Board of Directors
Melanie Speechly Murdock, Chair
Melanie has recently retired from the CASA Program with the State of Utah. She served as the Statewide Program Administrator for 9 years. Prior to her work at the state level, she spent five years heading a local CASA program in Davis and Weber Counties. Melanie has a B.S. from Weber State University in Public Health and has been a small business owner. Melanie is passionate about the well-being of our most vulnerable children and loves working in a program that is part of the solution. She is grateful for the opportunity to work with others to strengthen and grow Utah's CASA Program. A mother of five, she enjoys traveling with her husband and time spent with her children and grandchildren.
Susie Hovey
Susie Hovey currently serves as the Statewide CASA Program Administrator as well as the CASA Program Coordinator for Weber and Morgan counties. Her lifelong passion for helping children has guided her career path. Susie Holds a psychology degree and an SSW license, and worked as a caseworker for the Division of Child and Family Services. During her time as a caseworker, Susie found great fulfillment in working with children and witnessing their progress, though she often felt limited in how much she could do. This desire to make a deeper impact is what drew her to CASA. She truly values the role of a CASA and has seen the meaningful difference these advocates make in the lives of children.
Natasha Weston
Natasha Weston is a coordinator in the First Judicial District. She has always had a passion for child welfare and has found a home in CASA. She served as a CASA in 2008 and was hired in 2009 as a Guardian ad Litem Investigator. In 2015, she took on the CASA program and has loved every minute of it. She finds working with volunteers to be inspiring and rewarding. CASAs play a vital role that can have lasting impacts on the lives of the children in our communities. Natasha loves cooking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Heather Allen
Heather Allen works full-time as the Assistant Director of the Utah County Children's Justice Center. Prior to that, she worked for the CASA Program. She ran the largest program in the state for almost four years. I love being a spokesperson for CASA, it's a terrific program. Heather says, "I believe in the power of relationships. Relationships come in many different forms and intensities but even the most fleeting of relationships can alter the course of a person's life. This is why I have chosen a career path that has allowed me to interact with and build relationships with others. " She is married to Rhett Allen and is the mother to three children.
Steve Van Otten
Steve Van Otten is the President, CEO and Owner of a National Transportation Company. He enjoys working with kids in the CASA program as a volunteer. He became a volunteer in 2017, and joined the Utah’s Friends of CASA board in 2022. Steve lives in Farmington with his wife Rachel, and their 2 children. He enjoys traveling, driving, hiking, and the outdoors.
Shawn Kintaudi, CPA
Shawn is an outdoors enthusiast with a growing interest in the arts and non-profit community. After moving to Utah in 2013, Shawn fell in love with hiking, mountain biking, and snowboarding.
Shawn currently works at an accounting firm that serves several non-profit organizations in Utah. Shawn’s personal and professional experiences has inspired him to join the board. Shawn hopes to learn more about how CASA positively impacts those in our community.
