Type Of Business:
Department of Social and Health Services
Expertise:
Dr. Keeler's expertise is in social service program and resource center management.
Major Product/SVS:
Social Services including Education, Program Development, Resource Development, Job-Seeking Workshops for Welfare Recipients, Internship Program, Newsletters and Workshops for Single Parents, Resource Center for Parents Called Support for Parents Overcoming Challenges, Nonprofit Programs
Favorite Business Publication:
Social Work Today; Writer's Digest; Everton's Genealogical Helper
Hobbies/Sports:
Traveling, Skiing, Reading, Studying Genealogy, Writing
Education Degrees:
Ph.D. in Leadership Studies, Gonzaga University; Master of Public Administration, Eastern Washington University; Master of Social Work, Eastern Washington University; Master's Degree in Applied Behavioral Science, Whitworth University; Master's Degree in Home Economics, Washington State University; Bachelor's Degree in Home Economics, Washington State University
Affiliations Awards:
Spokane Authors & Self-Publishers; Co-Founder, Former Board Member, Support for Parents Overcoming Challenges; Eastern Washington Genealogical Society; Daughters of the American Revolution; Former Member, National Association of Social Workers
Place of Birth:
Casper, WY
Children's Names:
Susan, Mary, David
Throughout the duration of your career, what was the one highlight that stood out the most?:
The most gratifying aspect of her career is seeing the positive outcome of her service and the development of Support for Parents Overcoming Challenges.
Charity:
Family Empowerment Committee, Local Church; Strategy Team, Spokane Alliance; Board Member, Eastern Washington University; Pioneer Circle, Spokane Women Helping Women
Number Of Years In Profession:
37
Number Of Years In Current Position:
22
What Does He/She Attribute Success To:
She attributes her success to her compassion and respect for the less fortunate, self-motivation, education and experience.
Why did you become involved in your profession or industry?:
She became involved in her profession because she witnessed the impact of poverty and family problems on children and was inspired to become a social worker.
Extended Bio Profile:
Dr. Keeler saw the impact of poverty on children during her years of teaching. As a social worker, her focus was on working with single parents on welfare; she later worked as a child protective service social worker. She designed and implemented a program called 'A Life Direction Project for Single Mothers Reported for Child Abuse and Neglect.' Dr. Keeler served as a workshop facilitator in a Department of Social and Health Services program called Job Club which was patterned after a similar program located in San Diego. She used quantitative and qualitative research to evaluate the program for her Ph.D. dissertation titled 'A Determination of Job-Finding Success for Welfare Recipients who Participated in a Job Club Program.' She met Carol Bolliger, a young single parent who was attending Washington State University and had started a program called 'Helping Ourselves Means Education,' which serves students who are also single parents attending the university. Dr. Keeler serves on boards and committees of various nonprofit social service programs. She has in-depth experience in working with low-income single parents and welfare recipients and knows the difficulties they face and the limited support and resources needed to help them survive and move out of poverty. She has made an effort to educate the public about these needs, connected with other groups concerned about the same problems and worked with them to generate support for required programs. She has designed and implemented interventions and conducted research to determine their effectiveness. Dr. Keeler has four grandchildren named Elizabeth, Timothy, Elisa and Katherine and a great-grandson named Maxwell.
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
Organizing and Conducting Informational Workshops, Counseling and Teaching Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Students, Rendering Social Services to Single Parents, Offering Free Newsletters for those Wanting to Escape Poverty, Managing the Development of a Resource Center for Single Parents including Job-Seeking Workshops for Welfare Recipients, Collaborating with Local Social Service Agencies to Identify Service Gaps, Developing Programs to Serve Unmet Needs, Assisting those Seeking Higher Education, Overseeing the Helping Ourselves Means Higher Education Program
Awards/Honors:
Woman of Achievement Award for Community Service, Young Women's Christian Association