Meet The Instructors
Former 46th Ward Alderman, Chicago
James Cappleman MSW
A former teacher, Franciscan friar, and social worker, Alderman Cappleman spent his career advocating for the underserved in Chicago. Due to his strong support for people experiencing homelessness, Mayor Lori Lightfoot often referred to him as the “conscience of City Council”. James, a Curriculum Committee member, helped design the final syllabus.
Chicago's 46th Ward Alderman – James Cappleman (james46.org)
Monroe County Legislator, District 26
Yversha (Maria) Roman BSW
Yversha’s continued service to the community has received recognition on numerous occasions, including “Rochester 10” by City Newspaper, Inspiration in Action award by Latino Rotary and 40 under 40 by the Hispanic Institute of New York State. She has been an active participant on many boards and committees, such as the Advisory Board for the Community Youth Development at Nazareth College and the Healthi Kids Coalition of Common Ground Health. She is the co-founder of Rochester’s Pay Equity Coalition, State Board member and facilitator of the Women Elect Program and founding participant of the Monroe County Language Access Coalition. She is the Executive Director of CASH - Empire Justice Center.
School Committee Member and Social Worker
Ayesha Wilson BSW, MSW
Ayesha Wilson currently works with 8th-12th grade students through Cambridge Housing Authority’s “The Work Force Program”' developing and implementing programs for youth focusing on life skills, job readiness, career awareness, and post-secondary opportunities.
Ayesha Wilson for Cambridge School Committee (voteayesha.com)
Former Culver City Mayor, DSW
Dr. Daniel Lee
Ann Arbor City Council Ward 3
Ayesha Edwin MSW
“I’M AN EDUCATOR, A NONPROFIT LEADER, AND A LIFELONG ANN ARBOR RESIDENT, AND I’M SO PROUD TO BE YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD 3.”
​Ann Arbor City Councilmember Ayesha Ghazi Edwin (ayeshaforannarbor.com)
Vice Chair of Board of Directors at Haymarket Center
Dr. Susan Rose
Dr. Susan J. Rose served as Alderman in the City of Elmhurst, Illinois for an historic 5 terms from 1991 to 2011. In 2009, she ran for Mayor of Elmhurst. During her tenure, she chaired the Development, Zoning & Planning Committee for 16 years. After leaving elected office, she was appointed to the Elmhurst Zoning & Planning Commission and became Chair in 2017. Dr. Rose is Professor Emeritus of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Haymarket Center, the largest substance use treatment organization in Chicago. As a member of the Curriculum Committee, she submitted the first course syllabus outline for CAFESW (later edited by the instructors). She received her MSW in 1973 and her PhD in Social Work in 1990.
Democratic State Representative District 12
Brandy Fluker-Oakley BSSW, JD
Brandy is the founder and president of Delighting in God Ministries (D.I.G.), a faithful member of her church, member of the Dorchester YMCA, life member of the NAACP, a practicing attorney and member of both the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association & the Women’s Bar Association, and an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Home | 12th Suffolk | Brandy Fluker Oakley | Massachusetts (electbrandy.com)
Kansas House of Representatives 23rd House District
Susan Ruiz MSW, LMSW
Representative Susan Ruiz
Representative Susan Ruiz was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2018 and is currently
in her third term. A native of Houston, Texas, Ruiz is the daughter of a Mexican born immigrant father
and a Texas born mother, giving her a unique perspective on multicultural issues. A licensed clinical
social worker, she holds a Master Degree in Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University in San
Antonio, Texas. Ruiz represents District 23 in Johnson County Kansas, including Lenexa, Overland Park
and Shawnee.
As the first openly lesbian legislator ever elected in Kansas, Ruiz gained national attention having been
featured in the Washington Post twice, and she has won recognition from other publications such as Dos
Mundos, a bilingual newspaper in Kansas City, Missouri. She was featured during Women’s History
Month (2019) as one of the area Latina women making history. Ruiz, was also included in the Go
Magazine, 100 Women We Love: Class of 2019; received the “You Go Girl” (2019) award from the
Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus and in 2020, an award from the KS Mental Health
Coalition for Exemplary Leadership and Collaboration.
Representative Ruiz is currently on the following committees: Minority Ranking Member, Health and
Human Services, Social Services Budget and Veterans and Military Committee.
Susan Ruiz for Kansas – Vote on November 8, 2022! (susanruizks.com)
Connecticut State Representative District 135
Anne Hughes MSW
Anne Hughes is a Connecticut third-term House State Representative for the 135th District serving Easton, Weston, and Redding. She sits on the Aging Committee and the Labor and Public Employees Committee and Human Services committees. As a Licensed Master of Social Work, Anne works in the field of Aging health, Elder Abuse Prevention services, and trains medical and health science students about recognizing flags of neglect, exploitation and abuse, mandatory reporting, and about becoming part of the policymaking landscape. Anne co-chairs the CT Progressive Caucus.
Hughes | Connecticut House Democrats
Former Colorado State Representative
Tracy Kraft-Tharp MSW
Tracy Kraft-Tharp is an American teacher and politician who serves on the county commission in Jefferson County, Colorado. Prior to her tenure on the county commission, she served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 29th district from 2013 to 2021, as a member of the Democratic Party.
Tracy Kraft-Tharp, District 1 | Jefferson County, CO (jeffco.us)
Founder and Proctor of Course of CAFESW
Dr. Glenn Thomas
Elected two terms as Region B Director of the California Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Retired full-time Adjunct Professor after 15 years and 2000 students, Clinician, Founder of 23Strong in California, Couples Therapist, Founder and Proctor of CAFESW, Curriculum Committee member, awarded two patents, and Web Software Developer.
relationshiprepair.us - Marriage Counseling - San Jose, California
Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners and Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work at University of Michigan
Justin Hodge MSW, LMSW
Justin Hodge is a clinical assistant professor of social work at the University of Michigan. He is the co-lead for the Policy & Political Social Work Pathway and the director of the Online Certificate in Political Social Work. Hodge is committed to increasing the presence of social workers in policy and political spaces. Justin Hodge was appointed by Governor Whitmer to the Commission on Community Action & Economic Opportunity, where he is able to lend his expertise at the state level. Nationally, Justin Hodge serves as board president of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy, which works to expand the participation of social workers in federal legislative and policy processes. He is also a founding board member of the Social Work Democracy Project, a charitable organization focused on providing resources to Schools of Social Work to advance knowledge of government and democracy.
​Re-elect County Commissioner Justin Hodge | Democrat for Washtenaw County (votejustinhodge.com)
Former Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts and currently serving his fourth term on the Cambridge City Council
Marc McGovern MSW
Councillor McGovern’s commitment to supporting others goes beyond his elected service. For over 25 years, he has worked as a social worker with children and families who are faced with a variety of challenges. This experience has shaped his world view and his political agenda.
Councillor McGovern’s work on the Council has focused on issues facing the most vulnerable members of the Cambridge community. He has been a leader in tackling issues like, income insecurity, affordable housing, homelessness, and hunger. He has been a leader on issues facing immigrants in our community and working to move Cambridge toward being the socially and economically just community it needs to be.
County Commissioner Oakland County, Michigan
Charlie Cavell MSW
Charlie is a Social Worker, Union Member,
Progressive, and Proud Democrat, representing
the 18th District on the Oakland County Commission. Charlie has seen first hand how systemic problems pose almost insurmountable obstacles for so many hardworking people. On the Commission, he is working to bring his experience and vision of a fair and equitable
government to our community.
School Committee Member
Denise Hurst MSW
Denise (Estrada-Rosemond) Hurst was born and raised in the City of Springfield, MA. She is a graduate of UMass, Amherst, and Springfield College School of Social Work.
Since 2009, Hurst has served as an elected member of the Springfield School Committee. She led the charge to establish the Minority Caucus for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. She also served as the former Chair of the Caucus, as well as the former Vice President of MASC.With a career defined by community engagement, Hurst has been a policymaker and legislative advocate at the local, state and federal levels. Hurst’s path began as a social worker and clinician, ultimately rising to Area Director within the state Department of Mental Health.In 2016, Hurst was appointed by State Treasurer Deb Goldberg as Regional Manager of the Massachusetts State Lottery in Western Massachusetts and in December 2018, Hurst assumed the role of first ever, Vice President of Advancement and External Affairs at Springfield Technical Community College.Hurst currently serves as the Vice President of Community Impact and Partnerships for the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.Hurst is an inaugural graduate of Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact, Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, a former member of the League of Women Voters, graduate of the 62nd Citizens’ Legislative Seminar, Massachusetts Senate and Commissioner Emeritae for the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.She has been honored with the following awards; 2013 Massachusetts All State School Committee Award, Urban division, BusinessWest’s 40 under Forty Class of 2014 and Fresh Anointing Ministries, “Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things”, You Make A Difference Award, The Hispanic Association in Higher Education, The Fannie Pettie Watts Award, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc, 2015 100 Women of Color in New England, and 2015 Top 25 Women To Watch in Western Mass. Most recently Hurst was named 2019 Woman of the Year by the Professional Women's Chamber. Denise resides in Springfield with her husband, Springfield City Councilor Attorney Justin J. Hurst, Sr. and their two sons, Justin Jr. and Jackson Douglas.
House District 9 in the Colorado Legislature
Emily Sirota MSW
Before her election to the Colorado House of Representatives, Emily helped run an early learning center in Denver. She received her B.A. in Political Science at Indiana University and received her Master of Social Work from the University of Denver. Emily has previously worked for the Colorado Progressive Coalition and helped organize support for paid sick days. In 2011, she ran for Denver school board to protect public education. Emily also served as a policy aide to a Democratic U.S. Senator, a Democratic congressman and a Democratic governor. In those roles, she worked on health care and budget policy, and helped oversee a program to expand health care benefits for workers and small businesses.
Councillor McGovern’s work on the Council has focused on issues facing the most vulnerable members of the Cambridge community. He has been a leader in tackling issues like, income insecurity, affordable housing, homelessness, and hunger. He has been a leader on issues facing immigrants in our community and working to move Cambridge toward being the socially and economically just community it needs to be.
Board of Education, Groton County
Kim Shepardson-Watson MSW
Kim Shepardson-Watson, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who has been practicing in the southeastern Connecticut for over 20 years. Kim specializes in post adoptive, early childhood trauma, and adultee adoption.
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City Councilmember, Ward 1
Joanne Waszczak MSW
Elected to serve and lead the city I love. Responsible for policymaking and constituent services related to issues including community development, public works, city streets, waste/recycling/composting, policing, code enforcement, community services, recreation, trees, parks, community gardens, etc. I serve as a Council Liaison to the Educational Facilities Task Force and the Health, Wellness & Recreation Advisory Committee.
Trustee and Board President of Simi Valley School District and Associate Professor at California State University, Los Angeles
Dr. Sofya Bagdasaryan
Dr. Sofya Bagdasaryan, Clerk of the Board, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in in Psychology from University of California San Diego, and her graduate degrees (Master of Social Work and Doctorate) from the University of California Los Angeles. For the last 15 years, she has served as a professor of social work at California State University Los Angeles where she teaches courses on policy analysis, community practice and research methods. She is also the principal investigator for California State University Los Angeles' Social Work Education Center and serves as an evaluation consultant for non-profit agencies.
Home | Thank you for stopping by my website (sofya4simischools.com)
Trustee Sofya Bagdasaryan, Board President - Simi Valley Unified School District (simivalleyusd.org)
Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Louisiana District 8
Carolyn Hill MSW
Carolyn furthered her academic career earning a Master’s degree in Social Work from Louisiana State University (LSU). While attending LSU, Carolyn served as the President of the Social Work Student Association, appointed as a graduate senate officer in Student Government and served as President of the National Association for Black Social Workers. Throughout her academic and professional career, she has held memberships and affiliations with several groups and organizations such as the Junior League, National Association of Social Workers, Big Buddy, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), just to list a few.
MEET CAROLYN | carolynhill (hill4bese.wixsite.com)
Teaching Associate Professor and Internship Director at Marquette University
Wendy Volz Daniels MSW
Wendy has served as a child advocate and volunteer trainer for the Fond du Lac Conflict Resolution Center serving children and families who are involved in the juvenile court system due to abuse or neglect for more than 16 years. Wendy also served as a Red Cross volunteer in 2005 assisting persons evacuated to Wisconsin as a result of hurricane Katrina and the breech of the levees. Following the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, Wendy taught a service learning course for seven years in New Orleans, over the Winter break, focused on the recovery effort in the Lower 9th Ward.
Wendy has served in elected office and is active member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). She is also a board member Wisconsin School Social Work Association (WSSWA) and chairs their Legislative Committee. Wendy is a community advisory board member of Word of Hope Ministries’ Milwaukee’s Home 2 Stay Project focused on employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals.
Wendy Volz Daniels // Social and Cultural Sciences // Marquette University
Apply Today to be an CAFESW Instructor
Be part of a growing list of Social Workers in/held elected public office. Each Instructor is paid $400 for each two-hour teaching session. This payment reflects the value their real-life experiences getting elected into public office brings to CAFESW. To apply to be an instructor, please write your request to support@cafesw.org