CASC Board of Directors
Meet the CASC Board of Directors and staff. They are dedicated, elected leaders, and professionals committed to advancing and supporting the school counseling profession across California.
Executive Council (CASC Board Leadership):
Laurie Tristan
Chair
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Brandon Castro
Vice Chair
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Andres Castro
Secretary
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Dr. Andres Castro is a Senior Program Specialist with the Los Angeles County Office of Education and serves as a part-time instructor at California State University, Dominguez Hills and California State University, San Bernardino. A former school counselor and district administrator, he previously served on the California Association of School Counselors Board of Directors and chaired the American School Counselor Association Position Statements Committee. Dr. Castro is committed to advancing equitable student supports and educational leadership.
Kirsten Barnes
Parlimentarian
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Patty Taylor
Treasurer
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Directors:
Dr. Josh Godinez
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Dr. Josh Godinez is Assistant Principal at Centennial High School in Corona, California, and a leader in the school counseling profession. He serves as a Board Director and Government Relations Chair for the California Association of School Counselors and is a member of California’s State SARB. A champion for student mental health, he helped shape updates to Education Code 49600, the 2023 California Standards for the School Counseling Profession, and the 2025 Continuum for Advancing School Counseling. He was named California School Counselor of the Year in 2019.
Dr. Maritza Cha
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Dr. Maritza Cha graduated from Garfield High School in East Los Angeles and became the first in her family to graduate from college. Dr. Cha is a school counselor and completed her PhD at Claremont Graduate University in Education, Urban Leadership. Dr. Cha has presented about educational topics at the national, state and local levels. In 2024, she won the Outstanding Dissertation Award from AERA Division E. Dr. Cha has contributed to various book chapters. Recently, Dr. Cha contributed to the 6th edition of Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Dr. Cha was a National School Counselor Fellow and a Professional School Counseling Emerging Scholars Fellow.
Edwin Vazquez
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Muna Osisioma
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Muna Osisioma is a counselor on special assignment and California Association of School Counselors (CASC) board director. He is passionate about empowering school counselors to be change agents and champions of equity. In his current role, he supports the implementation of the California Community Schools Partnership Program at eighteen district schools. A Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) Lead Reviewer, he has coached five schools to the recognition and achieved RAMP status in 2020.
Khanh Ly
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Khanh is a school counselor in Orange County and the Southern California Regional Representative for CASC. She is passionate about advancing equity, supporting student mental health, and developing comprehensive school counseling programs. Khanh is committed to advocating for school counselors and fostering leadership, collaboration, and meaningful connections within the profession.
Kathryn Buchan
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Kathryn Buchan is an ASCA certified school counselor at a middle school in Northern California, earning RAMP recognition in 2020 and 2025. She earned her BA in Sociology and Spanish from UC Santa Barbara and her MS in Counseling from CSU Sacramento. Kathryn holds both a PPS-SC and LPCC. A former CASC Emerging Leader and CASC member since 2019, Kathryn is passionate about advocacy and strives to amplify the voices of all school counselors.
Michelle Hernandez
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Michelle Hernandez is a passionate advocate for the profession of school counseling. She currently serves as a Central Office Counseling Coordinator for Los Angeles Unified, where she supports the implementation of comprehensive school counseling across the district. Throughout her career, she has worked to develop and strengthen counseling programs in her roles as a high school counselor, middle school assistant principal, elementary principal, and district administrator.
Zyrah Niazi
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Zyrah Niazi is a high school counselor at Centennial High School in Corona-Norco Unified School District. She developed the district’s first specialized IEP caseload model, advancing equitable, data-driven support for students with disabilities. She serves on the CASC Government Relations Committee and has presented at statewide conferences. Zyrah is part of a RAMP-designated counseling team and is committed to advocacy, inclusive practices, and strengthening school counseling programs through collaboration, leadership, and innovation.
Dr. Terence M. Booth
Contact:
California Association of School Counselors
449 West Foothill Blvd, Suite 517
Glendora, CA 91741
Email: CASC@schoolcounselor-ca.org
Dedicated school counselor and student advocate committed to advancing the profession across California. As a CASC Board Member, I champion equitable access to mental health, academic, and career resources for all students. Passionate about systemic change, collaboration, and evidence-based practices to support student success.
CASC Executive Staff
Loretta Whitson
Executive Director
Dr. Jami Parsons
Deputy Executive Director
Patty Taylor
Assistant Executive Director
Denise DeMoss
Senior Executive Assistant