Staff Spotlight: Wilbert King, Grants Compliance Specialist

Wilbert King is the Grants Compliance Specialist at Texas CASA, and he began his professional career in the field of Contracts and Grants at the University of Texas at Austin. Wilbert joined the Grants Team at Texas CASA two years ago and describes the Grants Team at Texas CASA as the most effective team from the top down for which he has ever had the pleasure of working alongside. Wilbert’s passions outside of work include smoking meats, cooking in general and mountain biking. His personal philosophies are “hard work pays off” and “life always has a way of working itself out.” He also sincerely believes that he is working for the best employer with the best people in the greater Austin area.

Háblenos de usted y de lo que le llevó a trabajar en el ámbito del bienestar infantil. 

I came out of retirement after working for over 30 years as a Grants Administrator for the University of Texas at Austin to work for Texas CASA. I was motivated by the fact that I have two grandchildren that were victims of abuse, and their CASA volunteer was instrumental in their recoveries. So, when Texas CASA called, I quickly made the association and when employment was offered, I gladly accepted.

¿Cuánto tiempo lleva trabajando para CASA Texas y cómo se involucró en la misión de CASA?

I have worked for Texas CASA since July 3, 2023 and bought into the CASA mission from day one. There is no place that I have ever worked that has a culture as positive and encompassing as Texas CASA. And yet they continue to strive to be even better not just to the communities we serve but also to our local network.

Tell us about your work on the Grants team and your role as Grants Compliance Specialist.

I am honored to be part of the best grants team that I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Our mission from the top down is crystal clear and we learn together as a team to be flexible and to continually improve. As a passthrough entity, we strive to be as informative and efficient as possible for the programs we serve every single day by listening, empathizing and adapting.

How does your personal experience impact your work at Texas CASA? 

At the end of the day my primary focus, no matter the task, has always been efficiency. It’s extremely refreshing to be part of a team that allows me to explore various avenues where we can be more efficient so that we can spend more time assisting our programs with their grant related needs.

¿Qué es lo que más le gusta de su trabajo?

For maybe the first time ever, the answer to that question is simple, my local Texas CASA network is the very best part of my workday. The passion and energy are contagious from leadership down to each team and to each individual team member. So, in a way, since my very first day at Texas CASA each person that I have encountered and continue to encounter are my CASA volunteers.