President

Lashawnda Singleton is a 2020 graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) with a Master’s of Public Administration and a certification in Nonprofit & Nongovernmental Organization Management.  She has had the privilege to work with Governor Terrance McAuliffe under his administration and be an integral part of the historic restoration of rights initiative where over 170,000 Virginians gained their civil rights back.  Singleton continued her appointment under Governor Ralph Northam as the Confidential Special Assistant to the Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections working as the Reentry Outreach Coordinator.  She serves as the Chair of the Mass Incarceration/Reentry Committee of the National Association of Black Social Workers, Lead Organizer of the Richmond-Aging People in Prison-Human Rights Campaign, and sits on the volunteer board of Storefront for Community Design, Virginia Center for Restorative Justice, and many other organizations and nonprofits. 

Vice President

Ashley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Virginia and has been employed as a school social worker with Henrico County Public Schools for the past four years. Ashley is a Certified Trauma Specialist and Certified Forensic Peer Support Specialist Supervisor.  In 2018, Ashley was the youngest member to be elected to serve on the Executive Committee of The National Association of Black Social Workers. As Member-at-Large, Ashley was dedicated to increasing the representation of NABSW on college campuses and universities nationwide.

Treasurer

Shayla Betts is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Longwood University and she works part-time as an outpatient therapist with MySpectrum Counseling and Coaching.   She obtained her Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree in 2012 and her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in 2014 from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).  In 2017, she became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and is currently pursuing her PhD in Transformative Social Change through Saybrook University.  Shayla has engaged in social work practice in various fields including educational settings, acute psychiatric hospitalization, and private practice. Shayla's research interests include race relations and racial justice, mental health, and self-care.

Chaplain

Dr. Hedrington Jones is a Core Faculty member at Walden University. She was employed in the public education arena for 30 years. Her career began as a Licensed School Social Worker and retired as a Medicaid & Special Projects Coordinator.  Dr. Hedrington Jones recently completed a research study and developed an intervention utilizing storytelling as a method to work with caregivers, parents, and parents of an incarcerated parent. In April 2018, Dr. Hedrington Jones was awarded the Nia Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Association of Black Social Workers. She is also a member of the Richmond Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she works with the Delta Research & Education Foundation to impact the inequities in public education.

Secretary

Edward P. Richards was born in Long Island, New York-raised in Philadelphia, PA and has lived in Richmond, VA since 2002. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 2014 with an undergraduate degree in Social Work and a minor in Psychology. He currently serves as the Program Director/Manager for the Public Guardianship program at Senior Connections, The Capital Area Agency on Aging and has served in this role since 2017. Edward is currently a candidate for a Master’s in Public Administration degree and is expected to graduate in spring 2021. 

Parliamentarian

Charisse Billie is originally from Brooklyn, New York.   She graduated from the "Mecca", Howard University, with an undergraduate degree in psychology.   Billie received a Master's Degree in Social Work from Adelphi University and received a License in Clinical Social Work from the Commonwealth of Virginia.   She is the Clinical Director of a community-based services organization and is the owner of The Destin Group, LLC, providing therapeutic services to children, adults and families.