Throughout his career, William G. Erat has worked extensively in placing unaccompanied refugee minors from the Vietnamese and Cambodian diasporas into foster care.
JENKINTOWN, PA, July 09, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present William G. Erat with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Erat celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Erat became interested in social work and international affairs as a young teen, after writing a paper about intercultural exchange. Attending Valparaiso University in Indiana, he initially intended to become a nuclear physicist, but instead decided to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in psychology after a religious experience left him with a calling to enter social work and human services. Following this accomplishment, he went on to earn a Master of Theology from Fitzwilliam College at the University of Cambridge in England in 1966 and a Master of Divinity in theological studies from Concordia Seminary in Missouri in 1969. Mr. Erat obtained a Master of Science in psychology from Boston University in 1978 and began doctoral coursework before choosing to focus his work on resettling refugees.
Currently retired, Mr. Erat concluded his career as the executive vice president of Liberty Lutheran in Philadelphia, where he served from 2001 to 2011. Prior to attaining this position, he was the executive director of the Lutheran Children and Family Service of Eastern Pennsylvania from 1985 to 2001. He considers his time with the organization to be a major career highlight, as the Lutheran Children and Family Service was one of the first private agencies in the United States to have a public contract for foster care placement. From 1974 to 1985, Mr. Erat was the director of children's services at Lutheran Social Services of New England in Boston, where he wrote grant proposals to create programs to serve de-institutionalized juveniles during the process of closing state-funded residential care facilities. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively in placing unaccompanied refugee minors from the Vietnamese and Cambodian diasporas into foster care.
In addition to his tenure in social work, Mr. Erat has been a pastor at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America since 1978. He is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Massachusetts and a longtime volunteer with numerous faith-based organizations throughout Pennsylvania. In his retirement, Mr. Erat offers mentoring to others working in refugee resettlement and also sings in a men's choir in his free time.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Mr. Erat has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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