Update: The Call for New Members is now closed for the 2021-2022 academic year. Please check back next year!

September 23, 2021
Greetings Social Work Colleagues,

We hope this note finds you well. Influencing Social Policy (ISP), a leading policy organization for social workers, has been hard at work responding to current and recent events. During the height of the pandemic, we released a series of policy papers on Covid-19. We issued a statement of solidarity with the movement for racial justice and have committed ourselves to becoming an anti-racist organization. Together with many of our sister organizations, we sponsored the 2021 Macro Conference and Teaching Institute. And we continue to educate our members and others through an online webinar series.
We are excited to announce that the ISP Board of Directors is now seeking nominations for new board members!
We are seeking nominees with a passion for policy who are interested in moving the organization forward through hands-on leadership. You may self-nominate or nominate someone else.
The commitment involves membership in ISP, attendance at quarterly meetings (including one in-person), participation in anti-racism training, and active committee involvement. Please see the attached Board Responsibility document for more information.
If you are interested in strengthening policy in social work through service on the ISP Board, please submit a one-page document with the following items to [email protected] by October 15, 2021.

1. A short bio (100 words)
2. After reviewing ISP’s website, mission statement (see below), and anti-racism statement, describe your interest in joining the ISP Board, your specific leadership skills, and what you feel you could contribute.

The mission of ISP is to actively engage social workers in policy research, practice, and teaching to advance social and economic policies that promote human well-being and social justice. The vision of ISP is that social workers will have a significant impact in shaping social policy that advances human well-being and promotes social justice.

1. Describe any involvement you have had with ISP, other policy or social work organizations.

In addition, please attach your CV or resume and provide us with your name, position, institution/organization, email address, and phone number. ISP’s Governance Committee will review the nominations and the general membership will vote electronically in mid-November.
We hope you will consider submitting a nomination!
Thank you,
Marian S. Harris, ISP Board President
Leah Hamilton, ISP Board Member
ISP Board Members
President - Marian S. Harris, University of Washington Tacoma
Immediate Past President - Sunny Harris Rome, George Mason University
Vice-President - Elisa Kawam, Arizona State University
Secretary - Laura Brierton Granruth, Millersville University
Treasurer - Julia Kleinschmit, University of Iowa
Mimi Abramovitz, Hunter College
Leah Hamilton, Appalachian State University
Colleen Henry, Hunter College
Pilar Horner, Michigan State University
Jin Huang, Saint Louis University
Charles Lewis, Congressional Research Institute for SW & Policy
Laura Lewis, Mercyhurst University
Melinda Lewis, University of Kansas
Jill Manit, Sacred Heart University
Gary Parker, Washington University
Suzanne Pritzker, University of Houston
Margaret Sherraden, University of MO, St. Louis
Sabrina Tyuse, Saint Louis University
Erika Walker-Cash, Clark-Atlanta University