After nearly four decades of exemplary leadership, Marcia “Marty” Sink, founder, president, and CEO of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Hampshire, is announcing her retirement as of July 1, 2026. Since establishing the organization in 1989, Sink has dedicated her career and so much of herself to giving New Hampshire’s most vulnerable children – those who have experienced abuse and neglect – a voice in court and a chance at a brighter future. Thanks to Sink and all she has helped build, thousands of children throughout the state have benefitted from the compassion, dedication, and critical advocacy CASA volunteer guardians ad litem (GALs) provide.

Reflecting on her career, Sink said: “It’s hard to express how grateful I am for the gift of working for CASA of NH all these years. Being a part of developing and expanding the organization has been a tremendous joy and a privilege. The partnerships we have created with our stakeholders have given us the ability to become a trusted partner in this work. All those relationships are important, but it is the belief of the NH Judiciary in CASA – their recognition of the value of our work – that has been the backbone we needed to grow over the years and ultimately advocate for thousands of victims. My life has been full and blessed, and I look forward to the future knowing the passionate, professional, and caring people who make up CASA will continue to further the mission.”

A longtime Manchester, NH, resident, Sink was a foster parent when she first witnessed the challenges and shortcomings of the foster care system. Motivated by the fact that she never met the GAL assigned to her son’s case, she originally hoped to volunteer with a then-novel organization, the Seattle-based Court Appointed Special Advocates. Learning that CASA was not yet established in New Hampshire, she and a committed group of stakeholders founded CASA of New Hampshire.

With no legal background but a deep commitment to children, Sink grew CASA of NH from 10 volunteers in two courts to a widely respected and trusted organization with an average of 600 current volunteers who advocate annually for children across the state. Under Sink’s leadership, CASA of NH has trained more than 3,000 volunteers who have advocated for over 13,000 children in New Hampshire’s court system. Today, CASA of NH has been welcomed into every district and family court in the state.

Recognizing Sink’s extraordinary work, The Hon. Judge Susan Carbon said, “Marty Sink is a force of nature. Nearly 40 years ago, she embarked upon a challenge to the court system – to open its doors to volunteers from all walks of life to represent the best interests of children in cases of abuse and neglect. This was no small feat. Courts are slow to change, but her gentle and persistent persuasion led to a profound and unique way to bring the voices of children into court. She grew CASA of NH out of whole cloth, and court by court, judge by judge, convinced us that volunteer advocates could provide insight and understanding into the lives of children, the likes of which had never been done before. We as a court system are deeply indebted to Marty for bringing such a visionary program to New Hampshire. The presence and participation of CASA in courtrooms all across New Hampshire has vastly improved our ability to serve children and families in these difficult cases.”

Throughout her 38-year tenure, Sink’s leadership extended far beyond CASA. She has served on numerous state and national boards and task forces, including Chair of the National CASA Board of Directors, the Attorney General’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, the New Hampshire Child Fatality Review Team, an executive committee member on both the Merrimack County Model Court Project and the New Hampshire Court Improvement Project, the New Hampshire Access to Justice Commission, the New Hampshire Oversight Commission on Children’s Services, and Gov. Shaheen’s Judicial Selection Commission. Her efforts have strengthened New Hampshire’s child welfare and judicial systems while amplifying the voices of the children CASA of NH serves.

“For nearly four decades, Marty has been a leader among leaders in New Hampshire and nationally – a tireless, audacious, and unparalleled advocate for the well-being of the most vulnerable children in our communities,” said CASA of NH Board of Directors Co-chair Evelyn Aissa. “Marty built CASA of NH into one of the most vital non-profits in our state – all with the spirit of believing in the promise of each and every child and the power of ordinary community members to step up to help ensure they have the safe homes and strong futures they each deserve. As we celebrate the gift of Marty’s leadership, CASA of NH is on its strongest footing ever today and ready for the next chapter of great leadership!”

CASA of NH Board of Directors Co-chair Paul Chant adds that, “I have had the pleasure of chairing the boards of the Bar Association and the Bar Foundation and of practicing law throughout New Hampshire for the last 39 years. I can think of no individual who has affected the lives of the citizens of New Hampshire in the legal system during that time more than Marty Sink. Marty brought to New Hampshire what was then an emerging national model of providing extraordinarily trained volunteer advocates to become the voice for the best interests of vulnerable children who experienced abuse and neglect. What a novel idea then. What an established idea now. Marty is also one of the strongest-willed, driven, and caring people I know. For so long, her life has been laser-focused on her ‘CASA kids.’ Through Marty’s love and devotion to her work, more than 13,000 kids have had the support of a committed, caring, attentive volunteer advocating for their best interests. What a career!”

He continues, “Marty built an amazing organization with truly exceptional people. People love to work for CASA. Her commitment and profound love for her kids permeates CASA of NH, from the attention and support given to the advocates, to the raising of substantial funds each year through donor relationships, and, of course, in building a talented, strategic board that is well-prepared to guide the organization into its next season. The CASA professional staff are mission-driven, compassionate, and caring people who bring CASA of NH’s values to life throughout the state.”

Sink’s decades of advocacy have earned her widespread recognition and numerous awards, including Keene State College’s Outstanding Women of New Hampshire Award, New Hampshire Business Review’s Outstanding Women in Business Award, an honorary Doctorate of Laws and Letters from Saint Anselm College, the Governor’s Award for Volunteer Management, the University of New Hampshire’s Granite State Award and New Hampshire Women’s Fund NH Women of the Twentieth Century Award. Notably, in 2001, she received the prestigious New Hampshire Bar Association’s Frank Rowe Kenison Award, which recognizes an individual who makes substantial contributions to the betterment of New Hampshire citizens through the administration of justice, the legal profession, or the advancement of legal thought. She is one of only two non-lawyers to ever receive that award.

To ensure a seamless continuation of the organization’s critical work, CASA of NH’s board of directors has appointed a search committee and engaged the national search firm Kittleman & Associates to assist in selecting the organization’s next leadership. Sink will remain in her role until her successor is in place.

On Oct. 24, CASA of New Hampshire held its Annual Celebration at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford. It recognized those valued advocates, supporters, and friends who have all played a role in helping to change children’s lives over the past year.

Among those honored included 70 volunteer advocates who reached milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the organization. CASA also recognized the recipients of several awards and our outstanding advocate of the year award.

All the advocates who reached milestones this year are outstanding, but CASA of NH would like to recognize Mary Atwell, who dedicated 25 years and countless hours to advocating for some of our state’s most vulnerable children – those who have experienced abuse and neglect. During her time with CASA of NH, she served on 12 cases representing 18 children.

Below are a few words from CASA of NH staff members who worked closely with Mary:

“In the early days, she was a well-known visitor to the office on Walnut Street. Her great smile and warm manner connected her to staff, professionals and, most specially, the children on her cases. Over the years she proved to be a strong voice for her children and uses her interpersonal skills to bring consensus and a team spirit to her advocacy. We hope Mary will allow us to continue to use her to mentor advocates and inspire new CASAs.” – Bonnie Herrick, Advocate Supervisor

“Mary is always such a joy to work with and is a very robust advocate with a great sense of humor and empathy for the families CASA works with. Mary’s attention and awareness to detail is extremely noteworthy. Her strong support for the children she has served has been incredible, with both children and their parents commenting on how kind and caring Mary is. Once Mary invests in a case, she always gives 100% – and then some. Mary is very amiable with both staff and other advocates, as well as our families, who have always appreciated working with Mary. DCYF thinks very highly of Mary, and frequently and has provided positive feedback to CASA about her hard work on cases.” – Bernadette Melton-Plante, Senior Program Director

All this year’s milestone advocates can be seen at the CASA of NH website at www.casanh.org/annual-celebration.

Award recipients:

Community Partner – CGI Business Solutions

Director’s Award – Anne and Mike Ambrogi

Judicial Service Award – The Hon. Kimberly Chabot

John McDermott Champion of Children Award – Sherry Ermel, bureau chief of field services for the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families

Linda Egbert Outstanding Advocacy Award – Lauren Groves

CASA of New Hampshire is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Marcia J. Kelly, Malcom Perry, Brian M. Quirk, Chief Paul J. Smith and Patti Stolte to the Board of Directors.

 

Marcia J. Kelly

Marcia Kelly brings more than 30 years of experience to higher education administration and a background in nonprofit board and volunteer service. Prior to her retirement, she spent 17 years of her career at Dartmouth College, with her most recent role as secretary of the board of trustees. During her time at Dartmouth, she also served as the associate dean of the College for Administration and Development and director of undergraduate judicial affairs. She has her M.A. in higher education administration from Boston College. Marcia has also been involved with the New Hampshire Humanities Board since 2015, and served as board chair 2021-2023. See her full bio here.

 

Malcom Perry

Malcom Perry is the CEO of Derry Medical Center, the largest physician-owned practice in the state. He brings a record of exceptional leadership and strategic vision in the healthcare area. Beginning a career in long-term care, he has a passion for helping those who are most in need and working to improve access to healthcare for underserved communities.

A New Hampshire native, Mr. Perry was born in Rochester, New Hampshire, and attended both Boston University and the University of New Hampshire. From 1987 to 2004, he was a licensed nursing home administrator and worked in New Hampshire at several long-term care facilities before planning and opening 22 hospital-based skilled units in eastern Massachusetts. See his full bio here.

 

Brian M. Quirk

As a partner at Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., Brian Quirk focuses his practice on government investigations, white collar defense, civil litigation, and regulatory matters for individuals and corporations. His experience includes numerous high-profile trials and investigations, including first-degree murder trials, defense of multi-national corporations in securities and healthcare investigations, and other serious criminal and civil matters.

He has successfully briefed and argued numerous cases before the New Hampshire Supreme Court and has taught advanced appellate advocacy as an adjunct professor at the University of New Hampshire Law School, formerly known as Franklin Pierce Law Center.

Previously, he served as a senior assistant attorney general in the Homicide Unit and Criminal Justice Bureau of the New Hampshire Department of Justice, where he led homicide prosecutions. He also prosecuted white collar crimes and public integrity matters and represented the State of New Hampshire in civil matters in state and federal court. See his full bio here.

 

Chief Paul J. Smith

Chief Paul J. Smith has proudly served the Littleton Police Department since 1992, and has been Chief of Police since 2007. A lifelong resident of Littleton and a U.S. Army veteran, Chief Smith’s professional career has been rooted in public service, leadership, and a deep commitment to the well-being of his community.

Beyond his law enforcement duties, Chief Smith is actively engaged in a wide range of community service and volunteer efforts throughout Grafton County and the North Country region. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Littleton Regional Healthcare and Northern Human Services, two critical institutions addressing health care and mental health needs in the region. He previously served on the Board of Directors for Advocates for Grafton County Mental Health Courts.

Chief Smith plays an ongoing role on both the Grafton County Superior Court Drug Treatment Court Team and the NH 2nd Circuit Court Littleton Division Mental Health Court Team, advocating for alternatives to incarceration through treatment and restorative support. He also serves as Director of the Grafton County Chiefs of Police Association, where he helps guide interagency collaboration and best practices in public safety. See his full bio here.

 

Patti Stolte

Patti Stolte has over 35 years of experience in administration and problem-solving across multiple areas, including in nonprofit agencies, marketing departments, and human service programs. Over the course of her extensive career, she has designed and implemented programs, managed resources and annual budgets, overseen contracts and compliance with the Department of Health and Human Services, and done orientation and training for several agencies. She has also managed annual grants from foundations and funding proposals to federal, state and local governments. Her knowledge includes all aspects of operations, finance and compliance for both nonprofit and for-profit businesses.

Most recently, she retired from her role as Executive Director of The Family Resource Center in Gorham, a nonprofit focused on building healthier families and stronger communities through positive relations, programs, and collaborations in the North Country of New Hampshire. Prior to leading The Family Resource Center, she was the Division Director for senior programming at Tri-County Community Action Programs. Other previous roles include Public Relations Director for the Mountain View Grand Resort, Executive Director of the Berlin Main Street Program, and Marketing Manager for the Zale Corporation. See her full bio here.

CASA of New Hampshire is delighted to welcome 18 new advocates from across the state. Congratulations to Melissa, Christopher, Lisa, Mike, Ed, Patty, Karen, Barrett, Bob, Linda, Mark, Lynne, Rebecca, Eileen, Joe, Roland, Deb and Michelle!

CASA of NH offers a variety of different trainings, including virtual, in-person and hybrid options. Starting July 1, an in-person training will be held in Concord, followed by two fall hybrid trainings that begin virtually and finish with in-person classes, also held in Concord. Those start on September 15 and October 1.

Those interested in applying can do so here, or please join us for a virtual information session to learn more about what it means to become an advocate. Information sessions are held twice a month and offer a chance to ask questions of both CASA of NH staff members and advocates.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Hampshire is aware of the news that the U.S. Department of Justice has terminated National CASA/GAL’s federal grant awards.

CASA of New Hampshire’s funding, operations and ability to serve children are in no way affected by this termination. Although CASA of NH is a member organization of the National CASA/GAL Association and adheres to its standards, CASA of NH is a fully autonomous, independent 501(c)(3).

CASA of NH does not receive funding from National CASA.

Since our inception, CASA of NH has worked diligently to maintain a diverse funding base, which has contributed to its long-term success. CASA of NH receives funding from a variety of sources, including federal, state and local governments, private foundation grants, donations and fundraising.

We are still learning more about what this means for National CASA, but CASA of NH will continue to provide the same high level of advocacy to New Hampshire children who have experienced abuse and neglect.