From the Pen of the President: June 2025

NASW-Illinois Chapter President Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW

NASW-IL President Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW (she/her)

Greetings NASW-IL Social Work Community!

This month’s message is bittersweet as it marks my final address to our social work community as NASW-Illinois Chapter President. Over the past two years, I have had the honor of leading our chapter and serving nationally as chair of the Council of Chapter Presidents. It’s hard to believe that my leadership journey within this chapter has spanned six years and is now coming to an end.

Reflecting on my journey, I revisit my why. My decision to pursue leadership stemmed from a desire to effect change during a critical time. I began in 2019 as the NASW-IL Calumet District Chair, serving two terms. I was then appointed by our previous president to co-chair the NASW-IL Taskforce on Racial Justice, contributing to recommendations on police reform that were reflected in the Criminal Justice Omnibus Bill signed into law in 2021.

In 2021, I was entrusted to chair the NASW-IL Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIAB) Committee, which has lead to many landmark initiatives, including our Telligen Community grant studies. This work contributed to significant licensure reform legislation and policy advocacy, collaborating with the Collaborative on Community Wellness in the Treatment Not Trauma Campaign for the City of Chicago. As president, I continued this work through my appointment by Mayor Brandon Johnson to the Mental Health System Expansion (MHSE) Working Group, which has been one of my proudest achievements.

Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, this work holds a special place in my heart, and witnessing its impact across the city has been incredibly fulfilling.

Throughout my leadership, I have modeled myself after former National NASW President Whitney M. Young, Jr. (1969–1971), whose leadership reshaped a nation and served as an advisor to three sitting presidents. My hope has always been to leave a legacy that transcends myself, reflecting his words:

“I am not anxious to be the loudest voice or the most popular. But I would like to think that at a crucial moment, I was an effective voice of the voiceless, an effective hope of the hopeless.”— Whitney M. Young Jr.

What’s next for me? I look forward to some much-needed rest and vacations after what I’ve termed a "fast and furious" pursuit of social justice over the past six years. I will continue my role as an educator, empowering the next generation of social workers at my alma mater, Governors State University, and remain committed to social justice through our Social Justice Initiative Center, serving the Southland communities.

In closing, I am immensely grateful to our chapter board for your support and collaboration. Your expertise has been invaluable. I also want to thank our chapter staff for your unwavering partnership and commitment. To our committees and special interest groups, thank you for your dedication to our social work initiatives and values.

A special thank you to my executive director, Joel L. Rubin. I could not have fulfilled my roles without your support, encouragement, and collaboration in vision. Thank you for getting into “good trouble” with me, helping to advance our social work profession, and creating a better Illinois for all. I greatly appreciate our professional relationship and your friendship.

To our incoming chapter president, LaTasha Roberson-Guifarro, it has been a pleasure working with you. Your leadership and support as a member of our NASW-IL Taskforce on Racial Justice and NASW-IL DEIAB Committee have been invaluable. You have my full faith in your new role.

Lastly, to our social work community, I appreciate your confidence in me. I hope I have served you well. As our late regional director, Tony Bibus, often said, “Illinois leads the way.” I leave you with his words and encourage you, Illinois, to continue leading the way.

I look forward to connecting with many of you at our national conference later this month in Chicago. It has been my esteemed honor to serve you and our chapter.

Respectfully, Your President,

Latesha L. Newson, MSW, LCSW, QMHP

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Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW (she/her), serves as university lecturer and BSW field coordinator at Governors State University in the Department of Social Work. She is a strong advocate for social justice and works to influence policies that create equitable and transformative change in our society. She has served on the NASW-Illinois Chapter Board of Directors since 2019, previously as Calumet District Chair, chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee (DEIAC), and as member of the national NASW Delegate Assembly. In 2020 she served as co-chair of the NASW-Illinois Chapter Task Force on Racial Justice where the chapter’s final recommendations on police reform were reflected in the Criminal Justice Omnibus bill. Latesha believes that it is our social responsibility to create and effect change through advocacy, policy, and the advancement of social work.