The California Association of Student Leaders (CASL) was established in 1993, after years of discussion, as a project under the California Association of Directors of Activities (CADA) to provide a forum for student expression. Bill Calder was selected to lead the CASL Board and served as the first CASL Advisor. Following him, Rick Martens, who created the original CASL logo, took on the role.

As the vision for CASL evolved, the board transitioned the leadership position to a Past President role, with Mary Ann Archibald starting the first State Conference in 1996, followed by John “Rod” Rodriguez. As the program continued to grow, the need for a more permanent director became evident. Don Shaffer served from 1999 to 2003, followed by Jack Ziegler from 2003 to 2007.

In 2007, the board decided to make the CASL Coordinator a more permanent position and hired Sandi Kurland, who has been running the organization ever since 2008. Since 1996, CASL has been governed by a regionally elected student board consisting of 14 directors and assistant directors, along with three elected officers. The organization operates under the sponsorship of CADA and receives guidance from an adult advisory board (Jose Duenas, Ryan Willer, Dylan Gadeke, Andrew Smith).

Our Mission

The mission of The California Association of Student Leaders (CASL) as a student-led, not-for-profit organization is to provide a statewide network, which facilitates the development of ethical, responsible, and servant leaders. CASL’s initiative is to equip and empower students to be effective future leaders of the world through local, regional, and statewide conferences. caslboard.com

Presidents / Conference Theme / Location

1. 1993 (No Conference) Bill Calder
2. 1994 (No Conference) Rick Martens
3. 1995 (No Conference) Rick Martens
4. 1996 Megan Vincent (The First Olympiad / Visalia) Mary Ann Archibald
5. 1997 Tessa Lyons (Unlocking the Magic / Anaheim) John “Rod” Rodriguez
6. 1998 Alison Laseter (CASL Rocks / San Jose)
7. 1999 Alejandro Hurtado (Feature Presentation / Anaheim) Don Shaffer
8. 2000 Caleb Hervey (to Infinity + Beyond / San Jose)
9. 2001 Amanda Alquist (Mission Possible / Anaheim)
10. 2002 Katyana Sacro (Leaders Wanted / San Jose)
11. 2003 Stacy Edgar (Blast Through Past / Anaheim)
12. 2004 Yara Khakbaz (The Art of Leadership: Painting a Better Tomorrow / San Jose) Jack Ziegler
13. 2005 Jenna McDermit (Follow the Leadership Road / Anaheim)
14. 2006 Amanda Wright (Leadership: A Backstage Pass / San Jose)
15. 2007 Trisha Mittal (The Rhythm of Leadership / San Diego)
16. 2008 Kelsey Natushara (The Power of Leadership / San Jose) Sandi Kurland
17. 2009 Kara Brodie (Building Leaders for a Better Tomorrow / San Jose)
18. 2010 Stefan Fertala (Leadership Takes You Places / Irvine)
19. 2011 Erin Leonard (CASL Goes Camping – Leaving Our Campus Better Than We Found It / San Jose)
20. 2012 Jamal Edwards (CASL Museum – The Legacy Begins With You / Costa Mesa)
21. 2013 Nicole Nordstrom (Once Upon a CASL – Know the Story, Know the Person / San Jose)
22. 2014 Nicole Nordstrom (The CASL Expedition – Be the First … / Ontario)
23. 2015 Nathan Glovinsky (CASLab – Test A New Solution / San Jose)
24. 2016 Armando Sanchez (The CASL Roadtrip – One More Mile / Ontario)
25. 2017 Gabby DellaRippa (The CASL Newsroom – Speak Up Stand Up / San Jose)
26. 2018 Jasmine Colak (The CASL Start Up – Do Good Better / Ontario)
27. 2019 Jasmine Tong – Seely (The CASL Rapids – Lean in Together / Santa Clara)
28. 2020 Morgan Rajala (Cafe CASL – Choose to Listen / VIRTUAL)
29. 2021 Andrew Santana (Cafe CASL – Grand Reopening / VIRTUAL)
30. 2022 Colin Culver (DOWNTOWN CASL … Explore the Intention / Ontario)
31. 2023 Sophie White (CASL Studio … Dare to Disrupt / Santa Clara)
32. 2024 Diane Kim (CASL’s Closet … Embrace the Potential / Ontario)
33. 2025 Katarina Dragasevic ( / Santa Clara)