20 Years 20 Stories

Pat Miljanich

Pat Miljanich was instrumental in bringing CASA to San Mateo County. She was initially hired in 1999 to expand CASA services in San Mateo County when the program was part of a two-county CASA organization shared with Santa Clara County. In 2006, she launched the organization as a standalone nonprofit together with a former staff member and with the support of San Mateo County CASA volunteers under the name Advocates for Children. Pat then served as Executive Director for an additional 13 years, growing the team to a staff of 12. Her introduction to CASA came through a career in public service, including leadership roles in legal services and state government, where she saw firsthand how many children spent years in foster care without a single consistent adult advocate. In the early days, there was no permanent office, interviews were held in borrowed spaces, and the program relied on the dedication of judges, commissioners, and community partners who believed deeply in CASA’s mission. Through persistence, relationship-building, and vision, Pat helped establish CASA of San Mateo County, recruit a Board of Directors and volunteers, and build a program rooted in local needs and a passionate belief in every child’s right to a caring and consistent adult in their life.

During her 20-year tenure with CASA, Pat witnessed the extraordinary power of CASA volunteers and experienced it herself as a CASA, advocating to secure academic support and extracurricular resources for a young teen, helping him apply to college and launch into adulthood. Her dual role shaped everything about how she built the program and why she believed so deeply in the power of showing up. She saw how simple, consistent acts of care could transform a young person’s life: a volunteer patiently earning a child’s trust, another speaking up on behalf of siblings during a critical moment, and a former foster youth reaching out years later to reconnect with her CASA who never gave up on her, to  invite her to her wedding. Pat believes CASA’s impact lies not just in advocacy, but in how volunteers make young people feel, seen, valued, and supported. As CASA of San Mateo County celebrates 20 years, her hope is that the organization continues to grow in equity, representation, and reach, ensuring that every child navigating complex systems has someone who will show up, stay present, and believe in their future.