Board Member

Emily Donovan (Iowa Chapter) has been a school social worker for Heartland Area Education Agency since 2005 and serves six school districts in central Iowa. She assists school districts with developing system-wide social-emotional behavioral and mental health services as well as providing individual support to students with challenging behavior.

Ms. Donovan was previously an adjunct professor at the University of Iowa School of Social Work for both research and policy. She graduated in 2001 with a BSW and minor in Spanish and an MSW in 2005, both from the University of Iowa. Ms. Donovan was nominated to deliver the commencement address for the University of Iowa Social Work graduation in 2005, 2010, 2014, 2015 & 2016.

Ms. Donovan completed graduate coursework in Applied Behavior Analysis through the Florida Institute of Technology in 2012 and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Ms. Donovan has presented at both state and national conferences on a variety of topics ranging from assessing student preferences, treating misophonia, and utilizing experimental analyses in a school setting.

She has been active with NASW at both the national and local levels, serving as President of the Iowa Chapter and a member at large on the national board. Ms. Donovan is also active on the legislative committee for the Iowa School Social Workers Association and for the Iowa School Mental Health Alliance.