2017 CSWE Election Candidate Statements
The 2017 CSWE election is scheduled to open on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. The candidate statements are now available for review.
NOTE: There is one change to the Board of Directors Undergraduate Faculty category since the slate was announced in late January. Gemma Douglas-Beckley withdrew her name from the ballot, and the CSWE National Nominating Committee replaced her with Carl Algood. Ballots to vote in the election will be sent via e-mail to CSWE members with full membership status.
Please send questions about the election to [email protected].
Board of Directors
Graduate Program Representative
Cathryn Potter, PhD, MSW
Rutgers University (NJ)
I have the honor to serve one of the most diverse schools and universities in the United States. As a champion for public education, it would be an honor to serve on the Board. The Board must honor all perspectives on social work education; I would represent the voice of public institutions dedicated to creating the pipeline to bachelor’s and master’s education for under-represented groups. I would also represent the voice of directors and deans, who have the charge to enact the vision of the Council, in coordination with their faculty’s vision, in increasingly high-change academic settings. There must be strong partnership between departments and schools, and CSWE in creating a vibrant future for social work education.
Passion for social work, commitment to social justice, ability to lead in complex and diverse organizations, a healthy sense of humor, and a vision for the development of high quality, accessible pathways to the profession are some of the attributes I would bring to the Board. Social work education must retain its unique character, grounded in history and values and delivering evidence-informed skills, all in the context of a quasi-apprentice structure that relies on field settings led by professional social workers to bring along the next generation. In my view, the future of social work education will increasing include hybrid educational delivery for “classroom” content, that is, targeted, intentional use of online, simulation, classroom, and field (always) methods for teaching theory, content knowledge, and skills. CSWE must have an ability to build approaches harnessing the essentials of social work education, with an eye to ways of engaging and preparing students, in the context of a rapidly changing and often challenging society, and a diverse, passionate, younger generation. It would be a great pleasure to work with fellow social work educators to meet these challenges.
Jose Coll, PhD, MSW
Texas State University
I am honored to have been nominated to serve as graduate program representative for the Council on Social Work Education Board of Directors. For the past 13 years, I have served in numerous administrative positions in social work education to include my most recent and privileged appointment as director of the School of Social Work at Texas State University. As a social work educator in a range of institutions, I’ve gained a unique understanding and respect for social work education in a global context, and as an ACE Fellow I’ve observed and engaged the challenges facing our students and higher education at large. Hence, I hope to secure your trust and the opportunity to promote our profession during these perplexed times.
If elected, I would be honored to bring my experiences to enhance and support social work education—in particular, leadership development, social justice, and diversity.
Graduate Faculty Representative
Iris Carlton-LaNey, PhD, MA
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
I am humbled and honored to be nominated to serve as graduate program representative for the CSWE Board of Directors. I have been a social work educator for nearly 40 years on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Currently, I serve as the Berg-Beach Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work, where I have taught graduate students for the past 22 years. I am the director of our Advanced Standing program, have maintained involvement with BPD and have had a consistent role in curriculum development and implementation throughout my career. I have been unwavering in my commitment to social work education and have been acknowledged for teaching excellence.
I have been involved with CSWE for many years in various positions. I have made numerous presentations at the Annual Program Meeting, reviewed abstracts, served on the Commission on Research, the Commission on Educational Policy, the National Nominating Committee, and the Awards Committee. I maintain involvement with the Social Welfare History Group and have served as the group’s president. I believe these experiences, along with a long teaching career, give me the insight and knowledge to make meaningful contributions to the work of the CSWE Board.
Moreover, I have worked with numerous policy boards in social work and the academy and understand the challenges that they face. These experiences reinforce my commitment to work with the CSWE Board to help to ensure that social work educators maintain clarity of purpose in the challenges that lie ahead for us. In a political climate that does not embrace our professional values, we must have a particular commitment to educate and train competent, resolute, and professional social workers who are determined to pursue equity and social justice.
Mahasweta Banerjee, PhD, MSW
University of Kansas
I have been a social work educator for 25 years and would be honored to serve as a member of CSWE’s Board of Directors. I would like to contribute to promoting and strengthening social work education.
I teach quantitative and qualitative research, and conduct a Study Abroad in India course. My scholarship focuses on poverty and social justice, both here and in India. I have critiqued Rawls’s theory of justice, and had a Fulbright award to India to study low-income people’s capabilities for work and income. Expanding on this idea, I am working on building financial capability for all, one of the 12 grand challenges.
Currently, I serve as co-director of the Office of Race and Social Justice, and chair the Promotion and Tenure Committee at KU. I am a two-term member of CSWE’s Council on Global Learning and Practice, and serve as a board member of the International Consortium for Social Development. I also serve as a consulting editor for the Journal of Social Work Education.
My knowledge and skills include a deep understanding of social work’s historic mission, a commitment to best practices in the classroom, and flexibility to respond, as both a classroom educator and policy maker, to changes to these environments. I am interested in educational innovations that do not sacrifice quality, and in initiatives that enable persons from disadvantaged backgrounds to become a part of our profession. As an immigrant myself, I have become convinced of our need to exchange ideas and practices focused on maximizing the quality of our educational experiences with the world.
I would like CSWE to redouble its focus on social justice issues related to marginalized groups. At this juncture in history, social work education must stand up, in the classroom and on Capitol Hill, for our clients, students, and colleagues.
Undergraduate Program Representative
Eunice Matthews-Armstead, PhD, MSW
Eastern Connecticut State University
These are exciting times for social work education. In recent years, our social work program, similar to other programs in the area, has experienced a significant increase in enrollment. I believe this increased interest in social work education presents some interesting opportunities as well as challenges. I am running for a position on the Board of Directors because I would very much like to be a part of the conversation about how we can continue to provide the diversity of students drawn to the social work profession with an educational experience that is relevant and responsive.
I would bring to the position of Board member a wealth of leadership and administrative experience. I am currently a program director and have also served as a ield Coordinator at two different institutions. I have chaired countless committees in higher education and have decades of administrative experience. My relevant research activities have been in the area of minority retention and educational attainment in higher education, issues of social distance, diversity, and campus climate, and most recently the impact of the use of technology on the emotional intelligence of social work students. I am a hard worker who understands the true power of diversity and collaboration in the decision making process and organizational sustainability. Because I believe in the importance of bringing real life experiences into the classroom, I continue to maintain a presence in the field of social work as a professional development consultant for social service programs providing assistance in training, organizational policy development and assessment, and administrative supervision. I have also maintained a private practice.
My vision for CSWE is for us to continue to struggle to maintain an appropriate balance between being responsive to the changing demands of higher education while staying true to our professional mission and identity.
Mike Daley, PhD, MSW
Texas A&M University–Central Texas
It is a distinct honor to be nominated as a candidate for the CSWE Board of Directors as an undergraduate program representative. I have been an active member of CSWE for over 30 years and have seen the many positive contributions that CSWE has made to social work education and to the profession. We currently face some challenging times in educating the next generation of social workers, and I believe that I can make a positive contribution as CSWE addresses these challenges.
I bring a diversity of leadership experience to this position. I was a member of the CSWE Council on Leadership Development, president of BPD, chaired the NASW National Ethics Committee, and the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners. This range of experience helps to give me a broad perspective for social work education. I also have both undergraduate and graduate leadership and teaching experience. I have a strong commitment to professional service and would be an active member of the CSWE Board of Directors.
My vision is for CSWE to continue to promote high standards and quality education for future social workers. Only through excellence in education and strong identification with social work can we hope to promote the vitality of future practitioners, scholars, and educators. We should pursue these goals with an eye to promoting diversity, social and economic justice, and the integrity of social work education.
Undergraduate Faculty Representative
Lori Messinger, PhD, MSW, MA
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
I am honored to be nominated for the CSWE Board of Directors. I have been an active CSWE member for more than 20 years. I see CSWE as an essential component of quality social work education in the United States:
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providing direction, support, and education for faculty;
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conducting and collating research on social work education;
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developing and producing important texts and teaching resources;
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updating and enforcing accreditation standards to reflect what social workers should know to practice today; and
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leading advocacy for the profession in partnership with our many related social work organizations and those of affiliated professions.
I would be proud to support this hard work as a member of the Board of Directors.
I have served CSWE in several capacities: as a member of the Council on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (6 years) and the Council on Leadership Development (3 years), and as member and chair of the National Nominating Committee (3 years). I also conducted research as a CSWE Scholar. These experiences give me deeper insight into CSWE’s mission, goals, and strategies.
I would bring to the board my experience in small and large programs; research-intensive and comprehensive universities; and in faculty, program director, and central administration roles. Further, as Board membership is really representative of the larger body of social work educators, I would rely on my colleagues across the country to share with me their hopes and concerns, so I might relay these to the Board and organizational leadership. The Council will need these insights to be a leader in examining the use of technology in our education, advocacy on student loan forgiveness, disseminating research on best practice with and by members of our diverse communities, clarifying the future of professional accreditation under a new administration, and continually enhancing faculty preparedness.
Carl Algood, PhD, MSW
Bowie State University (MD)
It is an honor to be considered for membership on the CSWE Board of Directors as an undergraduate faculty representative. I believe that I have gained knowledge, abilities, and skills from my experiences as a teacher, researcher, administrator, and practitioner that will equip me to support the Board’s efforts to advance high standards in social work education at the BSW level in the areas of research, teaching, and education.
I am currently an associate professor of social work and have taught at bachelor of social work programs at three historically Black colleges and universities and served also as a field director. I served two terms on the CSWE Council on Disability and Persons With Disabilities along with a 2-year stint as a co-chair of the council. In addition, I have served on the Boards of Social Work Examiners for the District of Columbia and the State of South Carolina and performed a role as chairperson of a rural hospital board. Further, I have also gained experiences in global learning as co-investigator on the CSWE Katherine Kendall Global Learning Grant, which was a part of efforts to enhance the exposure of minority students to global learning.
Based on these myriad experiences, I believe I am able to bring leadership, budgeting, long-range planning, along with skills in governance to the Board. In addition, I desire to advocate for more disability content in the social work curricula and enhance more global learning opportunities for particularly small minority BSW programs.
Thus, my vision for CSWE and social work education is to promulgate its continued efforts at the BSW level in enhancing faculty development and in preparing well-trained and highly educated and diverse students for work in the global society by advancing curriculum content, maintaining high educational standards, and promoting social justice.
National Nominating Committee
Graduate Program Representative
Monica Nandan, PhD, MBA, MSW
Kennesaw State University (GA)
With the changing global and national contexts, it is incumbent that social work education be ahead of the curve in preparing practitioners who will be dealing with recalcitrant, complex, and dynamic challenges experienced by individuals across the globe. It is my ethical responsibility to contribute to, and serve, the national organization that guides the preparation of future social work practitioners. I will like to identify forward-looking thinkers and nominate them for key roles on the Board or other roles within CSWE.
Empathetic listening, teamwork, interprofessionality, networking, building cross-sector alliances, and practicing mindful leadership with a sense of servitude are my strong suits. I have built relationships with practitioners, professionals, and educators in social work and from different fields, to help bolster the quality of services, policies, and practices for the final beneficiaries. Respecting different perspectives and building relationships with individuals who don’t share similar points of view are key for social work practice. With my diverse educational background in health care, finance, accounting, and social work, I am very sensitive to the importance of cross-sector and cross-disciplinary partnerships for social workers. With these skills, I can identify talent to serve on the Board and continue to propel CSWE forward.
As mentioned earlier, dynamic and complex global and national contexts for social work practice create a new challenge for social work educators—how to effectively prepare social workers to practice collaboratively with professionals and practitioners from different fields to not only change the context for the individuals/families, but also to create an empowering environment for them. The two institutes, two centers, and several initiatives are continuing to provide resources for educators. How to continue refining social work education and disseminating best practices for teaching to educators is the next challenge for CSWE.
Theresa Cluse-Tolar, PhD, MSW
Ohio University
I am honored to be nominated to serve on the Nominating Committee for CSWE. I have been a social work educator for over 20 years and appreciate this opportunity to provide service and leadership to our accrediting body and ultimately our social work programs.
Having had an extensive history as a social work educator, I have served as both a BSW and MSW program director. I have provided leadership to the development of a new MSW program accreditation standards and serve as a site visitor for CSWE. Additionally, I have attended many CSWE Annual Program Meetings through the years and have had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with many CSWE members, which will serve the Nominating Committee well.
I believe CSWE functions best when the Board of Directors is representative of the diversity we find in social work. Diversity not only in race, ethnicity, gender identification/expression, religion/spirituality, age, and ability, but also in the diversity of the programs accredited by CSWE. Representatives from large and smaller programs as well as programs residing in public and private universities or colleges located in urban or rural areas all bring a richness to the policy-making table. This diversity is an integral part of social work education and therefore of CSWE.
Right now, it is a critical time for social work education as we work to respond to many federal and state legislative changes. It is up to us to prepare our students to work with the many people who have already been disenfranchised by these changes and those who will be in the future. Making sure our profession maintains both a micro and macro lens is essential. Macro practice matters, especially now.
Graduate Program Representative
Martell Teasley, PhD, MSW
University of Texas at San Antonio
It is with honor and dedication that I attempt to be elected as part of the National Nominating Committee for the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). I am running for the National Nominating Committee because of my commitment to CSWE and social work education as stewards of social justice and human rights. I will bring to the position a high sense of integrity, leadership, a strong work ethic, and a collaborative spirit. As a former 6-year member of CSWE’s Commission on Diversity and Social & Economic Justice, I am highly familiar with the challenges of diversity in social work education, including the dynamics of organizational diversity, as well as issues related to diversity within the greater society. I thoroughly understand the various roles of CSWE’s council and commission members. During my tenure as an at-larger commissioner, I helped create, develop, and launch the CSWE Center for Diversity and Social & Economic Justice website. As a member of the National Nominating Committee, I will work with other members to identify qualified candidates who have skills and experience commensurate with the positions they seek as part of CSWE’s governance.
My vision for CSWE and social work education is to help the social work profession gain broad consensus on the meaning and function of social justice in an era of increasing poverty and reduced intergenerational mobility. Growing inequality in our country has fostered new frontiers for the social work profession, and we must respond to the challenges of our time with clarity of purpose and determination in advocacy for our professional values. Therefore, increasing social work education programming and student interest in macro and community-based practice, while maintaining our professional commitment to clinical practice, is paramount to the future of the social work profession.
Victoria Rizzo, PhD, MSW
Binghamton State University (NY)
The National Nominating Committee “prepares double slates of nominees for officers, members of the board of directors, and members of the nominating committee” and ensures the slate of candidates results in 50% composition from underrepresented groups. I am passionately committed to ensuring that the members of the governing body of CSWE represent the breadth and depth of the diversity of CSWE accredited programs as well as the diversity of the faculty, staff, and students in these programs.
Currently I serve in several positions that provide me with the national networking capabilities to identify and recruit a diverse slate of candidates as a member of the nominating committee. I am the president of the New York State Association of Deans of Schools of Social Work, co-director of the NADD Leadership Academy for Deans and Directors, co-chair of the NADD Leadership Committee and the Gerontological Taskforce, and co-chair of the Gero-Ed Track for the CSWE Annual Program Meeting.
My vision for CSWE and social work education is that we will work together to address the complex social issues of our time, also referred to as the Grand Challenges, with particular attention paid to the current political environment and its impact on the vulnerable populations we serve and our ability to address the needs of these populations. We should focus our efforts on advocacy to address inequities and oppression embedded in current federal and state policies. We should also focus on training the social work workforce to (1) advocate for social and environmental justice and (2) navigate the quickly and continually changing environments in which they will work.
Undergraduate Program Representative
Daria Hanssen, PhD, MSW
Marist College (NY)
It would be an honor to serve as the undergraduate program representative to the National Nominating Committee. If elected, I will work with my colleagues to identify individuals who possess knowledge, creativity, and leadership experience. I will strive to identify candidates who will continue to advance CSWE as the gatekeeper for ensuring the delivery of outstanding social work education to our next generation of leaders.
The skills I bring to this positon are guided by the core values of our profession. I am a dependable and dedicated team member. I listen to and value the opinions of my colleagues. I work within my skill set, and voice my opinion with thoughtfulness and respect for others. I give honest feedback, and value the profession and the process. Since 2001, I have served as the BSW program director at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, and I am a practicing clinician. I have been an active CSWE accreditation site visitor since 2001. I have served NASW as a PACE trustee, delegate to the Delegate Assembly, and Region III representative from 2012–2015, and as secretary to the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors. I currently serve on the boards of Mental Health America, Dutchess County, NY; Hudson River Housing; and the New York State Social Work Education Association.
My vision for CSWE is that the organization will continue to advance undergraduate and graduate social work education across all fields of practice and practice methods; will advance interprofessional collaboration; and will continue to be responsive to the current needs and trends in practice, policy, and research. This direction will sustain and advance this great profession.
Gregory Perkins, EdD, MSW
Fayetteville State University (NC)
I am running for this office because I believe that it is my duty and responsibility as a professional social worker and as a social educator to serve the profession. This includes but is not limited to supporting the National Association of Social Workers, which is the guardian of our professional ethics standards, but, to the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) as well. CSWE, as the profession’s accrediting board, ensures consistency in educational policy. The accreditation body allows the profession to articulate standardized educational values through individualized programs with one distinct voice.
The skills that I can bring to this position include a world view of problem-solving. I have more than 40 years of public service stemming from over 22 years of active duty military service, 20 plus years in direct practice, and 13 years in higher education. I acquired numerous practical management, communication, and organizational skills at each juncture in my careers. These skills have proven to be pivotal while serving in positions of leadership and service.
My vision for CSWE and social work education focuses on empowerment. Educational programs must be empowered to change in order for social workers, through their education attainment, to acquire a responsive global approach that equips them as future practitioners for meaningful careers.
Undergraduate Faculty Representative
Elizabeth Dungee-Anderson, PhD, MSW
Wayne State University (MI)
I am running for the National Nominating Committee because it has always been important to me to be participatory and make contributions to my profession in avenues that support social work organizations, education, and the social work profession.
I believe that my active and ongoing participation in CSWE demonstrates my collaborative and leadership skills in the following review of the selected professional service opportunities that I have been fortunate to have been awarded. I have served as a social work educator and administrator at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, and at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, for my entire career in social work education. My ongoing contributions to CSWE include being appointed previous membership to the Practice Council for a 3-year term and as chair and co-chair of the Clinical Practice Track for 8 years, with the responsibility of reviewing submitted CSWE Annual Program Meeting (APM) abstracts and planning the organization of the APM Clinical Practice Track programs. I have served as an accreditation site visitor for 3 years and as a commissioner of accreditation for two 3-year terms. I served on the steering committee that authored the CSWE clinical practice competencies and as a committee member of the Fordham University and CSWE Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice grant awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. My additional local and national service to the social work profession for the past 10 years includes providing multistate NASW-VA sponsored clinical licensure training and clinical supervision training/credentialing for states that require MSW clinical supervision training.
In its important role as a membership and leadership organization, I envision that CSWE will continue its sensitivity to the values, ethics, diversity, and social justice central to the social work profession and to professional and marketplace currency, marketplace changes, and pragmatic and visionary initiatives for the social work profession.
Sharvari Karandikar, PhD, MSW
Ohio State University
I am an associate professor at the College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, having joined in 2009. My research includes domestic and international sex-trafficking, violence against sex workers, and women’s health issues around international gestational surrogacy. I teach research methods and international social work to doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students. I served on the CSWE Women’s Council for 6 years from 2005–2011.
I am interested in serving on the National Nominating Committee as an undergraduate faculty representative because I am committed to giving back to the social work profession for having shaped my life. I recognize the role my mentors played in motivating me to pursue a social work education and am passionate about playing the same role in identifying and inspiring the future leaders of our profession.
I am committed to the core values of diversity and social justice. As a member of the nominating committee I will bring diverse insights and perspectives to this committee and contribute enthusiastically toward achieving a diverse and inclusive slate of officers. I will bring my leadership skills, ability to conduct due diligence, and years of experience serving on various committees, including BSSW, MSW, diversity committee, etc. I also bring experience working well with other leaders, having served on the CSWE’s Women’s Council, helping fulfill the council’s mission to enhance the role and status of women in social work education.
My vision for CSWE is to align our higher education to the core values and ethics of the social work profession. I hope that our students are proactive in the current social and political climate and advocate for the rights of minorities and immigrants. I hope that our education reflects our values more closely and our graduates are advocates for social change and justice.
Undergraduate Faculty Representative
Alex Redcay, PhD, MSW
Millersville University (PA)
Hello! Electing leaders is a serious responsibility and privilege that I cherish. We must actively serve and engage in the election process. Good leaders should be well-informed, listen to both sides of a discussion, and make thoughtful decisions that will positively affect the organization, the community, and the people that they serve. I am running for the National Nominating Committee as an undergraduate faculty representative because I believe that whom we choose as a leader is critically important. Undergraduate BSW programs provide the foundational social work skills that students will need as they progress in the social work profession. I think I will be a good candidate for this committee because I have experience as a faculty member, nonprofit leader, and board member. I have 20 years of experience in the social work field and have an MSW and a PhD in social work. CSWE is the essential leader for social work education and the profession in the United States, but international schools are listening, too. On my recent trip to Guatemala, I noticed that a social work school was paying attention to the revised CSWE competencies. CSWE is a global leader as well. How exciting that there is so much work to be done in the United States and elsewhere! I look forward to every day. Thank you!
Alice Locklear, PhD, MSW
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
I am interested in running for the National Nominating Committee because my commitment and passion for the social work profession are insurmountable. When given the opportunity to make an impact on lives, communities, and environments, it seems like a river flowing; but words can’t seem to express the dedication to the profession. Seventeen years of professional dedication to social work has resulted in joy of delving into policy issues, ensuring ethical procedures, and teaching the significance of connectedness in understanding the roles of governance, practice, and inclusion. As a minority member, the feeling of inadequacy or unacceptance is not foreign to me; neither is my drive toward excellence, regardless of the countless obstacles and barriers presented in life’s experiences.
The skills I bring to the position include life experiences, which rest with my belief in the urgency to understand diverse perspectives in decision-making practices. I am active in macro social work and collaboratively ensure all voices are heard, each face is seen, and everybody is recognized. Seven years teaching in higher education has added attentiveness to diversity and inclusion, which cannot afford to be overlooked. Supervisory roles include mental health director, field director, liaison, instructor, nonprofit community educator, and counselor. Delivering the message of professionalism through uniformity and cultural humility for sound effective practice has been the center of my social work profession.
My vision for CSWE and social work education is to continue magnifying ethical practice, commitment to excellence in governance, active involvement, and adherence in program policy across the profession. CSWE is accountable for ensuring unpretentious motives in educating social work professionals. The decision-makers contribute to excellence in process and leadership, setting the model for quality social work standards. This vision mirrors my own in the existent “calling” subdued in careful attention to detail, style, and character.