FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2022
CONTACT: Gustavo Caraveo | Gustavo@childadvocatessv.org
MILPITAS, CA — Child Advocates of Silicon Valley is pleased to announce the election of two new board members, Kathryne Faherty, Senior Director of Global Procurement at Rubrik, and Monique Edmondson, Senior Director of Employee Experiences at Cisco, effective March 30, 2022.
“We are excited to welcome Kathryne and Monique as new directors to the board. As we create the agency’s new strategic plan, we will leverage their diverse experience to provide valuable insight as we continue our efforts to support foster youth more meaningfully,” said Frederick J. Ferrer, CEO of Child Advocates,
Faherty and Edmondson will assist with implementing the strategic direction of the agency. Their experience will help Child Advocates develop and implement innovative strategies to increase giving and fundraising efforts to strengthen the agency’s operation.
“I have always been impressed with Child Advocates’ empathy-led CASA program supporting the emotional and practical needs of our foster youth and advocates,” said Edmonds. “Every child deserves to feel secure, loved and inspired. It is an absolute honor to join the agency’s board to further assist with these life-changing efforts.”
Additionally, Faherty’s firsthand experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer, will provide insight into the CASA Program, the recruitment and engagement of CASA Volunteers.
“Every human being deserves a childhood of innocence, a time when we can be carefree surrounded by the protection and love of those we trust. Unfortunately, such childhood experiences are not equally bestowed upon us,” said Faherty. “As a CASA Volunteer and now as a board member, I hope to play a critical role in clearing the way toward a childhood of trust and compassion. One in which roadblocks to reaching their potential are cleared. One in which pathways of equal opportunity are made available to them as is their right by trusted adults who are responsible for their care.“
Child Advocates has a diverse, active board that represents a range of professional expertise in technology, child welfare, law, business planning, accounting and fundraising. It is the board’s responsibility to provide counsel and oversight in the direction and operation of Child Advocates as well as raise awareness of our CASA Program to help recruit potential volunteers and donors.
About Monique Edmondson
Monique Edmondson has helped transform the future of work for 74,000 Cisco employees worldwide. As Cisco’s Senior Director, Employee Experience (EX), she innovates employee-facing technology experiences that enable teams to scale and grow. During her 25-year journey with Cisco, she has held leadership positions in the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America regions, managing high-performing teams in hybrid, remote and office environments. Monique heads up the largest Employee Resource Organization at Cisco and serves as a pillar of Cisco’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) community. She has been recognized for leadership and EX innovation by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Huffington Post and the Wall Street Journal.
About Kathryne Faherty
Having been born in South Korea and raised by Irish Americans in the city that is home to the Boston Celtics, you could say that Kate has truly been around the world and is now proud to call Silicon Valley her home. Kathryne (Kate) Faherty is one of four children adopted by an amazing couple who dedicated their lives to raising their family and to their careers in educating children to their fullest potential. Kate attended Bentley University and graduated with a degree in economics. Her career spans leadership roles at AppDynamics, Cisco, eBay and most recently at Rubrik. Shortly after college, Kate bought a one way plane ticket to South Korea with the intent of living there for a year and immersing herself in Korean culture. Following in her parent’s footsteps, Kate became an educator in Korea and taught English as a second language at an elementary school. Observing her students’ drive to achieve academically within a culture that inspired and reinforced challenge, Kate felt the need to continue to ignite that spark in children within her own community. When she returned to the United States, she involved herself in the No Child Left Behind Program and is now a CASA for Child Advocates of Silicon Valley. Kate, as one who seeks to challenge herself in many ways, is an avid runner and a Boston Marathon qualifier. She dabbles in golf, languages, piano and throughout all aspects of her life, the pursuit of better for herself and others.
About Child Advocates of Silicon Valley
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley is an independent nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization created in 1986. We serve children aged birth to 21 years old who are placed in the Santa Clara County Dependency Court System for having experienced trauma in the form of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment. We are responsible for operating the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program in Santa Clara County, which entails recruiting, training and supporting CASA Volunteers according to the National CASA Association standards. To learn more, please visit ChildAdvocatesSV.org.
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