NASW 2019 National Election Slate

Tawanda Hubbard

Dr. Tawanda Hubbard is a social work educator and practitioner. She is a licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience in child welfare, behavioral health, adolescent and family therapy, case management, and clinical practice. She obtained her MSW and DSW from Rutgers University. She has a postmasters in clinical practice with adolescents from NYU; certified child sexual abuse therapist; and trained in Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR and Family Therapy—Bowen, Multigenerational and Ackerman Relational Approach. Dr. Hubbard received the honor of Outstanding Doctoral Instructor at Rutgers School of Social Work in 2016 and recipient of CSWE Minority Doctoral Fellowship for 2016-2017 academic school year. Dr. Hubbard is a part of faculty at Monmouth University School of Social Work and currently provides family and individual therapy as a private practitioner, provides supervision, teaches part-time at RUSSW, trainer and trains DCP&P Workers (children protection) as part of New Jersey Child Welfare Training Partnership. Dr. Hubbard served as president of the New Jersey Chapter and prior to that, vice president, county unit chair, as well as chair and member on various committees and task forces supporting the chapter and association’s efforts to reach their strategic goals.

Platform Statement:
If elected as president-elect, I plan to utilize my leadership, practice, and academic experience and skills in service of the membership, profession, and association on the national level. I believe in our profession and what we do, I am committed to working smart and hard on our behalf. I plan to work with the national board, staff, and chapter leadership across the nation to strengthen our position as advocates and thought leaders. Addressing social, environmental, and economic injustices negatively impacting social workers and the families and communities we serve. Increasing the visibility of the contributions social workers make in our society. Ensuring our association equips chapters and social workers with the knowledge and tools needed to meet the needs and demands in today’s sociopolitical environment. Continue the efforts across our association to ensure our viability and longevity. Thank you for your consideration, I appreciate your vote.

Mildred “Mit” Joyner

Mildred 'Mit' C. Joyner is a Professor Emerita of Social Work, at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Mit received a BSW from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio and her MSW from Howard University School of Social Work, Washington, DC.

Her professional career began at Chester County Children and Youth services as a protective service worker; she was promoted to department head, and legal liaison of the child abuse unit. Mit 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. Mit retired from the university as a full professor, and presently works as a consultant. Mit is a member of BPD, CSWE, and NASW, she recently ended her term as NASW-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.

Platform Statement:
If elected President Elect, I promise to work diligently on behalf of NASW, members and the social work profession. I will carry out the specific tasks and obligations outlined in the NASW Bylaws in a timely, efficient and ethical manner working closely with the CEO, board, staff and members to strengthen the social work profession for those we serve. A vote for me means that you are voting for a person who has made a lifelong commitment to achieve social, economic, environmental, and political justice for all.  Social work as a profession must be the change agent. The NASW Code of Ethics serves as our moral compass and demands that we bend the arc of justice towards equity. All graduates of accredited social work programs and their social work faculty should be members of NASW. I will work to grow and sustain the membership base of the association. Membership is critical in order to impact the decision makers of those who create legislation. Social workers have an obligation to bring equity to those we serve, we are the voice of those whose voices are often not heard.  We must be advocates at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice.

Jose Ramos, Jr

Jose A Ramos Jr, MSW, is the Director Prevention Department at Children’s Bureau Southern California. Mr. Ramos has worked for Children’s Bureau for the past 24-years and has over 30-years of experience working in the Child Welfare field. Mr. Ramos earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Long Beach. Mr. Ramos is an Adjunct Professor at California State University, Northridge, in the Master of Social Work department and was an Adjunct Professor at Springfield College.

Mr. Ramos has taken on multiple leadership roles some include; Value School Charter Board Member, California Family Resource Association Policy Council Member, NASW Policy Committee, California Citizen Review Member of Child Abuse prevention, and most recently as a Board Member of NASW's California Chapter. Mr. Ramos was born in Ecuador and came to the United States at age 10.

Platform Statement:
As an immigrant in the United States, I am proud to be called a social worker. During the last 30+ years, I have advocated with and on behalf of children in the public child welfare system. For the last five years, I have served as Regional Director for the NASW California Board of Directors. As Regional Director, I helped to increase the number of MSW students who participated in the annual CA Lobby Day event, advocated for title protection, and increased participation in social justice events. I have been a strong advocate for social justice issues in criminal justice and immigration policies. I am the proud father of two children and have lived and worked in Los Angeles County for the past 36 years. It would be my honor and privilege to serve as Secretary of the NASW Board of Directors.

Christina Wong

I have over three decades of social work experience in direct social service, clinical supervision, private practice, social work education, mental health program management, higher education administration, and policy making. I practiced social work in the United States, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. I received my MSW degree from the University of Hull, United Kingdom.

I currently serve as Senior Program Coordinator in Glenn County Health and Human Services Agency. I have a private mental health practice since 2008. I am a three times Governor’s appointee as LCSW Member to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. I worked as the Dean of Student Affairs for Hong Kong Shue Yan College and the MSW Program Coordinator (Hong Kong Program) for the University of Alabama School of Social Work.  I was elected as the Regional Director of NASW California Chapter. I serve on NASW Assurance Services, Inc. as Secretary and Treasurer.

Platform Statement:
At this time of our history, NASW faces challenges similar to other professional organizations. Modernization has been the most recent effort to help with its sustainability. NASW needs leadership that is broad and open-minded, and able to listen to the wide spectrum of opinions, and stay attuned to the needs of members and non-members. NASW also needs leadership that is able to collaborate with the stakeholders of the social work profession. I am a proud social worker who practices micro, mezzo and macro levels of social work. My international social work experiences allow me to relate to people from all walks of life. My abilities to be inclusive, to listen, and to adhere to social work principles help me transform problems to the vision of the future.

Chandradai Chandler

I have been a full-time student since fall of 2017 at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte pursuing majors in social work and sociology with minors in gerontology and psychology, and will be graduating in 2020.  I completed an associate degree in arts at Central Piedmont Community College in 2017, where I held the position of Vice President of Service for Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. I am in the Social Work Honors Program, a member of the Social Work Club, the Community Garden Club, the Sociology Club, the Psychology Club, and I serve as Historian in the Gerontology Club at UNC Charlotte. I just completed a year of employment as an Orientation Counselor (2018 – 2019), with the New Student and Family Services. I currently hold no NASW position, but I am seeking election as the BSW Student Member of the NASW  Board.

Platform Statement:
As a BSW student, I am committed to doing my best to contribute to the mission of the NASW in promoting, developing, and protecting the practice of social work and social workers. I believe that the social work profession plays a pivotal role in effectively making a difference in the lives of others. I would like to advocate for policy changes, and be involved in the creation of new policies for vulnerable populations. I support NASW’s advocacy for affordable health care for all Americans. I have specific interest in representing those who are experiencing mental illness, as well as their families, or caregivers.Advocating for more comprehensive policies for persons struggling with mental health challenges is important to me. If elected to the NASW Board, I hope to work towards social and economic justice for those who are most vulnerable amongst us.

Victoria Gallagher

Victoria Gallagher, AAS, AA, CDCA, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cuyahoga Community College in 2018 with an Associate of Applied Science in Human Services, and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She attends Ursuline College pursuing her bachelor’s in social work. Ms. Gallagher also studied peace and conflict resolution, traveling to Costa Rica as a foreign exchange in the Peace Studies Program. She completed a one year counseling internship at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, Rosary Hall, in chemical dependency and addiction counseling. Accumulating more than 300 hours of volunteer and community service, Victoria has increased her cultural competence and affirmed her dedication to others and the social work profession.

Platform statement:
My diverse life experiences have instilled a profound desire to make a difference in the lives of people who are oppressed, marginalized, impoverished and disregarded. The social work profession continues to face challenges pursuing our goals of social and economic justice. As a student, I am excited to engage with policy and practice-related issues that impact our profession and the communities we serve. As a former military spouse, a mother and family member who has been affected by domestic violence, substance abuse and addiction, I am a strong advocate for children and families. I am committed to sharing my passion for the social work profession and increasing my knowledge and understanding of policy advocacy.

Christine Rine

Christine Rine is a faculty member of Edinboro University’s Social Work Department in the capacity of Associate Professor and MSW Program Director. She received her BSW from SUNY College at Buffalo and MSW and PhD from SUNY University at Buffalo and has held various roles in the NASW NH Chapter including Board Member At Large and Diversity Committee Chairperson.  Dr. Rine contributes to NASW through her ongoing work with Health & Social Work journal serving as a Consulting Editor and Book Review Editor; currently, she serves as Editor-in-Chief. She is a member of the Council on Social Work Education; the Society for Social Work Research; and, the National Association of Social Workers.

My practice experience is broad including work with HIV/AIDS populations, LGBTIQA+ youth, individuals with mental health diagnoses, and within nonprofit program development and evaluation. Likewise, my research agenda spans mental health policy, foster care, mapping, and teaching pedagogy.

Platform Statement:
I have much to bring to the position of Board Member-At-Large as I have come into my current position in social work education from a diverse practice and administrative background. I believe this array of experience has provided me with an encompassing perspective to understand the ever-changing concerns of social workers in various professional settings. Throughout my career, the leadership roles I have fulfilled evolved and grew based on my scope of practice and emergent concerns in my professional communities. Through these opportunities, I continue to advance my reach in supporting the mission and goals of the social work profession, enhance my leadership capacities, and build competence in inter and intra-disciplinary collaboration. Daily, my work reinforces the importance of NASW’s support for its membership and those served by the profession to which I am committed. I seek to further my contribution to this aim. 

Bernadette Seifert

Bernadette Seifert earned an MSW degree from Boston University in 1984 and has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Hampshire since 1988. She is currently the Director of Adult Programs at NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) New Hampshire, and is the social worker for the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program team at the Dartmouth Centers for Health and Aging. 

Ms. Seifert has been a member of NASW since 1986, has served on the NASW NH Chapter Board from 2007 to 2017, and was Board President from 2015 to 2017. She was the recipient of the 1996 NASW NH Chapter Social Worker of the Year Award. She is actively involved in various NASW NH Chapter committees including the NH NASW Continuing Education, Clinical Practice and Aging Committees, is Chairperson for the NH Coalition on Substance Abuse, Mental Health and Aging, and serves on several other state-wide committees and organizations.

Platform Statement:
Having been a member of NASW since 1986, I am well aware and grateful of how the organization has helped me grow professionally, as well as helped the social work profession as a whole become more recognized and highly regarded at a local, national and global level.   While personally interested in issues related to aging and mental health, I also recognize that NASW members serve individuals and groups across the lifespan, addressing a variety of specialized needs in a wide array of settings. As an organization, through the power of advocacy, we need to continue our commitment to supporting individuals and groups that support our work.  We also need to ensure a continuation of the strong standards of our social work profession.  If elected, it would be an honor to serve as a Member-at-Large on the NASW Board of Directors. 

S. Ryan Estes

Ryan Estes, LCSW, LCAS, CCS is the Treatment Operations Director for Coastal Horizons Center. His work focuses on program development, fiscal and policy oversight, and clinical and administrative consultation. Ryan has received over 5 million in grants, added 200 new social work positions at his company, and his supervisory chain includes more than 200 employees. 

Ryan received his BA in psychology and philosophy from Wake Forest University and his MSW from UNC-Chapel Hill. Ryan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist. Ryan is a part-time adjunct faculty for UNC-Wilmington. He is part of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, Trauma Focused CBT clinician, and a national Protective Factors trainer. Ryan serves on the National Family Preservation Network board and is the immediate former state president for NASW - North Carolina. He is a member of the national NASW Audit Committee and a current voting delegate.

Platform Statement:
It is with excitement that I seek your support in being elected the Region V Representative of the NASW Board. As the immediate former NASW North Carolina Chapter President and current elected national Delegate, I have a robust working knowledge of board functions, our current policy statements, and the ongoing needs brought forth during our Modernization and Revitalization Plan. During my tenure as President of NC, the chapter remained financially solvent, retained membership much greater than the national trend, and successfully transitioned to a new Executive Director. If elected, I will be accessible through routine communication with represented state chapter boards and presidents, executive directors and members. I humbly ask for your support in this election by entrusting me with representation of Region V. In return, I will offer to relentlessly pursue the advancement of our profession, listen to your needs, and tirelessly give of myself to a board that I believe is completing meaningful work.

Stanley Remer

Stanley Remer serves on the Adjunct Faculty at the University of Valley Forge teaching courses in Social Work. Remer has over 30 years of experience with the Department of Veterans Affairs in positions of increasing responsibility from Clinical Social Worker to Care Line Manager. He earned a Masters in Social Work at the University of Missouri and a Masters in Health Care Administration from the University of Cincinnati.

In NASW, I have held leadership positions at the state level in three different states (Indiana 1979, Missouri 1991-93 and Virginia 2010-16) and Delegate to Delegate Assembly. I was actively involved with a small group of Kansas NASW members in obtaining one of the earliest multilevel Social Work Licensure laws. From 1983-85, I served on the Kansas Social Work licensure advisory board. In Virginia, I was a member of the NASW Virginia Legislative Committee and obtained social worker “title protection”.

Platform Statement:
If elected as the Region V Representative, my areas of foci on the NASW Board would be: Legislative advocacy and enhancing the public image of social work.  I strongly advocate for social workers to be politically active at the local, state and national levels.  In addition to legislation to strengthen protections for social workers, we need the same vigor to work with other organizations on social justice issues.  I joined NASW as a graduate student and in 2017, received the NASW Virginia Chapter’s Lifetime Achievement Award.   If elected, I will bring to this position a vast array of experience working with other organizations at state and national levels such as: president, Missouri Hospital Social Workers; member, planning committee for three national social work conferences; legislative liaison, AVASW and SSWLHC national Board.  I proudly identify as a social worker and will work through NASW to strengthen our profession.

Sharon Barber

Sharon A Barber earned her masters in social work from Howard University with a focus on macro social work--community, administration, policy (CAP). Barber has more than 15 years experience in advocacy, public policy, project management, program evaluation, and supervision of BSW/MSW students. Barber earned the Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW) credential and gained valuable clinical experience working with adults dual diagnosed with substance use disorders and mental health disorders. She then earned the Masters Level Certified Addiction Professional (MCAP) credential from the Florida Licensing Board and worked as an addictions professional in a Methadone Maintenance Treatment program. 

Barber is the Vice Chair of the NASW-FL Tampa Bay Unit, and the Region 1 Representative for The Salvation Army Florida Divisional Soldiers Ideas, Needs, and Concerns (DSINC) Executive Committee. In that role, Barber represents a group of more than 3,000 individuals volunteering in more than 150 community programs in several counties in Florida. These efforts include organizing trainings and networking/partnering with other organizations to design and implement solutions that punctuate change in their local communities.

Platform Statement:
Many social workers choose to be active in NASW and to pay close attention to the progress made. For example, we are running for and being elected to public offices in increasing numbers; and we are expanding our practice spaces to, more recently, professional sports and talk shows. I feel fortunate to have clinical experience. However, my natural abilities to look for opportunities and solutions from a macro perspective was complemented by earning an MSW from Howard University. It is my honor to give back to my professional association. We must count resilience as a core value and continuously assess our skills of engagement. If elected the Region VII Representative, key outcomes will be to expand our practice spaces by anticipating the next crisis and by unifying colleagues and community in search of consensus as we think boldly to strategize and plan for our long term growth and impact.

Monica Nandan

Monica Nandan is the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Social Impact for the WellStar College of Health and Human Services, and a professor of social work at Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Ga. She has served in leadership positions since 2010 as chairperson and interim dean. She earned her PhD and MSW. from Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla., an MBA (Health Care), from Augusta University, an MBA (Finance) from Institute of Management and Development Research, Poona, India, and a B.Com. (Bachelor of Commerce), from University of Poona, India. She has served on the PACE committee of the NASW-MO chapter for over 4 years, and is a member of the Network of Social Work Management (NSWM) and NASW. She received the Social Worker of the Year award in Missouri.

Platform Statement:
As a social worker with a diverse professional and academic background, I have built partnerships and alliances with various stakeholders around critical issues. I believe that the profession of social work adds more value within the three sectors by leveraging what we do best (building relationships and trust, advocacy) and create social, economic and environmental impact that is measurable. I plan to engage with and understand points of views of social workers from all fields and levels of practice to develop a unified front on critical issues facing America and particularly social workers within Region VII.  I want to represent the voices of the Region VII membership (rural, urban and suburban practitioners) on the NASW Board and advocate for policies impacting the membership.  Finally, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to assist aligning NASW’s priorities and initiatives with those of other social work organizations (academic and professional). 

D. Lynn Jackson

At TCU since 2013, Lynn Jackson is Director of Field Education and Assistant Dean of Strategic Initiatives for Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences.  She currently supervises all interprofessional education and strategic planning for the college.  Jackson attended the University of South Florida (BSW) and Florida State University graduating with her MSW and PhD in Social Work. Licensed as an LCSW, Jackson has worked in numerous practice settings for 30 years.

NASW experience includes work in 2004 as a political field organizer, President of NASW-TX, Chair and member of the National Committee on Nominations and Leadership Identification (NCNLI), Ft. Worth Branch Chair, State Conference Committee Chair, Chair of the State NLIC, branch representative NLIC, and member of the Women’s Issues Committee. A member of NASW and CSWE, she was honored as a 2010 Women’s Health Hero for her 20 year work as an abortion activist.

Platform Statement:
Having served as President of the NASW Texas Chapter and in numerous other NASW positions, I’m knowledgeable and ready to serve as your Region IX Representative. I’m aware that NASW membership is declining in many areas and that we have other challenges such as the budget and political and social issues that face our members and our clients. I know that we have to find ways to reach out to our newer and younger members and figure out ways to make NASW relevant to them. And, we have to decide how we can address our needs as members while continuing to deal with client and social issues which is the reason many of us came to the profession. I believe in social work and I believe in NASW’s ability to be the preeminent organization for our profession. I will work hard to keep it that way. 

Anna Nelson

Anna Nelson, LCSW, is an Assistant Professor with NMSU School of Social Work. From 2010-2016, she served as ED of the New Mexico Forum for Youth in Community, a statewide organization promoting racial, health, academic and economic justice for all New Mexican youth. Nelson is a Robert Wood Johnson Ladder to Leadership Fellow. She has dedicated her career to serving youth, families and communities with emphases in youth and community engagement, violence prevention, gender-responsive, culturally-relevant service systems development, and policy transformation.  Nelson championed New Mexico’s Teen Dating Violence Strategic Prevention which earned her the prestigious 2011 Patty Jennings and Polly Arango Citizen Advocacy Award. For her work in promoting social justice and racial equity in education, Nelson became the recipient of the New Mexico Education Equity Alliance (NMEEA) 2013 Annual Fueling Increasingly Relevant Education (F.I.R.E) Award and the YWCA-NM Women on the Move Award in 2015.      

Platform Statement:
I am honored to be considered for the Region XI Representative. With 26 years’ experience in micro, mezzo and macro practice, participatory action research and higher education instruction, I am passionately committed in our mission and Code of Ethics, particularly as we collectively strive for social justice and equity. I am deeply invested in culturally-humble, authentic community engagement. If elected, my work in rural, tribal/puebloan and frontier communities statewide, my local, state and national legislative advocacy skills, my strengths in inclusive, authentic collaboration and engagement, and my expertise in bringing social justice and equity to the forefront in partnership marginalized populations would serve to strengthen my role as Region XI Representative. Finally, I have a deep investment in raising parity and support for in social work macro practice, which I consider as one of our profession’s unique strengths and a vital skill-set for the turbulent socio-political times we currently face.