Board & Leadership
BOARD of DIRECTORS
CASS’ Board of Directors is committed to helping end homelessness. Each member strongly believes in CASS’ mission and oversees all activities to promote its vision. Our Board are active community leaders with unique experiences and expertise and are dedicated to the health and growth of our organization.
Cleo Lewis
VICE-CHAIRMAN
Assistant Pastor
City Church-Urban Outreach
Bill Morlan
CHAIRMAN
President
Electric Supply, Inc.
Guy Mikkelsen
TREASURER
Retired
Steve Kaiser
SECRETARY
Founder
Arizona Prosperity Project
David Bixby
Corporate Partner
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie
Lia Christiansen
Chief Administrative Officer
Valleywise Health
Anthony Eulano
Snell and Wilmer
Bryan Murphy, Esq.
Attorney at Law
Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A.
Karl Obergh
Regional Director
RPA an Ardurra Company
MiAsia Pasha
President
House of MiAsia
Patricia Schoenhardt
Consultant
Office of Corporate Citizenship
at Nationwide
LEADERSHIP
CASS’ Leadership is dedicated to finding solutions to homelessness. They are innovators with a deep commitment to do what needs to be done to find a way to have a community where everyone has a home.
Nathan Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Nathan Smith became the CEO for Central Arizona Shelter Services in 2024, bringing over 15 years of dedicated service to communities in need. Nathan’s background is well-rounded and robust, with extensive experience in street outreach, case management, project management, and program direction.
For the past four years, he has served as a Chief Program Officer, driving impactful community outreach initiatives to assist individuals struggling with food and housing insecurities. His work included launching and maintaining a behavioral health program, ensuring compliance, managing volunteers, and utilizing data analytics to drive program success.
His work in the underserved space began in 2008 when he went on the first of many 1-month mission trips to India to work in orphanages and schools in impoverished communities. Nathan was immediately hooked and knew that the rest of his life would be dedicated to serving people in need.
Nathan’s hands-on approach and deep understanding of the challenges our clients face make him an excellent fit for CASS. We are confident that his leadership will drive our mission forward as we continue to serve the most vulnerable in our community.
Nicole Peña
Chief Development Officer
Nicole M. Peña serves as the Chief Development Officer at CASS. Though new in her position, she has served as an executive-level fundraiser for non-profits in Arizona for 17 years, 15 years of which were spent at the Phoenix Rescue Mission helping support those experiencing homelessness and addiction. Before entering the non-profit sector, Nicole served as Chief Information Officer for County Attorney Rick Romley. She received her Bachelors of Science from the University of Arizona in journalism and American history. Nicole loves exploring Arizona and served as an officer in the Boy Scouts of America (now Scouting America). She lives in North Phoenix with her husband Dan and two sons.
Brittnie Stanton, BS
Director of Programs
Brittnie has spent the last decade providing social services in a variety of settings including outpatient behavioral health, transitional housing for women and children, and permanent supportive housing for survivors of sex trafficking and those with a Serious Mental Illness determination. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Criminology from Arizona State University. She is passionate about finding sustainable solutions to the housing crisis in her native Arizona through the principles of Housing First, harm reduction, and trauma informed care.
Bruce Hall, Sr.
Director of Facilities
Bruce joined CASS in 2000 with decades of experience in building maintenance and real estate. Bruce is certified in Home Repair/ Building Technologies, is a licensed contractor in commercial and residential installation, and completed programs at Westford College of Real Estate and Phoenix College’s Supervisor Academy. He has been promoted multiple times during his CASS tenure and has been instrumental in architectural decisions for CASS facilities in order to ensure a safe working and living environment.
Janet Diodato
Director of Human Resources
Janet comes to CASS with over 10+ years of experience, having held a number of progressively responsible positions within the Human Resources arena. She possesses expertise with companies that lead in hospitality and healthcare.