Governance | The Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD)

Governance is important to us and you are a part of the process. Past - Present - Future

Meet the BPD Board and Staff

PRESIDENT

Dr. Peg Pittman-Munke, PhD, MSW, M.Ed, MLS

She, her, hers

BSW Program Director

Murray State University, Murray, KY

Dr. Munke has been an outspoken advocate for BSW social work education for nearly 50 years. She brings a background in organization and administration in higher education and in nonprofit leadership. Her interests are social work education and its history, social work program administration, rural social work education and practice, social welfare history, accreditation issues, social and economic justice issues, diversity issues, HIV/AIDS, macro practice, and housing issues. She has held positions in social work education at Our Lady of the Lake University, Concordia College, Southeastern Louisiana University, Tulane University, and Texas A&M International University.

VICE-PRESIDENT

Dr. Lorri McMeel, Ph.D., LCSW

Interim Associate Dean, College of Education & Social Sciences

Associate Professor, Social Work

Lewis University, Romeoville, IL

Dr. McMeel has been teaching in higher education and serving as a BSW Program Director for over 16 years. She currently serves as the Chair of the Social Work Department, Associate Professor, and Undergraduate Program Director at Lewis University. She is extremely passionate about undergraduate social work education and advancing the profession. Her main areas of interest are in social work pedagogy, mental health, suicidology, and at-risk children and adolescents. She received her BA in Psychology from Georgia State University, a MSW from University of Georgia, and her Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is honored to serve on the Board of Directors of BPD in the role of Vice-President.

SECRETARY

Katrina Boone, BSW, MSW

Director of Field Education, Social Work

Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

Katrina J. Boone currently serves as Director of Field Education at Florida State University, College of Social Work. Her career encompasses 16 years of practice experience with children and adults in mental health, addictions, and child welfare. She has served in higher education for 23 years as an educator and director. Katrina serves as a member of the Council of Social Work Education, as a site visitor in training, on the board of the Association of the Baccalaureate Program Directors, and as President of the Florida Field Consortium. Katrina is passionate about social work education and strives to build a bridge between academia and community partners. She endeavors to develop and maintain robust internship experiences for the next generation of social workers.

ASSOCIATION MANAGER

DaJuana Diggins-McMurray, BSBA

Bowie State University Alumna, Bowie, MD

BPD, Program Manager, Alexandria, VA

DaJuana Diggins-McMurray is a graduate of Bowie State University with a Bachelor of Science in Administration, with a concentration in Management. She is also a licensed and Associate Minster at Mount Jezreel Baptist Church of Alexandria, VA, where the Pastor is Rev. Anthony T. Oliver. She has served as the assistant church clerk, president of the youth choir and dance ministry for many years. She is married to Corin McMurray with 3 beautiful children. Her social work interests came about when she was employed at the City of Alexandria Department of Human Services for 3 years. She also has been an advocate for Youth in the Community for many years, working for ALIVE! CDC and with the Youth of Mount Jezreel Baptist Church of Alexandria, VA. Both are nonprofit organizations and she worked very closely with the leadership of both organizations. DaJuana has been honored to serve as BPD Program Manager since February 2021.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Dr. Shelita Jackson, DSW

Director of BASW Undergraduate Studies

Clinical Assistant Professor, College of Social Work

University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Dr. Shelita Jackson holds a BSW degree from Eastern University, a MSW from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice, and a DSW from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. Dr. Jackson joined the College of Social Work in August 2022 teaching across programs. She serves the College of Social work as a member of the university’s Undergraduate Council, a group of leaders with oversight of curricular development and changes to undergraduate programs across the University of Kentucky. Her research interests include relational health & wellness, social work education, and mentorship. Dr. Jackson was appointed Director of BASW Undergraduate Studies in June 2024. She is a member of Forbes BLK, the Council on Social Work Education, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Dr. Jackson is honored to serve on BPD's board.

BPD Program Director

BPD Non-Program Director

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Courtney Ruggles, DSW, LSW

Program Director, Bachelor of Social Work

Assistant Professor of Social Work

Shawnee State University, Portsmouth, OH

FIELD DIRECTOR

Daysja Terry, MSW, LCSW, LCAS, CSI

She,her, hers

Assistant Field Coordinator, Lecturer

School of Social Work -University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Wilmington, NC

NON-PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Dr. Brian. E. Anderson, Ph.D., LMSW

Professor of Social Work

Jackson State University, Jackson, MS

Dr. Brian E. Anderson, a Professor of Social Work at Jackson State University, serves as a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) site visitor and a member of CSWE’s Commission on Membership & Professional Development. He has served on the CSWE Commission on Educational Policy, a founding member of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sport and was a National Association of Social Workers (NASW) (MS) Chapter board member. He has prior experience as a BSW Program Director and is on the Urban Social Work Journal's editorial board. Additionally, he served in the U. S. Army National Guard as a Dental Specialist and the U. S. Army Reserve as a Medical Combat Service Support commissioned officer, holding the position of Executive Officer. Brian was honored as the Social Work Educator of the Year in 2022, 2019, 2014, and 2009 by the Alabama/Mississippi Social Work Education Conference. Dr. Anderson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology at Tougaloo College, a Master of Social Work degree at Louisiana State University and a Ph.D. degree in Social Work at Jackson State University.

Dr. Courtney Ruggles is a passionate advocate for social work education, policy, and social justice. She is the founding Program Director and an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Shawnee State University, where she has been instrumental in designing and developing the BSW program to directly address the unique needs of the Appalachian region. Through collaborative planning sessions and data-drive curriculum development, she has ensured that the program equips future social workers with specialized knowledge in behavioral health, substance use, Appalachian culture, and poverty. With a professional background in behavioral health and hospice care, Dr. Ruggles brings a wealth of real-world experience to her work in higher education. She is a staunch advocate for suicide prevention, having served on a board and in various groups in Ohio and actively championed suicide prevention legislation at both state and national levels. Her dedication to policy and social justice advocacy extends beyond the classroom, as she works to advance the profession and promote the value of BSW education and licensure. Dr. Ruggles is committed to strengthening undergraduate social work education, supporting students and faculty, and ensuring that social work programs continue to cultivate skilled, ethical, and community-focused social workers.

Daysja Terry serves as the Field Coordinator for the University of North Carolina- Wilmington’s distance education program, HS2SW. In this role, she builds partnerships with field agencies in rural areas across North Carolina to expand student learning opportunities. A proud alumna of UNCW, she earned her Master of Social Work in 2019. Before joining the School of Social Work in 2024, Daysja led a clinical case management team and provided therapeutic services to young adults experiencing substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. She believes that the field experience is the heart of social work education and is deeply committed to fostering strong relationships with students and agencies to ensure meaningful and rewarding field experiences for all.

NON-PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Dr. Judith D. Crocker Billingsley, PhD., MSW

Assistant Professor of Social Work Department of Social Work

Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC

NON-PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Dr. Sherron Wilkes

BSW Program Director

Clinical Assistant Professor

University of Alabama School of Social Work

NON-PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Crystal Campbell, LCSW, MSW

BSW Practicum Coordinator/CWEC Coordinator

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Dr. Judith D. Crocker-Billingsley is an Assistant Professor of Social Work in the Department ofSocial Work BSW Program at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Dr. Crocker- Billingsley has over 25 years as a social work educator and is often referred to as a social work social policy practitioner. She uses her social work and the media platforms to create collaborative social policy initiatives for students with national social work organizations and universities along with other congressional social work warriors and pioneers. Known in the social work communities as “Dr. J”, she has become historically recognized for creating undergraduate social work internships with the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP), and the Congressional Social Work Caucus RoundTable. Dr. Crocker-Billingsley has a BA degree in Human Services from Spelman College; an MSW from Clark Atlanta University and a PhD in Social Work Policy, Planning Administration and Social Science from the Whitney M. Young,

Jr., School of Social Work at Clark Atlanta University.

Dr. Sherron Wilkes serves as the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program Director at the University of Alabama School of Social Work (UA SSW), where she brings more than 20 years of experience spanning higher education, macro-level leadership, and clinical practice. Her career includes leadership roles at institutions and non-profit organizations across the South, including her academic appointment as Program Director at Miles College Department of Social Work in Alabama and adjunct instructor at Mississippi Valley State University. Dr. Wilkes earned her Bachelor of Social Work from Mississippi Valley State University, Master of Social Work from Jackson State University, and Doctor of Social Work in Organizational Leadership from The University of Alabama School of Social Work.

Dr. Wilkes is known for her commitment to mentoring emerging professionals, fostering collaborative innovation, and shaping the next generation of social work leaders.

Crystal Campbell, MSW, LCSW, is the BSW Practicum Coordinator and Child Welfare Education Collaborative Coordinator at North Carolina State University. She has more than twenty years of experience across child welfare, social practice, and higher education, with a strong commitment to preparing emerging practitioners for ethical, culturally responsive, and community‑centered practice. Crystal also has a small private practice where she provides clinical services and supervision to LCSWAs.

Her areas of professional interest include trauma‑responsive pedagogy, workforce development, student professional identity formation, and strengthening equitable pathways into the social work profession. She earned her BSW from North Carolina Central University, MSW from NC State University, and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work.

Crystal is honored to serve on the Board of Directors of BPD in the role of Non‑Program Director At‑Large.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Dr. Edward Hernandez, PhD, LMSW

Chair and Associate Professor Social Work Department

Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn, New York

FIELD DIRECTOR

Sherrie Faulkner, LCSW, MBA

Director of BSW Field Education at UIUC School of Social Work, Rantoul, IL

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Dr. Debra Hunt Young, EdD, EdS, MSW, LGSW

Associate Professor/BSW Director Dept. of Social Work

Marshall University, Huntington, WV

Dr. Edward Hernandez is an Associate Professor at Medgar Evers College and serves as Chair of the Social Work Department. He also teaches online classes in Social Work and Human Services at several universities. Prior to Medgar Evers College, Dr. Hernandez served as Deputy Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Social Services from 2004 until 2012. His career includes over 30 years of government and not for profit agencies positions in largely administrative and management capacities. Dr. Hernandez received his MSW and PhD in Social Welfare from Stony Brook University.

Sherrie Faulkner has been in the field of social work for over 25 years. She has a BA in Human Services from the National College of Education, a MSW from UIUC School of Social Work, and a MBA from Baker College. Prior to starting her current position in 2010 as the Director of BSW Field Education at UIUC School of Social Work she worked in the community as a medical social worker. Superpowers include program development, empathy, and creativity.

Dr. Debra H. Young brings more than 16 years of experience in higher education and leadership in social work programs. She currently serves as an Associate Professor and BSW Program Director at Marshall University, overseeing curriculum development, accreditation, and student success initiatives. She is strongly committed to strengthening undergraduate social work education and preparing future practitioners to serve vulnerable populations. Her scholarly and teaching interests include ethics, family victimology, child welfare, mental health, and community-based responses to violence. She holds an MSW and an EdD in Curriculum and Instruction and is licensed in West Virginia. She is privileged to serve on the BPD Board of Directors.

Generalist Social Work Practice: Work with individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations in a variety of social work and host settings. Generalist practitioners view clients and client systems from a strength's perspective in order to recognize, support, and build upon the innate capabilities of all human beings. They use a professional problem solving process to engage, assess, broker services, advocate, counsel, educate, and organize with and on behalf of clients and client systems. In addition, generalist practitioners engage in community and organizational development. Finally, generalist practitioners evaluate service outcomes in order to continually improve the provision and quality of services most appropriate to client needs.

Generalist social work practice is guided by the NASW Code of Ethics and is committed to improving the well being of individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations and furthering the goals of social justice.