Regina Saffel to be honored at Capitol ceremony

NASHVILLE, January 14, 2005 — Regina Saffel of Jackson will be honored at the Tennessee Bar Association's annual Public Service Luncheon on Saturday, Jan. 15, at noon in the Tennessee State Capitol. U.S. Rep. John Tanner of Union City will be the luncheon's keynote speaker.

In addition to presenting a number of annual public service awards, the Tennessee Bar Association approved a special recognition this year for a volunteer who has provided outstanding service as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children and to ensure they do no get lost in the overburdened legal system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home. Volunteers stay with the child's case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home.

Saffel has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Madison County for seven years, specializing in serving medically fragile children in the foster system. As a retired nurse, Saffel is able to use her medical experience to help judges, attorneys and family members understand complex medical issues. Her current caseload -- which is indicative of her work -- includes a prematurely born infant, a child with multiple chronic illnesses and a mentally challenged teenager. Her dedication to the mission of CASA and the children she is assigned has led the juvenile court judge to specifically request her assistance in a number of cases. As one of the first volunteers sworn in to work with the Madison County program, Saffel is an excellent resource for agency staff and often serves as a mentor to fellow volunteers. In addition to serving as a CASA volunteer, Saffel sits on several community boards and volunteers at her church.

Prior to retiring, Saffel worked as a registered nurse at Union University in Jackson and served for seven years as the dean of the School of Nursing.