NASW-MO Board Elections Open Now Until May 3rd!
Cassie E. Brown, MSW, LCSW
NASW-MO is holding its annual Board elections now through Friday, May 3rd! If you are a member in good standing, please cast your ballot! The link for the slate of candidates can be found here.
The positions up for election are Vice President, Member-At-Large, MSW Student Representative, BSW Student Representative, Unit C Representative, Unit D Representative, and Unit E Representative. If you need to determine which Units represent which areas, please consult the map available on the NASW-MO website here where you can view Units either on the map or scroll down for a list of counties. The Bios may be found below!
Board positions begin on 7/1/2024. Please note: The BSW Student Representative and Unit C Representative positions only offer options for write-in candidates, which you will find available on the ballot. You may write in on any other position as well.
CANDIDATE BIOS:
VICE-PRESIDENT
LeAnn Lawlor
LeAnn is a dedicated social worker currently employed at University Health, where she utilizes her expertise to provide invaluable support to individuals in need. Armed with a recently acquired MSW degree, LeAnn enjoys using her education and experience to make a positive impact in the lives of the patients she serves.Driven by her commitment to advocacy and social work empowerment, LeAnn is eagerly anticipating the chance to step into the role of Vice President of NASW-MO. With this role, she aims to bring fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a contagious enthusiasm to the chapter, furthering its mission and impact.
LeAnn’s involvement in various NASW-MO committees, including the Advocacy Committee, Professional Development Committee, and the PACE Committee, demonstrates her commitment to the Chapter. Now, as she sets her sights on the Vice-President position, LeAnn is excited to harness her passion and vision to lead NASW-MO into a new era of growth and success.
MEMBER AT LARGE
Ambur Banner
Ambur was raised on the Eastside of Columbus, Ohio and graduated from Fort Hayes High School in 2004. Shortly thereafter, she began the pursuit of an undergraduate degree in Social Work from Capital University.
In 2009, Ambur graduated with honors from Capital University with an undergraduate degree in clinical social work and obtained her license as a clinical social worker. Over the course of two years, Ambur gained experience working with both youth and adults in rural and urban settings providing both individual and group therapy as a clinical worker.
In 2011, Ambur graduated with honors from The Ohio State University - College of Social Work in Columbus, Ohio with a master’s degree in social work administration and was offered an appointment position as a Special Projects Grants Coordinator with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
In 2019, Ambur graduated with honors from Ashland University in Columbus, Ohio with her MBA, specializing in organizational effectiveness, and an advanced level of training in the Model for Improvement and the use of LEAN methodology in quality improvement science. That same year, Ambur accepted a leadership role as the Director of the Office of Planning and Quality Improvement at Columbus Public Health, in Ohio.
Ambur served as the Deputy Director of Public Health for the Unified Government Wyandotte County Public Health Department located in Kansas City, Kansas. Ambur now serves as the Deputy Director for Saint Louis County's Department of Human Services.
MSW STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
Anna Fairchild
Anna currently works as a Community Health Worker with Mercy Health and is a credentialed Community Health Worker, working in the field for over a year and half.
She earned her Bachelor of Science (Public Health) in May of 2021 from the University of Arkansas and is currently enrolled in a Master of Social Work program at University of Missouri St. Louis.
For her Public health practicum she worked in a school with adults with intellectual and cognitive disabilities and had the opportunity to create and lead lesson plans for the students and teach independent living skills. During her time in undergraduate education, she also earned her certified nursing assistance license and worked in memory care in both skilled nursing home and hospital settings.
In her undergraduate education, she served on the leadership board for the National Service Fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. She served in many roles on the board during her time in the organization and was eventually elected president of University of Arkansas chapter, Beta Rho, in 2019.
Anna had the honor of receiving the David B. Corning Chapter Program Reviver Award for her service to the Beta Rho chapter in rebuilding the organization from in-active status.
UNIT D REPRESENTATIVE
Nic Barna
Mr. Barna is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker focused on rural practice with populations at risk. His expertise lies within group work practice, co-occurring diagnoses, and diversity & equity practices within agency and clinical work. His employment history has encompassed treatment services ranging from case management, integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders, clinical contractual outpatient, and clinical residential manager as well as teaching higher education as full-time faculty and Director of Field Education. Mr. Barna’s current endeavor returns him to clinical practice as Director of Behavioral Health Outpatient for Gibson Center for Behavioral Change working in the co-occurring/SUD field. Mr. Barna focuses on a client centered, strength’s-based approach to practice while engaging in creative therapeutic techniques to meet the needs of those that he works with. "
UNIT E REPRESENTATIVE
Lauren Crump
Lauren Crump is currently in practice at Burrell Behavioral Health as a clinician in the School-Based Services department. This critical role provides individual and group therapy to students at school during the school day. She currently works with K-8 students in Springfield Public Schools, the largest school district in the state of Missouri.
In previous experience, Lauren has worked on a multi-disciplinary team at Springfield’s Behavioral Health Crisis Center, and also in Burrell’s Autism Center.
Lauren has a passion for the social work profession and to advocate for the amazing profession and its constituents at the micro, mezzo, and macro level. In her free time she enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, and the occasional reality tv show.