Vicki Murphy’s association with CASA dates back over 20 years when she was living in Walnut Creek. After a friend who was a juvenile court judge said she would be great at it, she decided to go through the training and become a CASA. She worked as a CASA volunteer in Walnut Creek for several years until she moved back home to Yolo County.
She worked on her family’s ranch in Capay Valley with her husband, a retired Executive for Kaiser Cement/Hanson Industries. “Those were busy days but getting a CASA program going became important to the early board members, training staff, and the courts because the community at large was both in need and very supportive.
One might call it serendipity. Vicki was not really looking for a volunteer role, but when she spotted an announcement in the local paper that a CASA chapter was being formed in Yolo County. “It was perfect. I called them and told them about my volunteer work in Walnut Creek and they welcomed my help.”
Vicki ended up being the first board president of Yolo County CASA—a position she remained in for ten years. As she thinks back on the early days, she has extremely fond memories, “We were a board of busy people,” states Vicki, “And you know what they say—if you want something done ask a busy person. We all took on many roles and volunteered for many tasks. If we ran out of time for something on our list, the rule was it still had to get done somehow, and we always found the time and made it happen.”
While she carries too many moving memories to count, she does mention one in particular that stands out, “In 2001, the CASA auction was the weekend after 9/11. Everyone was still scared and devastated but we had a full house. I was so moved by the dedication of our supporters. Amidst one of the greatest tragedies of our time, everyone still came out to support CASA.”
When Vicki had neck surgery several years ago, things became physically harder and she ended her time on the board, however even with three children and eight grandchildren of her own, she still finds time to help at Yolo County CASA events and support the cause. “CASA will be a part of my heart forever, especially in Yolo County. We started it from nothing and had just a few volunteers in the beginning. Now it’s grown in ways we never could have imagined.” She goes on to say, “The current board and executive director are just outstanding. They’ve taken CASA to the stars.”
At Yolo County CASA, we will always be grateful to Vicki Murphy for her contribution and expertise. In fact, we like to call her one of our “founding mothers.”
