Cast, Voting & Judges

Cecilia Albaro, MD
Dr. Cecilia Albaro is a passionate pediatric cardiologist dedicated to advancing heart care for children and families in our region. As a parent herself, she brings a personal touch to her practice, understanding the unique challenges families face. Known for her warm bedside manner and genuine connection with families, Dr. Albaro believes in the power of compassion in medicine. Outside the Children’s Hospital, she is an enthusiastic runner and was a participant and finisher of a national-level triathlon. Her love for adventure has extended to a mission trip to Peru, where the team provided vital cardiac services to underserved communities. With a blend of clinical excellence, a zest for life, and a heart for service, Dr. Albaro strives to ensure every child receives the specialized care they deserve.

Kyle Shradel
Kyle Shradel was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa and began his ballet training under Courtney Lyon at Ballet Quad Cities. Having earned a degree in Computer Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY, and establishing a career as a systems developer, Kyle began his ballet performance career by appearing first in Ballet Quad Cities’ The Nutcracker as a community cast member. Over time, he grew into more featured opportunities such as Drosselmeyer in Courtney Lyon’s The Nutcracker and Dr. Seward in Deanna Carter’s Dracula. He also performed prominent roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Petrushka, Carmen, Peter and the Wolf, and Alice in Wonderland. Notably, Kyle has performed the role of Prince Albrecht in Ballet Quad Cities’ “Ballet Under the Stars” production of Giselle and was cast as the Omnibus Driver in American Ballet Theatre’s traveling production of Whipped Cream at Hancher Auditorium. Since joining Central Illinois Ballet, Kyle has been thrilled to perform in such productions as Jessie Williams’ Sweeney Todd, Cavalier in The Nutcracker, and Hilarion in Giselle. Kyle is honored to be dancing his third season with Central Illinois Ballet, and his second performance for CASA’s Dancing with the Local Stars!

Ashley Broadstreet
Hi, I’m Ashley. I am a new mom chasing after my energetic 1.5-year-old son, Reid, along with my husband, Jordan. Jordan and I met in grade school and have spent more of our lives together than apart. He is an HVAC Technician at OSF; I am an attorney at Heyl Royster. Our free time is limited these days, but we love getting together with family, enjoying the outdoors, and stressing over Chicago Bears games. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of CASAblanca this year! While in law school, I volunteered as a CASA and advocated for four kiddos. Being a friendly face and speaking up for a child when they need it most is bar none. I will never forget those experiences and will always champion CASA and its mission. I hope to play a role in not only raising money but also securing new CASA volunteers – help me spread the word!

William Church
William, a central Illinois native, currently lives in the Chicago-area where he trains full-time as a junior-level pairs figure skater representing Team USA. He has performed locally in Peoria Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, dancing roles such as the Nutcracker Prince, Snow King, and Russian. This is William’s first time participating in CASA, and he is honored to support the work they do.

Mary Burress
Mary, a native of Missouri, has been a Illinois resident since 1975. Raising her family in Pekin she started her career in local government in 1984 as a clerk at Tazewell County Treasurer’s Office, one of the largest downstate counties in Illinois. Working her way up from clerk, Chief Deputy Treasurer to in 2010 she was elected Tazewell County Treasurer serving until retiring December 2022. Also holding the position as Chief Investment Officer for Tazewell County. In May 2023, Mary was elected Mayor of the City of Pekin. A position she currently still holds. Mary attended Illinois Central College and has serves on many committees within Tazewell County. Presently she is a Pekin Rotary Member, past board member of the Salvation Army of Pekin, served as Treasurer of the Altrusa Club and the past President of the American Businesswomen’s Association of Pekin. Mary also served as an elected Trustee for Cincinnati Township. Past member of the Illinois Treasurer’s Association and a current member of the Illinois Mayor’s Association. With the passing of her husband, she and her family reside in Pekin Illinois.

Mike Hinchman
Mike Hinchman, a former Caterpillar facility, design engineer and Illinois Central College, adjunct physics instructor, began ballroom and Latin dancing during the disco era under of the direction of Don Caldwell of the HUB Edelstein ballroom and Peoria’s Arthur Murray dance Studio. This is Mike’s ninth year as a dance coach / instructor for Casablanca!??? (He put a question mark there because he can’t believe it). He said, “It’s been a lot of fun over the years and this time is no exception. My partner, Mary Burress, is showcasing her first time ever to ballroom dance. We plan to show you some cool dance variations of Night club two step and Latin hustle with a short segment of west coast swing. Mary has worked very hard. Believe me – she’s earned her license to ki**, uh…dance. We hope you enjoy it.”

Will Grant
William Grant is a graduate of North Carolina University and the co-owner of Sun Collectors and Oasis Electric. He has been in business, helping Central Illinois families and companies create a brighter and more sustainable future since February of 2019. William loves this community and has very strong ties within it. He is extremely passionate about CASA and the work that is being done for the children through them. William supports several other civic organizations within the community. A few of those organizations include: The Peoria YMCA, The Center for Prevention of Abuse, The Children’s Home, CEO Council, Big Table, Founder of Merry and Bright Christmas, and Founder of Tipping Big. Some of his interests include: aquaponics, renewable energy, art, and music. Sun Collectors won the Best of the Best Community Choice awards in 2023 and has been nominated in the top three again this year. William was awarded the Above and Beyond award from the Peoria Chamber of Commerce and is an active member in all the Chambers of Commerce in Peoria and surrounding communities. William is excited for this opportunity to show his support for such an amazing organization.

Wisnu Meier
Life is meant to be lived well, yet it presents constant changes and challenges which can cause us to feel overwhelmed. Whether you are seeking relief from stress, depression and anxiety, trying to resolve some relationship issues, or understanding your children’s concerns, I can help. If you have experienced a loss and would like to take the journey toward recovery so you can experience joy again, I can help. With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness techniques and Writing for emotional healing, I will help you find the path to inner peace. I use a ‘whole person’ approach in my sessions, which addresses mental/emotional, physical, social/relational, and spiritual (non- religious) aspects. Together, we will draw out and develop your personal strengths so you can live your life to the fullest despite past traumas, unhealthy habits, or negative thought patterns.

Christopher McCall
Mr. McCall is the owner of McCall Law Offices, P.C. and Halliday McCall and Yeni’s Palarte. He was rated by Super Lawyers Magazine as one of the top 5% lawyers in the State of Illinois each of the past four years. Mr. McCall is a Board Member for Art Inc.. He is the founder of Order in the Court!, a program that teaches 5th – 8th graders trial advocacy skills. Mr. McCall is a member of the Character and Fitness Committee Member for the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar, which vets aspiring attorneys who wish to practice law. Mr. McCall is also a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Advisory Council for Bullying Prevention program. Mr. McCall has also been involved in local politics.

Rachel Kocher
Rachel Kocher has been performing almost her entire life. She started voice lessons when she was 3, dance lessons when she was 4 and was performing on stages by 5. She is very active in the Peoria theater community. Just this year she played Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde” at Corn Stock Theatre, Ariel in “Footloose” at Peoria Players Theatre, and Co-Directed “The Little Mermaid” for Community Children’s Theatre. Rachel is currently a student at Aurora University. She also coaches gymnastics, tumbling and ninja classes at Jump Start Plus. She is so grateful to participate in such a wonderful and impactful event!

Nicole Meyer
I am a Peoria native and Richwoods High graduate. After RHS, I attended UIUC and DePaul University College of Law. I subsequently worked in Chicago before returning home with my husband, Louis, in 2011. I am currently Assistant General Counsel for RLI Insurance Company. Louis and I are proud parents to Ophelia (10) and Milo (7). In my spare time, I love traveling (especially to a Taylor Swift concert) and cheering from the sidelines at tumbling meets and soccer games. I enjoy giving back to the community that has given so much to me, having served on the Boards of various local organizations. And even though I had not dusted off my dance shoes for 25 years, I was honored to agree to do so for CASA. As an attorney, I have witnessed the importance of advocacy for children in the court system and am supportive of CASA’s worthy mission.

Tyler Smith
Tyler W. Smith received his Bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2007 and is currently working for NYU Langone Health, based in Manhattan, New York, as an Epic Radiology Applications Analyst. He has had the pleasure of working and collaborating with dance companies such as ATREK Dance Collective (St. Louis), MADCO (Modern American Dance Company, St. Louis), and has studied under choreographers that include Germaul Barnes (Bill T. Jones Co.), Michael Thomas (Movement Activities Aerial Dance.), David Covey (Ohio State University), Jean Pierre Bonnefoux (North Carolina Dance Theatre), Bebe Miller (Ohio State University), Rachael Murray (Mark Morris Dance Group), and Aaron Henderson (STREB Co. Brooklyn, NY). Tyler has taught in Midwest universities and studios including University of Missouri-Saint Louis, Saint Louis University, Miss Laura’s School Of Dance, Jennifer’s Dance Center, Center Of Creative Arts (COCA) in Saint Louis, and is currently teaching Advanced Jazz at the Peoria Ballet Company. This is Tyler’s 7th year contributing to CASA as a choreographer and is ever grateful for the opportunity to support an amazing organization.

Kevin O’Brien
As a dedicated father of two sons, Collin (26) and Shane (23), and a loving husband to my wife Kathy for 28 years, I recently transitioned from a fulfilling 36-year career at Caterpillar, where I served as Vice President of Digital Supply. Now, I channel my passion for creativity and innovation into managing Piece of Mind Marketing Inc., a boutique Marketing firm I co-founded with Kathy. My interests include music, photography, and video production, and I stay active through weightlifting and cycling. Our family’s three-year adventure living in Belgium fostered a deep appreciation for history and travel, pursuits we look forward to continuing in the coming years. The CASA event marks a significant return to performing arts for me after a long hiatus. Since moving to Peoria, I have been involved in five theatrical productions at the Peoria Players, and I am enthusiastic about contributing to this wonderful cause and supporting the community through this event.

Janelle Bean
I have a Mechanical Engineering degree from Bradley University and work for Caterpillar as a Validation Engineering Team Lead and Project Planner. I enjoy a wide variety of hobbies, most of which involve being rather active: Horseback Riding, Hiking, Sports, etc. I also enjoy music, reading, and board games. Three and a half years ago I joined some friends taking an East Coast Swing dance class. While I didn’t have the natural grace you often expect in dancers, I actually picked up the steps rather quickly. I started learning many of the various ballroom, swing, and Latin styles of dance and soon became hooked on social dancing in general. I now enjoy helping others learn to dance whenever I can! My motto is “I can learn to dance, so can you!”