NASW Foundation Announces 2025 Class of Social Work Pioneers®

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) will honor 17 influential leaders in the profession as the 2025 class of NASW Social Work Pioneers®. The honorees will be formally inducted during the NASW Annual Social Work Conference in Washington, D.C., in June 2026.

During the event, the NASW Foundation will induct the new class into its Pioneers program. It was created to honor those social workers who have made significant contributions in advancing the profession.

"The NASW Foundation has recognized the outstanding achievements of Social Work Pioneers for nearly three decades," said NASW CEO Dr. Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C. "This year's pioneers have left an indelible mark on social work, leading the development of countless human services programs and government policies that have positively affected people nationwide. We are incredibly pleased to celebrate these extraordinary individuals and recognize their accomplishments."

In 1994, at the request of the NASW Board a fund was authorized to support the recognition of Social Work Pioneers. Lead by Ruth Knee and Mark Battle, they sought to ensure the accomplishments of social workers would be documented and preserved for future generations. Today, the program continues to highlight the trailblazing work of practitioners, advocates, and educators, whose impact extends far beyond the profession.

As part of the induction event, a student panel will engage the Pioneers in conversation about current issues and solutions, bringing different generations together as they use their wit, wisdom, and innovation to solve pressing societal issues.

2025 Inductees

Congratulations to the newly elected Pioneers:

• Keith A. Alford, Ph.D., ACSW. Dr. Alford was appointed dean of the University at Buffalo School of Social Work in August 2021, becoming the first African American to hold that position.
• Dr. George Appleby, MSW, Ph.D. * (1942-2024). He is remembered as a social work educator, policy practitioner, and community-engaged researcher who led the social work response to HIV/AIDS.
• Dr. Maurice C. Daniels, MSW, Ph.D. Dean emeritus and professor emeritus at the University of Georgia School of Social Work and co-founder and director of The Foot Soldier Project for Civil Rights Studies. Daniels was the first African American dean of the UGA School of Social Work and the second African American dean in the more than 200-year history of UGA.
• Dr. Patricia Littlefield Ewalt, MSW, Ph.D.* (August 1934 - January 2022). While serving as Dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Hawaiʻi from 1987 to 2000, Dr. Patricia Ewalt developed strong partnerships between the School and community organizations that provided practicum opportunities for social work students. These collaborations continue today because of her visionary leadership and dedication to advancing social work education in Hawaiʻi.
• Dr. Johnnie Hamilton-Mason, PhD, MSW. Became the first African American woman to serve as a Full Professor at Simmons University School of Social Work (SSW), the first clinical social work degree-granting program in the U.S., which was established in 1904. She also made history as the first African American woman to serve as Dean or Director in the School's 120-year history, holding the role of Interim Director during the 2023-2024 academic year.
• Samuel A. Hickman, MSW. Over a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years, Sam Hickman has made transformative contributions to the field of social work, particularly in rural communities, professional development, and organizational leadership. As Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) West Virginia Chapter from 1985 to 2019, Hickman built one of the most active and robust state chapters nationwide.
• Dawn Hobdy, MSW. Has been a visionary leader in the development and advancement of social work ethics, both in the U.S. and internationally. During her tenure with the NASW Office of Ethics and Professional Review, she organized NASW's first Social Work Ethics Summit. This summit resulted in a set of ethical guidelines that have influenced state legislative policies. She played key roles in updating the NASW Code of Ethics in 2008, 2017, and 2021. These innovative updates included the addition of specific guidance for the use of technology in social work practice, cultural humility, and self-care.
• David Hogan, LMSW-S. Has served as a forensic social worker in Dallas and its outlying communities for over 40 years. His steadfast, determined, and successful efforts have improved the treatment of disenfranchised citizens. Hogan currently serves as the Clinical Director of the Dallas County Deflection Center (DCDC).
• Jane Edna Hunter (1882-1971)* A pioneering advocate for African American girls and women in Cleveland during a time when they had few options. In 1911, Ms. Hunter met with a group of close friends and together they established the Working Girls' Home Association. It was later renamed the Phillis Wheatley Association in honor of the first published African American poet. The PWA became a nationally recognized model of social support.
• D. Lynn Jackson, PhD, MSW. Has made groundbreaking contributions to reproductive rights advocacy, particularly in expanding access to abortion services for marginalized women, women of color, and young women. Her work began shortly after earning her MSW in 1989, when she joined the local board of Planned Parenthood. Recognizing the financial barriers to abortion access, she co-founded the Women's Organization for Medical Emergency Needs (WOMEN), one of the first nonprofit organizations in Florida dedicated to raising funds and providing financial assistance for abortion services.
• Dr. John S. McNeil, MSW, Ph.D. (1927-2023)* Was a social work leader in both the military and academia worlds. He made several pioneering contributions in the United States Air Force and within social work research and education. His inclusion in the NASW Social Work Pioneers is long overdue, and frankly, an oversight based on his many pioneering contributions.
• Lori Popp Moss, MSW (1959-2025), * dedicated over four decades to reshaping how social services are designed, delivered, and sustained-especially for older adults, immigrants, Holocaust survivors, and those facing food insecurity. Her career was distinguished by visionary, community-driven innovations that have become models of best practice nationwide.
• Gilbert A. Ramirez, MSW, LCSW. Has dedicated his career to pioneering innovative social work interventions that address critical gaps in behavioral health, community-based interventions, crisis response, and violence prevention. With over two decades of experience as a practicing clinician, educator and leader, his work has been instrumental in shaping policies, programs, and systemic reforms that directly impact the lives of vulnerable populations. His career is distinguished by his expertise in gang intervention, social-emotional learning (SEL) frameworks, school-based behavioral health services, and the development of innovative programs to address homelessness, substance use, and public safety.
• David William Springer, MSW, Ph.D. Has dedicated his nearly four-decade career to advancing well-being and strengthening communities at the intersection of clinical practice, public policy, and community development. A licensed clinical social worker and nationally recognized scholar, Dr. Springer has led transformative initiatives in juvenile justice reform, crime reduction, mental health policy, and community resilience-anchoring social work values in interdisciplinary systems of care and governance.
• Dr. Saundra Starks, MSSW, LCSW, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus of Social Work and the former MSW Program Director at Western Kentucky University. Dr. Starks has made pioneering contributions to the field of social work through her leadership in education and over 45 years of professional social work experience which includes teaching, research, consultation, training, supervision, community advocacy, and clinical practice.
• Stephen Viehweg, MSW, LCSW. Over the course of a 40-year career, Viehweg has established himself as one of the most impactful leaders in infant and early childhood mental health, family-centered systems of care, and interdisciplinary health leadership. His visionary work has reshaped how health, mental health, education, and social service systems collaborate to meet the needs of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.
• James Herbert Williams, MSW, Ph.D. Professor Williams has been a groundbreaking social worker who has made numerous contributions to our discipline. After working for 17 years as a social worker in a variety of capacities (e.g. medical social worker, school social worker, maternal/child health social worker, HIV/AIDS outreach worker), he earned his PhD and began his distinguished career as a social work scholar. During his career he has held numerous important leadership positions that have helped shaped the direction of the discipline of social work, contributed numerous innovations to the discipline of social work through his research, and led several large schools of social work.