Lone Star CASA names Jacob Griffin as executive director in Rockwall

Lone Star CASA has named Jacob Griffin as its next executive director, putting a new leader at the helm of a Rockwall-based agency that served 272 children in fiscal 2025 and depended on 125 active volunteers to do it.

The appointment matters because Lone Star CASA’s work reaches straight into the child welfare system. Volunteers independently investigate the circumstances of abused and neglected children and make recommendations to Rockwall and Kaufman County District Court judges about permanent placement. The organization said Griffin will oversee strategy, daily operations and advocacy efforts as the group works to give children a safe, permanent home and a voice in court.

Griffin brings a background in finance, operations, nonprofit management and public-sector work. He earned both his undergraduate and master’s degrees in business from Stephen F. Austin State University. Board Chair Kim Campbell said his experience and commitment to service made him a strong fit for the role, and that the board expects him to help expand the organization’s reach in the communities it serves. Griffin said he is honored to join the organization and wants to build on its existing foundation with staff and volunteers.

For Rockwall County, the numbers show what is at stake. Lone Star CASA said it helped 126 children find permanency in fiscal 2025, up from 88 the year before. Volunteer participation also rose, from 117 active volunteers in fiscal 2024 to 125 in fiscal 2025. Volunteers logged 5,847 hours and drove more than 64,000 miles last year, underscoring how much of the organization’s capacity depends on recruitment, retention and steady management.

Lone Star CASA was established in 1992 in Rockwall County and expanded into Kaufman County in 2004. Its Rockwall office is listed at 108 Kenway Street, P.O. Box 414, Rockwall, TX 75087. The group has kept a visible volunteer pipeline in the county courthouse, with Judge Brett Hall swearing in 10 new volunteers on April 14, 2025, three more on Nov. 21, 2024, and eight across two ceremonies in August 2025.

The leadership change comes after a year of broader organizational activity, including a May 3, 2025 volunteer appreciation banquet at Divine Peace Church in Rockwall and a Texas Bar Foundation grant of $15,000 in November 2025 for a new justice-involved youth program. Lone Star CASA also noted that Sandra Ownby’s six-year tenure as board chair ended in January 2026, adding another layer of transition as the agency prepares for the next phase of serving children in Rockwall and Kaufman counties.