The organization's first-ever full-time leader is also the Principal Investigator for the Title IV-E Stipend Program
Dr. Virginia Rondero Hernandez has been named CalSWEC's first full-time Executive Director/Principal Investigator, effective September 6.
The announcement came from UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare Dean Jeffrey Edleson, who noted, “Dr. Rondero Hernandez comes with a deep background in non-profit management, county social work, and teaching in graduate social work programs. She is well known in California and deeply knowledgeable of CalSWEC's work, having served for four years on its Board and Executive Committee.”
Dr. Rondero Hernandez has been the Director of California Fresno State University's Department of Social Work Education and Principal Investigator on the Central California and Bay Area Training Academies, managing over $14 million in department allocations, external grants, and state contracts. She earned her MSW from California State University, Sacramento and her Ph.D. from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.
“I am both honored and excited at the prospect of working with Dean Edleson and the CalSWEC team. They provided sound and visionary leadership during my tenure my as Board and Executive Committee member,” Dr. Rondero Hernandez. “I look forward to collaborating with them and CalSWEC constituencies, as we implement the organization’s Strategic Plan to refine and expand CalSWEC services in the State of California.”
Appreciation to Outgoing Executive Director
Dr. Edleson also expressed his appreciation to Dr. Rodger Lum, who has served as CalSWEC Executive Director. “I want to thank Dr. Rodger Lum for his almost three years of service to CalSWEC and being my partner in designing and working to achieve a more sustainable project on behalf of the children and families of California and the 23 schools of social work, 58 counties, the California Department of Social Services, and others that are our partners in this project.”
Dr. Lum will remain at CalSWEC through the end of September to assist in the transition to the new leadership of Dr. Rondero Hernandez. He stated, “I am absolutely thrilled to transition out of my role as the part-time Executive Director after more than 2 ½ years at the helm of a great organization. CalSWEC is now starting a new journey in its storied history by welcoming its first ever full-time Executive Director and Principal Investigator, Dr. Virginia Rondero Hernandez. “