Social work professor returns for second stint on state board

By Chuck Gordon

Dr. Veronica Hardy has already had one stint on the board that determines who in North Carolina can become a certified or licensed social worker. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to sign up for another tour of duty.

Earlier this month, Hardy started a second three-year term on the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board. The seven-member board has representatives from various aspects of social work; Hardy represents licensed clinical social workers.

"I feel like I'm going back home," she says. "It feels good to be a part of it again."

Hardy last served on the board from 2017 to 2020. The board reviews applications for social work licensure or certification, investigates and adjudicates professional misconduct among social workers, and oversees compliance. Instances of professional misconduct may include violations of confidentiality and dual relationships that conflict with professional standards among social workers and their clients.

The board also provides insights to the N.C. General Assembly regarding potential updates to the law.

"I would say the main charge, or purpose, of the board is really to protect the public," Hardy says. "To protect the public and maintain the integrity of social work as a profession."

Hardy, who joined Wingate as a professor of social work in 2024, is in her 20th year as a social work educator, having worked as an adjunct instructor or full-time faculty member at a number of institutions. During that time, she has been active in the National Association of Social Workers, serving as a presenter and keynote speaker at its conferences.

The North Carolina chapter of the NASW nominated Hardy for her first appointment to the state board, while she was a professor at UNC Pembroke. She's excited to get the opportunity to serve the social work profession and the public again.

She served on several subcommittees in her first stint on the board, in addition to being vice chair during her last year. She brings in the executive director to speak to her master of social work students and says that being a board member helps her stay abreast of changes to the law, knowledge that helps Wingate students when it comes to helping them prepare for their licensure and certification exams. Hardy has even developed a "Licensure Lunchbox" voluntary course that students can access in the educational software Canvas.

"They have someone they can turn to to really support them - navigating the law and understanding it, and preparing for the licensure exam," she says.

Learn more about Wingate's master of social work program.

Aug. 26, 2026