> > >

2024 NASW-WA Chapter Award Recipients

Click here to view our recording of the 2024 NASW-WA Social Work Month Celebration.

Social Worker of the Year

Kendra C. Roberson, PhD, LICSW, RYT

Dr. Kendra Roberson worked as a Social Worker for many years in different settings and is certified in EMDR. She taught mental health classes at the University of Washington School of Social Work for over a decade. She's a well respected and well loved as an instructor, and has served in leadership roles with the Clinical Social Work Association. Dr. Roberson started a non-profit which provided group support and empowerment to Black youth. Dr. Roberson's a leader in our field!

2024 Lifetime Achievement Award Award

Lifetime Achievement Award

JoDee G. Keller, PhD, MSW, LICSW

Dr. JoDee Keller, Professor Emeritus of Social Work, Pacific Lutheran University's Social Work program, has dedicated her life to the field of social work, exhibiting a profound commitment to fostering positive change in the lives of individuals and communities. With a career spanning several decades, Dr. Keller has seamlessly intertwined her roles as a social worker and professor, leaving an indelible mark on both the academic and practical facets of the profession. She’s an exemplary social worker and educator.

2024 Taylene Watson President's Award (1)

Taylene Watson President's Award

Elizabeth Porter, MSW, MHP, LICSWA

Elizabeth gave to others and holds the strongest standards even if it meant there could be hard consequences. Elizabeth works with populations in crisis as an Acute Care Services Supervisor at Sound Health in King County, WA. She has an open door policy to allow anyone to come in, to talk and has gone above and beyond to serve clients with the best level of service. She always said everyone deserved to feel like someone cared and will be there when they are ready to pursue care.

Social Work Educator of the Year

Dr. Gino Aisenberg, PhD, MSW

Dr. Gino Aisenburg, Associate Professor and Co- Director at the University of Washington/Latino Center of Health, has worked on a variety of community-based projects and research over the last 20 years. He offers his expertise to many clients/patients, students, employees and our Latino community, specifically in Latino Health. Gino is a Social Worker who understands the connection between the role of education institutions and the importance of engagement with the communities that future students will live and serve.

2024 Outstanding Recent Graduate Award

Outstanding Recent Graduate

Jennifer Harris, MSW, LSWAIC

Throughout Jennifer Harris’ social work career, she had been a strong advocate for equitable practices and social justice. She expanded her skillset and utilized this knowledge to incorporate IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism) into trauma informed practices as a Clinical Social Worker at Trauma Informed Therapies. She balanced all this as she completed another master’s degree to better her area of expertise in social services. Jennifer Harris truly deserved to be recognized for the work she has done, and continued to do, pre and post-graduation, for the future licensed clinicians and participants both she and they serve.

2024 Outstanding Student Award638454513377215332

Outstanding Student

E.V. Velez, SUDP

E.V. Velez works with Washington Recovery Alliance (WRA) and founded the Snohomish County Recovery Coalition, an affiliate of WRA, as an MSW Student at the University of Washington. E.V. has quickly and expertly gathered people together to work towards community goals, legislative goals, educational projects, and more. E.V.'s community organizing work and service to the community is impactful and completed while pursuing a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Washington. This person is an absolute organizing powerhouse!

2024 Public Citizen of the Year Award (1)

Public Citizen of the Year

Micheal L. Renick FCS Specialist, Digital Skills Instructor

Micheal works as a program manager for Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest supporting participants in the Moses Lake area, ever growing his knowledge and skill set for housing, employment, and case management while an active member of the EDI committee. Micheal deserves to be recognized for Public Citizen of the Year because although he did not hold a social work degree, he embodies social work values in every interaction, every program implementation and policy creation.