Social Work Pioneer® Gary Bailey Is One of Boston’s Most Influential People of Color for 2018
Gary Bailey, DHL, MSW, ACSW, Professor of Practice at Simmons College School of Social Work, was honored on March 27, 2018, for being named one of Boston’s Most Influential People of Color.
“Gary Bailey has been an invaluable member of our community since his arrival in 1999,” said Simmons College President Helen G. Drinan. “His academic work is stellar, but beyond that, his deep commitment to improving the lives of others has served as a model for his students and his colleagues to aspire to. He is most deserving of this prestigious recognition.”
In addition to his teaching in the Simmons School of Social Work, Bailey holds a secondary appointment as the Special Assistant to the Dean for Inter-Professional Education in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Among his many on-campus activities, Professor Bailey directs the Urban Leadership Certificate in Clinical Social Work and coordinates the Dynamics of Racism and Oppression sequence. He chairs the School of Social Work Awards Committee; is Chair of the Simmons College Black Administrators, Faculty, and Staff Council (BAFAS); is a member of the Simmons Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council (DIAC); co-chaired the Simmons College Initiative on Human Rights and Social Justice; and was a member of the Simmons Faculty Senate
In 2017, Bailey was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker as a member of the Massachusetts LGBT-Q Youth Commission, and in 2009 he was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to serve on the board of the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA). He was reappointed in 2013 for a term ending in 2019. At MEFA, he chairs the Audit Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee.
In 2010, Bailey was elected President of the International Federation of Social Workers, representing more than 90 countries and 746,000 social workers globally, becoming the first person of color to hold this post.
Bailey was named Social Worker of the Year by both the national and Massachusetts NASW in 1998. He was named an NASW Social Work Pioneer in 2005, the youngest person to have received the distinction, having served as NASW's national president from 2003-2005.
Created by Colette Phillips Communications, Inc. (CPC) and Get Konnected!, in partnership with the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and The Boston Foundation, this year marked the 10th anniversary of the GK100 list of Greater Boston’s 100 Most Influential People of Color.
“We do not view the GK100 as a popularity list, but more of an opportunity to showcase the depth and breadth of culturally diverse talent in Boston who are contributing to the economic and social fabric of the city across various industries," said Colette Phillips, CEO of Colette Phillips Communications and Founder of Get Konnected!