Board of Directors

NASW Georgia Chapter Board of Directors

The NASW-GA Board of Directors is comprised of 12 Board members who are appointed from the Chapter membership. All Board members serve 3- year terms except for BSW and MSW student representatives, and a president-elect who hold (1) one-year terms. Board terms follow the Chapter fiscal year, which begins July 1 and ends June 30th each year. The Board of Directors holds 5 meetings during the year, including an annual Board Orientation. All Board meetings, except for executive sessions, are open to the membership. Board members are fundamentally responsible for carrying out the Association’s mission and what it strives to accomplish at the state/local levels, discuss association policy and programming, and set chapter policies concerning social work practice issues.

NASW-GA is comprised of 4 Regions (North, South, East, and West Regions).

Each Region is Represented on the Board of Directors by a Region Representative and a Region At Large Representative.

How do you contact your Region Representative? You can send an e-mail message to your Region Representative using the e-mail addresses below.

Trenese Johnson, LCSW, North Region Representative
northregion.naswga@socialworkers.org

Barbara Griffin, LMSW, South Region Representative

southregion.naswga@socialworkers.org

Cookie Noel, ACSW, LCSW, East Region Representative

eastregion.naswga@socialworkers.org

Calvin Whitehead, LCSW, MAC, West Region Representative &
Chuck Coker, LCSW, MBA, West Region Member-at-Large

westregion.naswga@socialworkers.org

Jan N. Yates, ACSW, BCD, LCSW

President

Jeanie Witcraft-Shiau, LCSW

Vice President

Trenese Johnson, LCSW

North Region Representative

Calvin Whitehead, LCSW, MAC

West Region Representative

Charles "Chuck" Coker, LCSW, MBA

West Region Member-at-Large

Jill Hungerford, LCSW

Secretary

Barbara Griffin, LMSW

South Region Representative

Barbara Griffin is a graduate of Brooklyn College in NYC and the University of Georgia School of Social Work. She has worked with emotionally disturbed children through the Psychoeducational Center Program, substance abuse and mental health treatment with the State of Georgia, hospice, and as a dialysis Social Worker. She has been in Ware County since 1980 where she initiated the formation of a Big Brother/Big Sister program, served as Chair for the Ware County Democratic Committee, Vice-President with the Waycross NAACP, supported the local humane society, and participated in productions wit h the Waycross Area Community Theater. In 2015 She helped create a new non-profit theater company, Purlie Productions, which has as its motto “To elevate, educate and inspire.” She is a proud member of the National Association of Social Workers and participated in candidacy endorsement with the PACE Committee. Barbara is currently employed with DaVita as a dialysis Social Worker in the Southeast Georgia area.

Alice "Cookie" Noel, ACSW, LCSW

East Region Member-at-Large

Trenese is an LCSW in Atlanta and has 24 years of experience in mental health, school social work, mobile crisis and clinical supervision. She is an active member of church and belongs to many professional organizations, including NASW

NAMI, School Social Work Association of Georgia, and Professional Association of Georgia Education. She concurs with the NASW preamble that the primary mission of social work is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people.

Jill worked in IT and accounting before making a mid-life career change and enrolled in an MSW program at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Following graduation, she took a position as a crisis counselor in Green Bay, WI. She then

worked as a home health social worker for 9 years in Georgia. She said It was hard work but among the most rewarding she's ever done. In addition to Board duties, Jill assists with the development and maintenance of the Chapter's website.

Jeanie Witcraft-Shiau, LCSW is originally from Oklahoma and passionately advocates for those who are frequently not heard. She has expertise in a wide range of populations and settings, though most recently has

focused on postpartum mental health for families. You can find her work at or communicate professional concerns to jeanie@jwitcraft.com.

Cookie has been a professional social worker for over 40 years. Her areas of practice include chemical dependency treatment, psychiatric social work, hospice, and home care teaching and research. Practice settings included both public and

Georgia Chapter

NASW Georgia Chapter Board of Directors

Jan N. Yates, ACSW, BCD, LCSW

President

Jeanie Witcraft-Shiau, LCSW

Vice President

Trenese Johnson, LCSW

North Region Representative

Calvin Whitehead, LCSW, MAC

West Region Representative

Charles "Chuck" Coker, LCSW, MBA

West Region Member-at-Large

Jill Hungerford, LCSW

Secretary

Barbara Griffin, LMSW

South Region Representative

Alice "Cookie" Noel, ACSW, LCSW

East Region Member-at-Large

Trenese is an LCSW in Atlanta and has 24 years of experience in mental health, school social work, mobile crisis and clinical supervision. She is an active member of church and belongs to many professional organizations, including NASW

NAMI, School Social Work Association of Georgia, and Professional Association of Georgia Education. She concurs with the NASW preamble that the primary mission of social work is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people.

Jill worked in IT and accounting before making a mid-life career change and enrolled in an MSW program at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Following graduation, she took a position as a crisis counselor in Green Bay, WI. She then

worked as a home health social worker for 9 years in Georgia. She said It was hard work but among the most rewarding she's ever done. In addition to Board duties, Jill assists with the development and maintenance of the Chapter's website.

Jeanie Witcraft-Shiau, LCSW is originally from Oklahoma and passionately advocates for those who are frequently not heard. She has expertise in a wide range of populations and settings, though most recently has

focused on postpartum mental health for families. You can find her work at or communicate professional concerns to jeanie@jwitcraft.com.

Cookie has been a professional social worker for over 40 years. Her areas of practice include chemical dependency treatment, psychiatric social work, hospice, and home care teaching and research. Practice settings included both public and

private. Cookie has been on NASW Chapter Boards in Missouri and Georgia.

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NASW Georgia Chapter Board of Directors

Jan N. Yates, ACSW, BCD, LCSW

President

Jeanie Witcraft-Shiau, LCSW

Vice President

Trenese Johnson, LCSW

North Region Representative

Calvin Whitehead, LCSW, MAC

West Region Representative

Charles "Chuck" Coker, LCSW, MBA

West Region Member-at-Large

Jill Hungerford, LCSW

Secretary

Barbara Griffin, LMSW

South Region Representative

​

Alice "Cookie" Noel, ACSW, LCSW

East Region Member-at-Large

Trenese is an LCSW in Atlanta and has 24 years of experience in mental health, school social work, mobile crisis and clinical supervision. She is an active member of church and belongs to many professional organizations, including NASW

NAMI, School Social Work Association of Georgia, and Professional Association of Georgia Education. She concurs with the NASW preamble that the primary mission of social work is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people.

Jill worked in IT and accounting before making a mid-life career change and enrolled in an MSW program at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Following graduation, she took a position as a crisis counselor in Green Bay, WI. She then

worked as a home health social worker for 9 years in Georgia. She said It was hard work but among the most rewarding she's ever done. In addition to Board duties, Jill assists with the development and maintenance of the Chapter's website.

Jeanie Witcraft-Shiau, LCSW is originally from Oklahoma and passionately advocates for those who are frequently not heard. She has expertise in a wide range of populations and settings, though most recently has

focused on postpartum mental health for families. You can find her work at www.jwitcraft.com or communicate professional concerns to jeanie@jwitcraft.com.

Cookie has been a professional social worker for over 40 years. Her areas of practice include chemical dependency treatment, psychiatric social work, hospice, and home care teaching and research. Practice settings included both public and

private. Cookie has been on NASW Chapter Boards in Missouri and Georgia.

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focused on postpartum mental health for families. You can find her work at or communicate professional concerns to jeanie@jwitcraft.com.