Lee Westgate, MSW, MBA, LCSW-C, of the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW) has joined the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) as manager of policy and advocacy. NASW has 55 state/territorial chapters and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
NASW’s robust social justice and workforce policy portfolio includes economic equity, criminal and juvenile justice, health care equity, immigration, voting rights, environmental justice, and LGBTQ issues, among others, which intersect with racial equity and civil rights, outlined in the “2021 Blueprint of Federal Social Policy Priorities.”
Westgate will work in collaboration with numerous coalitions and other policy stakeholders to advance NASW’s advocacy agenda. He is an out transgender advocate with over 15 years of professional experience in social work policy, practice, research, and education. He has held numerous leadership roles and served as an educational consultant to a variety of associations and organizational clientele.
Westgate continues to serve as a graduate faculty member and clinical instructor at UMSSW.