical fiction.
Heather Porter, Volunteer Manager
Heather spent her elementary years in Indiana and North Carolina, but landed in Woodford County as a child and considers it home. She graduated from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, with a BA in Biology. After graduation, Heather worked for seven years as a Quality Assurance and Food Safety Manager at Litehouse, Inc., combining her love for science and people in a practical way. In 2006, she and her husband returned to Woodford County to raise their two children. During this time, Heather volunteered in several capacities that serve children, including four years as a CASA volunteer.
She enjoys spending time with family and friends, including a menagerie of pets. Her other loves include hiking, reading, anything animal- or nature-related, travel adventures and good coffee!
Weida Allen, Volunteer Manager
Weida Allen graduated from Thomas More College with her B.A. in Business & Administration in 1981 before obtaining her Master of Social Work from Augsburg College in 1999. Weida has over 40 years of experience empowering families and children not only here in the state of Kentucky, but also in Ohio and Minnesota, where for the last 20 years, she supported over 900 juvenile protection court cases a year as a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) for the Children Law Center of Minnesota.
She is thrilled to have recently moved back to her hometown of Paris, where she hopes to leverage her experience to impact families in Bourbon County. A die-hard Minnesota Viking fan, she enjoys sitting on her front porch with her friends and spending time with her six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren
Jessie Welker, Volunteer Manager
Jessie graduated from The Ohio State University in 2023 with a BA in Public Management, Leadership & Policy, with a specialization in Education Policy and a minor in Nonprofit Management. During her time at Ohio State, Jessie was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, where she enjoyed learning about and fundraising for CASA.
Jessie was born and raised in Troy, Ohio, where she lived prior to moving to Lexington. In her free time, Jessie enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, and cheering on the Buckeyes.
Lauren Hurst, Volunteer Manager
Lauren has lived in Lexington for most of her life, and chose to stay to attend Transylvania University where she received a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Prior to joining the team at CASA, Lauren worked as a case manager, driven by a passion for serving people and the community.
In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, volunteering, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Sequoia Marraccini, Volunteer Manager
Originally from Alexandria, Virginia, Sequoia moved to Kentucky to attend Eastern Kentucky University. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in History and Globalization & International Affairs. She began a career working in church ministry before pursuing her master’s of science in leadership with an emphasis on homeland security: emergency management.
Matilda, CASA canine
Matilda was born July 27, 2016 and was born to be a certified service dog. She was trained by Canine Companions for Independence in Delaware, Ohio and CASA of Lexington was lucky to have been accepted into the Canine Companions for Independence Program. CASA of Lexington received Matilda in August of 2018. Today, Matilda helps many children overcome traumatic life experiences by simply providing unconditional acceptance. Matilda knows up to 40 commands, and is the only certified Courthouse Facility Dog in the state of Kentucky. She attends court, home visits, school visits, and treatment facilities throughout the state.
Volunteer Recruitment Team
The CASA of Lexington Volunteer Recruitment Team introduces others to CASA and helps find new volunteers who can complete the 30-hour training and advocate for a child who has suffered abuse or neglect. These individuals are passionate about growing CASA so we can help a larger percentage of children with family court cases.
