Anna Scheyett, associate dean for academic affairs, was elected to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) board of directors.
She is the Region VI representative, which includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Florida.
She plans to develop innovative ways to educate the public about her profession, to grow NASW’s membership, and to use her experience in education to develop strategies to mentor young social workers.
Scheyett has been active in NASW for 25 years, serving on the NASW North Carolina board as member-at-large, secretary, chair of the Social Work/Criminal Justice practice unit, member of the Legislative Committee and president.
She is also involved in the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Council on Social Work Education, and the Society for Social Work and Research.
In 2005 she received a North Carolina “Heroes in the Fight” award for community mental health advocacy, and in 2007 she was named North Carolina Social Worker of the Year.
The NASW is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with 145,000 members. The organization works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies.
In other news, Scheyett has been awarded a contract to work with Family Preservation Services, Inc., of Asheville, to help them develop and evaluate a recovery education center for adults with severe mental illnesses. Their director is Carson Ojamaa, MSW ’02.