Board of Directors

Thomas Munoz is an Emergency Manager and Homeland Security Director with 26 years of first responder and emergency management experience. As the Emergency Manager and Homeland Security Director for the City of Texas City, he is responsible for the safety of all its citizens along with managing the crisis communication plan with local industry and major stakeholders. Texas City is home base for 19 low-to-high risk chemical plants. The Port of Texas City is the 7th busiest port in the country. Tom also responded to the Santa Fe ISD shootings where he served as the Liaison and Logistics Officer during this event. He has testified in front of the Senate Select Committee and the House of Representatives on Violence in Schools and School Security.

Prior to his arrival to Texas City, Tom was a 24 year member of the Houston Fire Department in which he achieved the rank of Assistant Chief of Homeland Security and Planning. Part of his duties included planning for major city events, which included the NCAA Finals, Presidential and Dignitary visits, the Houston Marathon and the Olympics Marathon Trials. He was also the Human Relations Chairperson for the International Associations of Fire Chiefs

Tom served in the United States Coast Guard Reserves and retired as Commander. During his time in the United States Coast Guard, he served as the USCG Deputy Incident Commander for Hurricane Katrina-New Orleans Vessel Removal Project, the Texas City Y Spill as a Liaison Officer and most recently served as the Hurricane Maria Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer in San Juan, PR. Tom also served on the Commandants Diversity Advisory Council.

Tom is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston-Downtown where he teaches Safety, Emergency Management and Crisis Communication.

Tom holds a Master’s Degree in Emergency Management and is currently working on his second Masters in Homeland Security from American Military University. He has a BA in Political Science from the University of Houston. Tom completed the Executive Leadership and Management Certification Program from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business. He is also a graduate from the Naval Postgraduate Homeland Security Executive Leadership Program as well as the National Defense University in Washington, DC.

Patrick McDonald is proud to be serving on the Board of Directors for CASA of Galveston County. His mother retired from CPS after 45 years and that passion for helping neglected children was passed down to him. Needless to say, CASA has been a part of his life for a very long time.

In 2018 he started his volunteer career where he served on two cases before joining the Board.

He studied finance and business at Texas Tech University. During college he volunteered at the Lubbock Children’s Home. He has since been involved with a number of organizations including DePelchin Children’s Center and  SEARCH Homeless Services.

Patrick is a Portfolio Manager and Wealth Advisor for Merrill Lynch in Galveston. He and his family are members of Bay Harbor Methodist Church in League City. In his free time, you’ll find Patrick coaching his children’s sports activities or when there is a sliver of free time, on the golf course.

Linda is married and the mother of two grown children. She and her husband, Greg, have lived many places as Greg’s job in the energy industry has taken them around the country. Although they are Colorado natives they have resided in Galveston, TX for 11 years.

Linda has always been an advocate for children. Wherever they lived Linda worked in education servings in various teaching and administrative capacities in socioeconomically disadvantaged, Title I schools. She and Greg have also served as CASA volunteers and are very active in their church community.

“Being a part of CASA of Galveston County is an honor and a privilege. What CASA does is such important work. Volunteering gives life meaning and purpose and working on the board to advocate for the best interests of children and be their voice in the court system is critical for the community, life-giving for the children and inspirational for those who experience it.”

Candice is a lifelong resident of Galveston County and currently resides in Texas City with her four children. She currently serves on the Texas City La-Marque Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Candice is pleased to be a part of CASA, because of how this organization supports the needs of the children who need assistance.

Candice is an Assistant Vice-President/Banking Center Manager for Texas First Bank in Texas City. For fun she enjoys spending time with family and traveling.

Rose Lazo is more than honored and excited for the privilege to serve CASA of Galveston County. Rose has been serving Galveston County for the greater part of 13 years. Rose attended University of Texas San Antonio studying Early Childhood Education. After college she accepted a position in a local shelter, later, working directly as a Child Advocate/ Case Manager. She became passionate after seeing the dire need for advocacy on behalf of abused and neglected children. Rose has partnered with many local nonprofits and schools as a preventioneer and educator, speaking on body safety, bystander intervention, domestic violence, and sexual assault. She has a huge, beautiful and hard beating heart for her community, especially children, the abused, and marginalized. She has an incredible drive and determination to make the world better around her in any way she can.

Rose Lazo is an accomplished advocate, preventioneer and educator; however now she is also an accomplished businesswoman. Rose is the Co-Founder and Development Director of Aveo Creative, a local content creating company and co-host of Launching Us Podcast.

She and her husband, Juan Lazo, currently reside in La Marque with their 2 incredible children John Texas and Sophia Rose. In her down time, Rose loves to cuddle up on the couch with her family to watch movies and eat popcorn.

Kelli joined CASA in 2018 as a trained advocate and served four cases. She joined CASA of Galveston County’s Board of Directors to help ensure that every child’s voice be heard in court while increasing child abuse awareness in Galveston County.

Kelli holds a Masters in Library and Information Science and retired after working in the
Houston public school system. She now lives in Galveston with her husband and two dogs
and practices acts of kindness daily.

June has served as a CASA for 5 years and she is dedicated to serving CASA as a Board member. For over 40 years June has worked as a Speech Pathologist in Houston and League City, with a few raising-family gaps along the way. She grew up in El Paso where she received her BA in Speech Pathology from the University of Texas at El Paso. After graduation she moved to Houston with her husband and went on to receive an MA in Speech Pathology at the University of Houston. June lived in Europe for 8 years then returned to Texas with her expanded family in 1988.

Her work for over 30 years since returning from overseas has been primarily as a self-employed speech therapist specializing in very young children with special needs. She has worked with hundreds of families facing life-changing challenges caring for their children. Sharing these challenges with so many families has forged her commitment to empathy for children in troubled circumstances.

June’s other passions include forming and leading Stephen Minister groups for over 20 years. This is an organization associated with churches of various denominations that is comprised of care providers for people who are in crisis. June has also volunteered in helping resettle Afghan refugees in the Houston area and for 15 years with Sailing Angels, taking veterans and disabled persons sailing on Galveston Bay.

June has a daughter in League City, a son in New Zealand and recently celebrated her 51st wedding anniversary. She has lived in League City since 2006.

Dan Butler is happy to rejoin the Galveston County CASA Board of Directors. He has a lifelong passion for causes that support vulnerable children. After serving CASA as an advocate, he joined the newly-formed CASA of Galveston County Board of Directors in 2012 and helped shepard the organization through its early growth phase.

In 2014, Dan’s son Sullivan was diagnosed with brain cancer which prompted him to step away from charity work. Dan is enthusiastic about supporting CASA’s mission once again.

Dan graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Aerospace Engineering and earned an MA in Humanities and MBA from University Houston – Clear Lake. He has spent his career supporting NASA’s human spaceflight efforts. Dan enjoys traveling with his family and volunteers his time with CASA and several pediatric cancer foundations.

Dan lives in League City with his wife, Jen, and their three sons, Sullivan, Cashel, and Finneas.

Rebecca Pitman is the mother of two children, five dogs and a cat. She is a part-time Galveston resident along with her husband Lee. She is grateful for the opportunity and respects the privilege of volunteering as a Board Member of CASA of Galveston County. She strongly believes in being the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, providing support systems for children, and defending the needs and rights of children.

“Children are the future, and every child deserves their best chance. Volunteer advocates give children in inequitable situations hope. Every child matters, deserves to be seen and deserves hope. In the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.””

She holds various degrees and certifications, speaks Spanish, and enjoys learning. Currently she works full-time as a Controller in the Energy sector.

Lynsey is a Fort Worth, Texas native who grew up spending spring break and summers in Galveston with her father who attended University of Houston’s School of Law. She has always loved the spirit and history of Galveston and is excited to call the island her second home. Since playing teacher with her Fisher Price chalkboard and invisible students in the 4th grade, Lynsey has wanted to educate and support children. TCU paved the way to a career in Special Education where she taught and diagnosed in Fort Worth’s Title One schools for 15 years. Currently, Lynsey is an Educational Diagnostician who maintains a private practice and enjoys helping families navigate learning and behavioral differences. She believes children are not problems that need to be solved but assets that need to be invested in. She often says, “You cannot export poverty, abuse and neglect, but we can all come together to help solve the unfortunate realities experienced by many of our children.”

Lynsey has served and supported her beloved communities through the Fort Worth Junior League, The Cliburn, Kupferle Health Board at Texas Health Hospital, Saving Hope Animal Rescue, Galveston’s Railroad Museum and Rail Baron Ball, Galveston Humane Society and the Bryan Museum.

Lynsey is a member of the Galveston Country Club and Galveston Historical Foundation, she is dog mama to Bruno Jr. “B2”, a boxer who loves his wild and precious life on island time and they both love supporting all things Purple and Horned Frog!