Spotlight: New Board Members

CASA of Kent County has welcomed some new faces to the board of directors, and we’d like to introduce them!

Kevin Nelson

Heart of West Michigan United Way,

Senior Donor Development Manager

A native of metro Detroit, Kevin was born and raised in Garden City, Michigan. He is a graduate of Northwood University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree focused on marketing and advertising management.  Kevin currently works on the team at Heart of West Michigan United Way as Senior Donor Development Manager.  In this role, he guides donor development strategy, manages the individual donor pipeline, and works closely with all areas of the organization to better position United Way for success. Kevin also leads the annual operations of United Way’s Emerging Leaders United group.

Kevin was introduced to CASA of Kent County when he attended the 2022 Heart of CASA dinner. He was moved to get involved, and in 2023, he was honored to return to Heart of CASA as the event’s emcee. Kevin’s values and life experiences draw him to CASA’s vision of a voice for every child, as he adamantly believes we must invest in organizations that work toward creating communities we wish to see. Kevin is also an avid volunteer and advocate for several other local nonprofits that serve and uplift children and families to live more prosperous lives.

In his free time, Kevin can be found learning new things, traveling, attending community events, spending time with loved ones, cooking, and baking!

Kristen Snyder

Corewell Health,

Physician Assistant, Associate Chief of Medical Informatics Officer

Kristen grew up in Saginaw, Michigan where her passion for helping children was sparked at a young age as she watched her mother, an elementary school teacher, work with students. She attended Western Michigan University and became a physician assistant. Kristen moved to Grand Rapids to complete her surgical residency, took a position at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital working in Pediatric Surgery and Trauma, and remained in that role for 23 years. Kristen also received a master’s degree in APP Education and Ethics in 2002. She currently works at Corewell Health as Associate Chief Medical Informatics Officer. She loves to teach medical professional students and surgeons across the state.

Kristen was first introduced to CASA while serving as an expert witness in a child abuse court hearing. She attended CASA events, where she heard the difference CASA volunteers made in the lives of children – sometimes her patients – and wanted to be a part of it.

Kristen is the mom of triplet boys, and most of her energy and finances go to their preservation. In her free time, Kristen can be found on a tennis court, on a golf course, biking, hiking, laughing with her friends, or with her nose in a book.

This story is featured in the Spring 2024 edition of CASA connect, CASA of Kent County’s quarterly newsletter. Click here to view a pdf version of this newsletter.