My goal as the Region 1 Representative is to continue providing the social workers in the Upper Peninsula with quality continuing education opportunities in our local region and to expand our membership. I also aim to inform other social workers about issues that are happening in the social work arena statewide. I believe in NASW-Michigan as the leader in helping social workers navigate the ever-changing climate related to local, state and national issues that will and are affecting us all. I am passionate about social work and the needs of our social workers and the uniqueness that the Upper Peninsula provides. I believe we are the voice of the poor, the sick, the elderly and a plethora of others. I will try my best to have our voice heard and responded to in this state.

I serve currently on the NAMI board for the UP of Michigan and the West End Suicide Prevention Coalition. I have experience with hospice/death and dying/grief, substance use disorders, and have currently finished a certificate program on Moral Injury to work with veterans.

Northern Michigan is an amazing place to live and work not only due to its majestic natural beauty all around but also for its hardworking and community driven people. Northern Michigan social workers are lacking leadership and are in need of a voice at a state and national level as our community needs are diverse and deserving of attention.

Presently, I serve as a board member for a senior living center located in Alpena, Michigan. This organization is known for its service delivery in communities throughout Michigan. I am employed as the Behavioral Health Director at a FQHC which delivers affordable health care throughout lower Northern Michigan and the Eastern Upper Peninsula. I have been a proud member of NASW for a number of years and have provided supervision to a number of Master Level Social Work students for several years.

I have volunteered for organizations such as Girl Scouts in years past, taught students as a catechist in a local church, obtained credentials as a Clinical Social Worker in Gerontology, CSW-G and Certified Social Worker in Health Care, C-SWHC, current through 2021, and achieved Supervision and Retention of Mental Health Professionals Certification from Michigan State University in 2019.

My goal for serving on the NASW-Michigan board is to help others, which is my goal every day in my practice. I also know that this is the same goal of those who I will have the opportunity to serve and work with. I love everything about being a social worker and what the NASW does and stands for. If there is a way to fight against social injustice and to fight for the rights of those who are oppressed count me in!

Last year I had the opportunity to serve as a mentor on Capital Action day for NASW. I take the time to read what issues are relevant to the NASW and call legislators to do my part. I also made it a point to be involved in as many committees as possible in agencies I have worked for in the past. Although I don’t have a ton of leadership experience that I can boast about, I am a natural leader (I am a D personality, for those who use the DISC personality profile). Getting involved in a leadership role in a macro setting has been a goal since college.

Helping others is in my DNA. My grandfather was a pastor for many years so I grew up helping serve members in his congregation. My father is a natural philanthropist. Growing up my dad created an apartment in our barn to house families who needed to get back on their feet. We also ran a food pantry out of our home. My family has always placed a huge value on standing up for those who need support without judgement. As a social worker I feel incredibly proud that I can continue to serve those who have the greatest need as I have been taught to do my whole life.

Our state and country need social work voices more than ever before. I believe social workers can lead the way to creating lasting social change. My goal for our district is to build on the power our collective voice. As a regional representative, I will pursue this goal by supporting and expanding relationships inter-professional and interdisciplinary networks, fostering an atmosphere of support and learning from one anothers’ strengths. This will amplify our collective voice in service of advocating for a more just society.

As a macro-social worker, collaborative community work is my lifeblood! I have established an anti-trafficking coalition in Texas, led a regional anti-trafficking task force in Michigan, and served as the secretary for the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force. I have also organized alongside colleagues to advocate for a neighborhood being developed by my graduate university, and for the advancement of child hunger programs in Dallas. I was selected as one of only ten participants in our university's Academic Leadership Academy for the 2019-20 year, in which we have studied best practices for leadership in higher education. In my role here at WMU, I primarily work in recruitment and student services, making me a skilled advocate for the unique value of our beloved profession.

As a leader, I have helped communities overcome their challenges, such as inequalities in education, water, and prison reform. I have advocated for change through organizing and working with state and local legislative to implement drug courts and mental health courts to our community.

One example of my leadership is with the SEIU. Serving as the social worker, I collaborated with the SEIU to bring the minimum wage to 15hr. The union ensures that the dignity and value of all employees are recognized. Serving in connection with the employee’s international association will establish a humane society- a just community where the standards of living are better. Increased levels of salaries for social workers is a must. Having better income through legislation would help our family and better serve our community.

I have effectively worked with a diverse group of people in the region who faces various challenges that can be addressed using different strategies. The Detroit community struggles to overcome the water crisis, police brutality, and human right inequality in the region. Therefore, it is in the leadership position that I will be able to improve the well-being of the Detroit community and ensure that the population acquires the most basic needs.

My goal for this coming year is to help our Michigan community rebuild socially and economically following the COVID-19 Pandemic. Along with this, I want to focus on human relationships and voter registration.

I am a current student at Saginaw Valley State University and served the previous term as the  BSW Student Representative for NASW-Michigan. Other than my previous role with NASW, I also have taken the lead in guiding my community through the current circumstances by providing master lists of resources in the surrounding area, offering help and guidance to social work students, and keeping as many individuals up to date on current events.

My primary goal in serving as the BSW Student Representative would be to further policy action that betters the lives and improves conditions for at-risk populations in Michigan, particularly children in the foster care system. I plan to assist in advocating for the future of the social work education and the profession. With collaboration from the Board, I aim to advance social work student participation in matters bigger than ourselves that advance social work while improving care for the clients we service.

I am a current BSW student at the University of Detroit Mercy. I am certified in Adult Mental Health First Aid, Macomb Multi-Cultural Initiative Certification (Level 1), a Chapter Member of National Society of Leadership and Success, and was the 100th commencement ceremony speaker for Macomb Community College

My goals are to further expand my ability to be a productive group or task group participant as well as expand my knowledge of mezzo and macro issues at local and national levels. As an emerging macro social worker, it is my expressed desire to be exposed to and mentored by professionals who are working on policy and community issues. My interest are to better understand the systems our profession works within as well as learn more about ongoing research, assessments and evaluations of the profession. As well as to promote the professions values and mission.

I am a current BSW student at Western Michigan University and have been a court appointed Special Advocate for 4 years.

My main goal as the MSW Student Representative is to actively engage social work students by conducting diverse programming so all NASW initiatives in Michigan reflect and meet the needs of social work students.

I lead a variety of initiatives for LGBTQ+ patients and families in a major health system within the state of Michigan and am currently a MSW candidate at Wayne State University.

As the MSW Student Representative, I will collaborate, communicate, and critically think for the future of the social work profession. It is my professional goal to leverage equitable evaluation tools and methods to support community members to develop and act on information, that will create policy for people to achieve their best life. I seek to help the most vulnerable in Michigan, particularly those affected by structural racism in our health systems. Through involvement with the Board, I hope to help foster the clear and aspirational vision by ensuring initiatives that will include social work students across the state.

I am currently the Chief Wellness Ambassador at Andrews University working as the graduate assistant for Dominique Gummelt, Andrews University Wellness Director. My role is designed to help promote wellbeing to our faculty, staff, and students through initiatives such as a 10 week course called the Lift Project by Dr. Darren Morton. I have held positions in the Andrews University Graduate Student Association for three years as President, Brand Manager, and Public Relations. During my time as president, I helped for the first time in the history of our University increase the graduate student enrollment to be higher than the undergraduates. Lastly, my work as an evaluator at the local hospital, Spectrum Health Lakeland helps to develop my macro social work skills relevant to the initiative of the chapter to increase macro social worker in the field and the classroom.

My goal is to turn personal pain into political activism through community involvement.

I am a new member of the NASW Chapter of Michigan and current MSW candidate at the University of Michigan. I was a member of the Arizona Chapter last year and attended the annual conference. I also was a member of the ASU Programs and Activities Board, intern at Everybody Matters (a nonprofit seeking to provide emotional support to children), and volunteered at local Boys and Girls Club.