WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth swore in Keith Baranow, Susan L. Malone, Logan O. Morris and Donna A. White as Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army during an investiture ceremony at the Pentagon on July 13, 2023.
“It’s an honor to welcome our four newest CASAs to the Army team,” said Wormuth. “As CASAs they will be great advocates for the Army in their local communities. I have asked them to help share the Army story to help young people see how the Army can give them a sense of purpose and provide a fulfilling career.”
Keith A. Baranow, CASA for Vermont, is the associate vice president of military partnerships and business development for Norwich University. He retired from the U.S. Army in 2022 as a lieutenant colonel after over 30 years of service. Baranow entered the service in 1991 as an infantryman with the Army National Guard and transferred to the regular Army in 1994. He obtained the rank of staff sergeant before commissioning through the Officer Candidate School in 2001. Baranow served in a myriad of command and staff positions with notable units, including the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment known as the Old Guard, the 1st Infantry Division, the 15th Military Police Brigade, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, U.S. Army Recruiting Command and the Army Staff. Baranow is an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and sits on the Governor’s Veteran’s Advisory Council.
“I am honored to be given the opportunity to continue and serve the exceptional men and women who chose to ‘Be All They Can Be’ and serve in today’s Army,” he said. “Soldiers and their families have been a top priority over the past 30 years, and I look forward to working with the Secretary of the Army to tell the Army’s story to residents of Vermont.”
Susan L. Malone, CASA for Nevada, is a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel with over 40 years of extensive public, private and government service. Her extensive career includes service as human rights adviser to the government of Haiti’s Minister of Justice, senior international law and justice program adviser, adviser to the government of Iraq’s Commission on Public Integrity, and special adviser to the CPI Anti-Corruption Unit in Baghdad, Iraq, where she served as the principal senior adviser to the Ministers of Interior and Defense. Malone was selected as one of the first two female special agents in the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1972-1979.
“I am honored and grateful to be given the opportunity to assist the Army by supporting the men and women and their families who serve our great nation and Nevada,” she said. “I look forward to working with the secretary to showcase and enhance the role of the Army in Nevada.”
Logan O. Morris, CASA for Louisiana (North), is a fourth-generation insurance agent and realtor from Leesville, Louisiana, the home of Fort Johnson. He is currently serving as the CEO of the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce. Morris served as president of Louisianan Realtors in 2019 and as the Region 10 vice president of the National Association of Realtors in 2022. He is a life member of the Association of the United States Army and is a member of the First Methodist Church of Leesville. In his capacity with the chamber, both as a volunteer board chair and now CEO, Morris has worked with the command team at Fort Johnson and leaders at the local, state and national level to improve the entire local community by addressing issues related to economic development, housing, education and spousal employment.
“It is indeed an honor to be appointed to serve Secretary Wormuth and the Army in this capacity,” he said. “I look forward to continuing a personal commitment to improving the quality of life for all Soldiers and their families – past, present and future. Louisiana is fortunate to have been the home to some of the finest defenders of our freedom. I humbly commit my time and efforts in support of the greatest Army in the world.”
Donna A. White, CASA for New Mexico (North), served on active duty in the Army from 1975 to 2001, rising in rank from private to lieutenant colonel. As the daughter of an immigrant, she said she considered it a privilege to serve her country and has continued to spread the word about the military in her professional capacity over the past two decades. White has been a U.S. Military Academy admissions field force member for over 20 years and is now the New Mexico state coordinator for students seeking appointments at West Point. As a college counselor at Albuquerque Academy during the same timeframe, White assisted over 1,000 high school students in applying for, and securing the funding to make college affordable.
“Being an enlisted Soldier and a commissioned officer in the Army changed my life in many important ways,” she said. “I look forward to being a teammate of the secretary as we serve the needs and aspirations of residents in New Mexico.”
CASAs promote good relations between the Army and the public, advise the secretary about regional issues, support the total Army workforce and assist with recruiting and helping Soldiers as they transition out of the military.
Each state, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories have one or more CASAs to provide a vital link between the Army and the communities they serve. CASAs are usually business or civic leaders who possess a keen interest in the welfare of the Army and their communities.
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