Do you know someone who is eligible?
Nominations are open! We welcome nominations from colleagues, friends, community members, family, students… anyone who has been inspired.
We are specifically looking for social workers from across the country who are:
- Over the age of 65
- Retired or planning to retire within the next 12 months
- Open to discussing their career accomplishments
- Leaders in their field of practice
It doesn’t matter if they are famous in the profession or known only to a few. What does matter is the leadership they have shown. We want to capture a diversity of practitioners, backgrounds and experiences. Self-nominations are welcome too – don’t be shy! Just click on the button below to fill out the nomination form.
The deadline for Round 2 nominations is September 30, 2023.

What will they be asked to do?
Selected nominees will take part in a 90-minute videotaped interview about their career experiences, accomplishments and perspectives. Analysis of the oral histories will be used to create a framework for social work leadership to train and educate the next generation of social workers.
The oral histories will be preserved and publicly shared through the McMaster Library Digital Repository and on YouTube. Participants will receive a small gift for taking part and their practical costs will be reimbursed.
For more information, please contact us.
Understanding Social Work Leadership in Canada and this nomination process have been approved by the McMaster University Research Ethics Board, certificate #4996. The project is funded by the Social Sciences Humanities Research Counsel through an Insight Grant. The Principal Investigator is Tara La Rose, Associate Professor, McMaster University School of Social Work.


School of Social Work
Kenneth Taylor Hall (KTH), Room 319
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M4