CASA is happy to celebrate Sam Miglarese at our January Partner of the Month!

Sam Miglarese just retired in December as the Deputy Chief Administrator to the Vice President for Durham and Community Affairs (DCA). He also was the Assistant Vice President of the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership until 2020. Throughout his career, Sam was a strong advocate for the work that CASA does in Durham—he attended open houses, fundraising events, made donations, and advocated for CASA through his work.

Missy Hatley, Senior Director of Mission Advancement at CASA, says, “Sam has long been a friend and advocate for CASA. His support has opened many doors for us, and we wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Over the years, our partnership with the Duke Office of Durham and Community Affairs proved to be essential to our mission. For several years in a row, the Durham Giving Project class at Duke raised funds to support our mission. During peak COVID, in conjunction with the Duke Office of Durham and Community Affairs we received over $47,000 to support our residents with emergency supplies. None of this support would have been possible without Sam Miglarese. CASA is proud to be one of the organizations that Sam’s support made better.

Nancye Bryan is a former CASA Board member also who served with Sam Miglarese for several years on Next Step’s Board. She says, “For 15+ years Sam Miglarese has been a stalwart supporter of efforts to grow Durham’s supply of affordable housing. He has consistently helped to find ways that the Duke University community can be of help. Sam is quite simply one of the best. He has looked for ways to move the system to alleviate the shortage of decent, safe, and affordable housing in this corner of the world.”

Sam Miglarese says, “Affordable housing has been a priority for me and Duke’s Office of Durham and Community Affairs for close to 30 years. I love that CASA has a greater presence in Durham. CASA’s commitments to the great need here is generous and commendable. I am grateful for this recognition especially as it connects me as well to my former work with Next Step Housing. Thank you.”

Thank you, Sam, for your longtime support of affordable housing and your belief in our mission!