SENECA, SC, November 10, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Marie McClure Dunnam with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Ms. Dunnam celebrates many years' experience in her professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes she has accrued in her 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.
The beneficiary of over five decades of expertise in social work, Ms. Dunnam, LISW-CP, established Dunnam & Associates in 2018. Based in Upstate South Carolina, the agency is a licensed independent social work-clinical practice that specializes in individual and family services to clients, particularly in regard to home visit studies for various court systems. Ms. Dunnam also works closely with adult children regarding placement options for their elderly parents.
Ms. Dunnam formerly served with the South Carolina Department of Social Services for just over 30 years, and as the director of the Office of Community Resource Development in Columbia between 1993 and 1999. Likewise, she worked in various other executive capacities for the department in Oconee County, Columbia and Aiken, South Carolina. While in graduate school, she also worked in the Ombudsman's Office under then Governor Richard Riley's administration. Ms. Dunnam notably began her career in 1967 as a case manager for Spartanburg County Department of Social Services in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
In 1974, as the Adult Services Supervisor for Spartanburg County DSS, and a leading authority in her field, Ms. Dunnam provided important input for the passage of the South Carolina Adult Protective Services Law. She and her staff then took the first APS case in the state to family court in early 1975.
Upon her retirement from SCDSS in September 1999, Ms. Dunnam was presented with the prestigious Order of the Silver Crescent by then Governor Jim Hodges for her integrity and professionalism in serving the citizens of South Carolina for over three decades.
She was elected to the Oconee County First Steps Board in October 1999, served as the first board chair, and in 2001 became the first executive director where she faithfully served for the next 16 1/2 years. South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness is a statewide initiative that was signed into law in June 1999 to prepare children to arrive at first grade healthy and ready to learn.
Devoting a substantial amount of time to various local organizations, Ms. Dunnam found success as a board member for Healthy Ventures-Oconee, Family Friends, Baby Read, CU Succeed and the Walhalla Mobile Clinic Project, as well as a board chairperson for Oconee A.I.D. She was also a member of the board of directors for the Infant Mortality Task Force and Review Team in Aiken County, and held several leadership roles with the United Way of the Midlands. Likewise, in 2019, Ms. Dunnam was appointed to serve a three-year term on the Anderson-Oconee-Pickens mental health board.
Ms. Dunnam prepared for her career by receiving a Bachelor of Arts in journalism at Louisiana State University in 1967 and a Master of Social Work at the University of South Carolina in 1979. Eminently qualified in her field, she is licensed as a master social worker and an independent social worker in clinical practice. Furthermore, Ms. Dunnam is certified in volunteer management through the University of South Carolina.
As a result of her years of practice, Ms. Dunnam was inducted into the Academy of Certified Social Workers in 1987, was a regional representative of the National Association of Child Welfare Administrators from 1984 to 1986, and has been recognized by holding the title of the vice president of the South Carolina Directors and Supervisors Association between 1983 and 1985. Additionally, she served as President of the Tri-County Chapter of the South Carolina State Employees Association from 1983-1985, served on the state board of directors from 1986-1999, and continues as an active member. Ms. Dunnam also remains active with the National Association of Social Workers and more recently served as the Western Unit Chair for the 14 upstate counties.
Well regarded for her indelible contributions to the field, Ms. Dunnam was bestowed with a President's Award from the South Carolina Social Welfare Forum in 1987, and was shortly thereafter recognized with a Resolution for Contributions to the Field of Social Work by the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1991 and 1993. She also received a Spirit of the Midlands Award from the United Way of the Midlands in 1997 and a Community Leader Volunteer of the Year Award from Oconee Volunteer and Information Services (OVIS) for the successful implementation of the First Steps Program in 2001. More recently, Ms. Dunnam was presented with a Board of Governors' Service Award by the National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives in 2017, in honor of her lasting contributions to the formation of "New Guidelines for Tomorrow's Nonprofits."
In December 2017, Ms. Dunnam was also recognized with a Resolution by the South Carolina State Senate for outstanding contributions to the field of social work, and for over five decades of exceptional dedication and commitment in serving the people, and the State of South Carolina.
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