July 29, 2022
Dear Network for Social Work Management Members:
As many of you know, our long-time Executive Director, Dr. Lakeya Cherry, left her position at the end of June to focus on her executive leadership coaching work. We are incredibly grateful for all that Dr. Cherry accomplished over the nine years that she led The Network.
Prior to her departure, the Board of Directors and Dr. Cherry started exploring new business models for the Network. With Dr. Cherry’s departure and that of Ms. Briana LaRoche, administrative coordinator, the Board is presented with an opportunity to explore new partnerships for The Network and a new management structure as we weather a changing environment. In mid-June, after our successful 2nd Forward Thinking Summit, we issued an Invitation for Proposals to Host The Network for Social Work Management (NSWM). This went to our network of university centers, federations, consulting groups, professional associations, research entities, and other types of nonprofit/for-profit organizations. The Invitation is for proposals to afford the Networks a new institutional home that will include administrative and programmatic functions. We have received several expressions of interest and have invited full proposals from institutions with a request that their application address sustaining the Network’s core mission and values. Once a host partner has been selected, the Board will work with that partner to hire new staff for The Network.
In the meantime, the NSWM Board Executive Committee, in consultation with the entire Board, will continue the core functions of The Network. During this transition, we anticipate engaging contractors to provide occasional programs in addition to the core services of our newsletter, Career Center, University Certificate in Human Service Management Competencies, and the journal Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership, and Governance.
We are excited about this new chapter for The Network. We will keep you updated as it develops. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to us on The Network’s social media, or through email, at info@socialworkmanager.org if we can be of assistance.
NSWM Executive Committee
Goutham M. Menon, PhD, MA, MBA
President, The Network for Social Work Management
Professor, Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work
Nancy J. Smyth, PhD, LCSW
President-Elect, The Network for Social Work Management
Professor, University at Buffalo School of Social Work
Karen Dixon, MSW
Vice President, Network for Social Work Management
Executive Director, Harlem Dowling-West Side Center
Gary Bess, PhD, MSW
Secretary, The Network for Social Work Management
Principal, Gary Bess Associates
Bruce Friedman PhD, ACSW, CSWM, LCSW
Treasurer, The Network for Social Work Management
Orville Edward Egbert Endowed Professor of Health Sciences
Department of Social Work, The University of Texas at El Paso