Board Members

President

SAMANTHA HESS

Samantha Hess, MSSA, LSW, is currently serving as OSSWA President. She attended Kent State University to earn her bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies and went on to study Social Work at Case Western Reserve University. She graduated with her MSSA with a concentration in School Social Work in 2019. Samantha became an OSSWA Board Member after graduating from Case and previously served as OSSWA Secretary. She is currently working for the Educational Service Center of Lorain County as a School Social Worker in Midview Local Schools. In her free time she likes to travel, read, do yoga, be outside, kayak, and spend time with friends. 

President-elect

vacant

Job Description: 

-Consults with the President

-Presides when president and past president are unable to do so

-Assumes the duties for the President should the President no longer be able to fulfill them

-Represents (or appoints another to represent) Ohio as the practitioner at the Midwest Council in the spring and fall

-Represents (or appoints another to represent) OSSWA at SSWAA Delegate Assembly if the President is unable to do so

-Assumes the Presidency at the end of the President’s term

-Is sufficiently familiar with the by-laws to note applicability during the meetings

-Participate closely with the President to develop and implement officer transition plans

-Participates on audit committee for year-end finance audit

-In collaboration with the Secretary, co-chairs the Nomination Committee to oversee board elections (every other year).

Contact us if you are interested in serving in this position.

Treasurer

cynthia johnson

Cindy has been a member of OSSWA since 2008 and began as a Student Board Representative. She demonstrated her organization and people skills as vendor coordinator when Ohio hosted the Midwest Conference in the fall 2017 and is currently serving as Treasurer. She received a Master of Social Work degree from Case Western Reserve University in 2009 and has 10 years of experience as a Program Evaluator/Research Assistant at Case Western Reserve University. This includes work with the Prevention Research Center (CWRU) where she provided evaluation/research support to a variety of community-based agencies and school-based partners. Her work included a multitude of programs aimed to increase health literacy, a contributor to health disparities and improve the health of local teens (i.e. decrease risk behaviors such as alcohol abuse, drug abuse and risky sexual behaviors and increase healthy behaviors such as nutrition and physical activity).

Secretary & CENTRAL CO-REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

HEATHER FEEHAN

past president

JILL MILLER

Jill received her Bachelors is Social Work from Bowling Green State University and her Masters of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University. After 18 years at Bellevue City Schools she is now at Tiffin City Schools. Ace the therapy dog attends school with her every day. Jill has been a member of OSSWA since 2001 and has served various positions of the Board including Promotions director, Northwest Regional Director and Secretary.

Communications Director

Vacant

Programs Director 

caryl yoo

Bio coming soon.

Awards Director

martha jones

Martha Jones attended The Ohio State University earning both her Bachelor and Master Degrees in Social Work. Originally from Mansfield, Ohio; Marty has recently relocated to Columbus and is employed by Columbus City Schools – grateful to be serving as a School Social Worker. Martha has previously worked in public health, developmental disabilities, rehabilitation/corrections and community mental health.

Legislative Co-Director & SOUTHEAST REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

brenda rinkes

Brenda Rinkes graduated with Bachelors (Ohio University ‘74) and Masters Degrees (Ohio State University ’81) in Social Work. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker and Supervisor in the State of Ohio and a Licensed School Social Worker with the Ohio Department of Education. Brenda has worked 37 years as a School Social Worker, including 34 years in the Bellaire Local School District. Prior to her recent retirement she worked an instructor and field coordinator for the Social Work Program at West Liberty University in West Liberty, West Virginia and as Project Director for a Federal Elementary Counseling Grant in Belmont County, Ohio that employs 2 school social workers and 2 licensed professional counselors. In addition to OSSWA, Brenda is an active member of NASW, CSWE (Council on Social Work Education) and the North Central Social Work Field Directors Consortium.

Legislative Co-Director

andrew smith

Andrew is a school social worker in the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools and has over twenty years experience working in the public school setting. Prior to serving as a school social worker, Andrew taught 7th grade science for the first fourteen years of his career. He received his undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University in science education and his Master of Social Work from Cleveland State University in the area of direct practice. Andrew continued his school social worker track through Case/BW. Andrew has gained his experience working in child welfare, public school, crisis counseling, and private practice. Andrew has specialized training in working with at-risk adolescents and those with relationship or mood disorders. Andrew is a trainer for the Lorain County Schools Crisis Counseling Team, and is an executive board member for the Lorain County Prevention Connection, and the Lorain County Board of Mental Health prior to being termed out by statute. Andrew has served as the President of the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake Teachers’ Association (OEA) and is currently actively involved sitting on the Ohio Education Association Fund for Children & Public Education (FCPE) State Council and Legislative Committees, which are the political arms of the OEA/NEA.

Promotions Director

Sarah MCcall

Sarah received her undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University in social studies education and went on to The Ohio State University to obtain her MSW. Sarah currently works for the Educational Service Center of Lorain County as a School Social Worker for Keystone Local School District. Prior to working in schools, Sarah worked in community-based mental health where she gained experience in early childhood mental health, relational skill building, trauma-informed care, the Incredible Years program, school consultation, and school services.

Membership Director

Vacant

Central Co-Regional Representative

leah berdysz 

Leah is on a "mission to empower and educate girls on how to be beautiful from the inside out through discovery of social, mental, and physical components." After graduating from John Carroll University with her Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science and Entrepreneurship in 2017, Leah founded Empowered & Poised LLC. This inspired her to return to school, where she received a Master of Science and Social Administration (MSW equivalent). She specialized in children, youth, and families, and school social work while in graduate school, and is now a licensed social worker. She currently holds a position at Warrensville Heights City School District. Additionally, Leah published her first book, Conscious Empowerment: A Guide to Helping Girls Build Self-esteem & Confidence in June of 2021.

NORTHWEST Co-REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Christina Harper 

For the last 18 years Chris has worked in the educational setting as a School Counselor, School Social Worker, and now Assistant Director of Student Services and Well-Being for Perrysburg Schools. As the first School Social Worker for Perrysburg Schools, Chris designed and built the School Social Work Department. In her current role as Assistant Director of Student Services and Well-Being, she oversees all social work programming for the School District. This includes supervising the School Social Work program, serving as the homeless and foster children liaison, overseeing attendance and truancy, supervising the EL program, and providing support for at-risk youth and the most vulnerable students and families in the district. In addition, she created the Northwest Ohio School Social Work Consortium and works with others around the area to continue to build a network of support for all School Social Workers in Northwest Ohio. Chris has a passion to help youth know they can do “it” in the midst of obstacles; that there is hope, help and support to get past the barriers before them.

Chris graduated from the University of Findlay with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminal Justice and from Bowling Green State University with a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling. She is a licensed professional clinical counselor with a supervision certification, a licensed social worker, and a licensed school counselor.

In her free time she enjoys hiking, running and spending time with her family.

NORTHWEST Co-REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Regan Findling

Regan Findling MSW, LISW received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Iowa. After graduating, she spent 10 years working in nonprofit agencies in Iowa and Colorado supporting children and adults affected by developmental disabilities. She then received her Masters in Social Work from Colorado State University and worked as School Social Worker and Hospice Social Worker in Colorado and Ohio. Regan currently works as a School Social Worker at Penta Career Center in Perrysburg, OH. Penta Career Center is a career tech high school which supports 16 member high schools covering 5 counties in northwest Ohio. Regan is working to build a network of support for all School Social Workers in Northwest Ohio.

Regan enjoys spending time with her husband and watching their daughters at their various sport and music activities.

NORTEast REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Megan OSBORNE

Hello! My name is Megan Osborne and I am a School Social Worker in the Cleveland Heights University Heights School District. I found my passion for Social Work as an undergraduate student at Penn State University where I majored in Rehabilitation and Human Services. Although I am a proud Nittany Lion, I continued my education at The Ohio State University in the Master's of School Social Work program. Directly following my Master's I participated in an international Social Work conference in Cucuta, Columbia where we discussed the effects of migration on surrounding communities. Additionally, I spoke in Bachelor level classes at the Universidad Simon Bolivar on the topic of Social Work in the United States. I have had the privilege of working as an English teacher in Spain, an intake coordinator, Clinical Therapist at Nationwide Children's Hospital and now as a School Social Worker at Monticello Middle School here in Cleveland. I am so excited to get involved in social work advocacy here in Northeast Ohio! I hope that my experience can bring a new perspective to the OSSWA.

SouthWEST Regional Representative

VACANT

Job Description:

-Provides information and support to the members of the region.

-Provides leadership and offers two regional events yearly, specific to the needs of the region.

-Works with Membership Director to recruit members in the region.

-Informs region members of updates in OSSWA activities as well as school social work issues.

-Connects annually with the local university to identify and assist school social work student reps.

-Acts as chair of select Region Committee: sets agenda for and presides over meetings, submits updates on progress in meeting committee goals, distributes minutes and other necessary communications from Region Committee meetings to full board.

Contact us if you are interested in serving in this position.