CHERYL VALLEE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Center for Community Justice

Cheryl’s introduction to CASA was in 1998 when she took the CASA volunteer training in Schenectady.  Following two years of volunteering, she accepted a part-time position as a CASA Assistant.  Eventually, Cheryl became Coordinator of the CASA program and later Director.  During this time, she helped facilitate the merger of the Albany and Rensselaer County CASA programs forming CASA of the Capital Region.  In 2013, Cheryl became Executive Director of the Center for Community Justice and currently enjoys the challenges of running an agency with multiple programs to include CASA of the Capital Region.   

Cheryl took great pride in her appointment to a Board position with CASA of NYS in 2007 and finished up her “term” in 2023!  As with anything worthwhile, there were challenges along the way facing the State Association, but “We’ve come a long way!”  

Cheryl earned both her BA and Paralegal Certificate from Marist College.  Additionally, she earned her Workforce Development Specialist Certificate which allows her to work with formerly incarcerated clients.     

Finding an interest in politics, she ran for local office in her town and was appointed to the Board of Ethics for a five-year term.  Cheryl served as a volunteer Hearing Officer for Albany Municipal Housing Authority for many years, often finding a way to mediate an agreement between clients and the Housing Authority.  

Cheryl enjoys being with her one-year-old granddaughter and cheering on her thirteen-year-old granddaughter during her basketball games and taking her to practice.  She serves as treasurer of a CYO multi-sport organization in Albany.  During the late spring, summer, and early fall months, you will find her on the water practicing three times a week training for competitive dragon boat races. For the fourth time this July, Cheryl will be training in Nova Scotia with the Canadian National Dragon Boat Team along with members of her own team.