Southern Tier Division Chair – Jennifer Ellison, MSW
Jennifer Ellison recently received her MSW Degree from Binghamton University. Prior to her newly chosen profession in social work, she worked in human resources for 22 years. She holds a MS degree in HR Management with an emphasis in training and curriculum development. She has organized many successful conferences and training programs. Presently, Ellison lives in Corning, N.Y. with her family. She has a farm in Deposit, N.Y., where she was born and raised. Ellison is committed to developing our collective social work expertise in the Southern Tier understanding the issues that face the expansive region.
Mohawk Valley Division Chair – Susan Everett, LCSW-R
As a LCSW-R, Susan has provided services for children and families within the educational system for many years. Recently, she has become involved in training future social workers through Keuka College’s BSW program where she serves as an adjunct professor and advisor. She is a consultant for both the Oneida County Department of Mental Health and Office of the Aging; providing evaluations and clinical support. In her private practice she specializes in depression, anxiety and grief counseling. She has been committed to promoting the field of Social Work for many years and has been a long standing member of NASW.
Hudson Valley Division Chair – Colleen Biavati, ACSW
Colleen Biavati is a LMSW and has both her Bachelors and Masters in Social Work. She also holds a Leadership Certificate in Human Services from Cornell University and NY State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
Colleen has nineteen years of direct client practice in child welfare; working with high-risk teenagers, the Juvenile Justice System, Child Protective Services, Adult Protective Services and individuals with disabilities. She also worked in the Planning Analysis and Evaluation Unit at Rockland County DSS, where she worked with contracting agencies to ensure accountability and quality performance. She believes it is our responsibility to help train the leaders of tomorrow and has served as a field instructor for many years, as well as initiating and developing the first student internship program to train BSW and MSW students in the field of Child Welfare at Rockland County DSS.
Westchester Division Chair – Hawa Jalloh, MSW, CASAC
Hawa Jalloh is a graduate level social worker from Fordham University and also holds a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) certification from the New York State OASAS. Jalloh is currently Area Director for Supported Housing programs at a non-profit agency in New York City, working with individuals with mental illness, substance abuse, and homelessness. Jalloh was recognized as “Student Achiever” at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Work in 2014 and was also awarded the “Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award for Social Action and Change” in 2013. In 2011, Jalloh became an NASW member and have been involved in several committees (Universal Health Care, Dinner, and the Nominating Committees) and continues to be an active member within the NASW Westchester Division and was nominated to be a NASW Delegate Assembly Member in 2012. Jalloh serves as leadership on numerous boards in the Westchester area.
Suffolk Division Chair – Mara Kasdan, LCSW
Mara Kasdan is a graduate of the Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare and is currently a LCSW and a Certified Trauma Professional. In December 2016, she received her SDL/SBL post-masters leadership degree from Stony Brook Univeristy. In 2014, she was an appointed member of the NASW Task Force to promote school social work and has been a member of the Suffolk County NASW Steering Committee since 2015 where served on the nominating subcommittee, scholarship committee, and brunch committee as well. She has worked for the Brentwood School District as a social worker since 1991, and has experience in Wyandanch schools.
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Nassau Division Chair – Eileen Moran, LCSW
Eileen Moran is a social worker with over twenty years of experience in mostly the healthcare system. She began working in the field providing counseling and concrete services to terminally ill patients (both adults and pediatrics) and their families. After several years, Eileen transferred to the children’s bereavement where she provided group and individual counseling to bereaved children. I also did community outreach to schools, funeral homes, and houses of worship. Following her work at hospice, Eileen worked for a counseling center with marriage and family, individual and mandated clients in recovery. I recently published a children’s bereavement book, You Wouldn’t Understand.
Central Division Chair – Elyssa Saltzman, LMSW is currently a Team Social Worker with Hospice of Central New York. Elyssa has been a long-time member of the Central Division, having previously served as Central Division’s CNLI Representative for the last three years. As Division Chair, her goal is to provide active engagement with Central Division members by providing opportunities to members for networking and updates relating to information about NASW, locally and nationally, as well as updates within the profession.
Western Division Chair – Erin Carman
Erin Carman is a macro social worker with over ten years of post-graduate experience. After receiving her MSW from SUNY at Buffalo, she worked in human services management for six years at Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, primarily directing a borough-wide case management program. She then returned to Buffalo and completed my Juris Doctor degree to expand her administrative career. Presently, she is working for CCNY, Inc. coaching agencies on the development of internal quality improvement systems. She also volunteers her time as a Board officer for Peaceprints of WNY and as a Policy Fellow for Partnership for the Public Good.
Genesee Valley Division Chair – VACANT
Northeast Division Chair – VACANT