Martial Arts Sensei & School Founder, ESD Instructor, Social Worker, and Assistant Superintendent/Head of Research, Western Massachusetts
Dr. Sally Johnson Van Wright is a founding Board Director for the Association of ESD Professionals, Secretary of the Board, and a member of the Executive, Credentialing, and Ethics & Conduct Committees. She is also Martial Arts Sensei & School Founder, ESD Instructor, Social Worker, and Assistant Superintendent/Head of Research in Western Massachusetts. Sally is a martial artist of 34+ years who teaches women and girls Shuri Ryu Karate, Modern Arnis (Philippine martial art), and Empowerment Self Defense through The Leopard School of Martial Arts in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Sally is a lifetime member and past Chair of the National Women's Martial Arts Federation (NWMAF), through which she is certified as a self defense instructor. She holds a PhD in social work, focused on pro-social learning among justice-involved adults.
She is a licensed social worker and addictions counselor, as well as a long-term correctional leader. She has worked at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department since 1994 where she promotes smart "decarceration" through progressive interventions. A scholar of adult teaching and learning, Sally teaches graduate students at Springfield College’s School of Social Work. A student of life, Sally meditates and aims every day to learn about how to promote love, truth, and justice in the world.