NASW Board of Directors

Jeane W. Anastas, PhD, LMSW
President

Jeane W. Anastas, PhD, LMSW, (New York City Chapter) is President of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies.

Dr. Anastas has been a long-standing and active member in NASW. As well as being President, she has served as convener for the Action Network for Social Work Education and Research (ANSWER), a coalition of social work organizations committed to increasing legislative and executive branch advocacy on behalf of social work education, training, and research. She is also a member of the NASW Workforce Research Advisory Workgroup and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Institute for Advancement of Social Work Research (IASWR) and the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). Dr. Anastas has served as Chair of the National Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues (NCLGBTI), Chair of the National Committee on Women's Issues (NCOWI), and as a member of the National Committee on Nominations and Leadership Identification (NCNLI).

Dr. Anastas is active in her state NASW Chapter. She has served as president of the Massachusetts Chapter of NASW, and was named the Chapter's Social Worker of the Year in 1995.

Dr. Anastas is a professor at the New York University (NYU) Silver School of Social Work, and is highly regarded in the field of social work doctoral education and research. She was named a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Visiting Scholar for academic years 2006–2007, and received CSWE's Greatest Recent Contribution to Social Work Education Award in 2007. Dr. Anastas was elected to the National Academies of Practice in Health Care in 2007.

Dr. Anastas has published extensively in the areas of women's issues, GLBT rights, mental health, and social work education, including the recently published Teaching in Social Work: Theory and Practice for Educators and the forthcoming Doctoral Education in Social Work. She received her BLS in social work from Boston University, her MSW from Boston College, and her PhD from Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Darrell Wheeler, PhD, MPH, ACSW
Vice President

Darrell P. Wheeler, PhD, MPH, ACSW, (New York City Chapter) is dean at Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work. His MSW is from Howard University and his PhD and MPH are from the University of Pittsburgh.

He has been active in NASW since joining in 1988. Nationally, he has held positions as Region II representative to the board; chair of the Health Specialty Practice Section; member of the National Finance Committee; and co-chair of the National Committee on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues. He is a member of the National Center for Workforce Studies.

He has published broadly, including articles in Health & Social Work, AIDS Education and Prevention, Journal of Black Psychology, Journal of Public Health Management, Journal of Applied Social Sciences, and Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services.

Lawanna R. Barron, LCSW, ACSW
Board Secretary

Lawanna R. Barron, LCSW, ACSW, (Georgia Chapter) practices with military families to prevent child and spouse abuse. She has worked in the Moody Air Force Base Family Advocacy Program since 1993, currently as family advocacy outreach manager and a collateral duty equal employment opportunity counselor. Barron received her MSW from the University of Georgia.

Barron has been active in NASW and other community organizations and boards. She helped to start the South Georgia Unit, served as president of the Georgia Chapter and delegate to the Delegate Assembly. She also served as Region VI representative to NASW’s Board of Directors, and is a former trustee of the NASW Legal Defense Service Board. She was honored by the Georgia Chapter as Social Worker of the Year in 2003 and has received numerous awards and recognitions from the community and her employer.

Barron’s interests include child abuse, spouse abuse, multiculturalism, ethics, and, recently, achieving balance as a professional social worker.

Diana A. Stroud, LCSW, ACSW, DCSW
Treasurer

Diana R. Stroud, LCSW, ACSW, DCSW, (Illinois Chapter) is assistant dean for advancement at the University of Illinois, Champaign, and part-time medical social worker at Provena Covenant Medical Center.

She holds an MSW with specialization in public policy administration.

She has served NASW locally, on program, nominations, and legislative committees; at the state level, as vice president, chair of membership, child welfare, and awards committees; and member of the legislative committee; and nationally, as a six-time delegate to the Delegate Assembly, a regional representative on the national board, executive and by-laws committees, and chairs the finance and audit committees of the national board.

She is a member of the League of Women Voters, a founding member of Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, a member of Alpha Delta Mu, and a member of the development committee for Champaign Crisis Nursery.

She was named Social Worker of the Year in Peoria and the state of Illinois in 1990.

Eleni A. Carr, MBA, LICSW
Region Representative I [ME, MA, NH, RI, VT]

Eleni A. Carr, MBA, LICSW (Massachusetts Chapter), as a 20-year social worker, has extensive experience working as a collaborative leader, overseeing and consulting to organizations in the mental health and health care arenas. She has a strong track record as a change agent, with a professional passion centered on organizational effectiveness, efficiency, and learning. She holds an MSW (1992) and an MBA (2005) from Simmons College, Boston.

Carr has held multiple roles within NASW, including a seat on the Massachusetts Chapter board of directors and serving as a national delegate representative. She is a member of the Salary and Reimbursement Task Force, has chaired her chapter’s strategic planning initiative, and has coauthored a policy statement for Social Work Speaks. Finally, she represents NASW on the Massachusetts Commission for GLBT Youth and has served as an executive committee member since 2007.

Susan Bair Egan, PhD, MSW
Region Representative II [CT, NYC]

Susan Bair Egan, PhD, MSW (New York City Chapter), is currently assistant dean for student services for the MSW program at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, New York. She has been employed at Fordham for 24 years, beginning there as director of admissions for the MSW program and after three years moving into her current position. Prior to academia, Egan worked in the fields of hospital social work and children and family services. Both of her social work degrees were earned at Fordham University—an MSW in 1977 and a PhD in 2004. She received a Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service Alumni Award in 2007. Egan has been active in the New York City Chapter of NASW. She served on its board of directors from 1992 to 1994; 1999 to 2002; and, most recently, as third vice president from 2007 to 2010. She was a New York City delegate to delegate assembly in 1996, 1999, and 2002. Egan continues to be involved with committee work at her chapter. She is on the Membership and Marketing Committee and the Annual Meeting Planning Committee and is a member of the Steering Committee for NASW–NYC PACE. She is active with the Council on Social Work Education, currently serving her third year as a member of the Council on Leadership Development.

Mary McCarthy, PhD, LMSW
Region Representative III [NYS]

Mary L. McCarthy, PhD, LMSW, (New York State Chapter) is director of the Social Work Education Consortium, a statewide partnership working towards the professionalization and stabilization of the child welfare workforce. The consortium encompasses direct support for employees completing social work degrees, field placements, a BSW scholarship program, and research and evaluation on factors that influence workforce retention in child welfare. She is also co-principal investigator for the newly funded National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, a service of the Children’s Bureau. A faculty member at the University at Albany, School of Social Welfare since 1988, she has worked in the child welfare field for 11 years before and after receiving her MSW from the University at Albany in 1982. She completed her PhD in 2003 at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada. She served as president of the New York State Chapter of NASW from 2006 to 2008.

Barbara Conniff, ACSW
Region Representative IV [NJ, PA]

Barbara Conniff, Pennsylvania, (Pennsylvania Chapter) currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Milestone Centers, Inc. (formerly Allegheny East MH/MR Center Inc.), a private, non-profit community based agency providing a continuum of treatment and support services to individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities and their families.

Barb is a life long resident of Allegheny County. She received a Bachelor’s Degree from Carlow College in Psychology and a Master’s Degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Social Work. Barb is a member of the National Academy of Certified Social Workers. Barb’s 39 year professional career has included a variety of local health care, public health and behavioral health care positions. Barb is a graduate of the First Class of the Allegheny County, United Way and Carnegie Mellon University sponsored Non-Profit Executive Training Program.

Sheryl Brissett-Chapman, EdD, ACSW
Region Representative V [DE, DC, International, MD, PR, VI, VA]

Sheryl Brissett-Chapman, EdD, ACSW, (Metro Washington Chapter) is executive director of the National Center for Children and Families, a comprehensive child and family services agency that provides community-based and residential services focused on victims of domestic violence and child maltreatment, delinquency and youth development, homelessness, and poverty in the national capital region. She earned a doctorate and a master of education degree from Harvard University, Administration, Planning, and Social Policy, after receiving an MSW from the University of Connecticut. She also teaches at Howard University School of Social Work. She has been an active NASW member and has assumed several positions at the national level, including president, Metro DC Chapter and delegate; chair, Legal Defense Service Board; member, National Finance Committee; member, and chair, National Continuing Education Committee. Her numerous awards include the 2005 NASW Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2004 Congressional Angel in Adoption Award.

Anna M. Scheyett, PhD, MSW, LCSW
Region Representative VI [AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC]

Anna M. Scheyett, PhD, MSW, LCSW, (South Carolina Chapter) is dean of the University of South Carolina College of Social Work. She received her PhD in social work from Memorial University and her MSW from UNC. Her major area of interest, both clinically and in research and teaching, is working with adults with serious mental illnesses.

Anna has been active in NASW for 25 years; she served on the NASW NC Board as member-at-large, secretary, chair of the Social Work/Criminal Justice practice unit, member of the Legislative Committee, and president. Anna is also involved in the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Council on Social Work Education, and the Society for Social Work and Research. In 2005, Anna received a NC Heroes in the Fight award for community mental health advocacy, and in 2007, she was named NC Social Worker of the Year.

Paula Taylor, MSW
Region Representative VII [IN, KY, OH, TN, WV]

Paula J. Taylor, MSW, (West Virginia Chapter) after 22 years in Child Protective Services and Supervision, obtained her MSW from West Virginia University in 2005. She is a community services manager for the WV Department of Health and Human Resources.

As a field instructor for 18 years, she co-chairs the Field Faculty Steering Committee and mentors new field instructors.

On the NASW WV Chapter Board she has served as MSW student representative, member-at-large, and regional representative, implementing a creative strategic plan and organizing the Management Institute. Locally, she recruits new members and organizes continuing education and service projects. She serves the North Central Community Collaborative, Region I Summit for Children, and Monongalia County Family Resource Network.

Her honors include Community Services Worker of the Year, WV Child Care Association; Certificate of Merit, Children’s Memorial Flag Day Sponsors; and Catholic Charities of WV for dedicated service to my parish and community.

Guadalupe Lara, LMSW
Region Representative VIII [MI, WI]

Guadalupe G. Lara, LMSW (Michigan Chapter), has dedicated 27 years to advocating for children and families at Children’s Hospital of Michigan (Detroit) in various leadership positions. A motivational speaker recognized for her work on inclusion and managing workplace conflict, Lara has presented throughout the United States and abroad and been named by four Michigan governors to lead boards and commissions. Among her honors are Social Worker of the Year (NASW Michigan Chapter), Visiting Scholar (Arizona State University), Martin Luther King Scholar (University of Michigan), and Spirit of Detroit awardee (Detroit City Council). A former president of NASW’s Michigan Chapter, Lara is a member of the chapter’s Finance Committee and the National Legal Defense Fund. She chairs the Wayne County Department of Human Services Board of Directors and vice chairs the Credit Union ONE Board of Directors. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Lara proudly calls both Detroit and San Antonio home.

Joseph Monahan, MSW, ACSW, JD
Region Representative IX [IL, IA]

Joseph T. Monahan, MSW, ACSW, JD, (Illinois Chapter) joined NASW in 1976 and recently served two terms as trustee of the Legal Defense Service Board, having served as chair during his final term. He has also provided ethics training and legal consultation for NASW and its members. He obtained his BSW and his MSW at the University of Illinois. After graduation he served as executive director of a licensed child welfare agency. He earned his law degree at DePaul University and has been representing and working with social workers in his legal practice for over 20 years. He has taught mental health law at Loyola Law School for over 14 years. He cofounded Monahan & Cohen, a law firm dedicated to serving people with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who serve them. As a committee member on the Chicago and Illinois Bar Associations, he is regularly involved in crafting legislation.

Gerald "Herb" Grandbois, PhD, MSW
Region Representative X [AR, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, OK, SD]

Gerald “Herb” Grandbois, PhD, MSW (Nebraska Chapter), is currently chair of the Department of Social Work, Creighton University (Omaha, NE), having taught at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Creighton a combined 31 years. Grandbois attended the University of North Dakota (BS) and University of Minnesota–Duluth (MSW) before receiving a doctorate from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Over the past several years, he has been involved in the Nebraska Chapter of NASW, serving as vice president for two years, president-elect for one year, and president for a two-year term.

Josephine P. Tittsworth, LMSW
Region Representative XI [AZ, LA, NM, TX]

Josephine P. Tittsworth, LMSW (Texas Chapter), retired from IBM after 30 years of service. She is in the PhD program at the Graduate College of Social Work University of Houston (UH). She received her BSW (2006) at the University of Houston-Clear Lake and her MSW (2007) at the GCSW-UH. In 2005 she served on the NASW-TX Board of Directors as the BSW representative. She chairs the NASW-TX Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Equity Committee and is a member of the NASW LGBT Issues Committee. For seven years she served on the Board of Directors for the Society for the Second Self, Inc (TRIESS) as director of Chapter Networking and Support; she chaired the Houston Transgender Unity Committee for five years; she is on the Board of Directors of the following nonprofit organizations: National Transgender Advocacy Coalition and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbian And Gays-Transgender Network (West Sector Coordinator).

Lawrence “Larry” Betcher, MSW, LCSW, CADC I
Region Representative XII [AK, CO, GU, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY]

Lawrence “Larry” Betcher, MSW, LCSW, CADC I, (Oregon Chapter) received his MSW degree from Boston University’s School of Social Work and is a licensed clinical social worker who has practiced in a number of clinical settings, including psychiatric hospitals and outpatient mental health clinics. He currently runs the Psychiatric Security Review Board program at Providence Portland Medical Center. Larry has served on the NASW Oregon Chapter Board of Directors and Finance Committee and is a recent past president of the chapter. He was awarded the 2009 Providence Spirit of Emilie Mission Medal, a distinguished honor given to outstanding members of Providence Portland Medical Center who inspire others to exemplify the Providence mission. In addition, Larry is a field instructor for the School of Social Work at Portland State University and provides clinical supervision to MSWs working towards licensure.

Victor A. Manalo, PhD, MSW
Region Representative XIII [CA]

Victor A. Manalo, PhD, MSW (California Chapter), with more than 25 years of professional social work experience and NASW service, brings to the board expertise and skills as a policy maker, problem solver, communicator, and recruiter.

As associate professor in the School of Social Work at California State University, Los Angeles, Manalo has led hundreds of social work students to participate in legislative lobby days in Sacramento and has recruited students to join NASW. He earned his PhD in social work from the University of Southern California; his MSW from California State University, Long Beach; and his BA in social work from Marquette University.

Manalo has developed leadership skills while serving NASW as chair of California Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) and trustee of national PACE, our political action committees; co-chair of the Western Coalition at delegate assembly; and a member of the Delegate Assembly Task Force, the Nomination and Leadership Identification Committee, and the Region I Steering Committee.

Teri L. Cardwell
Member-at-Large

Esther Jones Langston, PhD, MSW, ACSW, LCSW

Teri L. Cardwell, MSW, LCSW (Indiana Chapter), earned a bachelor’s degree in 1978 from Anderson University and an MSW degree from Indiana University in 1985. Since 2002, she has been employed at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, as coordinator of HIV Services and Diversity Programs.

Cardwell’s career spans nearly 30 years in several areas of social work, including domestic violence, medical social work, and mental health and addiction services (21 years) in both clinical and management roles. As an associate faculty member at the School of Social Work at IUPUI in Indianapolis, Cardwell has taught social policy in the undergraduate and graduate programs since 1999. From 2006 to 2008, she served as president of the NASW Indiana Chapter’s Board of Directors; as president-elect, she participated in the 2005 Delegate Assembly and was elected to represent Indiana again at the 2011 Delegate Assembly.

Cardwell has been chairperson of the chapter’s Public Policy Committee since 1997; she also coordinates the Peace and Social Justice task group established in 2007 and has been involved in numerous NASW state conferences. In 2009, she was honored with the Indiana Chapter Service Award for her level of involvement in social policy. She has served since 2007 on the Indiana state advisory committee of the US Commission on Civil Rights. Currently, she serves as president of the board for the American Indian Center of Indiana and was recently appointed to serve on the Indiana Governor’s Commission on Childhood Poverty.

Robin Sakina Mama, PhD, MSW
Member-at-Large

Robin Sakina Mama, PhD, MSW, (New Jersey Chapter) is dean of the School of Social Work at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey. She received her master of social service, master of law and social policy, and PhD in social work and social research from Bryn Mawr College.

For 10 years she worked at the Philadelphia Area Project on Occupational Safety and Health, where she was responsible for providing technical assistance to unions on workers compensation, contract language for health and safety, and right-to-know information.

At Monmouth, she teaches in the International and Community Development concentration of the MSW program. She has been a member of NASW-NJ for over 15 years and is past chair of the International Committee of NASW. She represents the International Federation of Social Workers at the United Nations and serves on the Editorial Board of Social Work Education: The International Journal.

Sarah Petela
MSW Student Member

Sarah Petela (Connecticut Chapter) attends the MSW program at the University of Connecticut, School of Social Work, majoring in policy practice. Her internship involves doing constituent services in the district office of Congressman Christopher Murphy. After earning a BS in communications from Cornell University, she worked in nonprofit organizations assisting people affected by domestic violence and mental health disabilities. In 2008 she received the Advocacy Leader of the Year Award from the Keep the Promise Coalition, a statewide group for mental health advocacy; her work encompassed empowering individuals with mental illness to tell their stories to policymakers, including creating a video that appeared on television. She is a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Keep the Promise Coalition, and is a leader in the UCONN Student Organization.

Carmelina Gilberto
BSW Student Member

Carmelina Gilberto (Washington DC Chapter) is from Annapolis, Maryland. In 2008, she received the “Outstanding High School Student Humanitarian Award” from the City of Annapolis Human Relations Commission. Currently, she is a junior at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, pursuing a BSW.

For the past two years, Gilberto has served as a corp member in the AmeriCorps program Jumpstart, in which she completed over 600 hours of service. Jumpstart is a nonprofit organization that helps low-income, preschool-age children to develop the language, literacy, and social skills they need to succeed in school, ensuring that they enter elementary school prepared to succeed. Gilberto now serves as the volunteer coordinator at her Jumpstart site, helping to recruit college students on campus to become more involved with the Washington, DC, community.

http://www.socialworkers.org/governance/cmtes/bodmembers.asp

2/13/2012