A former kindergarten teacher, child care provider and overall advocate for the wellbeing of society’s most vulnerable, Ella Ryder’s newest gig as the head of Cass County Court Appointed Special Advocate program is right up her alley.

The Lawton resident was hired as the new director of the program late last month. She has spent the last several weeks learning the ropes alongside James Ward, who will step down as CASA director after nearly 10 years of service.

As director, Ryder will be responsible for the CASA’s team of volunteer advocates, who provide advocacy and guidance for local children in foster care. Certified volunteers with the program serve as not only representatives for their assigned children in court proceedings, but often as mentors and friends outside the courtroom.

Ryder comes to CASA after spending the last 14 years as the executive director of Child Care Resources, an organization based in Kalamazoo that provides support and education to child care providers in nine area counties, including Cass.

A native of Ohio, Ryder initially studied elementary education at Wittenberg University. Her career took a different course, though, while serving as a student teacher at an elementary school in Cleveland. One day, one of her students told her that her mother had pushed her down a flight of stairs, opening Ryder’s eyes to the often hidden world of neglect and abuse some children suffer.

Ryder rededicated her career to fighting for the rights of children, particularly those 5 years old and younger. She received her master’s degree in family studies from Michigan State University in 1976.

“My whole focus has been around making sure children have the best possible start to their lives, and helping them heal when they do not have that kind of start,” Ryder said.

Her past jobs included making home visits, where she made regular stops to ensure children and their families received the care and benefits they needed to thrive. She also served as director of the YWCA’s sexual abuse services division in Kalamazoo, from 1989 to 1997.

Ryder is no stranger to CASA herself. In 1983, she was among the first people in the state of Michigan to become a certified CASA volunteer, helping a toddler find a foster family after he was removed from his parent’s custody.

More than 30 years later, when the woman saw that the position in Cass County CASA was available, she decided to take the opportunity to jump back into the game.

“It was just the right time for me to come back to this, and make a difference in the lives of Cass County children,” Ryder said.

The program currently has 22 volunteers among its ranks, who are handling around 50 cases in total, Ryder said.

“What I notice most about our volunteers is that they have big hearts,” she said. “Many of them continue to stay in their children’s lives, long after their cases have ended.”

Ryder said one of her priorities as director will be to recruit more volunteers for the program, and to carry on the positive strides that Ward, Program Coordinator Erica Boulanger and the board of directors have made over the years.

The program will host its annual fundraiser at 6 p.m. Friday, June 24, at Our Lady of the Lake Social Hall in Edwardsburg. Tickets for the event are still available, and cost $75 per person.

People interested in volunteering with CASA may contact Ryder at (269) 445-4431  or visit casscocasa.org.