Graduate School of Social Service James R. Dumpson Chair in Child Welfare Studies Anne Williams-Isom, J.D., D.Min., was featured this morning on MSNBC’s Morning Joe segment and in Forbes as a trailblazer in the field of education.
As part of their “50 over 50” campaign, Forbes described Williams-Isom as the “unsung hero” of their list of women over 50 making a difference in education, and a “champion for equal-access education in the U.S.”
Anne Williams-Isom, J.D., D.Min.
“The surprise of the morning – to see myself included in @MSNBC‘s segment on Forbes 50 over 50 women leaders in education,” Williams-Isom said on Twitter. “Thank you for the mention – I’m honored to be featured with my fellow education advocates and leaders.”
Williams-Isom came to Fordham GSS in September, after serving as the COO and CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone, an organization that annually serves 13,000 students across 100 blocks of northern Manhattan.
“GSS has gained an experienced, caring, and creative leader in Anne Williams-Isom,” said Debra M. McPhee, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Social Service, in an interview upon Williams-Isom’s arrival. “Her extensive knowledge of the needs of children and families has served to elevate the voices of New York City’s most vulnerable communities. We are proud to have such an outstanding partner in advancing the school’s commitment to racial and social justice.”
Child Trends, an organization whose research focuses exclusively on improving the lives of children and youth, especially those who are most vulnerable — and where Williams-Isom serves as Chair of the Board of Directors — also took to Twitter in celebration of the news.
“Our Board Chair @AWilliamsIsom has been featured by @Forbes as the unsung hero of women over 50 who are making a difference in education,” the organization said. “Williams-Isom has used education as a tool of empowerment & made it her life’s work to gain equal access to education.”
Williams-Isom also serves on the executive committee of the board of directors of the Central Park Conservancy, and the boards of Graham Windham, the Collegiate School, the Metropolitan Montessori School, Weill Cornell Medicine, Partnership Schools and the Advisory Board for Columbia Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Design.
