Alumna Suzanne Dworak-Peck, who has pioneered modern social work by elevating the profession on a global scale through policy, advocacy and the media, has assumed the role of chair of the USC School of Social Work’s Board of Councilors.

She first joined the board in 2014 and recently received the 2016 Alumni Merit Award from USC for her outstanding and internationally recognized career in social work leadership. She has served as president of both the National Association of Social Workers and International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), and currently serves as IFSW’s first and only ambassador.

Dworak-Peck is looking forward to her three-year tenure as chair, working alongside Dean Marilyn Flynn to support the future of the school. She is very proud of the social work education she received from USC and the preparation it provided for the diverse challenges faced in the field over her 30-year career.

Dworak-Peck succeeds J. Scott Watt as chair, who passed the baton on July 1. Watt, who joined the board in 2006, has served as chair since 2013. Under his leadership, the Board of Councilors saw unprecedented growth, adding eight new members.

Watt and his family have a long-standing relationship with the School of Social Work, providing gifts of nearly $500,000 to address homelessness. Their support most recently launched the school’s effort in addressing the Grand Challenge to End Homelessness, a national initiative by schools of social work across the country, led by Assistant Professor Benjamin Henwood.

Membership expands

Building upon the growth under Watt, Dworak-Peck’s leadership will help usher in a new era of the Board of Councilors, with five new members joining in recent months.

“We are very fortunate to have such dynamic leaders lend their support and expertise for the benefit of our school,” Dean Flynn said. “I look forward to collaborating with all of our board members and accomplishing great things.”

Amy Blavin is a producer with Graceful Light Entertainment, a multimedia production company dedicated to producing socially conscious documentary films, which she founded with her husband and fellow Board of Councilors member, Paul. Blavin is extremely committed to the field of social work through her support for former foster youth who wish to pursue higher education. She and her husband have previously established scholarships at the University of Michigan and Northern Arizona University for youth who have aged out of the foster care system.

“I have always chosen to affiliate myself with a local university wherever I have resided,” Blavin said. “I chose USC because of their investment in superior leadership and their entrepreneurial spirit combined with their ability to make bold decisions. My passion is foster youth and mental health, and I have a strong interest in supporting the new Department of Nursing combined with social work.”

A community activist for children’s issues and citizen advocacy, Elizabeth Lowe was a member of the Los Angeles County Commission for Children’s Services for 15 years, serving as chair twice. In 1993, Mayor Richard Riordan appointed Lowe to the Los Angeles Fire Commission, where she served as president for two years. Lowe was given the Commissioner’s Award for the State of California in 1998 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Children, Youth and Families for her advocacy in creating a safety net for children in the wake of welfare reform. She also served as vice chair of the First 5 LA Commission and led the effort to raise $600 million for preschool education.

Shana Levin Zarcufsky and Matthew Zarcufsky have a tradition of family involvement with the USC School of Social Work. Shana Zarcufsky’s grandmother, Helen Levin, received her MSW in 1981, and the family’s Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation has had a philanthropic relationship with the school since 1975. Her mother, Suzan Levin Corben, served on the Board of Councilors for many years. Shana Zarcufsky is vice president of production services and studio operations for Paramount Pictures, and her husband, Matthew Zarcufsky, is the director of national advancement for the American Film Institute.

“My grandmother was a quadriplegic who returned to school in her 50s,” Shana Zarcufsky said. “She was so happy with her experience and education from the USC School of Social Work, which led to more independence for her, that my family became life-long supporters. As a board member, I hope to help with cultivating different types of programs to create a more diverse student body and education.”

Matthew Zarcufsky’s goal as a board member is broader in scope.

“I hope to support Dean Flynn, the USC School of Social Work and the university in their roles as change agents for our city, and for humanity as a whole,” Matthew Zarcufsky said. “I see myself as a strategist and a connector chiefly, and I hope those skills will enhance the efforts of the Board of Councilors.”

Janice Kamenir-Reznik is the co-founder and current president of Jewish World Watch, a leader in the fight against genocide and mass atrocities. Kamenir-Reznik is an alumna of the School of Social Work, receiving dual master’s degrees in social work and Jewish non-profit management in 1975. She practiced environmental law for more than two decades and served on the board of California Women Lawyers and as board president of the California Women’s Law Center. As a Los Angeles County Commissioner, she held positions on the Los Angeles County Citizens’ Economy and Efficiency Commission and the Los Angeles County Child Support Advisory Board.

“I am passionate about social justice, which encompasses all aspects of social work,” she said. “It is outrageous that society has chosen to accept poverty in our midst. This issue is at the core of our humanity, animating my conscience and activism. I hope that my more than 40 years of experience as an active participant in various capacities for nonprofit organizations, coupled with the outstanding skills I acquired in my graduate training at USC, will be a meaningful contribution to the Board of Councilors.”