The Society is proud to announce its Member of the Year Award has gone to Leah Reider, Past President, whose “continuous and extensive activity” has sustained and nurtured the rebirth of our Society. Leah has truly gone above and beyond in terms of the many hours she has devoted to reviving the Board and the Society, recently ending two terms as President (with Board approval), since she was the only person with experience serving on the CSCSW board. Leah has served on the Board for the past ten years.  She will continue to serve as Past President on the Board for the next two years. Her many accomplishments on behalf of the Society include:

• Singlehandedly organizing and leading a retreat to develop a strategic plan to revitalize the organization when it was on the verge of collapse
  
• Soliciting new board members and leading board meetings 3 times a year
  
• Hiring an administrator and bookkeeper (with Board approval)
  
• Setting up board committees
  
• Under her stewardship increasing Society membership from under 400 to 500
  
• Supporting statewide districts that provide educational resources to our professional community
  
• Supporting the reinstitution of the mentorship program, creation of a Supervisors listing and the provision of Jannette Alexander Fund scholarships for graduating MSWs
  
• Overseeing the development of an updated website, logo, and the listserv
  

Listing these accomplishments cannot begin to account for the many hours of phone calls, emails, and discussions that Leah has handled, all the while managing a full-time clinical practice serving children and adults.

Leah received her BA in psychology from Wellesley College in 1969 and her MSW from UC Berkeley in 1971. She has worked in the public and private sectors, providing consultation to Castilleja School, Family Service Association of the Mid-Peninsula, and The Children’s Health Council and psychotherapy for Jewish Family and Children’s Services.  Prior to that, Leah worked in foster care for Contra Costa County Social Service Department. Her clients have ranged in age from children to seniors.

Leah loves all things British and is an enthusiastic and wide-ranging world traveler. She is always up for an adventure! When Leah isn’t working in her practice or for the Board, you might find her at the San Francisco Ballet. She has two daughters, Abby, an MSW working as a social-emotional learning specialist at the Nueva Middle School and Rebecca, an environmentalist and writer living in New Zealand.

Leah’s enthusiasm and tireless devotion to clinical social work, the Society and its members have earned her this recognition and our gratitude. Leah was presented with the award at a dinner held just prior to her last Board Meeting as President. The award states:

To Leah Reider

In appreciation for your extraordinary contributions as President and Board Member

CSCSW, June 2017
Thank you Leah and Congratulations.