Legislative and Advocacy Co-Chair: Emilie Souhrada

Emilie Souhrada, MSW, LISW, received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Social Work and Spanish and her Master’s degree in Social Work in 2005 with a school social work specialization from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Additionally, Emilie completed the Professional Service Administrative Endorsement from the University of Northern Iowa in 2014. Emilie currently works as a school social worker at Central Rivers AEA in Waterloo, Iowa. She has served on the ISSWA Board since 2014, first as Treasurer and then as President.  Emilie is the ISSWA Legislative and Advocacy Co-Chair.  She also serves on the SSWAA Advocacy and Legislative Action Committee.

Legislative and Advocacy Co-Chair: Lindsey Kutcher

Lindsey Kutcher, MSW, LISW, earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Psychology from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. She went on to complete her Master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Iowa, with a focus on Family-Centered Practice and a School Social Work Endorsement.

Lindsey currently serves as a School Social Worker at Grant Wood Area Education Agency (GWAEA). For six years, she conducted special education evaluations. After witnessing the positive impact of strong Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) on student and staff well-being, she transitioned into the role of SEBH (Social, Emotional, Behavioral Health) Systems Coach. Now in her third year in this position, Lindsey provides professional learning, consultation, and coaching around SEBH data, systems, and practices to building and district leadership teams across seven school districts.

In her time at GWAEA, Lindsey has taken on several leadership and training roles. Previously, she served as a Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer and has supervised practicum students.  She currently serves on GWAEA’s Safety Team as an on-site lead for crisis responses, and is a trainer in Suicide Prevention. This team is working towards offering professional learning and consultation in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management. Recently, she joined the GWAEA School Social Work Lead Team and represents the agency’s School Social Workers at statewide lead team meetings.

Outside her work at the AEA, Lindsey spent three years as a mental health therapist while earning her LISW. She has volunteered as a Crisis Counselor with CommUnity in Iowa City and currently tutors English through the Catherine McAuley Center in Cedar Rapids.

Lindsey has been an active member of the Iowa School Social Workers’ Association (ISSWA) for seven years and has served on the board for six. Her roles have included Webmaster, President, and, currently, Legislative and Advocacy Co-Chair. She has also stepped in to support newsletter development, social media, and conference planning when needed. 

In her free time, Lindsey enjoys being active, outdoors, reading, board games, and trying new crafts.