A Very Happy CASAversary!
He feels equally at home piloting tug boats as troubleshooting computer systems for federal agencies ranging from the Army Aviation Command to the U.S. Postal Service. And for 20 years, Pat McMackin has also been a critical voice for 17 children ---becoming the one, consistent person these children could rely on.
CASA of St. Louis Case Advocacy Supervisor Mariah Smith says Pat is not only committed but very family-oriented. “He deeply understands how important family connections are.”
One of five children, Pat grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his parents were involved in the community and their church. Pat relocated to St. Charles, MO, to attend Lindenwood University. The private university, founded in 1827, was initially only for women, and Pat was among the first males to attend.
“I was offered a generous scholarship so I ventured west to the St. Louis area,” he recalls. Pat never left—eventually settling down in Richmond Heights.
After earning a degree in sociology and history, his first job involved traveling the Mississippi River. “I spent 13 years working on tow boats moving up the ladder until I was piloting boats when I left the business in 1987.”
Overbuilding plus a grain embargo caused the demand for towboats to drop precipitously, so Pat took an assessment test that showed he had a strong aptitude for biomedical instrumentation and technology. After taking courses, Pat found openings in that field to be scarce so he moved on to computer science. After a stint in a company that closed its St. Louis campus, Pat became a contract employee serving federal government agencies—principally the U.S. Postal Service in downtown St. Louis. “My value has been the breadth of my experience in getting complex systems to play together nicely---to keep data flowing smoothly,” Pat explains.
In 2002, Pat and his wife, a school librarian and former theater teacher, became parents of twin sons. Pat became a member of the booster club supporting high school athletics. Pat coached or helped coach boys in soccer, basketball and baseball until high school. He also served on a Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District technology advisory committee and on committees dedicated to building public support for district tax and bond issues. His twin sons are now in college in Vermont and Kansas.
Mariah says Pat is CASA’s expert on twins with three of his eight CASA cases having involved twin boys.
“Twins can be challenging in some ways,” Pat admits. “You buy different gifts, and one of the boys likes the gift you gave his brother better. But if you get them the same thing, you risk having both boys dislike the gifts.”
Recently Pat brought a single soccer ball and a bounce back net to the boys he currently advocates for. “I was thrilled to see them sharing the ball and enjoying a game of soccer.”
One of Pat’s most memorable CASA cases lasted for 16 years. In all that time, Pat made monthly visits to the foster homes of two boys. Their younger sister was adopted, but while one brother was in placements in St. Louis, the younger brother spent several years in a youth center outside of St. Louis.
“Now closed, the center was a large house where children learned to cook, clean and do laundry—coping skills that kept them focused. Over those years each month, I drove 300 miles round-trip to see the younger boy,” Pat recalls. He advocated for getting therapy and other services for both boys.
The younger sibling—now 26--still meets monthly and talks with Pat long after he aged out of the foster care system. “He ended up leaving residential care and had a foster care parent who worked hard to make sure he graduated from high school,” Pat says. “He has trouble sticking with any job, and he is bouncing between living with his mother and his aunt, but we discuss his future and talk about next steps.”
The one constant in the boy’s life has been Pat, who is now working with 6-year-old twins. Through Pat’s thorough & meticulous advocacy, he observed some anxiety concerns the twins were exhibiting. Pat was able to collaborate with the foster parents and family support team in advocating for the twins to receive play therapy to assist with their anxiety, which they now have in place.
“That kind of attention to detail is typical of Pat, who is so committed,” says Mariah, who began her career as a Case Manager in 2014 with the Children’s Division, Missouri Department of Social Services in St. Louis County. She worked in the state’s Children’s Division in Boone County and at Heart of Missouri CASA, in Columbia, MO, before joining CASA of St. Louis in April 2020.
Mariah adds that given all his experience, CASA is also fortunate to have Pat as a member of the Volunteer Advisory Committee. The Volunteer Advisory Committee serves as a resource to the CASA staff and board by sharing information about the volunteer experience and supporting outreach and community awareness efforts.
On behalf of all of us at CASA, thank you and congratulations to Pat on 20 years of exceptional service!