2018 CSWE Election Candidate Statements
The 2018 CSWE election is scheduled to open on Monday, April 9, 2018. Ballots will be sent to full eligible members via e-mail.Please send questions about the election to [email protected].
Nominees for Board of Directors
Chair-elect
William B. Pederson, Northern Arizona University, YumaI am running for the chair-elect position on the CSWE Board of Directors to promote greater understanding of social and economic injustices occurring throughout the US, particularly along the US-Mexico border. I am a gay, Caucasian, male, living and teaching social work in the border region. Ninety-five percent of my students are Hispanic, speak English as a second language, experience structural and social oppression, racism, and discrimination every day of their lives. The current political climate reinforces many discriminatory policies that adversely affect them.
I bring proven leadership skills as demonstrated by my current term on the CSWE Board of Directors, serving on the CSWE Executive Committee and chairing the CSWE Awards Committee. I also served as a CSWE site visitor. I am also a founding co-section coordinator for the social work track at the Western Social Science Association. I have 22 years emergency room practice experience. My greatest contribution to the profession and my 18 years of teaching is that I developed the first and only undergraduate social work program in the US focusing on US-Mexico border issues and populations. My leadership successfully guided this program through the CSWE accreditation process.
My vision for CSWE and social work education is to be more proactive in bridging the micro and macro practice divide to advocate more effectively for our students and client systems. My practice experience and teaching along the border have proven if there is one client, there are usually several hundred more clients requiring the same or similar intervention. Our profession has an ethical responsibility to respond to all practice levels regardless of specialization or practice orientation and I live that model.
Thank you for considering me for this honor to serve CSWE and you, my peers.
Saundra H. Starks, Western Kentucky University
At this critical time in the history of CSWE, leadership that can bring a uniting and stabilizing force is required. I welcome the challenge to bring my experience, vision, passion, integrity, and ability to work across levels and factions for the overall mission of the organization. Having this opportunity to engage in shaping the collective national agenda, addressing the challenges, and maintaining the stability of social work education would be such a privilege.
I have a demonstrated record of collaboration, innovation, advocacy, and leadership in the profession. I currently serve as vice-chair/secretary of the CSWE Board of Directors and have served on the CSWE National Nominating Committee, the CSWE Council on Women and the Diversity Council. I was a former Board secretary for two terms on the National Association for Social Work Boards (ASWB) and also served on the National Board for NASW. On the NASW Board I chaired the National Committee on Race and Ethnic Diversity, which developed the Standards for Cultural Competency for the profession. Not only would I bring a diversity of leadership experiences, a belief in inclusion and collaboration, but also an energy for working with the complex issues that we currently face in social work education.
I envision CSWE as the continued leader and partner in promoting the development of academic programs of excellence that produce outstanding future social work practitioners, policy makers, researchers, and scholars. We must continue to collaborate with other professional associations to create a stronger voice for the values of the profession and the promotion of social justice. In addition, I want to see CSWE be proactive in response to the challenges in social work education by strengthening competencies and applying strategies necessary for a viable future while bridging the gaps that exist across continuums of micro to macro practice.
Vice Chair/Secretary
Jorge Delva, Boston University (MA)I do not disagree with those who say these are “challenging times”; however, I know of no times when there haven’t been “challenging times.” Today’s challenges are just another manifestation of the ugliness humanity has had to fight against to make social progress. As social work educators, I know we do not take lightly the responsibility of educating the next generation of social workers and our fight for social justice. Thus, my interest for serving as a member of the Board of Directors in the capacity of vice-chair/secretary stems from my desire to contribute to CSWE’s initiatives to helping our social work programs provide the highest quality of education to prepare the next generation of social justice fighters. There, I said it. Unambiguously, my vision for CSWE and social work education is to prepare “social justice fighters” at all levels – micro, mezzo, and macro.
My experiences as member of CSWE’s Commission on Membership & Professional Development, fellow of CSWE’s Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), and president of the Association of Latina and Latino Social Work Educators (ALLSWE, Inc., 501c3),
have provided me with a substantial understanding of the strengths and challenges CSWE, schools and programs, and individual members experience nationwide.
I hope to use this knowledge along with my managerial, administrative, and leadership experiences to listen to our membership to inform my work with CSWE. As a SSWR board member and dean of BU’s SSW (hence NADD member) I have the additional opportunity to serve as a bridge between CSWE leadership and our schools along with our premier research organization, SSWR. I am committed to creating more partnerships as these will strengthen us all to better face today’s challenges.
It would be both an honor and privilege to serve the membership in this capacity. I sincerely thank you for your consideration.
Hilary Weaver, State University of New York, University at Buffalo
CSWE is my membership organization and I am committed to serving and having an opportunity to shape it. I have served on the Commission for Diversity and Social and Economic Justice, Commission on Professional Development, Publications and Media Commission, Commission on the Role and Status of Women, and Faculty Development Program Planning Commission. I have also been a Track chair and served on various CSWE review panels and task groups.
I have a demonstrated ability to listen to various perspectives and facilitate conversations among people with divergent viewpoints. I can bring forward constituent voices on membership concerns and organizational direction. I have demonstrated strong leadership skills on local and regional agency boards, professional associations (including serving on Idaho NASW and National NASW Boards, and as president of the Indigenous and Tribal Social Work Educators’ Association), and in academia (as coordinator of an undergraduate program at University of Idaho and associate dean for academic affairs at University at Buffalo).
CSWE and social work education must be responsive and demonstrate leadership in a changing social and political environment. We must be inclusive of diverse students, staff, and faculty. We must clearly articulate our professional values and stance as the preeminent profession committed to addressing long-standing issues like social justice, poverty, and inequity and embrace a bigger role in emerging areas like disaster relief and trauma-informed care. CSWE can build on organizational strengths including leadership initiatives and accreditation standards that incorporate diversity, ethics, environmental justice, interprofessional education, and technology. CSWE can cultivate an inclusive climate where educators from small and large institutions, research intensive and teaching focused programs, all feel welcome and can have their voices heard. I believe in helping CSWE be an engaged, committed, diverse voice for social work education in an ever-changing and challenging social environment.
Graduate Faculty Representative (Open Position 1 of 2)
Anne E. Fortune, University of Albany, State University of New YorkThe social work profession faces challenges including national undermining of social supports and the values of the social work profession; advocating for and delivering better services for problems such as addiction; combatting increasing income and health disparities; maintaining the quality of professional education; and improving our knowledge of competence and service. CSWE provides leadership through its advocacy, commitment to quality education, and support of individual educators and programs. I believe I have experience, vision and skills to contribute to an effective Board of Directors as CSWE tackles these challenges.
As a social work educator and member of CSWE for more than 30 years, I was a site visitor and a member of the Board, of the Publications Committee, and of the Commission on Educational Policy. I am also active in NASW and SSWR and am especially interested in opportunities for collaboration. I have taught and been an administrator at BSW, MSW, and PhD levels, in public and private universities. I am an active scholar, particularly around field education. I was editor of Journal of Education for Social Work (CSWE) and Social Work Research (NASW). My publications include co-edited books Multicultural Issues in Social Work, Aging and Social Work, Qualitative Research for Social Work (2nd ed.), and Social Work Practice Research for the 21st Century.
My attributes relevant to the CSWE Board of Directors include a broad perspective on social work education and on challenges facing higher education, as well as on challenges facing individual educators and programs. I believe in focused, goal-directed agendas (and meetings) while including all participants and establishing a sense that all viewpoints are considered even when consensus is not achieved. With my experience, I believe I can represent graduate faculty while also considering the needs of both individual faculty and programs at all levels.
Maria R. Vidal de Haymes, Loyola University-Chicago (IL)
It is a tremendous honor to be nominated to serve as a graduate faculty representative for the CSWE Board of Directors. I am eager to have an opportunity to give back to an organization and profession to which I am deeply committed and that have been so influential in my development.
I am currently a professor of social work at Loyola University Chicago, where I teach baccalaureate and graduate level courses in social welfare policy and migration. I also coordinate a migration studies in social work sub-specialization and several migration focused immersion courses and international field internships. The focus of my teaching, and professional service in general, has related to issues of poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. I am also the co-editor of the Journal of Poverty, and serve on several advisory boards of international and local advocacy and service organizations focusing on immigrant and internally displaced populations.
I am a 1991 alumna of the CSWE Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) and since 2001 have served on the MFP Advisory Board. I have also been a social work educator since 1992. Over this time I have witnessed a tremendous arc in the progress of our profession and feel that we are at a pivotal moment. We are currently facing tremendous challenges, such as growing income and wealth inequality, political polarization, racism and xenophobia, and a retrenchment of government investment in its social institutions and citizenry. As a social work educator, I am committed to working to address these challenges through our professional education, advocacy, policy, and intervention efforts.
Graduate Faculty Representative (Open Position 2 of 2)
Vanessa Robinson-Dooley, Kennesaw State University (GA)I have been an active member of CSWE since my doctoral education days. I am currently nominated for the position of graduate faculty representative on the Board of Directors because I want to continue to assist with development of policies that influence social work programs. As the accrediting body and the primary resource bank for social work programs, I want to invest my time in working to advocate for the needs of these programs and assist with ensuring they have access to current information. It is through this information that we can assist them with meeting any programmatic, teaching, and research needs. I am currently the (outgoing) co-chair of the Council on Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Diversity (CRECD), an accreditation site visitor, a member of Black Educators, and an MFP alumna. I believe my skills of organizing, ensuring everyone has a “voice,” and my ability to work with multiple interests, make me ideal for this position. I believe we can accomplish much through collaboration and open discussions. My vision for CSWE is continuing to support the work of the council in “promoting faculty development, engaging international collaborations, and advocating for social work education” (CSWE Mission) with a goal of inclusiveness of those who want to have a voice in the direction of social work education. CSWE has actively worked to do this and I want to continue to support this and be a part of the changes and improvements that can result from these efforts. I have demonstrated my commitment to CSWE in the multiple roles and memberships I have held. I hope that I will be given the opportunity to continue this work as a graduate faculty representative.
Beverly Sealey, Simmons College (MA)
I am running for the faculty representative position (2) of the CSWE Board of Directors because I would like to give input and provide leadership and direction in the profession as a faculty representative. With the advancement in technology today, the current political climate in the country facing our clients and communities we serve, and the impact these changes will have on the profession, it is important to have input from faculty on the educational policies, practice, and ethics for the future direction of the profession.
My profession experience in leadership and management in social welfare private and public agencies, an educator, a member of CSWE Commission on Global Social Work, a member of agency boards of directors, a three-time elected member of the National Association of Social Workers Massachusetts Chapter Board of Directors, a two-time elected member of the delegate assembly, and a student member of the NASW Board, I believe I will bring leadership skills, experience, and knowledge to the role of faculty representative to the CSWE Board of Directors.
If elected, my role as a faculty representative would be to contribute to and help facilitate the growth of the Council and the direction of education in social work profession at the bachelor and master’s level, and to be a voice for the larger community both locally, nationally, and internationally.
My vision for the Council is to see the organization continue to grow in its membership of faculty, practitioners, and students who are representative from all racial, ethnic, sexual, religious, socioeconomic status, from diverse countries. We need to continue to assess, monitor, and promote the global challenges, and ensure that schools incorporate course content that mirrors current challenges and content on inclusiveness. Field education must become a cutting-edge service.
Undergraduate Faculty Representative
Lisa E. McGuire, James Madison University (VA)I am running for the CSWE Board of Directors, representing BSW programs, as I believe that it is important to have a seasoned perspective on undergraduate education in our professional organization. Throughout my twenty-five years as a social work educator, I have been involved in teaching groupwork, practice and field seminars in the BSW curriculum. I began my academic career as a field educator, supervising students in public housing. Since 2010, I have served as leader of BSW education in two universities – one in an urban environment, and one in a rural community; one as a stand-alone program and one as part of the continuum of BSW-MSW-PhD education. I also developed a Title IV-E partnership grant, working to expand opportunities for BSW level students in public child welfare. I have served as a site visitor since 2005 and was appointed to the CSWE Council on Practice Methods and Specializations in 2011, becoming the chair in 2013. I worked hard to ensure that BSW education was represented in the efforts of this council, amending the charge to better reflect the needs and concerns for social work practice at all levels. As chair, I served as a representative to the Commission on Educational Policy, which was debating the changes for the 2015 EPAS. I again worked to champion BSW programs in consideration of the expectations for curriculum and assessment. My diverse perspectives and experiences will allow me to represent a wide range of concerns for BSW programs. BSW education is vitally important in serving our most vulnerable populations. I believe BSWs are underutilized, particularly in our health and mental health systems. I am committed to voicing the many strengths and opportunities for BSW programs in preparing competent practitioners for the demands of the twenty-first century.
Andrea G. Tamburro, Indiana University, Northwest Campus
As a candidate for the undergraduate faculty representative on the Board of Directors, my vision is to provide an effective social work foundation. Developing social work education that prepares diverse students to be effective social workers is my ongoing purpose, interest, and challenge. The best way to build diversity is to support all students, including the underprepared who could make effective social workers.
Some future challenges our graduates will face are unknown; therefore, demonstrating competence in social work is essential. Having taught across the curriculum, I believe we need to prepare our students to be open to societal changes, a sustainable future, while not forgetting the past. We need to stay relevant by embracing interprofessional client-centered services and effectively address the many societal challenges. In this political era, social workers need to develop a long-term view of progress and address the many challenges, as we always have, with skill, hope, persistence, and ingenuity.
I have developed a BSW program as chair of a rural program seeking initial accreditation. Since then I have taught social work on two American Indian reservations and provided consultation to a third. I developed two online programs and taught in Canada. More recently, as a BSW program director at Indiana University, I helped develop BSW programs on two campuses. As chair of a multi-campus BSW curriculum committee, I negotiated extensive changes based on EPAS 2008 and 2015. My site visitor experience has broadened my perspectives on BSW education. I am a member of the Indigenous and Tribal Social Work Educator’s Association (US) and the Indigenous Social Work Educators’ Network (Canada).
My research focuses on developing effective writing supports for underprepared students and on integrating Indigenous content into the social work curriculum. My skills include explicit and implicit curriculum development, BSW program development, student support, faculty mentoring, and administration.
Practice Representative
Joel Rubin, National Association of Social Workers - IL ChapterI currently serve as executive director of the National Association of Social Workers Illinois Chapter (NASW-IL). I work with and have regular contact with the 17 Illinois schools of social work, their faculty and their students. That contact includes regular visits to present on a wide range of professional issues including social work licensure, career planning, legislative and social policy advocacy as well as bringing together 1,000 social work students to the Illinois state capital for our annual Social Work Advocacy Day. I also serve as adjunct instructor at Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work (since 2004) and the University of Illinois at Chicago Jane Addams College of Social Work (since 2001), teaching a range of policy, leadership, and professional development, and macro-practice courses. This collective experience has provided me with a strong understanding of the importance of advancing quality social work education, a major pillar of CSWE’s work.
I have successfully led not-for-profit organizations for over 20 years developing volunteer leadership and have a strong track record of working successfully with boards of directors, as well as networking with a wide range of human service organizations, state governmental entities and coalitions.
The major motivating factor in seeking this board position and my vision for social work education is to work toward aligning the social work job market and what is being taught and imparted at schools of social work. As a profession, it is crucial that we ensure a strong workforce that will be able to deliver services in a very fluid and sometimes volatile environment. I have invested considerable time and effort in working with employers to examine what competencies and skills are required for the new social work job markets and how we can strengthen the connection between schools of social work and employers.
Cole Watt, Stages of Recovery, Inc. (TX)
Education has always seemed to come naturally to me. I enjoy the atmosphere of the learning experience and feel strongly about others participating in the experience as well. I am particularly interested in increasing male involvement in the field of social work. As a male social worker, I was typically one of the only, if not the only, male in a class of women. While this has its advantages, it was also discouraging for a field that places such high focus on diversity and inclusion. My self-confidence will make me an active participant in the process without much learning curve. I also bring multiple perspectives as one of many skills. As a recently former student, current practicing clinician (group, individuals, families, EMDR, etc.), and executive level supervisor for an agency, I bring value to the CSWE Board of Directors.
Nominees for National Nominating Committee
Graduate Program Representative
Val Kalei Kanuha, University of WashingtonI am interested in serving a leadership role at CSWE because I believe I can offer a unique contribution toward social work education from my long history as a practicing social worker, scholar and teacher. After receiving my MSW in 1975, I practiced in the fields of community health/mental health, HIV/AIDS and violence against women for almost 20 years before returning for my PhD in social welfare. After completing my PhD, I was a tenure-track professor in social work and sociology at the University of Hawaii. I was honored to serve as a scholar, educator and community advocate for 20 years in my birthplace and homeland of Hawaii, before accepting my current position as an administrator in field education at the University of Washington. From my extensive experience over the past 40+ years, my career has spanned an equivalent commitment to social work professional practice and social work education. I believe this background brings a unique perspective on the necessary and emerging skills, values, principles and ethics that underlie both training for professional social work practice, as well as competencies for social work education. As a Native Hawaiian-Japanese American, lesbian-feminist activist, researcher and teacher, I know the significance of representation in the field and the academy. I am dedicated to the core mission of professional social work, and also know that respect and regard for our discipline require a love of social justice, equity and diversity as the result of deep, sustainable anti-oppression work. I hope to be part of that vision for social work education through my role on the Nominating Committee of CSWE.
Sudershan Pasupuleti, University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley
I have been a proud member of the Council on Social Work Education. Since my first APM at Denver in 2001, I attended most CSWE conferences, reviewed proposals and presented at the APMs, chaired the sessions, and served as site visitor and am currently serving on the National Taskforce on Licensing and Regulation. I learned so much from my colleagues at CSWE and gained a lot from the CSWE organization which has now become a part of my identity. I strongly feel that it is my turn to give back to my colleagues and this esteemed organization so that the next generation of social work educators can benefit from it. I am excited about the possibility of assuming a significant role at CSWE and am equally confident that I can make a difference in leadership circles of CSWE by serving on the Nominating Committee or Board of Directors.
I would bring my professional knowledge and skills accumulated over 30 years to this position and can contribute to the success of CSWE in its defining moments of future social work profession in a tough and competitive macro environment. As a macro practitioner I learned over the years how negotiation, creating opportunity for collaboration and partnership-building could be effective tools for game-changing and success. I bring my blended experience as social work educator, researcher and practitioner over 28 years in the United States and in India to the table. I am highly adaptable to different demands of my role and the CSWE organization.
CSWE should spearhead the cause of social work education and profession by improving the standards and professional training. CSWE needs to emerge as a tough negotiator in the highly competitive and challenging environment in order to serve our clients and client systems in the United States and across the globe.
Graduate Faculty Representative (Open Position 1 of 2)
Henry W. Kronner, Lewis University (IL)I am honored to have been nominated as a candidate for the National Nominating Committee as Graduate Faculty Representative. I have a strong commitment to advancing the education of social workers, and would welcome the opportunity to serve in the position. I will continuously strive to develop relationships with faculty members and administrators representing many diverse positionalities in order to ensure that the CSWE Board of Directors reflects the diversity of its membership.
In my roles as educator, site visitor, and member of the Council on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (CSOGIE), I believe I bring extensive experience to this position. As an educator I have held several university leadership roles: Chair of the Institutional Review Board and the Graduate Affairs Committee, and a member of the Faculty Personnel Committee (reviewed faculty for promotion and tenure). I have been a site visitor since 2010, and have conducted nine site visits. These visits have allowed me the opportunity to meet with administrators and faculty members to learn about the needs, challenges, and strengths of social work programs, and also to develop relationships with colleagues across the country. As a member of CSOGIE for the past three years, I took leadership roles: organized mentoring breakfast, contributor and reader/editor for an upcoming document of case studies for affirmative social work practice with the LGBTQ+ communities, and planner/fundraiser for next APM.
My vision for CSWE and for social work education is that we continue to assess and evaluate our programs to determine which teaching and learning methods are best for the students. We must continue to ensure the quality of social work educational programs and increase engagement with culturally diverse groups.
Karun K. Singh, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
As a professor at the Rutgers University School of Social Work, I feel honored to have been nominated as a candidate for the position of Graduate Faculty Representative on CSWE’s National Nominating Committee. I am running for this position as it will enable me to recommend talented social workers for key leadership positions on CSWE’s Board and board-related committees. Among my 31 years of post-MSW practice experience, I have served previously as Co-Chair of the NASW-NYC Chapter’s Nominating Committee, where I gained valuable experience in identifying and selecting candidates for open board, executive staff, and various other board committee positions such as bylaws revision, conference planning, emerging leaders awards selection, and licensing. Moreover, with 13 years of teaching and research experience under my belt at three graduate schools of social work, I am confident that I will be able to advocate for the issues of greatest importance and concern to graduate faculty and their students. In addition to my skills in strategic planning, diversity management, and mentoring, I have strong networking relationships. These professional ties have been forged over many years through volunteer work on boards and committees, annual presentations at local, national, and international conferences, and academic journal service in editorial and reviewer capacities. Given the range and abundance of direct and indirect network associations, I will be able to easily assist in the recruitment of members for vacant positions. My vision for CSWE in particular and social work education in general is that they should focus on strengthening macropractice training in policy and management for all social work students, concentrate on assuring the outcomes of teaching, practice, and research, and consider ways to collaborate more effectively with professionals from other disciplines and other countries to develop sustainable solutions for complex challenges.
Graduate Faculty Representative (Open Position 2 of 2)
Cristina Mogro-Wilson, University of ConnecticutIt is an honor to be nominated to serve on the National Nominating Committee (NNC) as a representative of graduate faculty. As a Latina social work educator, I am passionately committed to ensuring that all governing members of CSWE represent the diversity of the social work programs, faculty, students and populations we serve. The Board of Directors and the NNC should strive for diversity among its leaders. If elected I will represent the national needs of graduate social work education by voicing the importance of diversity, social justice, and human rights. I plan to utilize my leadership skills in social work education, and as a member from an underrepresented population, to improve the diversity of our leaders in CSWE.
My vision for CSWE and social work education is to support leaders who will address complex social issues, with attention to the political environment, and focus our work on serving diverse vulnerable populations. We should address oppression and inequities that are a part of our global, national, state, and local policies. CSWE leadership should support building the knowledge base with an increased emphasis on evaluation, evidence-based interventions, and process and outcome research.
I have over a decade of experience as a social work educator and researcher in a large public graduate school program. I serve in several leadership positions, including having served as the Director of the Puerto Rican and Latino Studies Project, that provide me the opportunity to network nationally and recruit a diverse group of candidates. I have been attending and collaborating with CSWE and NASW members through the national meetings for over ten years. If elected, I will recruit diverse candidates from within CSWE membership and within my professional networks. My skills are guided by our ethics; I am dependable, dedicated, and value the opinions of my colleagues.
Mansoo Yu, University of Missouri
I am honored to be nominated to serve as Graduate Faculty Representative on the CSWE National Nominating Committee. I am an associate professor at the University of Missouri and have an MSW and PhD from Washington University in St. Louis. I have a strong commitment to preparing the next generation of social work academic and practice leaders for social and economic justice. My expertise in health disparities across various segments of the population in terms of race/ethnicity, SES, and gender frames my work in health-risk behaviors with an emphasis on addictive behaviors and healthy and positive living.
Through my roles as PhD program director and MSW/MPH dual degree faculty advisor at Mizzou, I have extensive experience serving as a liaison between graduate students, faculty, and other administrators. I communicate relevant matters related to graduate education, support students, and contribute to program and policy development and revisions. Some of my activities include the following: revisit and revise graduate curriculum to reflect changes in the social work profession; help students graduate by serving on a considerable number of doctoral dissertation committees both inside and outside the school; facilitate graduate students to engage in professional development activities; develop strategies for graduate student recruitment, monitoring, and advising; and promote faculty members to become graduate and doctoral faculty members. These experiences have provided me with a deep understanding of graduate education and prepared me well to make a meaningful contribution to this position.
My vision for social work graduate education is to help students increase their knowledge and sharpen their skills to become regional and global leaders in multi- and interdisciplinary team settings. If elected to serve, I will bring my commitment and relevant skills to help the committee identify leaders who can advance excellence in social work education, practice, and research. I appreciate you considering me for this position.
Undergraduate Program Representative (Open Position 1 of 2)
Sarah Hessenauer-Bladorn, University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterI am running for the National Nominating Committee representing undergraduate programs due to my passion for social work education, CSWE, and NASW principles and values. Prior to entering the field of social work education in 2006, I had been a social worker in the mental health field. I obtained my MSW in 1991 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I earned my PhD in social work in 2011 from Loyola University of Chicago. My dissertation and subsequent research significantly focuses on social work education. I have been a CSWE site surveyor since 2014. Lastly, I am currently co-authoring social work textbooks. I believe all of these demonstrate my desire to enhance the field of social work education. I have a strong commitment and passion to educate the next generation of social workers.
I have been in leadership roles throughout my social work career. I became a manager at Mercy Health Systems in 1996. Following, I was promoted to the Director of Behavioral Health. I left Mercy Health Systems to become the Director of Residential Services for Rogers Memorial Hospital, a behavioral health hospital. During this time I obtained my master’s in business administration. Currently, I am the program coordinator for the social work program at UW-Whitewater. I have also served on several community boards. My leadership skills include experience hiring diverse personnel, a background in business ethics, and strong communication skills, all valuable skills I can bring to the committee
My vision for social work education is to continue to address inequalities in our world, including empowering others to fight for social justice and positive changes in a complex world. I also will ensure we are adhering to CSWE’s mission of “ensuing and enhancing the quality of social work education for a professional practice.” Thank you for your consideration.
Raymie H. Wayne, University of Saint Joseph (CT)
If elected to CSWE’s National Nominating Committee, I will work to ensure that the ballot includes competent, passionate people that reflect the increasing diversity of our profession. I will be accessible to all who are interested in learning about opportunities to shape social work education through involvement in CSWE. Having recently served on the National NASW Board of Directors, I am familiar with some of the characteristics that will enable candidates to be successful board members, as well as some of the complexities facing our national associations. In electing social work leaders, we must be sure to find people who will stand up for our values, and the programs that serve our most vulnerable community members. As social work educators we must position ourselves as the experts on topics that impact vulnerable populations and speak out accordingly. We must be vigilant that our accredited social work programs prepare graduates who can and will do the same. CSWE has a responsibility to keep social work education rigorous, while also exploring creative ways to increase access to higher education. My vision for social work education includes preparing a diverse group of students to effectively engage in micro, mezzo and macro practice, so that they maintain high practice standards, uphold our Code of Ethics and are the experts that inform public policy.
If selected to join the Nominating Committee, I will bring to the position the skills I developed as a community organizer, program director, actively engaged NASW member and leader at the chapter and national levels, academic department chair, and associate dean of a school of graduate and professional studies, as well as my background in law. In each of these roles, success was dependent upon collaboration, compromise, and staying focused on organizational goals.
Undergraduate Program Representative (Open Position 2 of 2)
Kathi R. Trawver, University of Alaska, AnchorageThank you for the honor of this nomination. More than ever before, we as social work educators face a daily barrage of critical issues and devastating events impacting both our profession and those we serve. A seat on the CSWE National Nominating Committee will allow me to support the important and substantial work ahead by actively engaging and recruiting Board members from the strongest and most diverse, capable, and passionate leaders to develop the necessary vision, guidance, and leadership to respond and carry out the important work that lies ahead for us as an organization.
I have many skills to bring to this position including significant experience serving and leading a variety of state boards, commissions, and coalitions including nominations. Specific to CSWE, I am committed to contributing to the mission of CSWE and have done so in a variety of capacities including as an APM volunteer, proposal reviewer, and Track chair for the disability track (2009 to present). Further, I have served as an appointed councilor for the Council on Disability and Persons with Disabilities (2008–2014) and Council on Conferences and Faculty Development (2014 to present). Most recently, I was selected to serve on a workgroup to develop a curricular resource guide on homelessness.
My vision for CSWE includes bringing a broader variety of voices to the leadership table to more broadly respond to our changing world and in meeting our professional and educational needs. Further, I would strongly support continued initiatives that are responsive to the evolving needs of CSWE membership through innovation and collaboration. In social work education, I view it as imperative that we be effectively responsive to our changing needs, while holding ever true to our professional core values.
Thank you for considering me for this position. If elected, I promise to serve you well.
Suzanne Velazquez, State University of New York at Stony Brook
I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to represent my undergraduate program director colleagues on the Board of CSWE. Overseeing a BSW program with a diverse enrollment of approximately 100 undergraduates at a public, research-focused institution, I believe I have a lot to offer. In particular, I understand the limited resources and changing climates many of our social work programs face while continuing to move our profession and the social work education continuum forward. I am passionate about providing students a quality educational experience that will serve as their foundation and entry into the profession of social work. I have presented on curricular development, particularly in strengthening the integration of human rights, and social, economic, and environmental justice into social work education, at BPD, CSWE, and NASW. I am interested in offering my adeptness at developing community and interdisciplinary partnerships that strengthen social work’s purpose and pave the way for an enlightened public opinion about social work and social work education. I’ve held several leadership positions in a number of organizations I am a member of, as well as within my professional career. In general, others have said of my leadership that I am organized, engage and motivate others well, a “team player” who is more than willing to do anything that I would ask of others, open to new ideas and ways of accomplishing tasks, and inherently believe in the ideology that to be a good leader is to develop leadership in others. I am a social work professional who truly lives and works by our code of ethics and by my personal ethos, “Service to Humanity is the greatest work of all.” I am ready and willing to serve my profession and CSWE, am honored to be nominated, and look forward to representing undergraduate program directors on the Board.