Meet Board Chair, Heather

By Sara Blake

Incoming Board Chair Heather Walker’s connection to the child welfare system and to CASA began long before she joined the board in 2022.

“I come from a family built through adoption and fostering,” Heather shares. Her father was adopted at birth and grew up alongside adopted, foster, and biological siblings, seven in all. Today, multiple family members, including Heather’s brother, have since fostered and adopted themselves. “From a young age, I learned that family isn’t just about biology. It’s about choosing to show up for each other.”

A lawyer by trade, Heather brings both legal experience and strategic direction to her role as Board Chair. She previously served as General Counsel at OJO Labs, where she worked alongside several fellow CASA board members. She now continues her legal career at HTNB, a civil engineering firm.

Though she was recruited to the board by a friend and former board chair, Heather had long been familiar with CASA’s work through her college years and professional circles. What has kept her engaged, she says, is witnessing how thoughtfully and effectively CASA of Travis County carries out its mission. “The work CASA does is truly an investment in the future. Not just for each child, but for our community. Society is stronger when children grow into adults who know the power of their own voice.”

Over the last few years, Heather has helped guide CASA leadership during the transition to a new CEO and assisted with the launch of new programs such as Bridge to Permanency. “Bridge to Permanency helps stabilize placements by addressing practical barriers, whether that’s covering a family’s first month’s rent in a safer home or providing transportation to therapy and after-school programs,” Heather explains. She has also endorsed the development of the Promising Futures initiative, which focuses on supporting young adults aging out of care into independence.

Heather recalls a story about a former CASA volunteer who remained a steady presence for a young woman even after she aged out of care. One night, while celebrating her birthday, the young adult made the kind of mistake that many teenagers or college students make, one that’s often lessened by a parent’s support and a second chance. Angela didn’t have that type of safety net. But she did have someone she trusted.

“She remembered she wasn’t alone,” Heather says. The girl called her former CASA volunteer late that night. That single phone call helped her navigate the consequences and move forward without derailing all the hard work and progress she had made in her life. “Because a relationship lasted longer than a case file, one moment didn’t become her identity.”

Heather believes that is the power of CASA.

“We know not everyone can serve as a volunteer,” acknowledges Heather. “This work can be heavy. But every child deserves to have a safe adult and a place of refuge. And every one of us has a role to play.”