FRANKLIN EMPLOYEE HONORED BY COUNTY

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, New Jersey—March 16, 2010—Somerset County’s Commission on the Status of Women has chosen a Franklin Township employee and resident for the annual award in celebration of Women’s History Month. Chair of the  Commission Irene vonDohlen said “I am happy to congratulate you on being selected as an Outstanding Woman in Somerset County for 2010. Your personal accomplishments and dedication to your professional and the community are to be commended.”

Ms. Baker-Blackwell has been the Township Social Worker  in the Department of Community Resource and Services since 2008. Since arriving, she has seen a tremendous increase in the very diverse client base.  Some months the number of clients can be double, even triple the number she saw just a couple years ago. Despite the number of years she has been working in the field, Ms. Baker-Blackwell said of the present situation, “It’s scary.”

She is a graduate of Business from Cheyney University, a Master of Social Worker graduate from the University of Connecticut, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Holistic Health Counselor from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition from Columbia University.

Diane Leach-Thompson, Department Head of the Community Resource and Services, said of Ms. Baker-Blackwell: “We would like to congratulate Rachel on receiving this prestigious award. It is an honor to have Rachel employed in this department.”

Rachel Baker-Blackwell will be honored for her contributions in the field of Social Services at an awards dinner March 26 at the Imperia in Somerset.