YSocialWork’s Board of Directors provides oversight to the Managing Director/Founder to ensure that the organization remains true to its mission, functions within the confines of state and federal laws, and operates in a financially responsible and ethical manner.
Please send all inquires to ysocialwork2015@gmail.com
2020-2021 Board of Directors
sTEPHANIE THOMAS
Chair
With almost 20 years of professional experience, Stephanie navigated Fortune 500 organizations on Wall Street, a United States Presidential campaign at National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill, and the venerated minority depository institutions of Carver Federal Savings Bank and Industrial Bank. Over the course of her career, Stephanie played a key role in managing strategic relationships with various community stakeholders, nonprofits, municipal partners and elected officials, particularly in support of the community economic development, financial empowerment and inclusion, access to capital for small businesses, and community banking.
Stephanie studied Organizational Management at Mercy College and holds a Certificate in Theology & Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary.
cAROL VELANDIA, LMSW, MBA
Treasurer
Originally from Colombia, where she developed her skills in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Carol Velandia emigrated to Baltimore in 2003 to become a social worker, an interpreter, a teacher, and an entrepreneur. She has integrated her passion for social justice, conflict resolution, and language into the vision and mission of the company she directs: Equal Access Language Services. She serves as adjunct faculty for the Graduate Program in Interpretation and Translation at the University of Maryland College Park, and for the Master Program in Social Work at University of Maryland in Baltimore
Carol previously performed as Assistant Professor in the MBA program at the University of Rajagiri in Kerala, India (2017). She is a licensed Community Interpreter ® trainer, a certified healthcare interpreter, a qualified state and immigration court Interpreter, and a conference Interpreter.
Wayne Beckles, lCsw, eD.D
Board Member
Wayne Beckles is a therapist, author, educator, and public speaker. He is a clinical social worker with three decades of practice experience in the field of mental health. His clinical practice includes providing psychotherapy in multiple settings including outpatient mental health settings, group practices, and maximum-security settings where he examined the lasting impact of childhood traumas on adult behavior and developed his model the Soul Warrior Inception Matrix. His most recent book is: The Boys Club: How Childhood Trauma Traps Men into Boy-like Behaviors which focuses on breaking free from the binds of childhood trauma. Currently, Dr. Beckles is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Cecil College and runs a private practice with offices in Oxon Hill and Bel Air, Maryland where he works with individuals and couples.
Dr. Beckles holds a Doctor of Education from Morgan State University; a Master of Arts from the University of Chicago; and a Bachelor of Science from Stony Brook University.
LEFATE MAKUNYANE
South African Representative
Lefate Makunyane is from Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. He has experience in policy formulation, program design, managing and monitoring development programs addressing mental health, substance abuse prevention, gender-based violence, and youth risk behavior change. He has worked on the Kaiser Family Foundation’s loveLife Youth Healthy Behaviour Campaign, UNICEF/Lesotho Government Youth Ministry Program, Gauteng Department of Social Development/Education, UNODC, UNICEF/National Ministry of Basic Education.
Makunyane earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of South Africa (VUDEC) and a master’s degree in development studies from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. He is a Clinton Democracy Fellow and a Fulbright Fellow.
Emma MEHRABI
Board Member
Emma Mehrabi is the Legislative Director for Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who currently chairs the Congressional Social Work Caucus. As her Legislative Director, Emma oversees all legislative and policy planning in the office and handles her Appropriations and Budget Committee work. She has been on the Hill for almost 7 years working on economic, social, and racial justice issues.
Emma holds a bachelor’s degree from Christopher Newport University and a master’s degree in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University with a concentration in public policy and nonprofit management.
kAREN Guevara-ortiz
Board Member
Karen Guevara-Ortiz is a first-generation immigrant born in El Salvador. Currently, she works as a Licensed Social Worker for Prince George’s County Public Schools, where she designs mental health programs for at risk youth at the only middle and high alternative school in Prince George’s County.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park and a master’s degree in Social Work from Catholic University of America.
“Action indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics.“
Jane Addams, American Settlement Activist and Social Worker
Join the board of directors
The Board of Directors is looking for individuals with unique knowledge and skills in nonprofit law.