My name is Sterling Wind. I was born and raised in Southern California and graduated from Cal Poly Pomona before moving to Colorado, where I would spend the next several decades of my life. My career began in the nonprofit sector, working in community-based services with people of all ages who live with intellectual or developmental disabilities. I was fortunate to start in direct care—hands-on, meaningful work that shaped how I understand people and the systems that serve them.
Over the years, I moved into leadership roles, managing and developing innovative programs that used technology to support individuals with disabilities in living more independently. That work was deeply fulfilling, and I stayed in the field for 31 years before transitioning into consulting and eventually stepping into retirement.
Retirement for me hasn’t meant slowing down, it’s meant shifting gears. I became a swim instructor and worked as an assistant scuba diving instructor, which allowed me to share one of my lifelong passions with others.
In 2022, life brought me to Billings, Montana. I met and fell in love with a wonderful woman from Billings, and by August, I had made the move. Just a few months later, in December, we got married. We now share a vibrant, active life together. We volunteer locally, take part in charity bike rides, and spend as much time as we can outdoors or traveling. Between us, we have two amazing adult daughters, and we’re lucky to have our parents nearby here in Billings, making family a big part of our everyday life.
I’ve always been someone who believes in leaving things better than I found them. I’ve been fortunate in many ways—through both my upbringing and my professional life—but I’ve never lost sight of those in my community who face challenges and are striving for better. Advocacy and systems-change work have always resonated with me, so becoming a CASA volunteer felt like a natural step.
In June 2024, I completed my training and was sworn in as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. The following month, I received my appointment orders and selected my first case—two brothers, one in elementary school and the other in high school. From our very first meeting, I saw something in them that felt deeply familiar—they reminded me of my younger brother and me.
These boys are affectionate, playful, and deeply bonded. Despite their circumstances, they look out for each other in remarkable ways. The younger one is imaginative, energetic, and doing well in school. His older brother is thoughtful, intelligent, and dreams of going to trade school to become a mechanic after graduation. They inspire me every time I see them.
Although I feel well-trained to become a CASA, with ample ongoing training offered each month, and access to excellent staff and mentors who advise me on navigating the systems as an advocate, being a CASA is both challenging and rewarding. I am genuinely grateful for the experience and patience I have gained while volunteering as a court-appointed special advocate.
