Kathy Lopes

Kathy Lopes, LICSW is the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Newton Public Schools. Prior to this role, Ms. Lopes was the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at METCO, Inc and previously appointed as the Assistant Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. She has a demonstrated history of administrative and clinical experience within education, mental health, child welfare and non-profit sectors. Her clinical training includes trauma-focused, cognitive behavioral and child-centered play therapies. She has held an adjunct faculty position at Simmons University Graduate School of Social Work since 2011, teaching courses for Dynamics of Racism and Oppression, Social Welfare Policy and Political Action and Strategies for Professional Social Workers. Additional training and facilitation experiences include workshops, panels and keynote addresses on topics of cultural humility, diversity, social action and advocacy. Lopes received her Master of Social Work from Simmons College and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She is an elected member of the National Committee on Women’s Issues (NCOWI) – a sub-committee of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the current President of the Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW) – Greater Boston Chapter.