Martha Gershun

Matha Gershun has spent her career advocating for at-risk children. She recently retired from Jackson County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), where she served as Executive Director for seven years. During her tenure Jackson County CASA grew to become one of the largest CASA agencies in the country, advocating for more than 1,250 children each year. She also served as a Board member of the Missouri CASA Association and the National CASA Association in Seattle, Washington.

Gershun earned an A.B. cum laude from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. She also holds a graduate diploma in Economics from the University of Stirling, Scotland, where she was a Rotary International Fellow.

Gershun is a passionate, persuasive public speaker who has a long track record of speaking about the plight of children in the foster care system. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, the New Yorker, Kveller, The Kansas City Star, and The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle.