Chapter Staff

Samantha Fletcher, Ph.D., MSW (Sam/Any)
Executive Director
sfletcher.naswnys@socialworkers.org
518-463-4741 ext. 101

Samantha Fletcher earned a B.A. in Sociology at the University of Tulsa in 2000.  Before returning to school to earn a master’s and Ph.D. in Social Work at the University at Albany, she worked for over a decade in human services including at a family law firm, crisis pregnancy center, Islamic school and running an independent business.

While Samantha was pursing her Ph.D., she also served as the project coordinator and senior research assistant for the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Statewide Veteran Peer Support Program evaluation.  She supervised program development and implementation for 16 non-profit county programs focused on peer delivered services including individual mentoring, engagement in social activities, support groups, volunteerism, community education and partnership, and referral to existing veteran services.

Samantha also served as the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs and the Director of Admissions in the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany.  In this position, she worked on a diverse team of administrators and faculty to provide a quality education for bachelor, master, and doctoral social work students.  Samantha also partnered with the Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to create a social justice group for students, faculty, and staff.  The purpose of this group is to bring a deeper consciousness to social injustice (with an emphasis on critically examining inequality at multiple levels) and promote a safe, reflective environment where members can explore personal assumptions, biases, values and beliefs.  By promoting a sense of responsibility for all participants to become change agents, participation in the group can help those entering the social work profession make inclusiveness a habit in their practice and everyday life.

Samantha became the Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers, New York State Chapter in September 2019.

In her spare time, Samantha loves spending time with her husband, three children, and friends.  She also enjoys reading, exercising, and traveling.

Natalya Sandul (She/Her/Hers)
Business Operations Manager
nsandul.naswnys@socialworkers.org
518-463-4741 ext. 102

Natalya has been with NASW-NYS since 2007. She started out as a part-time bookkeeper while earning her bachelor degree in Accounting at Siena College. Since 2011, she has worked full time as the Chapter Accountant and handles the responsibility of all financials of the organization.

Natalya is passionate about gardening, baking, and traveling. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her four children and five grand children.

Evelyn Williams, MSW
Policy Director
oknox.naswnys@socialworkers.org

Evelyn G. Williams has over 30 years of progressive experience in health care administration, consulting, legislative advocacy, and teaching at the baccalaureate and graduate levels. Her primary professional direction was in community health care assisting in opening three community health centers (CHC) and providing technical assistance to CHC’s in the federal Region II locations. She also held several administrative positions in the NYS Department of Health. In 1999, after completing eleven years as the President/CEO of Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center, Evelyn chose to pursue her consulting career, working with community-based organizations in the areas of program development, strategic management, and leadership.

Her consultant endeavors include providing consultant services to state and federal agencies, community-based organizations, and social/cultural groups. She assisted organizations in opening health care programs, developing short and long-term strategic plans, writing grants, conducting organizational performance evaluations, designing fundraising projects, facilitating governing board retreats, and planning and implementing statewide and national conferences and professional meetings.

Concurrent with the progressive experience in health care, Ms. Williams has had varied teaching positions since 1979. Completing her tenure in FORUM and the Center of International Programs within Empire State College, she is currently a lecturer within the School of Social Welfare, University at Albany.

Ms. Williams’ leadership skills are represented through serving on several statewide and regional professional organizations’ governing boards, as well as her role as legislative chair and chairperson of the community health care statewide association.

Ms. Williams, in addition to the above, is a certified yoga & Shake Your Soul/Dancekinetics instructor and a proud grandmother.

Shakira Maki, MSW 
Program Director
smaki.naswnys@socialworkers.org

Shakira Maki graduated with her BSW from Long Island University-Brooklyn in 2017, where she was a member of Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society and received the Glenn Gritzer Award for Excellence in Writing and Policy Analysis.

Shakira attended University at Albany School of Social Welfare, where she obtained her MSW in the spring of 2020, with a concentration in Macro social work and a specialization in gerontology, as a John A. Hartford Foundation Internships in Aging scholar. Shakira is passionate about promoting excellent quality of life for low-income older adults, specifically through wellness and nutrition, and plans to achieve this through developing community-based wellness programming that allows older adults to age healthily and with dignity and choice.

Shakira has a background in providing case management and service coordination for older adults and served as an MSW intern for the New York State Office for Aging where she was able to work firsthand on programs that promote wellness and nutrition for older New Yorkers. Additionally, Shakira spent 2 years working as a Program Assistant with the University at Albany School of Social Welfare Continuing Education Program, where she was able to assist with program development through approving social work continuing education proposals and creating program evaluation surveys.

In her free time, Shakira enjoys practicing yoga, traveling and spending time with her family and friends.