Leadership

As promised when elected, the second year of my presidency focused on executing leadership with integrity for the expanded 11-member board. The 2017 Board of Directors included seven new leaders, who all needed to get to know one another. We made effective use of our limited time together with creative activities to build on the shared values of respect, transparency, and trust. Focus on both process and content allowed us to achieve the goal of developing into a cohesive, fully engaged board, capable of making information-rich decisions based on facts.

Commitment

I attended the Council on Social Work Education Round Table; Social Work Day on the Hill in Washington, D.C., which was held by the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy; and the annual meeting of the National Association of Social Workers, where I made comments as a representative of ASWB. At the annual conferences of the Baccalaureate Program Directors and CSWE, I helped staff the ASWB booth and presented with staff. I wrote an article about regulation for the New Social Worker blog, which was posted during Social Work Month. I attended a number of events held by the Federation of Associations of Regulatory Boards, including the FARB Forum, the annual meeting of the governing council, the National Policy Summit & Leadership Conference, and the Regulatory Law Seminar. I attended and presented at the National Association of Black Social Workers conference. I attended ASWB’s Exam, Bylaws, and Regulation and Standards committee meetings; made opening remarks at ASWB’s Education Conference; and presided over the delegate assembly at ASWB’s annual meeting.

Accomplishments

For the first time, I created an orientation process for the president-elect to ensure a smooth transition. All standing committees and five new task forces were fully staffed and completed their work as assigned. The Mobility Task Force put forth a Mobility resolution and strategy that the delegates passed at the Annual Meeting of the Delegate Assembly. The CEO Evaluation Task Force made significant improvements to the CEO evaluation process, which the Board of Directors approved. All Board members were fully engaged in the robust process. The Membership Task Force recommended standardized membership dues to reflect inclusiveness and a stable membership.

M. Jenise Comer, LCSW, MSW, ACSW
ASWB President