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Alumni briefs: Cagle, MSW ’98; Ives-Rublee, MSW ’09; Holmes, MSW ’14; and Lineberry, MSW ’16

Bobby Cagle, BA ’89, MSW ’98, the director for the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), was named as one of 51 “Notable Georgians” in 2017 by Georgia Trend magazine. Notable Georgians are those who are having a substantial impact on the state. As DFCS director, Cagle leads an organization that provides child welfare and economic assistance programs that serve 1 in 5 Georgians each year. He also administers a nearly $1.2 billion budget and oversees the work of more than 7,300 staff in 159 counties. Cagle also serves on the School of Social Work’s Board of Advisors.

Mia Ives-Rublee, MSW ’09, was recently featured in an article in the Raleigh News & Observer about her work as an “athlete activist spreading disability pride.” Ives-Rublee, who works as a research assistant at UNC, helped coordinate and lead the Disability Caucus of the Women’s March on Washington.

Marbeth Holmes, MSW ’14, director of student wellness for Nash Community College, was among the representatives recently recognized by the White House and former First Lady Michelle Obama for successful participation in the 2016 White House Healthy Campus Challenge. Holmes, along with her colleagues with the college’s Student Wellness Center, attended a celebration reception at the White House on Jan. 13. The healthy campus challenge encouraged colleges and universities, and particularly community colleges across the country to assist in efforts to educate the uninsured about affordable health care options and to provide enrollment opportunities for people interested in enrolling in the Affordable Care Act. An article about the Student Wellness Center’s recognition recently appeared in the Rocky Mount Telegram.

Sarah Lineberry, MSW ’16, recently testified at a bipartisan Senate and House hearing in Illinois about her work as director of professional services for L’Arche Chicago, an organization founded in 2000 that currently operates three licensed “Community Integrated Living Arrangements” where individuals with and without disabilities share life and live together as a family. Lineberry was among those advocating for stronger legislative measures to combat abuse and neglect in Illinois group homes. While fully supportive of “legislation and policies that contribute to safe, supportive living environments for people with disabilities,” Lineberry also encouraged lawmakers to “consider the range of service models and not take any actions that would make it difficult, if not impossible, for them to continue.”