NASW National Election 2025
Boardroom
Voting in NASW’s national election is open May 1-30 to NASW members in good standing. An email from Intelliscan, Inc., should have been sent to you with a link to your personalized ballot. To request a hard copy ballot, contact Member Services at membership@socialworkers.org. Learn more about the candidates at socialworkers.org/about/governance/national-elections/2025-NASW-national-election-slate. Election ballots will be aligned with the new regional alignment approved by the NASW board of directors. Find your region at NASW National Elections.
NASW Board of Directors
President-Elect
Karen Bullock (MA)
Bullock is the Ahearn Endowed Professor at Boston College School of Social Work. She earned a PhD in Sociology and Social Work from Boston University; MSW from Columbia University; and BSW from North Carolina State University. An NASW member for more than 30 years, Bullock has served in several leadership positions including: vice president and president of the NASW Connecticut Chapter; chair of the Mental Health SPS committee; and currently is chair of the National Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity. She is a nationally recognized expert in hospice and palliative care and an LICSW with more than three decades of clinical experience. Bullock recently was inducted as an NASW Social Work Pioneer®.
President-Elect
Victor Manalo (CA)
Manalo is the immediate past president of the NASW California Chapter and former chair of the NASW Council of Chapter Presidents. He is a member of the NASW Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity; the Delegate Assembly planning task force; and the NASW Insurance Company’s board of directors. Manalo earned a PhD in Social Work from the University of Southern California and an MSW from California State University, Long Beach. For more than 25 years, he has taught policy, political practice, and community organizing in the School of Social Work at CSU, Los Angeles. Manalo is a former mayor and council member for the city of Artesia, Calif.
Secretary
Francie Julien-Chinn (HI)
Julien-Chinn is an associate professor at the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, University of Hawaii at Mānoa. 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 Hawaii Chapter since 2018, where she held multiple positions prior to being elected president. She also is a member of the Council on Social Work Education and the Society for Social Work and Research.
Secretary
Carly Ellman (PA)
Ellman earned a doctorate in Strategic Leadership and Administration from Marywood University and an MSW from Fordham University. She is a licensed clinical social worker in Florida and Pennsylvania. Ellman is assistant professor of social work and program coordinator at Delaware County Community College. She maintains a private clinical practice in Pennsylvania, where she works with adolescents, college students and adults navigating life transitions, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Ellman has held several committee positions at NASW-Pennsylvania, and is treasurer on the board for SoulPaws, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering self-compassion through animal-assisted interventions.
Member-At-Large
Cynthia Catchings (DC)
Catchings is founder and executive director of the Women’s Emotional Wellness Center and Consulting Firm, with offices in Texas and the D.C. metro area. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley and a therapist, peer consultant, and Council of Experts member with Talkspace. Her work has been featured in USA Today, Teen Vogue, NBC News, Yahoo, and more. With leadership roles in family services, federal agencies, and Collective Impact initiatives, Catchings has dedicated her career to supporting underserved communities. She has conducted ethnographic research in over 45 countries, focusing on life transitions, women’s issues, and cultural awareness. Catchings is a past NASW-Texas Social Worker of the Year and NASW-D.C. board president. As an author, her 52-Week Mental Health Journal and 8-Week Depression Workbook have become best-sellers.
Member-At-Large
Aviva Vincent (OH)
Vincent is assistant professor of social work at Cleveland State University and co-owner of Healing Paws LLC. She earned a doctorate in social welfare from Case Western Reserve University and specialized in training in Veterinary Social Work from the University of Tennessee. Her NASW involvement began in 2011 as the student representative for NASW-Connecticut. Vincent co-chaired NASW-Ohio’s Human-Animal Interaction Workgroup (2016-2019) and joined the Legislative Action Committee (2024-current). She is active in advocacy days, provides training at state conferences, and engages with local and national social work communities. Vincent is a member of PATH International, HERD Institute, Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals, and Canine Companions for Independence. She serves on the advisory board for CSU’s Animal Law Clinic and Not One More Vet. Honors include NASW-Ohio’s Region 2 Social Worker of the Year (2025); Cleveland Crain’s 40 Under 40 (2023); and Early Career Success Award (2022).
BSW Student Member
Javier Marquez (CA)
Marquez is a BSW honors student at Sacramento State University, where he is minoring in Global Engagement and Leadership, with a 3.8 GPA. He serves as an intensive case manager at Sustainable Wellness Solutions, supporting clients through resource navigation, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed care. As the BSW student director for the NASW California Chapter, Marquez collaborates with schools of social work to inspire student advocacy for equity and inclusion. His work is informed by lived experience and driven by a passion for dismantling systemic barriers that affect communities of color. He is dedicated to empowering future social workers, amplifying marginalized voices, and promoting policies that foster justice and equity. Marquez aspires to becoming a psychotherapist while remaining active in NASW leadership and community advocacy.
BSW Student Member
Zahraa Alrafish (MI)
Alrafish is the founder of Arab Women United, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women through education, leadership development, and advocacy. As Outreach and Recruitment program coordinator at ACCESS, Alrafish organizes programs that enhance financial literacy and support entrepreneurship for underserved communities. She is an honors student at Wayne State University working toward a BSW with a minor in psychology, and has earned an associate’s degree from Schoolcraft College. Alrafish is an ambassador for NASW-Michigan and Detroit Tri-County Social Work Health Careers. She also mentors students as part of the Detroit Promise program. Recognized for her leadership and community engagement, Alrafish has participated in the Ginsberg Community Leadership Fellows Program and holds certifications in Mental Health First Aid and QPR Suicide Prevention.
Director, Region V
Katharine Campbell (NC)
Campbell is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 20 years of experience. She has a PhD in public affairs with social work emphasis. This PhD was a unique and multifaceted degree combining social work, health, public administration and criminal justice to create one degree. She has a virtual private practice serving North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee, where she provides counseling services focused on first responders, LGB care, transgender-specific care, trauma-informed care and medical needs-specific care. Campbell also provides nonprofit consulting and speaking services focused on efficient and effective clinical outcomes. Campbell has held several roles within NASW, including unit chair, conference chair and NASW-Florida board president.
Director, Region V
Anthony J. Hill (SC)
Hill is professor and chair of the Department of Social Work at Winthrop University. With a PhD in Social Work from Howard University, Hill specializes in psychosocial factors affecting adolescent behaviors, financial therapy, and trauma-informed care. He is a licensed social worker in multiple states and holds numerous certifications in social work management and financial therapy. Hill is an accomplished educator, researcher, practitioner, and small-business owner with over two decades of experience in academia, community leadership, and professional development. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and presented nationally on social justice, financial health and resilience. NASW-South Carolina named Hill the 2021 Social Worker of the Year.
Director, Region VII
Jessica Hare (GA)
Hare serves as the MSW practicum director at St. Bonaventure University and assistant professor at Kennesaw State University. She received a DSW from University of Southern California, MSW from University of South Carolina, and BSW from Winthrop University. She is a member of NASW, Council on Social Work Education, National Association of Black Social Workers, National Black MBA Association, and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. Hare has experience serving on election committees, the NASW-Georgia PACE committee, and has collaborated with NASW to bring awareness to political social work. She serves on the Public Policy Committee and the Economic Empowerment Committee for NCBW and is a board member for the Social Work Democracy Project.
Director, Region VII
Thomas P. Felke (FL)
Felke is executive director of the Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging, an interdisciplinary initiative at Florida Gulf Coast University focused on older adults. He is associate dean for academics and professor of social work within the Marieb College of Health and Human Services. He received a BA degree in Elementary and Special Education from Providence College. Felke earned an MSW with concentrations in administration, policy and international issues at the University of Connecticut, as well as a PhD in social work with dissertation research in Armenia. Felke has been recognized for excellence in teaching, and for his academic leadership at FGCU. In 2024, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from NASW-Florida.
Director, Region XI
Brandi Felderhoff (TX)
Felderhoff has 16 years of experience as a licensed social worker with practice experience in the areas of guardianship, veterans, in-patient and out-patient mental health, including rural mental health, and aging and end-of-life of issues. Felderhoff specializes in death, dying, and bereavement work with a particular focus on cultural humility and trauma-informed approaches, as well as developing competent master’s- and clinical-level social workers. She has served in numerous volunteer leadership positions with NASW-Texas and is passionate about advancing the social work profession. Felderhoff is assistant professor and the MSW coordinator of field education at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas.
Director, Region XI
Jack Register (AZ)
Register is a clinical social worker and addiction clinician licensed in multiple states. He is a PhD student in the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University and is former government relations staff for NASW-North Carolina, where he worked on title protection in the private sector and mental health system reform. Recognitions include “One of Today’s Most Influential Social Workers,” Social Work Today magazine (2007); Change Agent, Greensboro, N.C., Chamber of Commerce (2019); Other Voices DEIB Program and UNCG School of Health and Human Sciences Teaching Excellence Award (2012); and the National Society of Leadership and Success Excellence in Teaching Award (2012).
Director, Region XII
Ruddy Taylor (AK)
Taylor is a mental health clinician serving families in both school and residential settings. As a licensed clinical social worker, she holds degrees from the University of Alaska Anchorage in both social work and psychology. She has been a member of NASW for more than 30 years, holding volunteer leadership positions including: NASW-Alaska President; alternate member to Delegate Assembly; and an appointment to the Task Force for the Social Work Safety Standards in the Workplace. As a member of the American Psychological Association, Taylor has served on various national committees, including APA’s Finance, Legislative and Diversity committees. She also is involved in NASW-Alaska conference planning efforts.
Director, Region XII
Lee King (NM)
King is the CEO of Project Fernando, who received a BA in individualized studies with a minor in business and counseling from New Mexico State University. King acquired an MSW with honors from Western New Mexico University and earned a graduate minor in women’s studies. King completed doctoral work in public administration at Walden University and then transferred to receive a doctorate in Christian counseling. King is a member of NASW’s Social Work and the Courts SPS committee, and a member of the Substance Use Disorders Committee of the American Correctional Association. The National Frontier & Rural Addiction Center recognized King as a Telehealth Pioneer in 2013.
National Committee on Nominations & Leadership Identification (NCNLI)
Region V Representative
Tiffany Burks-Sanders (TN)
Burks-Sanders is the wellness and engagement counselor at the University of Memphis Student Health and Counseling Services, where she provides therapy, integrated behavioral health support, outreach, and health education to students. She earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies in health services administration and an MSW from the University of Memphis, and is pursuing her doctorate in social work. Burks-Sanders is a member of the Junior League of Memphis and is president of the Student Social Work Organization. She has been recognized as an MSW-PDI and RISE-CAY Fellow.
Region V Representative
Heather Dye (TN)
Dye has experience as a clinician and educator. She has served as a licensed clinical social worker and certified substance abuse counselor for more than 17 years. She also was an associate professor in the Department of Social Work at East Tennessee State University for nine years. Dye is certified in Veterinary Social Work and is the executive director of nonprofit Partner with Paws. She served on NASW-Tennessee’s Northeast Branch steering committee from 2021 to 2023. From 2021 to present, Dye has served on the chapter’s Continuing Education committee. Work Organization, and is a member of NASW. Her commitment to professional development has earned her recognition as an MSW-PDI and RISE-CAY Fellow.