The Association of Social Work Boards announced that Mary Jo Monahan has been selected to serve as its new executive director.

Monahan served on the national board of directors of NASW from 1998 to 2001 and was president of the NASW Florida Chapter from 1988 to 1990.

Monahan, formerly vice president of operations at Matthews Benefit Group Inc., and president and CEO of ICON Institute of Florida LLC, takes over the role following the retirement of Donna DeAngelis.

“I have known Mary Jo for more than 20 years. She is highly qualified and I am confident that she has the knowledge, skills and energy necessary to lead ASWB,” DeAngelis said in a statement.

Monahan’s background includes clinical, organizational, educational and regulatory experience, and she has been a volunteer with ASWB. She served on the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from 1991 to 1996, and was the chairwoman in 1995 and 1996.

During that time, she worked as a volunteer with ASWB as chairwoman of the Disciplinary Action Reporting System Committee and as the co-chairwoman of the Model Law Task Force.

Monahan earned her master’s degree in social work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a special concentration in clinical social work. She has more than 21 years of clinical experience in working with individuals, families and groups.

The ASWB is the nonprofit association of social work licensing boards in the United States and Canada.

Richard L. Jones, former president and chairman of NASW Assurance Services Inc., has joined the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago as senior vice president of community investment.

He is charged with the leadership, planning, execution and measurement of United Way’s strategic investment in the community called “Live United 2020.” The community impact plan focuses on investing in the building blocks to self-sufficiency — education, income and health — in more than 40 communities of greatest need.

Most recently, Jones was administrator of Employment and Family Services and the Child Support Enforcement Agency for Cuyahoga County in Ohio.

“Richard is an incredibly well-respected and recognized leader in the health and human services community, both locally and nationally,” said Wendy DuBoe, president and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, in a statement. “I have had the privilege to work with Richard during his tenure at Metropolitan Family Services and believe that he is absolutely the right leader to help us achieve our plan with all of United Way’s many partners.”

During his 13-year tenure as president and CEO of Metropolitan Family Services in Chicago, the organization’s staff delivered more than $390 million in programs and services to more than 600,000 people. Jones completed his MSSA and Ph.D. at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences of Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio.

James Zabora has resigned from his position as dean of the National Catholic School of Social Service and professor of social work to assume the role of director of Life with Cancer for the Inova Health System in Northern Virginia. Zabora came to the Catholic University of America after a 20-year career at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

At Johns Hopkins, he was an assistant professor of oncology in the School of Medicine with two secondary appointments as an assistant professor in the School of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences & Health Policy and Management. As an administrator, he was one of five associate directors in the Comprehensive Cancer Center with a special focus on community programs and research.

Zabora’s cancer research over the past 30 years has focused on cancer prevention and control, psychosocial screening, problem-solving education, and quality of life among cancer patients and their families.

In his role as director of LWC, Zabora will be responsible for the psychological care of cancer patients and their families for Inova’s five hospitals and two children’s hospitals.

Susan Carroll, vice president of Cancer Services for Inova, describes Zabora “as a significant addition to our cancer team.”

Dr. John Niederhuber, former director of the National Cancer Institute and director of Inova’s Cancer Program, stated that “Jim’s clinical expertise and scholarship will enable us to provide the highest quality of comprehensive care to cancer patients and their families for all of Northern Virginia and beyond.”