2016 CSWE Election Candidate Statements
The 2016 CSWE election will open April 29, 2016, and the candidate statements are now available for review. Ballots to vote in the election will be sent by e-mail to CSWE members with full membership status. Any questions about the election can be sent to [email protected].
Board of Directors
Treasurer
Scott Ryan, PhD, MSW, MBA
University of Texas–Arlington
I am honored to be considered for the treasurer position. CSWE has a leadership role in strengthening the high educational standards of the profession, as well as in developing the next generation of faculty leaders. Through this, we support the development of practitioners employing evidence-based interventions, as well as increasing the numbers of macro-focused practitioners to influence social policy. We must keep all aspects of the profession strong in order to maintain our commitment to social/economic justice and human rights. I appreciate the chance to support these efforts in such a leadership role.
I am currently the Jenkins Garrett Professor and dean at the University of Texas at Arlington's School of Social Work. In addition to our BSW, MSW, and PhD programs, we also offer minors in Diversity Studies and African American Studies. We also maintain a vibrant program of community-based partnerships supporting innovative research and its translation into policy/practice. I have served in leadership roles as the treasurer and president of the Texas Association of Social Work Deans and Directors, as a mentor for new deans/directors through NADD, as the treasurer of the NASW Texas and Florida chapters, and as a member of CSWE’s Council on Leadership Development.
In addition to my social work degrees, I hold an MBA from Howard University in management/finance. I participated in the Harvard University Institutes for Higher Education and the American Council on Education Leadership Fellows Program, and have earned certificates in integrated university planning through the Society for College and University Planners, as well as in fund-raising management from Indiana University.
I have received funding from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoptions, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, and the David Bohnett Foundation. I have received an Angel in Adoption Award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and an Adoption Excellence Award from the Children's Bureau.
Andrea Stewart, DSW
University of Arkansas–Pine Bluff
I am honored to have been nominated as a candidate for the position of treasurer for the CSWE Board of Directors. I most definitely value the opportunity to serve a second term. My commitment and dedication to social work education has been evident through my participation and leadership roles as a social work educator, administrator, commissioner, site visitor chair, and CSWE Board of Directors member (2003–2006, 2013–2016). Also, I welcome the opportunity to work in collaboration with CSWE’s membership, other board members, commissioners, councils, and staff to promote CSWE’s purpose and mission.
During my term as treasurer, I chaired the Budget Committee and served as a member of both the Finance and Investment Committees working closely with CSWE’s vice president for finance. Significant financial gains were manifested resulting in sound and stable fiscal management. Additionally, I served as a social work program director for 25 years and managed external funding (grants/contracts) secured as a principal investigator totaling over $6.5 million. In my current position as dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, I serve as budget officer for the largest school within the university. There are 10 departments and graduate programs under my leadership, for which I provide budget oversight and assistance.
My vision for CSWE and social work education is that the organization continues to reflect sound financial management and stability, accountability, extraordinary advances in the use of technology, and prudent stewardship which represent critical components for its sustainability. If elected, I will strive to support maintaining the financial stability of the organization in accomplishing its mission and meeting the needs of its members, partners and constituents. Also, I support and will promote CSWE’s vision, mission, and purpose as it is the accrediting body for social work education.
Graduate Program Representative
Alan Dettlaff, PhD, MSSW
University of Houston
I am honored to be nominated to serve as graduate program representative for the CSWE Board of Directors. For the last 6 years, I have served as chair of the CSWE Commission on Educational Policy and led the process of revising the Educational Policy of the 2015 EPAS. This experience gave me the opportunity to meet with deans, directors, and faculty members from around the country to learn about the needs of their programs and the challenges they face. Through this process, I gained a unique understanding of the critical issues impacting the future of social work education, and I hope to use this insight to ensure that social work education is responsive to the growing challenges facing our profession. To advance the future of social work, we must ensure the quality of social work educational programs, respond to the growing diversification of our country, increase engagement of culturally diverse groups, and respond to rising injustices in our society.
I have been a social work educator in undergraduate and graduate programs for the last 15 years and currently have the privilege of serving as dean of the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston. Prior to this, I served on the faculty of the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago and as director of field education at Texas Christian University. I have been an active volunteer with CSWE since 2005, having formerly served on the Commission on Curriculum and Educational Innovation, and the Council on Field Education.
If elected to serve, I bring to this position experience across the continuum of social work education, a history of service and leadership, and the belief that social justice can be a reality. I would be honored to receive your support.
Mary Maurer, MSW
University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign
It is an honor to be nominated for the position of graduate program representative on the CSWE Board of Directors. I have a strong commitment to advancing the education of future social workers and would welcome the opportunity to serve in this position. I feel my extensive experience as a practicing social worker—and, for the last 10 years, as a social work educator—provides me with the experience and knowledge necessary to make a meaningful contribution to this work.
In my role as assistant dean for field education, I have been heavily involved with the implementation and assessment of the EPAS at the graduate level. Additionally, I have extensive experience in the development of collaborative partnerships and currently chair the statewide Field Directors Network. I serve on the leadership team within our school and have been a member of the Curriculum Committee. I have also served on the CSWE Council on Disability and Persons With Disabilities. These experiences have given me a deep understanding of social work education and position me well to take on this role.
In order for future social workers to continue to have an impact, both domestically and globally, their education must provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to be innovators and forward thinkers. My vision for social work education is to prepare students to embody the core values of social work and to do so in such a way that moves the profession forward and allows social workers, both at the micro and macro levels, to have a competitive edge and remain relevant in an ever-changing work environment.
Undergraduate Program Representative
Pamela Higgins Saulsberry, PhD, MSW
University of Louisiana–Monroe
I am honored to be considered for a position on the CSWE Board of Directors. I began my career in child welfare and quickly experienced the importance of policy formation as crucial to social work services. As I matriculated to and through the levels of social work education over 35 years ago (from instructor to full Professor and Program Head/School Director), I recall the disconnect social work students as well as some social work educators had with understanding the importance of policy as driving not only social work services, but social work education as well. I developed a strong desire to not only enhance that knowledge and understanding but also to address that disconnect. As a result, while teaching and administrating the social work program at the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, I have also served on numerous local and state boards and received several awards as recognition for my service, especially to community based organizations and initiatives. I have trained social workers at the local, state and national levels. I have been active in various positions training and directing service and policy development and implementation focused on building understanding so that all parts of a system will understand the role and expectations of the other parts to benefit the collective good.
As a social worker and social work educator who began this journey in Colorado and moved to Louisiana, I have a unique understanding of different worldviews and the importance of understanding the social distance individual worldviews can and do bring to each encounter. I appreciate the responsibility charged to boards to create the structures that will maintain policies and evolve them to address the changing needs of systems in social environments. I am a team player but hold strong to my individual values and ideas. I understand the importance of compromise as a process. I appreciate your consideration of me in this position and solicit your support.
Susan Mapp, PhD, MSSW
Elizabethtown College (PA)
I am honored to have been nominated for a position on the CSWE Board of Directors and, if elected, will be a strong voice in support of baccalaureate education and its place within the broader spectrum of social work education. Recruiting and preparing future social workers through quality education are essential to the profession and viability of social work.
My experiences as treasurer and member of the BPD Board of Directors, as well as program chair for the BPD conference, have enriched my understanding of the needs of baccalaureate social work education and its critical role in the future of social work. I have also previously served 6 years in CSWE governance through the Commission for Global Social Work Education. Through these positions, as well as others I have held on my campus, I have developed strong leadership skills, particularly in strategic planning, curriculum, advocacy, and budgeting.
My extensive experience in the global arena and in human rights, as well as my commitment to social work education, would lend further strength to the voice of baccalaureate social work education on the CSWE Board and policy decisions. I look forward to the opportunity to serve CSWE and the profession.
National Nominating Committee
Graduate Program Representative
Manoj Pardasani, PhD, MSW
Fordham University (NY)
As a candidate for the CSWE National Nominating Committee, I am deeply honored and humbled by this opportunity. If elected, I would like to recruit, nurture, mentor, and empower faculty members from diverse backgrounds to serve in leadership positons at CSWE. It is my belief that by engaging varied perspectives, values, and philosophies of social work education, as well as practice, we can enhance the work of CSWE and strengthen schools of social work. I will strive to develop connections with faculty members and administrators representing a vast array of contexts and positionalities in order to ensure that the CSWE Board of Directors comprehensively reflects the diversity of the CSWE membership. Having served on the Board of NASW (Indiana) and as a president or vice president of several professional associations and service agency boards, I will bring relevant experience, expertise, diligence, and passion to this position. Having served as a practitioner and administrator in the field before moving to academia, I bring a nuanced and balanced view of our field to social work education.
Our social work profession today is experiencing some unique challenges with regard to its relevance, values, societal imprint, and efficacy. Furthermore, the debates about the significance of macro practice versus individual work, policy advocacy, evidence-based practice, specializations in fields of practice and others, end up keeping people working in silos. It is, therefore, an opportunity for our system of education to rise up to this challenge. Generating feedback from stakeholders such as faculty members, administrators, students, and communities about the developments, needs, and changes at the grassroots level, will enable us to make comprehensive, informed decisions about the direction of our field. And engaging diverse perspectives, including voices from marginalized and underrepresented groups, could lead to an innovative, inclusive, effective and transformational model of social work education.
Marilyn Spearman, PhD, MSW
Albany State University (GA)
I am honored to be a nominee for the graduate program representative position. Social work has been a life passion. This will afford me the opportunity to impact the future direction of social work at the graduate level as well as the educational requirements for students and faculty members. I am committed to social work education and practice; hence, I have a strong desire to continue to make a contribution to the profession.
Over 25 years, I garnered experience as an educator, counselor, consultant, and administrator, with a primary interest in the areas of practice and policy. More than 10 years as chair has contributed to my professional growth in knowledge, heightened my awareness of process, and strengthened my leadership skills. Service in the above-noted areas support my continued growth and understanding of issues in social work education.
I have remained an active member of CSWE and BPD over the past 25 years and have been a presenter and convener at both annual conferences. I also served on the APM Planning Committee in 2010 and have served as a CSWE site visitor since 1999. In addition to developing several MSW programs and providing volunteer service to CSWE, I have advocated for social and economic justice in the academic arena, as well as the community. These experiences and skills are vital for addressing issues encountered by the CSWE Board of Directors and will assist in moving CSWE forward to meet the needs of graduate programs.
Undergraduate Program Representative
Karen Bullock, PhD, LCSW
North Carolina State University
I am interested in serving as undergraduate program representative for the CSWE National Nominating Committee (NNC) to provide insight and experience rooted in a range of different experiences and diverse perspectives. I have served as BSW program director, and I am a licensed clinical social worker with more than 20 years of practice experience. My expertise in aging and gerontology research frames my work in mental health disparities and cultural competence.
As a member of the NNC, I will strive to ensure that concerns about the mitigating factors and resources that often challenge small social work programs in our day-to-day efforts to maintain the highest possible quality and standards of education are at the forefront of the work of CSWE. These factors must be addressed to strengthen CSWE’s capacity to provide necessary leadership and direction to its members.
As a member of CSWE and NASW for more than two decades, I have served on numerous boards and committees, including the CSWE Council on Leadership Development and the NASW Committee on Race and Ethnic Diversity; I currently chair the NASW Mental Health Specialty Practice Committee. I am a member of NADD and a Hartford Faculty Scholar. Currently I am a board member for AGE-SW and SWHPN, and am past president of the NASW/Connecticut chapter. My commitment to promoting excellence in social work education through partnerships and collaborations is reflected in the affiliations and involvement in organizations and professional development; and I mentor several junior faculty members and students.
My vision is to promote efforts and activities that support BSW education in areas of diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Strengthening undergraduate education, in these areas, helps to advance the careers of professional social workers. If elected to the NNC, I will bring my experience, skills, knowledge, and commitment to excellence in social work leadership, career advancement, research, and education.
Daria Hanssen, PhD, MSW
Marist College (NY)
I am excited and honored to be nominated as a BSW representative to the CSWE National Nominating Committee. This is an opportunity for me to share my commitment to the profession by assisting in identifying social workers who possess the knowledge, creativity, and leadership to advance the work of CSWE as we nurture the next generation of social work practitioners and educators. My social work career began after completing my MSW at Florida State University. Initially, I worked in outpatient mental health and later as program director of home-based services. My interest in social work education began with the supervision of MSW students. After completing my PhD at Hunter College, I became the director of the BSW program at Marist College. I serve the profession as a board member to three community agencies and site visitor to CSWE. My NASW roles include service as a PACE trustee, delegate to the Delegate Assembly, and Region III representative. I have served as secretary to the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, My vision is that CSWE will continue to advance undergraduate and graduate social work education across all fields of practice and practice methods. Of equal importance is the commitment of CSWE to promote academic excellence and sustain our profession by being responsive to the current needs and trends in practice, policy, and research.
Practice Representative
Kathy Boyd, MSW
NASW–North Carolina Chapter
As a practicing macro social worker, I am honored to have the opportunity to be a formal part of CSWE. I am committed to working with my CSWE National Nominating Committee colleagues to ensure continuation of a well-rounded CSWE Board of Directors. Because of my work as chapter director of NASW–NC, I am very familiar with the role and work of a nominating committee, as well as with the board nominating process and election process.
CSWE must remain strong, visible, and nimble in both leading and working with social work educators throughout the country to ensure that the social work degree remains “the” professional human-service degree. We have a rich and vibrant professional history, but we must ensure that while we stay true to our roots, we can adjust to current and future practice demands.
Joan Zlotnik, PhD, MSSW
NASW National Headquarters (DC)
I would be honored to be the practice representative for the CSWE Nominating Committee. I have more than 40 years of experience working as a social work practitioner, developing community programs for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, directing a regional child-abuse prevention program, and creating Virginia’s first family preservation program. I have taught multiple courses as an adjunct faculty member at the BSW and MSW levels and have supervised many social work students and policy fellows, most recently as director of NASW’s Social Work Policy Institute. For more than 25 years, I have worked in national social work organizations—at NASW, CSWE, and the Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research. Currently, I serve as a consultant to NASW on several projects that regularly interface with social work education. I have an MSSW from the University of Wisconsin and a PhD from the University of Maryland–Baltimore, and I am a NASW Social Work Pioneer.® My work has involved major national initiatives to strengthen the child welfare workforce, to build agency/university partnerships, to link research to practice and policy, to promote interprofessional education, to enhance social work’s research infrastructure, and to enhance gerontological social work.
My national work gives me a great appreciation for the breadth of social work and the many roles that social workers should play in multiple areas of direct practice, in policy, in research, in administration, and in community and organizational change. The roles of social work educators and field instructors are essential to promoting social work excellence and ensuring that the next generation of social workers is prepared to address the many challenges facing our society.
I look forward to serving, helping to identify leaders who can advance social work education excellence in preparing students across fields and methods of practice to be effective agents of change.