Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits (OKCNP) is celebrating 11 years of Visions Awards (Visions) on November 30, 2021, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Visions honors those who act as agents of change in the community, providing leadership to enrich and enliven those whom they serve.

Casey Bakhsh, LCSW and chief programs officer, Tulsa CARES, will be honored with the Inasmuch Special Recognition Award. The award goes to a nonprofit employee who exhibited excellence throughout the past year. The honoree is a nonprofit practitioner who has worked tirelessly to make a difference in the everyday work of a charitable organization.

“Casey was meant to serve others and was immediately drawn to those affected by HIV/AIDS,” said Kate Neary, chief executive officer, Tulsa Cares. “After graduate level therapy training, Casey interned at Tulsa CARES 20 years ago, served in a variety of direct care roles, and now serves as our chief programs officer. Her quality of work and commitment to the agency and our clients is exceptional.”

Much of the staff at Tulsa CARES has been inspired by her work ethic, compassion and professionalism. She has mentored and supervised many long-term staff members and interns who requested to specifically work for her.

Her dedication expands beyond her work at Tulsa CARES. She serves as a community partner in the fields of social work and public health across the state of Oklahoma. She is a volunteer tax preparer for the United Way, North Tulsa Community Coalition, and chair for the Tulsa Fair Housing Commission.

“I have always been passionate about helping people, and once I made the connection between the selfless commitment of social workers and the tremendous impact of a nonprofit organization, I was all in,” said Casey. “Social workers are like modern-day heroes fighting for causes they believe in and showing up day in and day out to make a difference in people’s lives.”

To learn more about the 2021 Visions Awards, visit the OKCNP Visions Awards page: https://okcnp.org/Visions.