Our 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.

Bill Morlan

CHAIRMAN

Steve Kaiser

SECRETARY

MiAsia Pasha

Patricia Schoenhardt

Cleo Lewis

VICE-CHAIRMAN

David Bixby

Lia Christiansen

Karl Obergh

Guy Mikkelsen

TREASURER

Anthony Eulano

Bryan Murphy, Esq.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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. Her compassion for service allowed her to naturally transition to CASS and continue her desire to support the community. Janet is enthusiastic about fostering employment opportunities and nurturing staff career growth at CASS.

Richard serves as the Director of Compliance and Continuous Improvement at CASS where he provides guidance on policy and standards and supports the organization in conducting research and data-driven investigations into our work. Richard has a Doctorate in Global Health from Arizona State University and is a locally and nationally recognized expert in the application of trauma-informed frameworks to homeless services, and the use of advanced analytical tools to understand effectiveness of interventions. Having served in both direct service and management roles at CASS, Richard is excited to be in a position where he can support the organization in being successful and providing insights into how impactful the work we do is. In his free time, Richard enjoys playing indoor and sand volleyball and cooking for friends and family.

Brian has more than 15 years’ experience working on solutions to homelessness, ranging across three different states. He has built and operated large programs rooted in evidence-based practices, including supportive housing and housing-focused street outreach, and has led homeless system design work in multiple communities across Arizona and Southern California. Brian holds a master’s degree from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.