Tuskegee University
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Social Work
2023 Social Work Excellence Award
“Excellence is Doing a Common Thing in an Uncommon Way!” Booker T. Washington
In observance of National Social Work Month, the 2023 Social Work Excellence award is presented to:
LAWANNA RENEE BARRON
Lawanna R. Barron has provided Tuskegee with a generous endowment of $50,000 supplying an annual $2000 scholarship award. Established in August 2022 by Ms. Lawanna Renee Barron, BCD, LCSW, ACSW, this endowed scholarship will be awarded annually to students enrolled in the Tuskegee University Bachelor of Social Work Program and Master of Social Work Program. Lawanna R. Barron is honored for this contribution and her years of service to social work. In her words:
"It is indeed an honor and blessing from God to inform you of my desire to initiate the Lawanna Renee Barron Endowment in the Tuskegee School of Social Work for the amount of $50,000.00. This is in honor of my Barron’s Family Legacy of community service in Valdosta, Georgia, and my 30-year retirement as a civil servant. My first job was as a social worker at the Tuskegee Department of Veteran Affairs. After a year, I transferred to Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia, and worked there for 29 years. I am so fond of the memories we [Dr. Jones and I] shared as colleagues developing policies and procedures for the United States Family Advocacy Program. I was challenged as a first-generation student to give back to someone else one day, I am doing so to continue the work of minority social workers at Tuskegee Universities Social Work Department for BSW and MSW students with an immediate scholarship. The Endowment is a gift that will for a lifetime and there's no greater place for it than Tuskegee University where in that same city my first job in a social worker was at the Tuskegee VA located on land donated by Tuskegee University." Lawanna R. Barron, LCSW, Retired Military Social Worker
Lawanna Renee Barron's Bio:
Lawanna Barron’s first job as a federal civilian social worker was at the Department of Veteran Affairs Hospital in Tuskegee, Alabama. In January 1993, she was hired to serve as a social worker on Ward 44-1, Acute Psychiatry. Ms. Barron completed psychosocial assessments, family contacts and multidisciplinary treatment plans for veterans before they were transferred to a treatment unit. Ms. Barron stayed in the Tuskegee Domiciliary for several months and ate at the Famous Chicken Coop. She was extremely honored to be a part of the historic Tuskegee Community.
In December 1993, Ms. Barron transferred to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia and returned to her home in Valdosta, Georgia. She served as the first Family Advocacy Treatment Manager and later as the Family Advocacy Outreach Manager and Family Advocacy Intervention Specialist. In August 2022, Ms. Barron retired after almost 30 years of federal service.
Ms. Barron was born in Valdosta, Georgia to the late Mr. Claydon Hayward Barron, a prominent insurance man and businessman, and Mrs. Mary Alford Barron, a retired Valdosta State University Administrator and businesswoman. After graduating from Valdosta High School in 1985, Ms. Barron attended Valdosta State College and graduated with her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology. Following in the footsteps of her maternal aunt, the late Mrs. Mae Ellen Alford Douglas, a licensed clinical social worker, Ms. Barron received her Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Georgia in 1991. Ms. Barron’s maternal grandparents were the late Mr. Elco and Mrs. Pearlene Walker Alford of Adel, Georgia. Mr. Alford lived to be the oldest and only African American Farmer in Cook County, Georgia. Her paternal grandparents were the late Mr. Haywood Barron and Mrs. Pearl Holmes Barron. Ms. Barron is the 5th Generation Descendant of the late Mr. Ben Alford, a slave.
Professional social work experience includes Chief Social Worker at the Medical College of Georgia, Department of Pediatrics Children and Youth Project in Augusta, Georgia and Social Worker with the Department of Veteran Affairs in Tuskegee, Alabama. Also, Ms. Barron worked in private practice and as an Instructor for Park University. Ms. Barron is a Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker through the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists. Also, she is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers.
As a subject matter expert in the prevention and treatment of child and partner maltreatment with military families, Ms. Barron was selected to be a member of many task forces through the Headquarters Air Force Medical Operation Agency. In addition, she served as the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Chief Counselor (collateral-duty) and later as an EEO Counselor (collateral-duty).
Ms. Barron was named Moody Air Force Base Civilian of the Year in 1994. On numerous occasions, she was named Civilian of the Quarter. In 2003, Ms. Barron was named National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Georgia Chapter Social Worker of the Year. Ms. Barron has received numerous awards: National Council of Negro Women Community Award, Omega Psi Phi Businessperson of the Year, Valdosta-Lowndes County Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award and Valdosta Businessperson Woman of Achievement Award.
Ms. Barron was a founder of the NASW South Georgia Unit and served as the Past President of the NASW Georgia Chapter. Ms. Barron was a trustee to the NASW Legal Defense Fund and a member of the NASW Foundation Awards Committee. Ms. Barron served two terms on the NASW Board of Directors. She served as Region VI Representative for chapters in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Mississippi from 2005-2008. Ms. Barron served as National Secretary from 2010-2013 where she was involved with initiating Assurance Services Insurance Company where she currently serves as Secretary. In 2015, she was awarded the NASW Distinguished Social Worker Award.
Ms. Barron is an active member of Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Valdosta, Georgia. She volunteers with the Youth Department and initiated bus trips in 2010 and 2014 to Washington, DC to see the Smithsonian Museum of African American History. The last trip in 2018, the youth also went on a tour of NYC after visiting the museum.
Ms. Barron is a lifelong member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. where she has been honored as Life Member #1159, Ruby Member, charter member of Lambda Beta Chapter (Valdosta State University) and charter member of Kappa Psi Sigma Chapter (Valdosta, Georgia). In 2020, she was awarded Kappa Psi Sigma Soror of the Year Award.
In May 2013, Ms. Barron returned to the University of Georgia School of Georgia as the Commencement Graduation Speaker. In August 2022, she fully endowed scholarships at the University of Georgia School of Social Work and Tuskegee University Department of Social Work.
Ms. Barron continues to serve as the NASW ASI Secretary and is a member of the Valdosta City Schools Foundation. Along with her mother, they provided an Annual Claydon Haywood Barron Memorial Scholarship to a Valdosta High School Graduating Senior since 2002. Also, they select scholarship recipients for the Claydon Haywood Barron Endowment, established in 2003 at the Valdosta State University African American Studies Program. Ms. Barron owns Hope Counseling and Mediation Services, LLC where she plans to provide clinical social work supervision. Ms. Barron has traveled to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, London, England and Paris, France. She looks forward to an upcoming trip to Ghana.
DONATE TO THE LAWANNA R BARRON ENDOWMENT
NOTE: Select "Other" to designate the code E4451 and endowment name Lawanna R Barron.