CWLA ADVISORY COMMITTEES
CWLA leverages the expertise of individuals and organizations from a variety of fields to inform and support its work.
NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE
The CWLA National Commission for Policy and Practice is comprised of individuals responsible for working to support CWLA’s commitment to excellence in child welfare practice and informed public policy. The Commission facilitates member input and leadership to identify the critical issues facing the field and to articulate relevant policies and best practices that underpin quality child welfare practice that advances the safety, permanence and well-being of all children and families in, or at risk of, being involved in the child welfare system. For additional information on Policy, contact John Sciamanna on Practice, contact Julie Collins.
Co-Chair: Carnitra White
Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services
Co-Chair: Phil Acord
Chambliss Center for Children
Rick Azzaro
Voce
Lenette Azzi-Lessing
Boston University School of Social Work
Nina Aliprandi
Maryville Academy
Kathleen Belanger
Stephen F. Austin State University
David Caprio
Children’s Friend
Nancy Christian
The Florence Crittenton Agency, Inc.
Irene Clements
National Foster Parent Association
Kim Clifton
HALOS
Kathy Colbenson
CHRIS 180
Bahney Dedolph
Arizona Council of Human Service Providers
Mike Jackson
Drew Child Development Corporation
Jeremy Kohomban
The Children’s Village
Joel Levine
Harris County Protective Services for Children and Adults
Donna Lucero
All Faiths
Mark Mecum
Ohio Association of Child Caring Agencies
Alex Morales
Children’s Bureau (retired)
Donna Pressma
The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey
Cheryl Rathbun
Saint Francis Community Services
Ronald Richter
JCCA
Amy Kennedy-Rickman
Necco West Virginia
Michelle Sanborn
Children’s Alliance
Juanita Stedman
Together Georgia
David Simmons
National Indian Child Welfare Association
Todd Sosna
Children’s Institute, Inc.
Linda Spears
Massachusetts Department of Children and Families
Julie Springwater
New England Association of Child Welfare Commissioners and Directors
Julie Swindler
Families First of Palm Beach County
Stan Waddell
Centene Corporation
Gerald Wallace
New York State Kinship Navigator
MENTAL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD
The purpose of CWLA’s Mental Health Advisory Board is to provide CWLA staff with guidance, assistance, and recommendations for addressing the mental health care and co-occurring substance abuse needs of children and their families, especially those known to the child welfare system. For additional information, contact Julie Collins.
Chair: Alan Vietze
New Jersey Children’s System of Care (retired)
Melinda Baldwin
SAMHSA
Harold Briggs
University of Georgia, School of Social Work
April Curtis
CWLA Senior Fellow
Eileen Elias
JBS International, Inc.
Cheryl Fischer
Centene Corporation
Pat Hunt
FREDLA
Martin Irwin
NYU, School of Medicine
Paulette Mader
Rutgers University
James Martin
Sweetser
Susan Montague
Saint Francis Ministries
Lisa Otto
Child and Family Agency of SE CT
Bill Reay
OMNI Inventive Care
Debbie Riley
Center for Adoption Support and Education
Richard Weisgal
Consultant
CONFERENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE
The Conference Planning Committee provides CWLA staff with guidance, assistance, and recommendations as we develop the conference theme, speakers, and programming. Committee members also assist with the review and rating of workshop proposal submissions, serve as ambassadors to help us promote the event to registrants, sponsors, and exhibitors, and assist with onsite support of session monitoring and other conference activities. For additional information, contact Julie Brite.
Chair: Yaridis Garcia
Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County
Nadyia Abbas
Devereux Massachusetts
Nina Aliprandi-Bolley
Maryville Academy
Alison Blodgett
Parenting with Love and Limits
Peter Breen
CWLA Fellow
Chanica Brown
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Irene Clements
National Foster Parent Association
April Curtis
CWLA Fellow
Margaret Doherty
Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families
Lucille Echohawk
CWLA Fellow
Deborah Gadsden
Voce
Beverly Hardin
Carolina Youth Development Center
Lisa Haya
Acenda Integrated Health
Bacall Hincks
Dahlia’s Hope
Vanessa Johnson
Richmond Department of Social Services
Rebecca Jones Gaston
Oregon Department of Human Services
Jana Jones
Lena Pope
Kelly Jones
Children and Family Futures
Ryan Jones
Virginia Beach Department of Human Services
Vicky Kelly
CWLA Board of Directors
Andrew Koster
Child Welfare League of Canada
Rodney Lee
Children’s Aid
Stacey Lewis
Lena Pope
Marilyn Liciaga
Fairfax County Department of Family Services
Karen Maziarz
Youth and Family Alternatives, Inc.
Sharon McCartney
AAICAMA
Kim McNear
Anchor House, Inc.
Sonya Mosley
Lena Pope
Madeline Roachell
Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services
Rayshawn Satchell
Virginia Beach Department of Human Services
Erin Saylor
Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut
Bernadette Tavares
Foster Forward
Gary Taylor
CWLA Fellow
Alan Vietze
CWLA Fellow
Douglas Waite
Bronxcare Health System
Stan Waddell
Centene Corporation
Elaine Weisman
International Social Service-USA
Tina Willauer
Children and Family Futures
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
The Membership Committee works with CWLA’s management team on issues related to member recruitment and retention strategies. The Committee aims to make recommendations that will enhance CWLA’s membership and reflect the organization’s commitment to the values and principles of the National Blueprint for Excellence in Child Welfare. The committee is composed of representatives from CWLA’s Board of Directors and member organizations. For additional information, contact Riva Reed.
Co-Chair: Angela Connor
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Co-Chair: Deborah Wilson Gadsden
Voce
Marilyn DeMontrond
Harris County (TX) Resources for Children and Adults
Yaridis Garcia
Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County
Leslie Gross
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Mike Jackson
Drew Child Development Corporation
Alisa Lee
Utah Division of Child and Family Services
Alex Morales
Children’s Bureau (retired)
Sarah Saint Laurent
Healthy Transitions
Anayra Tua-Lopez
Proyecto Nacer
CHILD WELFARE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY PANEL
The International Advisory Panel is a group of leaders in social work education with special interest in child welfare and child protection who have joined with CWLA to disseminate research findings and evidence-informed/based practices in child welfare and child protection globally. Representatives from all regions of the world participate on the panel to identify issues and trends, research, and policy and practice innovations in child welfare and child protection. For additional information, contact Chris James-Brown.
Director, Asian Center for Social Work Research Exchange
Hasegawa Research Institute for Budhist Culture
Shukutoju University
Chiba, Japan
Yasmin Dean, PhD, RSW
Department of Social Work and Disability Studies
Mount Royal University
Calgary, AB, Canada
Louise Harms, PhD
Department of Social Work, School of Health Sciences
The University of Melbourne
Victoria, Australia
Bong Joo Lee
College of Social Sciences
Seoul National University
Seoul, Korea
Prof. Antoinette Lombard
Department of Social Work and Crimonology
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
Anna Metteri, PhD
University of Tampere
Finland
Vishanthie Sewpaul, PhD
University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) &
Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA)
Durban, South Africa
Abye Tasse, PhD
Social Work and Social Development
University of Nouakchott
Mauritania
Dr. Rory G. Truell
International Federation of Social Workers
Bern, Switzerland
Charlotte Williams OBE
CQSW, MA, PhD
School of Global, Urban and Social Studies
Rmit University
Melbourne, Australia
CHILD WELFARE JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD
Launched in 1921, the Child Welfare Journal, is a scholarly, bimonthly publication keeping individuals abreast of the special problems facing millions of children who are vulnerable. Child Welfare links the latest findings in child welfare and related research with the best practice, policy, and program development into one innovative resource equally indispensable to child welfare and associated professionals. The Child Welfare Journal Editorial Board includes individuals with a range of subject interests from throughout the country who have prestige in the field of child and family services. Editorial board members conduct peer reviews of articles, provide strategic editorial advice, act as ambassadors for the journal, sourcing potential authors and readers and also potential subscribers, and encourage their students and colleagues to read and cite the journal. For additional information, contact Rachel Adams.
California State University, Monterey Bay
Gary R. Anderson
Michigan State University
Rosemary Avery
Cornell University
Sam Aymer
Hunter College
Amy Baker
Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection
Mary Bissell
ChildFocus
Wendy Whiting Blome
Catholic University of America
Erma Borskey
Southern University
Crystal Collins-Camargo
University of Louisville
Amy D’Andrade
San Jose State University
Angelique Day
Wayne State University
Alan Detlaff
University of Illinois at Chicago
Martha Dore
The Guidance Center, Inc.
Ilze Earner
Hunter College
Kathleen Coulborn Faller
University of Michigan
Rowena Fong
University of Texas at Austin
Priscilla Gibson
University of Minnesota
James Gleeson
University of Illinois at Chicago
Manny Gonzalez
Hunter College
Sarah B. Greenblatt
Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative
Victor Groza
Case Western Reserve University
Jessica Hagaman
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Neal Halfon
University of California, Los Angeles
Michele Hanna
University of Denver
Mark Hardin
American Bar Association
Rebecca Hegar
University of Texas at Arlington
Corie Hebert
Southeastern Louisiana University
Peg Hess
University of South Carolina
David Hussey
Beech Brook
Ben Kerman
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Bethany Lee
University of Maryland
Mary McCarthy
University at Albany
Brad McKenzie
University of Manitoba
Larry Owens
Western Kentucky University
Eileen Mayers Pasztor
California State University, Long Beach
Joan Pennell
North Carolina State University
Peter Pecora
University of Washington
Diane Purvin
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Jini Roby
Brigham Young University
Mitchell Rosenwald
Barry University
Joseph Ryan
University of Michigan
Gina Miranda Samuels
University of Chicago
Karen Staller
University of Michigan
Richard Sullivan
University of British Columbia
Lorraine Tempel
Hunter College
Elizabeth Tracy
Case Western Reserve University
Ellen Whipple
Michigan State University
Mi Youn Yang
Louisiana State University
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL ON ENGAGING AND INVOLVING FATHERS IN ADVANCING CHILD WELL-BEING
The National Leadership Council on Engaging and Involving Fathers in Advancing Child Well-Being will provide advice and support to us as we advance the National Blueprint for Excellence in Child Welfare and its commitment to engaging fathers in advancing the well-being of their children. The Council will work with us to develop possible policy, practice, training materials, and publications on issues related to engaging and involving fathers. For additional information, contact Marcus Stallworth.
Dr. Rufus Sylvester Lynch, ACSW
The Strong Families Commission Incorporated
Alan-Michael Graves
Children’s Institute, Inc.
Karen Andrade-Mims, MPA
UIH Family Partners/Operation Fatherhood
Joseph D. Kenner
Greyston
James Murray
HHS/ACF – Office of Child Support Enforcement, Division of Program Innovation
Reginald Lockhart
Westchester County Department of Social Services
EMERGING LEADERS COMMITTEE
The Emerging Leaders Committee is part of CWLA’s initiative to support the development of young professionals that are part of our member agencies and their involvement with CWLA. As the current generation of leaders moves into the retirement phase of their life, it is critical that we help the development of the next generation of leaders for the field. The Emerging Leaders Committee has a key role in this initiative. The aim of the committee is to advise CWLA related to strengthening the engagement of young professionals that are part of member agencies between the ages of 20 and 45. Young professionals who are part of the committee are committed to making children and families a national priority and to help CWLA with its goal of building new bridges for connecting and supporting the growth of emerging leaders. The Committee will also provide opportunities for young professionals to build relationships, enhance their skills, and advance their career while advancing excellence in practice and policy. For additional information, contact Julie Collins.
Co-Chair: Alycia Blackwell
Fairfax County Department of Family Services
Co-Chair: Bacall Bailey Hincks
Dahlia’s Hope
Co-Chair: Terrell Thomas
Stanford Sierra Youth & Families
Frank Green
Richmond Department of Social Services
Grace Hilliard-Koshinsky
New England Association of Child Welfare Commissioner and Directors (NEACWCD)
RURAL CHILD WELFARE SERVICES COMMITTEE
The Rural Child Welfare Services Committee works to ensure that CWLA’s training, policy, practice, and networking opportunities meet the specific needs and interests of agencies, children, parents, families, and communities in rural areas. The Committee seeks to learn from the knowledge, experience, and innovation of rural agencies about working with children and families in rural communities, and to increase the knowledge base and facilitate information exchange between rural and urban agencies and with policy makers to insure better outcomes for children and families in rural communities. For additional information, contact Christine James-Brown.
Co-Chair: Carl Ayers
Casey Family Programs
Co-Chair: Kathleen Belanger
Stephen F. Austin State University
Charles Baker
Baker Company
Lindsay Barron
Vermont Department for Children and Families
Pamela Bennett
South Dakota Department of Social Services
Pamela Cornwell
Saint Francis Ministries
Bahney Dedolph
Arizona Council of Human Service Providers (Retired)
Gade Duerksen
Partnership for Strong Families
John Egan
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
Korey Elger
Colorado Department of Human Services
Nancy S. Hafer
University of California-Davis Continuing and Professional Education
Bobbie Johnson
Maine Office of Child and Family Services
Keith Liederman
Kingsley House
Jennifer Newman
Susie’s Place
Carrie G. Sanderson
Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment
Cathy Weatherspoon
Thriving Grant County
Natalie Wood
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
MEMBER EQUITY COMMITTEE
The Member Equity Committee is comprised of member agency representatives who serve as an advisory group to the CWLA President & CEO in support of efforts to advance a more equitable, just child welfare system. The Committee will provide input and support for the work and activities of the CWLA National Committee on Equity. The Committee is a peer-to-peer learning opportunity for members to share efforts in their organizations and communities that more intentionally advance equity. For additional information, contact Christine James-Brown.
Co-Chair: Anayra Tua-Lopez
Proyecto Nacer
Co-Chair: Dr. Alger M. Studstill, Jr.
Nebraska Division of Children and Family Services
Peter Breen
CWLA
Brandynicole Brooks
District of Columbia Child and Family Services Agency
Robyn Byers
Santa Clara County Social Services Agency
Christina Cagle
Stanford Sierra Youth and Families
Brandi-Janai Carter
Indiana Department of Child Services
Arnie Eby
National Foster Parent Association
Maria Gagnon
New England Association of Child Welfare Commissioners and Directors
Alma Garcia
Raise the Future
Christian Gineste
District of Columbia Child and Family Services
Jovan Goodman
Evident Change
Nathan Hoover
Centene Corporation – Superior Healthplan
Yadira Ijeh
Connecticut Department of Children and Families
Bobbi Johnson
Maine Office of Child and Family Services
Traci B. Jones
Virginia Department of Social Services
Tanja Kubas-Meyer
Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families
Kelli McKnight
Options Counseling and Family Services
Tammy Mello
Key Program, Inc.
Becky Miller Updike
Colorado Association of Family and Children’s Agencies (CAFCA)
Monica Montalvo Rams
Connecticut Department of Children and Families
Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin
Raising the Future
Debra Porchia-Usher
Santa Clara County Social Services Agency
Antonia Rios
Raising the Future
Greg Rose
California Department of Social Services
Carla Torres
Santa Clara County Social Services Agency
Tamika Van Den Akker
Santa Clara County Social Services Agency
Nicole Williams
Lucas County Children Services
Deborah Wilson Gadsden
Voce
Sim Wimbush
Elevance Health (formerly Anthem)
NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON EQUITY
The National Committee on Equity will provide guidance and advice on efforts to advance a more equitable, just child welfare system. A guiding principle of the Committee’s work will be to leverage the ideas and aspirations of youth and families and the expertise in the child welfare field to support existing and new programs and projects. The Committee will review CWLA’s National Blueprint for Excellence in Child Welfare to ensure that it more intentionally advances equity. The committee also will participate in a variety of listening sessions with families, youth in care, and key individuals from member organizations to learn about and support the work happening in our communities. For additional information, contact Christine James-Brown.
Co-Chair: Keith Liederman
Kingsley House
Co-Chair: Judge Ernestine Gray
Orleans Parish Juvenile Court (retired)
Lenette Azzi-Lessing
Boston University School of Social Work
Prudence Beidler Carr
ABA Center on Children and the Law
Kathleen Belanger
Stephen F. Austin State University
Katharine Briar-Lawson
University at Albany
Harold Briggs
University of Georgia School of Social Work
Joe Costa
Hillsides (reitred)
Leslie Ellis-Lang
CARF, International
Pat Hunt
FREDLA
Sarah L. Kastelic
National Indian Child Welfare Association
Victoria Kelly
Director, Delaware Dept. of Services for Children, Youth and Families (retired)
Jeremy Kohomban
The Children’s Village
Darcey H. Merritt
NYU Silver School of Social Work
Robert M. Ortega
University of Michigan
Katherine Park
Evident Change
Donna C. Pressma
The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey
Maria L. Quintanilla
Latino Family Institute
Ronald E. Richter
JCCA
Dana Burdnell Wilson
Morgan State University School of Social Work