Meet the Board: A New CASA Connects Series
We’re excited to launch a new series in CASA Connects that shines a spotlight on our Board of Directors. This is your chance to get to know the dedicated leaders guiding our organization—who they are, what inspires them, and why they’re passionate about CASA.

Meet the CASA Board: Melissa Thorme

What inspired you to join the CASA board?
Melissa is an environmental lawyer who has been practicing since 1990.  She began regularly attending CASA conferences in the early 1990s and was even a staff member (Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs) of CASA, where she advocated to add cities to the CASA membership!  She has actively participated in numerous CASA committees and workgroups over the years, including CASA’s Attorneys and Associates Committees, and she is currently Vice Chair of the Federal Legislative Committee. Her varying roles related to CASA’s advocacy efforts over the years made becoming a CASA Board member a natural next step.

How does your background relate to the work of CASA?
Melissa’s educational background includes a B.S. in Environmental and Systematic Biology from Cal Poly, SLO, M.S. in Ecology, a law degree (J.D.) from U.C. Davis, and a Masters of Law degree (LL.M.) in Energy and Environment from Tulane University.  Melissa has been an appointed and then elected Board member for the Santa Lucia Community Services District in Monterey County since 2019. Her background in environmental law and policy ties in with many of CASA’s advocacy efforts and lends incredible context to her participation in CASA.

What are some of your passions or hobbies outside of your work?
Melissa enjoys her free time pursuing yoga, pickleball, hiking, and riding her horse, Delilah, which she has had for nearly 15 years. She also enjoys spending time with her husband, two adult children, two German Shepherds, and fiery cat Ember. She is also a novelist, having written two environmental legal thrillers under the pseudonym M.T. Kingsley, with another one on the way!

 

Get Ready to Celebrate! CASA’s 70th Annual Conference is headed to San Diego!
CASA is thrilled to announce that our Annual Conference will take place July 30 – August 1 at the Marriott Marquis in San Diego! This year marks a major milestone, CASA’s 70th Anniversary, and we’re celebrating in style with the theme: “CASA at 70: Honoring Our Past, Shaping the Future.” Join us as we reflect on seven decades of success and look ahead to the future we’re building together.

In the spirit of celebration, we also want to recognize member agencies celebrating milestone anniversaries this year. If that’s your agency, let us know! Email Alyssa Downs adowns@casaweb.org with your agency’s anniversary details so we can spotlight your achievements in the conference program.

In addition to our robust and engaging conference programming, you can look forward to a special series of anniversary celebrations you won’t want to miss! Registration opens soon, so stay tuned and save the date. We can’t wait to celebrate with you in sunny San Diego!

 

Deadline Approaching for CASA’s Esteemed Awards of Excellence Program
Your organization works hard to do what’s right for California. Recognition from the leading clean water association honors your hard work and accomplishments. Winning a CASA Award is a symbol of respect, credibility, and innovation among your peers. CASA seeks to recognize members who provide essential public services and go above and beyond to protect public health and the environment. We invite all member agencies and associates to submit an Award of Excellence application by Tuesday, May 2, 2025. Award recipients will be announced and celebrated at CASA’s 70th Annual Conference this summer in San Diego. Your commitment deserves to be highlighted, and we look forward to recognizing your outstanding contributions. For more information about the award criteria and categories, please visit the Awards Program Webpage.

 

Let Your Community Know About CEF’s College Scholarships
The CASA Education Foundation offers several $5,000 scholarships annually to students pursuing higher education in engineering, environmental science, public administration, wastewater operations, or other fields connected to clean water, which includes wastewater treatment, water recycling, and resource recovery. The application deadline is May 17, 2025.

There is also an additional San Francisco Bay Area specific scholarship dedicated to the memory of Bruce Wolfe. Download this scholarship flyer for more information and be sure to share it with colleges in your community! Visit the Foundation webpage for additional information.

 

CASA Mentoring Program
Calling all mentors and mentees! CASA is pleased to share that we will be continuing the CASA Mentoring Program in 2025-26. This 11-month comprehensive program, kicking off in October 2025 and concluding in August 2026, serves to connect clean water professionals from across the state of California. Working with Core Consulting, which has a depth of experience developing mentoring and training programs working with public agencies, CASA will match mentor/mentee pairs based on their professional goals, preferences, and experience. The program is open to both associates and agency members. If you already know you are interested in this program for the upcoming year, please email Alyssa Downs (adowns@casaweb.org) so we can add you to our interest list. Keep an eye out for more information on this exclusive member benefit!