The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

Woman of Wilson: Ann Marie Nordgren




Nordgren

Nordgren

Ann Marie Nordgren serves in two capacities at Wilson County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). She is the both the Program Director and Volunteer Coordinator.

“I am responsible for helping to recruit and train new volunteers and serving as a mentor and coach for CASAs as they advocate for abused and neglected children in our community,” she explained.

Nordgren was introduced to CASA in 2013. “I read an article about the superheroes of CASA. Soon thereafter, I started as a volunteer and put my whole heart into CASA work,” she said.

In 2015, Nordgren was selected as CASA Volunteer of the Year and received the Governor’s Stars Award. Two years later, she was a finalist for the Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Award for her work with CASA.

“That same year (2017), Cathey Sweeney, Executive Director of CASA and Diana Haines, Program Director, wrote and received a grant for a part-time coordinator and I was honored to accept the position,” she added.

The most rewarding part of her job is building connections with children and seeing families heal and be reunited. She also enjoys educating the community about the impact CASA makes in the lives of children every day.

“I am a presenter for Tennessee’s Building Strong Brains Initiative and believe it’s important we all understand the lifelong impact of ACES (adverse childhood experiences),” she said. “Ultimately, I would love for our community to become fully trauma informed.”

Nordgren is originally from Columbus, Ohio. She and her husband of 23 years, Erik Nordgren, moved to Tennessee from Windermere, Fla., for his job.

The couple met while attending Ohio State University, where she was graduating with a degree in nursing and he was getting a degree in business.

They have two children: daughter Avery, 21, who is attending Western Kentucky University; and son Brody, 12, who attends West Wilson Middle School.

In her spare time, Nordgren enjoys sporting events, concerts, Burn Boot Camp in Mt. Juliet and spending time with family and friends. She is a member of St. Stephen Catholic Church.

She admires her mother Patricia Thomas and Mother Teresa.

“My mother was also a nurse and I was proud to follow in her footsteps. She leads with faith, love, inclusiveness and demonstrates a sense of service and commitment,” Nordgren said. “She never wavers in her dedication to her family and doing what is right for all people. She is extremely selfless and never afraid of a challenge. She is also a lot of fun!”

Nordgren tries to remember two of Mother Teresa’s quotes, especially in CASA work. They are: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them” and “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.

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