Member-at-large
Cynthia V. Catchings (DC)
Cynthia V. Catchings serves as a professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and maintains a private clinical practice. She earned a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies, and a Master of Social Work degree. She is licensed as an LCSW supervisor in Texas, Virginia, and Maryland. Her service to NASW includes former President of NASW-DC, NASW-Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley Chair, and NASW-Texas Board Member. Throughout her career, she has focused on expanding access to trauma-informed care, mentoring emerging professionals, and strengthening culturally responsive services. Catchings was named Social Worker of the Year and has received recognition for her community leadership and domestic violence advocacy. Her work across academic, clinical, and community settings reflects a sustained commitment to advancing the profession and supporting the communities social workers serve.
Platform: I am committed to help strengthen NASW through collaborative leadership, practical advocacy, and meaningful member engagement. As a former chapter president and board member, I understand governance, accountability, and the responsibility to represent members with transparency. Having worked in frontline clinical settings, higher education, and community-based services, I understand the daily realities, pressures, and resilience required of social workers. I will prioritize licensure portability, workforce well-being, and increased professional visibility at the national level. I believe NASW must continue expanding culturally responsive leadership while creating pathways for emerging professionals to grow and lead. If elected, I will bring strategic vision, steady leadership, and a commitment to unity so the Association remains strong, responsive, and grounded in the lived experience of its members. I ask for your vote for the NASW Board of Directors Member-at-large position.
Francie Julien-Chinn (HI)
Francie Julien-Chinn is an Associate Professor at the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She serves as the MSW Program Chair and is the Department Chair-Elect. She obtained her BSW from Northern Arizona University and her MSW and PhD from Arizona State University. Julien-Chinn has been on the board of the NASW Hawai‘i Chapter since 2018 where she has held multiple positions, including serving as a member to being the president of the chapter. Julien-Chinn is also a member of the Council on Social Work Education and the Society for Social Work and Research. She is also a clinical scholar which is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program.
Platform: I am humbled to be considered for the Member at Large position for the NASW Board of Directors. I have been a social worker for 25 years and have been dedicated to the profession. I am an active member of the NASW Hawai‘i chapter where I have served as the chapter’s president, and I am eager to advance my passion for advocating for social work at the national level. I have experience in leadership within the child welfare workforce and in academia, where I serve as the MSW program chair. If elected to the NASW Board, I will bring my knowledge of the social work profession, my advocacy skills, my commitment to the NASW Code of Ethics, as well as my excellent organizational skills. I am invested in ensuring representation of social work professionals from all fields. I will prioritize efforts to advocate for our social work profession.
MSW Student Member
Kevin Mora (CA)
Kevin Mora is a therapist in a men’s incarceration re-entry program, where he provides individual psychotherapy and facilitate trauma-informed, Spanish-language group therapy for mixed-status clients navigating immigration-related stress and systemic barriers. Previously, he worked as a Child Protective Services caseworker, advocating for children and families impacted by systemic inequities and complex social challenges. Mora also served as a Spanish-speaking Wish Granter/Case Worker for Make-A-Wish Foundation, Greater Los Angeles, supporting families through culturally responsive advocacy and compassionate care. He earned a BA in Sociology with a minor in Chicana/o Studies from California State University, Northridge, and currently pursuing a Master of Social Welfare at UCLA. As an NASW student member and candidate for the MSW Student Member position on the NASW Board, he is committed to amplifying student voices and advancing equity-centered, culturally sustaining practice. His leadership focuses on ethical practice, representation, and strengthening pathways for emerging social workers.
Platform: I am running for the MSW Student Member position on the NASW Board of Directors to amplify student voices and ensure emerging social workers are supported, represented, and empowered. I am here to show that everyone belongs in spaces, even when we were made to believe we didn’t. How can we change lives if we don’t show others what a truly changed life looks like? Working with diverse communities and clients of all ages—from children to adults, has prepared me to listen, advocate, and lead effectively. In my current role as a therapist in a men’s incarceration re-entry program, I provide individual psychotherapy and facilitate Spanish-language group therapy for mixed-status clients, addressing systemic inequities and promoting resilience. My experience as a Child Protective Services caseworker and as a Spanish-speaking Wish Granter/Case Worker for Make-A-Wish Foundation, Greater Los Angeles, has strengthened my commitment to culturally responsive advocacy, social justice, and meaningful community engagement.
Jessica Benson (OH)
Jess Benson is an MSW student in the Columbus metro area of Ohio. She attends the University of North Dakota online and is in her initial field placement at NASW - Ohio Chapter until May 2026. She completed a MA in Forensic Psychology through UND with a capstone focus on police interview/interrogation reform and a BS in Criminal Justice from West Liberty University in her hometown of Wheeling, WV. She is also a mom of three - ages 15, 11, and 7. She is a licensed substitute teacher and has experience as an advocate for Head Start children in WV and OH and as a probation officer in NC. Her areas of interest in social work include policy reform and the benefits of psychedelics on spiritual and mental well being at the individual and community level.
Platform: If elected, I will be a committed and proactive advocate for NASW members across the nation. I am a forward-thinking problem-solver with experience in managing personnel and caseloads of clients. I understand the value in learning the “hows” and “whys” before advocating for and initiating process change. My experience as a NASW-OH intern has provided the opportunity to work on state policy, attend meetings aimed at compromising with legislators, and present testimony on issues that impact social work. I have experience giving presentations to social work students on the importance of NASW membership and helped to orchestrate the 2025 Ohio social work conference. I am prepared to work on behalf of our nationwide student membership population to facilitate communication, speak out on issues of concern, propose ideas on membership satisfaction and retention, and strengthen our profession and professional association during these ever-evolving times.
Director, Region I
Molly Driessen (RI)
Molly C. Driessen, PhD, MSW, LICSW, is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Providence College in Rhode Island, where she teaches undergraduate courses across micro, mezzo, and macro practice. She has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in individual, family, group, and community practice, social welfare and policy, advocacy, research, diversity, and interpersonal violence and trauma. Driessen’s research focuses on interpersonal and gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and campus sexual assault, examining these issues across systems and social structures. Her scholarship centers social justice, trauma-informed practice and policy, and strengthening community and institutional responses to violence. Alongside her academic work, she maintains a part-time clinical practice and is active in policy and advocacy through the NASW–RI Policy and Advocacy Committee. She has professional experience across nonprofit, government, and educational settings and has practiced social work in Minnesota, Washington, DC, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Platform: I am honored to seek election to the NASW Board as the Region I Director. My commitment to NASW began during my MSW program, where early mentorship introduced me to the importance of policy engagement and advocacy. Since returning to Rhode Island as faculty at Providence College, I have actively served on the NASW–RI Policy and Advocacy Committee, working on issues central to our profession, including pay and licensing equity, school social work ratios, and economic and housing justice. I view social work as a profession of hope—guided by our Code of Ethics and grounded in relationships, dignity, and collective action. If elected, I will collaborate with social workers across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont to elevate member concerns, strengthen regional advocacy, and ensure the Board reflects the voices of practitioners, students, and communities. I am committed to listening, learning, and advancing meaningful change.
Shana Fishel (MA)
I am owner/clinician at You Got Choices, an insurance-based private practice in Western Massachusetts, mostly serving LGBTQ+ individuals and MassHealth recipients. I hold a B.S/M.Ed. in Special Education from Lesley University, an MSW from Smith College, and a postgraduate fellowship from the Massachusetts Institute of Psychoanalysis. I previously served as a member on NASW-MA’s Legislative Advocacy Committee, Center for Human Development’s Human Rights Committee, and REAL (Racial Equity and Learning) Northampton, and as a trustee on a local non-profit board. I bring experiences as a previous mayoral candidate, a public speaker, researcher, and founder of grassroots initiatives. Currently, I co-lead on MassHealth Initiative for Access and Transparency (MIAT), a cross-disciplinary mental health team convening practitioners, legislators, MassHealth leaders, and benefit administrators addressing systemic barriers affecting clinicians and the clients we serve. My work reflects a deep, ongoing commitment to equity, justice, and community-minded engagement.
Platform: I am dedicated to centering NASW members while advancing ethical, inclusive leadership. I am grounded in racial equity, disability justice, human rights, and the inclusion of minoritized voices. As a Queer Jewish professional with disabilities, I understand how systems can harm and I will draw on this lived experience to ensure NASW’s efforts reflect the needs of marginalized communities and the clinicians who serve them. As social workers, we witness the impact of systemic barriers. I believe in bottom-up approaches that elevate those most affected while engaging institutions capable of reform. In shaping policy, practice, strategic priorities, and advocacy, I will prioritize listening to diverse member voices. I am committed to ensuring that private-practice and community-based clinicians are meaningfully represented in the Association’s governing actions, aligned with NASW’s mission. As an Association leader, I will champion trust, transparency, and accountability to drive meaningful change for NASW and its members.
Director, Region II
Julie Schirmer (ME)
I am a behavioral health consultant in the Preventive Medicine Enhancement Program for Maine and hold degrees from Miami University of Ohio (BA) and Catholic University (MSW). I have over 30 years of board and leadership experience in academic medicine. My leadership spans NASW, the Family Medicine Education Consortium, and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, which honored me with a President’s Award for significant contributions to Family Medicine and the Susan McDaniel Lifetime Achievement Award for advancing behavioral sciences. Most recently within NASW, I served on the Council of Chapter Presidents Steering Committee, chaired the Maine Chapter Board, and co-chaired the Policy and PACE Committees (2019–2025). During this time, we rebuilt the Maine board from three to fourteen members, strengthened committees and governance, created leadership pipelines, and helped the chapter become one of NASW’s fastest-growing chapters in the country.
Platform: I am committed to building a strong, responsive national organization that stands firmly for our profession and the clients and communities we serve. Now more than ever, social workers are needed to bring their skills, courage, and coalition-building power to the urgent threats facing our values and ethics—each in ways that honor their time, capacity, and expertise. For NASW, this means confronting challenges with clarity, celebrating our collective achievements, and advancing a culture of accountability, transparency, and trust. I am inspired by the extraordinary work happening every day in our state chapters and their vital proximity to members and emerging issues. I will strengthen the partnership between our regions’ state and national boards so we can lead with unity, purpose, and resolve. I believe in an NASW that listens deeply, collaborates boldly, and governs with integrity.
Sandra Crespo (MD)
Sandra N. Crespo, LICSW, is a Clinic Director at Transformations Care Network and Founder of Unalome Consulting Group, advancing inclusive and neuroaffirming leadership. She earned her MSW from Boston University, a BA in Sociology from Suffolk University, and is pursuing her Doctor of Social Work at Simmons University, where her research centers on invisible disabilities in professional spaces. Crespo is a member of NASW-Maryland and serves on the NASW National Committee on Disabilities. She is Chair of the Board of Siembra Today, where she’s led early strategic development efforts that have yielded $35,000 in new funding within her first four months as Chair. She also serves on the Board of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) Greater Baltimore, leading a multi-phase strategy to strengthen chapter sustainability, modernize outreach, and expand membership engagement. Her work extends internationally through collaborations with Neurodiversity in Business (UK) and HumanKind (Denmark).
Platform: I believe NASW must be both a stabilizing force and a courageous one. Social workers are navigating burnout, moral injury, and rapidly evolving practice environments, and our national leadership must respond with clarity, inclusion, and vision. My commitment is to strengthen NASW as a home for all social workers, especially those whose experiences with invisible disabilities and neurodivergence have historically gone unrecognized within professional spaces. As a clinician, executive leader, and member of the National Committee on Disabilities, my doctoral research centers on neuroinclusive leadership and workforce sustainability. I understand how organizational culture shapes belonging, retention, and ethical practice. If elected as Region II Director, I will advocate for policies and governance decisions that center accessibility, transparency, and long-term professional resilience while ensuring that the voices of our region meaningfully inform national direction.
I seek to serve with courage, collaboration, and accountability.
Director, Region X
Elizabeth Dole-Izzo (WY)
Liz Dole-Izzo, LCSW, is recently retired with 30 years of diverse practice experience. After serving in the Air Force, she earned her undergraduate degree and MSW from Colorado State University. Her career includes administrative and clinical practice in medical, inpatient psychiatric, and emergency department settings in community hospitals and the VA. As BHS administrator, she provided organizational leadership and staff support during the COVID-19 pandemic. She spent a decade at the University of Wyoming as an Associate Lecturer and Director of Field Education mentoring MSW and BSW students and strengthening academic–community partnerships. She was instrumental in developing new field-education policies, program assessments and student evaluations that align with new CSWE accreditation standards. She held multiple leadership roles within NASW, including Wyoming Chapter President and Executive Director, and received the chapter’s Greatest Contribution to Social Work Practice award. She continues to lecture and present at regional conferences.
Platform: It is an honor to be a candidate for the NASW Board Region X Director. Since 2006, I have been actively engaged with NASW, and my service as a chapter leader and executive director has given me a deep understanding of the responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities of this role.
As an Air Force veteran who has lived and worked in Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, I recognize the diverse realities across our region. If elected, I will lead with a mission-focused, transparent, and trust-centered approach. I will uphold high professional standards, support initiatives that address disparities and elevate marginalized voices, and strengthen collaboration between chapters and the national office. With 30 years of administrative, policy, legislative, educational, and clinical practice experience, I am confident that my background and commitment to the social work profession have prepared me to meet the demands of this position.
K.C. McLaughlin (MT)
Based in Montana, K.C. McLaughlin, LCSW, is a distinguished licensed clinical social worker with over two decades of expertise at the nexus of mental health, family law, and community advocacy. Currently practicing at a community health clinic, she specializes in high-conflict client dynamics, utilizing CBT and strengths based persons in environment as a framework to address complex emotional needs. A dedicated public servant, McLaughlin holds an MSW from Walla Walla University. Her career is defined by her extensive service to the Montana District Courts and therapeutic contracts with County Youth Court and the Sheriff’s Office. Beyond her clinical practice, she has demonstrated a profound commitment to vulnerable populations as a licensed therapeutic foster parent for teenagers, amongst several other advocacy projects. Her leadership extends to significant regulatory oversight, currently serving as an appointee to a Montana State Board and representing the state as a Delegate to the ASWB. With a history of four county-level board appointments, she remains a pivotal voice in shaping social work standards and advocating for the best interests of families.
Platform: As your candidate for NASW Region X Director, I am running to elevate the professional standing of social workers across our ten-state constituency. My platform - Sustainable Practice, Clinical Excellence, and Unwavering Advocacy, is built on the belief that our expertise is valuable and deserves recognition. I will prioritize practice regulation by demanding that our education be formally classified as a professional degree, ensuring LCSWs receive the same status and institutional respect as our peers in medicine and law. I will relentlessly pursue financial parity, fighting for the 85% Medicare reimbursement rate to reflect the high-level clinical work we perform daily.
Finally, I will support the Board in unwavering advocacy for the communities we serve - securing resources for rural children, the elderly, and underserved populations. You deserve a representative who will stop at nothing to protect our communities and our professional title. I ask for your vote.
Director, Region XIII
Alicia Garoupa-Bollinger (CA)
Alicia L. Garoupa, LCSW, is the Chief of Wellbeing and Support Services for the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE). She earned her Master of Social Welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Fresno. Her leadership within the National Association of Social Workers includes serving as the representative for the Committee on Nominations & Leadership Identification for California Regions G, H, and I. She serves as a tri-chair for the California Mandated Reporting Advisory Committee and is a Commissioner for the Los Angeles County Commission on Alcohol and Other Drugs. Her professional honors include the Rosalio Muñoz Pupil Services and Attendance Award and graduating from the Honors Program in Psychology at CSU Fresno.
Platform: I am honored to bring more than 25 years of experience in social work and leadership to my candidacy for Director of Region XIII on the NASW Board. As Chief of Wellbeing and Support Services for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, I lead equity-driven, human-centered systems that advance student, family, community, and workforce wellbeing. My career spans over two decades in administrative and direct service roles with the Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as frontline service to children, youth, and families with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. Through my service and experiences, including serving on NASW’s Committee on Nominations & Leadership Identification, I have seen the impact of inclusive, values-aligned leadership. I am committed to strengthening professional belonging, elevating the voice and impact of social workers across sectors, and advancing a bold, inclusive, and justice-centered vision for the future of our profession.
Lorena Duran (CA)
Lorena Duran serves as Director of Student Wellness at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, where she leads a comprehensive, school-wide wellness initiative. Previously, she was Director of Student Services for the East Whittier City School District, where she was honored as Administrator of the Year. Duran earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and an Administrative Services Credential from Azusa Pacific University, as well as her MSW and BA from USC. She is a bilingual, licensed clinical social worker who has supervised social work interns from universities across Los Angeles and taught graduate coursework at CSU, Los Angeles. Duran has presented nationally and internationally on student wellness, school social work, and equity-focused systems change. Her leadership spans school-based mental health, federal and state grant administration, and cross-sector collaboration. I serve on advisory boards and am an active NASW member committed to advancing equity, student wellness, and professional development.
Platform: My career, from school social work to district and now university-level administration has been dedicated to building systems that promote the well-being of individuals across diverse educational and community settings. Over the past twenty years, I have witnessed meaningful progress in student mental health, trauma-informed practice, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Yet many of these gains are now at risk. I became a social worker because of our profession’s unwavering commitment to social justice and its role in strengthening our democratic society. My leadership and governance experience has deepened my ability to listen to diverse voices, make data-driven decisions, and cultivate partnerships that expand support for practitioners. If elected, my goal is to ensure that every social worker in our region feels supported, valued, and equipped to do their best work. I will advocate for member needs, champion equity and inclusion, and uplift the impactful work already taking place across our communities.