Executive Committee

President

Mildred “Mit” C. Joyner, DPS, MSW, LCSW

Mildred “Mit” C. Joyner, DPS, MSW, LCSW (Pennsylvania Chapter), is professor emerita of social work at West Chester University (WCU) in Pennsylvania. Joyner received a BSW fromD Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and her MSW from Howard University’s School of Social Work in Washington, DC.

Her professional career began at Chester County Children and Youth services as a protective service worker; she was promoted to department head, then legal liaison of the child abuse unit. Joyner later joined the faculty at WCU as an associate professor, where she was elected by the faculty as department chair of the undergraduate social work department. She retired from the university as a full professor, and presently works as a consultant.

Joyner is a member of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, Council on Social Work Education, and NASW, where she recently ended her term as national vice president. In West Chester she serves on the board of directors of Chester County Food Bank and is a bank director at DNBFirst.

President-Elect

Yvonne Elder Chase, PhD, LCSW, ACSW

Yvonne Elder Chase, PhD, LCSW, ACSW, is Associate Professor at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She received her PhD from Norfolk State University and her MSW from Howard University. Her extensive leadership experience at the NASW chapter and national levels included: president of the Alaska chapter, member of the boards of NASW and the NASW Assurance Services, Inc., chair of the NASW National Committee on Inquiry and the Task Force on Professional Review; member of the NASW Foundation Gosnell Memorial Scholarship Panel and the NASW Competence Certification Commission renamed the Credentialing Committee. Currently she serves as board member & treasurer, NASW Assurance Services, Inc. Organizational affiliations include the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice (Formerly American Orthopsychiatry Association), and editorial board for the Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect. Chase has obtained the LCSW in the State of Alaska and holds NASW’s ACSW credential.

Vice President

Debra Faria, LCSW, ACSW

Debra Faria, LCSW, ACSW is Clinical Associate Professor Emeriti at SUNY Brockport where she developed and coordinated the Graduate Certificate in Gerontological Social Work and served in the roles of department chair and field education director/coordinator. She has administered federal, state and foundation training grants focusing on child welfare, gerontological social work, health, and mental health services. Debra has served on several professional and advisory boards including past-chair of the NASW National Committee on Women’s Issues, Division III director on the NASW Board of Directors and past president of the NASW-NYS Chapter of NASW. She also served on the National Advisory Board of the CSWE Gero-Ed Center, CSWE Field Council and board of the State Society on Aging of NY. She is the recipient of several awards and honors including Outstanding HPPAE Principal Investigator Faculty Award from The Social Work Leadership Institute of the NY Academy of Medicine, Social Worker of the Year award from the Genesee Valley Division of NASW-NYS, and Richard and Virginia Eisenhart Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching from Rochester Institute of Technology. Debra currently serves on the CSWE Commission on Accreditation. She earned her MSW from Syracuse University and her BSW from Rochester Institute of Technology. As a NYS Licensed Clinical Social Worker Debra’s clinical and administrative practice is in the areas of gerontological and medical social work

Secretary

Robin G. Arndt, MSW, LSW

Robin G. Arndt, MSW, LSW (Hawaii Chapter), is a coordinator of field and continuing education at the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, University of Hawaiʻi, Manoa. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Arndt is an active member of the NASW Hawaiʻi chapter, where he currently serves as chapter president. He has also held other leadership roles within the chapter, including member-at-large and chair of several committees, including the Continuing Education and Conference Committee. Arndt also serves as a commissioner on the Commission for Membership and Professional Development with the Council on Social Work Education.

Treasurer & Compliance Officer

S. Ryan Estes, MSW, MBA, LCSW, LCAS, CCS

Ryan Estes, MSW, MBA, LCSW, LCAS, CCS is the Treatment Operations Director for Coastal Horizons Center. Estes received his MSW from UNC-Chapel Hill, an MBA from UNC-Wilmington, and a BA in psychology from Wake Forest University. Estes is a licensed clinical social worker and licensed clinical addiction specialist. His work at Coastal Horizons Center focuses on program development, fiscal and policy oversight, and clinical and administrative consultation. Estes oversees $30M of a non-profit budget, his supervisory chain includes over 300 employees and he has successfully added 250 social work positions at his company. Estes is a part-time adjunct faculty for UNC-Wilmington. He is part of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, treasurer for NC Child Board, and a national Protective Factors trainer. He is also a former president of the NASW-NC Chapter Board, the current NASW Board region V director, a member of the NASW national Finance Committee, and a voting delegate.

Director, Region II

Monica Williams Harrison, MSW, LCSW

Monica Williams Harrison, MSW, LCSW, has had 17 years of professional experience in social work, including therapy, teaching, non-profit development, leadership, and management.

Raised in a military family, Monica developed the ability to connect quickly and easily with a variety of people, which has been essential in her career as a social worker.

Professionally, Monica is a consultant for the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association. Through consulting with CFHA and other organizations independently, Monica helps health care practices implement Behavioral Health Integration. Monica is active in NASW and PTA; having served in leadership and stakeholder roles on committees and boards (i.e. NASW PACE).

Monica earned her BS in Early Childhood from UNC-Greensboro. She received her MSW from the North Carolina A&T and UNC-Greensboro Joint Masters of Social Work Program who later recognized her leadership and service with the UNCG School of Health and Human Sciences Alumni PaceSetter Award.

Director, Region V

Alice Kay Locklear, PhD, MSW, ACSW

Alice Kay Locklear, PhD, MSW, ACSW, is Professor and Assistant Chair of the Social Work Department at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. She is the first Native American female in the Department to hold a PhD and is dedicated to the ethical practice of the social work profession. Locklear is a member of the Council on Social Work Education and several other professional organizations. She is enthusiastic about working with diverse populations. The meaning of oppression, minority, and social injustice are reality topics in her work addressing multifaceted social disparities and inequalities. She values social work knowledge and skills coupled with being a Keeper of the Land, as expressed through her commitment and honor to the profession.

Locklear is experienced in clinical practices in mental health and substance use, agency consultation and collaboration, community education and trainer. She considers it a privilege to serve as an advocate in areas such as cultural competence, integration of circular interventions, social belonging practices, and Indigenous Knowledge for the purpose of health and well-being of all. She is active in social work curricula instrumentation and scholarly works, while serving on local, national, and international committees, her most recent appointment being NASW’s National Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity

Director, Region VII

Carol Campbell Edwards, LCSW

Carol Campbell Edwards is Director of the BSW and Professional Development Programs and Assistant Teaching Professor at Florida State University (FSU) College of Social Work. Carol has been licensed for 30 years. She obtained her BSW and MSW degrees from FSU and has over 35 years of social work experience. Edwards chairs the College’s Student Affairs Committee, coordinates LEAD, and serves on several committees. She also serves on the University Foundation Board’s DEI Task Force. Edwards’ experience also includes clinical practice, school social work, and 27 years in child welfare leadership. She is past president of NASW Florida (2018-2020) and chair of the national Council of Chapter Presidents (2019-2020); Statewide Conference Chair; Diversity Task Force Member; and Statewide LEAD Committee. Honors include Professor of the Year and NASW Big Bend Social Worker of the Year. Edwards is a member of Leadership Tallahassee Class 39, the National Quality Parenting Initiative, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Director, Region VIII

Kristi Wood, MSW, CAPSW

Kristi Wood, MSW, CAPSW , is a lecturer and faculty field liaison in the Department of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and a foster parent trainer for the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development system. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. 

Wood has served at the NASW-WI Chapter as branch representative, secretary, president-elect, and president. She has also served as a member of the Legislative/Social Policy and Executive committees. At the national level, she has served as a member of the Child Welfare Specialty Practice Section committee. Wood has worked in the human services and social work field for approximately thirty years, primarily in residential treatment, group home, and foster care environments. Together with her partner, she has fostered over forty sons and assisted many of them in their transition to adulthood. Her foster daughter is a child welfare manager.