By Jaelon Jackson
School of Social Work
The National Association of Social Workers, Texas Chapter - North Central Texas–Fort Worth Branch hosted its 2025 Social Work Month Awards Banquet on Tuesday, March 25, at the Kathryn Wilemon Lake House Event Center, honoring outstanding leaders and changemakers in the field of social work.
The National Association of Social Workers, founded in 1955, is the world’s largest organization of professional social workers. Its Texas Chapter, with nearly 6,000 members, is the state’s leading professional social work association. NASW/TX advocates for the profession, advances social justice policy, and supports members across practice areas including healthcare, education, government, and private practice.
The banquet, themed “Compassion + Action,” brought together educators, students, alumni and professionals to recognize those advancing social justice, community leadership and professional excellence across North Texas. It also celebrated the power of social work to transform lives and inspire resilience in the face of adversity.
Rev. Dr. Pamela Fox, a University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work Ph.D. alumna, former faculty member and retired U.S. Navy commander, served as the evening’s keynote speaker. In her address, she reflected on her tri-vocational path as a clinical social worker, ordained Christian minister and Navy officer, weaving together themes of resilience, empowerment and a deep-rooted social work identity.
Her message encouraged attendees to embrace their "social work why" — the personal calling that fuels their commitment to service. Drawing from her own experiences with racial trauma, military life and faith-based advocacy, Dr. Fox challenged social workers to act with courage and purpose.
“Resilience speaks to the human capacity to withstand or recover from difficulties,” she said. “Empowerment is about autonomy, self-determination, confidence and self-control — all of which I identified as my God-given gifts.”
Dr. Fox also emphasized the importance of cultural identity and historical awareness in the profession, invoking Afrocentric principles such as Ubuntu, Sankofa and the need to “stay woke” — remaining consciously aware of suffering and actively working to alleviate it with compassion and action.
Among the evening’s honorees was Dr. Debra Woody, associate professor at the UTA School of Social Work, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Reflecting on her decades-long career, Woody said she recently revisited the developmental stages defined by Erik Erikson, “integrity versus despair”-which prompted a period of self-reflection on her life’s work and impact.
Woody humorously recalled how her early inspiration to become a social worker came from a soap opera. As a high school student, she watched All My Children and connected with the only Black female character, a social worker, who helped others with compassion and wisdom. That character sparked the idea that social work could be a meaningful path — and it was.
“Social work was the right choice for me,” Woody reflected, recognizing that even amid questioning and life transitions, she would choose it all over again. Her career has been shaped by mentorship, service and a commitment to preparing future generations of social workers for impactful, ethical practice.
Dr. Jandel Crutchfield, also a UTA associate professor, was honored as Public Elected Official of the Year. Her work underscores the influence of social workers in public office, where advocacy and policy intersect with lived experience and professional insight.
“Social justice social workers must remain motivated to accomplish academic and professional goals with excellence and exceptionalism,” Fox said. “This work takes resilience, empowerment and a deep understanding of your ‘why’ — but most of all, it takes compassion and action.” said Dr. Fox.
Events like the NASW/TX Awards Banquet serve as powerful reminders of the critical role social workers play in creating more just, compassionate communities. By honoring those who lead with empathy and courage, the profession not only celebrates its own, but it also invites the public to recognize the enduring impact of social work in everyday life. As the event’s reflections showed, the work is never easy, but it is always essential, and it continues with purpose, heart, and hope.