First Judicial District CASA Program : Board of Directors Meeting Schedule
4th Monday of the month, 5:30 to 6:30 pm at the CASA Center for Child Victims; 1417 N 4th Street in Midtown
FY24
July 24, 2023  Annual Meeting 
August - no meeting; CASA Classic Golf Tournament 
September 25
October  23
November - no meeting due to Thanksgiving
December - no meeting due to Christmas
January  22
February  26
March 18 (week earlier due to Spring Break)
April  22
May  20
June  24 - Finance Committee only (FY25 budget review)
​Out of respect for member's schedules, meetings may be cancelled when the agenda does not contain action items beyond approving the monthly financials. Occasionally, a meeting may be moved to the 3rd Monday of the month due to scheduling conflicts.  All meeting changes will be publicly posted .

North Idaho CASA Board of Directors


​Melisa McTaggert - President 
Melisa is a second generation native to Coeur d’Alene.  She graduated from Boise State University with a master’s in social work and a bachelor’s in psychology and organizational science from University of Idaho.  Melisa is a licensed mental health professional working with children and adults throughout the community.  Prior to being on the Board of Directors she volunteered as an Advocate for North Idaho CASA.  Melisa is the proud mom to three children: Anna, Sawyer, and Savoy and two Golden-doodles: Charlie and Wilson. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, working out, golfing, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.   
Justan Kinsel - Secretary 
Justan joins the CASA board after working with the CASA Center staff through Intermax as a MSP Sr. Systems Engineer for years. He is an important part of the CASA events team.  

​Ninette Goucher
Ninette Goucher is the Principal of Goucher Group, LLC. Ninette graduated from the University of Nevada in 1993 and operated as a sole practitioner in Reno, Nevada prior to moving to Coeur d’Alene in 2005. Ninette was a Partner with Magnuson, McHugh & Co as well as the Director of the Consulting and Accounting Services Department. She then spent a couple years in corporate accounting. Realizing her true passion was working with small business owners, she opened her own firm, Goucher Group, LLC. She is a licensed CPA in Idaho and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She works with her clients to create a successful foundation for their business through well-organized financial records. She helps her clients monitor performance for continued success and enjoys long-term relationships with them. Ninette is a 2010 graduate of the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Coeur d’Alene Program and a 2018 graduate of the Advanced Leadership Coeur d’Alene Program. She volunteers with many non-profits in the area. She is currently the Treasurer of the EXCEL Foundation and the Coeur d’Alene Symphony and Secretary for the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Foundation Board. Ninette has three children and two grandchildren that she enjoys snow skiing and golfing with. 
Nick Forsberg - Vice President 
Nick is the co-owner of Atlas Building Group, a local building and land development firm located in Coeur d’Alene Idaho. Growing up in northern Idaho, Nick has been heavily involved in the local community and appreciates being able to raise his family in the same area. Previously, he traveled extensively throughout the United States as the VP of Sales and Performance Strategy for two publicly traded building material companies.  Nick has broad experience in various lines of business, including operations, sales, construction and finance. In addition to spending time with friends and family, Nick enjoys boating, snowboarding, and exploring various parts of the world in search of tropical sunshine during the cold winter months.
​Layne McWilliams - Treasurer
Since joining Cascade in 2010, Mr. McWilliams has lead Cascade’s efforts in the Municipal Water / Wastewater Sector. He works with cities, utilities, design firms, and regulatory bodies to pave the path for implementation of projects and adoption of SEM in this special sector. As a former wastewater design engineer, he identifies and evaluates energy conservation opportunities within water sourcing, treatment and conveyance facilities, as well as wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal infrastructure. Layne has been an advocate of CASA for years and is an avid SuperHero Society member. He is happy to serve as a Board Member to further his support. 
Melissa Hook 
Melissa is a school counselor at Canfield Middle School where she has worked since 2015. Melissa grew up in Coeur d' Alene and feels fortunate to raise her own family here, and to work with the children of our community. Melissa graduated from the University of Montana with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Human and Family Development. She later graduated with a Master of Arts in School Counseling from Gonzaga University. Melissa has worked with children and in the mental health field for over fifteen years and looks forward to extending her service to the community through her role at CASA. During her free time, Melissa's favorite activity is quality time with her husband and two boys, typically camping, fishing, or exploring the Northwest. Melissa also enjoys Pilates, reading, indoor plants, and snuggling with her Havanese, Finn, and two cats, Opie and Nala. ​
Ian Swanstrom
Ian is a longtime resident of North Idaho. He grew up in Post Falls and attended both North Idaho College & University of Idaho, graduating from the University of Idaho with a Bachelor's Degree in Finance in 2008. Ian is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty, managing all North Idaho new construction sales for a local builder, Greenstone Homes. Ian has prior work experience in various areas of business, but primarily focused in corporate finance & commercial lending. In his free-time, Ian enjoys spending time with his family, including his wife (Ashley) and three young girls (Lucia, Saide & Maizy). They live for North Idaho summers, spending as much time on the water as possible. Ian also enjoys cross-fit, traveling when time allows, a little golf here-and-there, camping with friends & family, and volunteer coaching kid's basketball for Real Life Ministries sports & outdoors program.
Heather Schmitz
Heather graduated from the University of Washington in 1994. Heather's early career was with Group Health Cooperative. She worked from 1994-2006 with their worksite health team and then worked as the finance manager for the Group Health Community Foundation from 2000-2006. In 2006, Heather started her work in the legal industry and she is currently a paralegal for HWS Law Group. Heather has been involved in numerous nonprofits over the years. Most recently, she was a founding board member for the Coeur d'Alene Police Foundation and served as their treasurer from 2019-2023. In her off time, Heather loves spending time outdoors camping, hiking, boating, and skiing. ​

North Idaho CASA Board Liaisons

Dan Hammes (Benewah County)
Dan Hammes owns and operates the St. Maries Gazette Record with his wife, Cindy. In addition to the community newspaper, the business is an Internet Service Provider and offers services in St. Maries, the surrounding area and Harrison.
Dan and his wife have two daughters and six grandchildren. The consensus is the grandchildren are quite bright and generally remarkable.

​Lara Gamel Wohllaib (Bonner County)
Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Lara moved to Southern California after high school, where she started a career in the fashion industry. After spending several years as a buyer for a retail chain of 65 stores, she went on to receive a degree in fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Lara then enjoyed a wonderful career for 15 years years designing swimwear and traveling the globe for her job. The last 8 years of her career she severed as Vice-President of Design and Merchandising for Manhattan Beachwear which is now on of the largest swimwear companies in the US. After marrying her husband Alex and welcoming her first born, Lara decided she step away from her demanding career and move to Sandpoint, Idaho to be closer to family. Lara now enjoys life as a homemaker and hands-on mom to their 2 children from juggling multiple sports and regularly volunteering at their school. Since their relocation, Lara has found her passion for the community as a volunteer and supporter for services caring for children in need. Lara is heavily connected throughout the community and can always be found working on projects and events to help others. Member of the 101 Women and active with supporting KinderHaven, she is a pillar of the philanthropic community. 

​Brad Corkill  (Shoshone County)
The First Judicial District CASA Program wishes to express its appreciation for the many years of service Brad Corkill has provided us. Mr. Corkill has recently stepped down from the Board of Directors but remains a loyal supporter of CASA. Mr. Corkill and his company, Whiteman Lumber in Cataldo, have been faithful supporters of our mission to serve our community's children.