Karessa Proctor (she/her) is from Pennsylvania. She attended Kutztown University of Pennsylvania where she received a bachelor's degree in social work and minors in psychology and case management. Karessa obtained an MSW from Howard University where she was a Community Administration and Policy Practice (CAP) student with a specialization on displaced populations. There she was in two inaugural cohorts: the Advanced Standing Accelerated Program (ASAP) and the John E. & Barbara S. Jacob Social Work Social Justice Fellows (HUSWSJ). While in grad school she interned at the National Association of Social Workers executive office under Social Work Pioneer and NASW Board President, Mildred Joyner. In this role, she worked as a producer and coordinator of the Essential Chats with Mit. She served as the Chair of IFSW-North American Region 2022 International Conference to uplift Indigenous communities. After graduation, she continued to serve NASW as an Administrative Assistant – Executive Office & Governance – CEO. She also served as the Marketing Coordinator for the programs team at NASW. Before working in Macro practice, Karessa served as a Mental Health Technician and a Behavioral Health Technician. She is currently the NASW Maryland, NASW-Metro DC, and NASW-Delaware Chapter's Executive Director. During her time as the Executive Director of NASW-MD, she worked tirelessly with stakeholders to pass the social work licensure compact bill in Maryland which was signed into law on April 4, 2025. She has also led several sold-out conferences and events in this role. Karessa is passionate about advancing policies, systems, and practices for vulnerable, oppressed, and minoritized people.