FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrea Bruns, State Director/CEO
abruns@kentuckycasanetwork.org
(502) 238-2154
April 24, 2026 – Kentucky CASA Network (KCN) has welcomed five new members to its Board of Directors, bringing the board to full capacity and strengthening its ability to lead continued statewide expansion. With representation spanning all corners of the Commonwealth, the Board is well positioned to support KCN’s goal of ensuring CASA services are accessible in all 120 counties by year-end 2027.
“We are excited to add these new statewide Board Members,” said KCN Board Chair Bryan Bulkley. “They will help guide and govern the organization over the next several years as we continue our work of supporting and strengthening the CASA network throughout the Commonwealth. The new members bring a vast set of skills including financial services, human resources, child welfare, mental health and substance use disorder programming, and public affairs. They join a committed cadre of existing Board Members who have strategically governed the statewide program.”
- Jennifer Beckham is a Benefits Manager with Scion Health in Louisville and brings over 20 years of HR experience to the KCN Board of Directors. Ms. Beckham has also been an active CASA volunteer for six years, bringing both programmatic experience and a volunteer perspective to the Board.
- Barbara Ramlow resides in Jessamine County and most recently served as Director of the University of Kentucky Targeted Assessment Program, where she retired after several decades working in child welfare. Ms. Ramlow brings a vast background in child welfare public policy to the KCN Board. She has held leadership roles within CHFS and DCBS and has a strong interest in and experience with statewide partnerships and collaboration in child welfare.
- Eric Embry resides in Hopkinsville and is the Chief Operating Officer of the Pennyroyal Center, a community nonprofit mental health organization covering eight counties in Western Kentucky. The Pennyroyal Center provides services that many CASA children and families rely on, including behavioral health, treatment for substance use disorder, and therapeutic foster care. Mr. Embry brings nonprofit executive and operational experience and has served on the Board of the Kentucky Association of Regional Programs, the coalition of the state’s mental health providers.
- Kyle Kelly is the Director of Public Affairs for Kentucky Farm Bureau and resides in Owen County. He has deep expertise in Frankfort and a background in government affairs. Mr. Kelly has significant board experience and joins the KCN Board at a time of collaboration with the Kentucky agricultural community, child welfare, and foster care initiatives. He has experience working with KFB’s volunteers throughout Kentucky’s 120 counties.
- Jennifer Apple currently serves as the Chief Client Officer with Community Financial Services Bank in Murray. She has extensive board experience, including serving on multiple boards within her community. Ms. Apple understands the operations and functions of local CASA programs, having served for several years on the CASA by the Lakes Board of Directors during a time with more limited resources, capacity, and operational support.
A full list of the current KCN Board of Directors can be found here.
About the Kentucky CASA Network
The Kentucky CASA Network is the state association for Court Appointed Special Advocates, as recognized in the Kentucky Revised Statutes, with a mission to support the development, growth, and continuation of local CASA programs in Kentucky. CASA programs recruit and train volunteers to advocate on behalf of children who have come into the court system as a result of dependency, neglect, or abuse. In 2025, there were 1,395 CASA volunteers in the Commonwealth. Nearly 1,200 of those volunteers served 3,387 children throughout the year. For more information, please visit www.kentuckycasanetwork.org.
