Home » Sports Articles » 40-Year Professional Veteran Theodore Furukawa, Ph.D. Discusses his Career in Social Work
and the Keys to Successful Organizational Leadership
40-Year Professional Veteran Theodore Furukawa, Ph.D. Discusses his Career in Social Work
and the Keys to Successful Organizational Leadership
Celebrating CAMP's three decades, T. Paul Furukawa discusses social work's bright future with Cambridge Who's Who
SAN ANTONIO, TX, December 24, 2010 /Sports PR News/ -- Over the last 40 years, Theodore Paul Furukawa has led an extraordinary career of service in the field of social work. Originally a counselor for Easter Seals, Inc., a recreation and respite organization for children with disabilities, he went on to become a VISTA Volunteer, obtain his MSW, and join the U.S. Army, which sent him for doctoral education. He retired after serving in various social work settings. He also taught in a graduate social work program, served on the Board of Directors of the Council on Social Work Education, and then returned to San Antonio to join the San Antonio Police Department in a first-ever partnership between uniformed officers and civilians in a campaign against domestic violence. Now, Furukawa lends his expertise in social work and the nonprofit sector as Chief Executive Officer of Children's Association for Maximum Potential (CAMP). Earlier this year, Furukawa sat down with Cambridge Who's Who in a recorded interview to discuss the importance of CAMP within the camp industry and his role in cultivating excellence in the organization.
"We're in the business of fulfilling dreams," shared Furukawa, referring to the mission of CAMP. A 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1979, CAMP was established based on the belief that the camping experience could be essential to the development of special-needs pediatric patients. Today, persons with disabilities aged 5 through adulthood come from all over the county to attend week-long camping sessions held from May through August, and attend several non-summer programs. Furthermore, CAMP promises that no person shall be turned away for financial reasons. Said Furukawa, "We give our campers the typical summer camp experience - arts and crafts, canoeing, swimming, horseback riding - but modified and adapted to their needs."
As the organization's CEO, Furukawa is responsible for handling all social work administration and external community relations. Development, internal and lateral, is something about which Furukawa is passionate. And with a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Denver, a Master of Social Work from West Virginia University and additional training through the United States Army, he is uniquely positioned to consult on what does and does not make a nonprofit organization work. "Make sure your business model is sound, so you don't run out of money," he advised. "Do extensive marketing of your best services. Cultivate your supporters so that the person who volunteers this year will be a donor next year and a major donor five years from now. I love the idea of hiring talent new to this field and nurturing the skills of new staff, turning my colleagues into professionals who are higher performing and more confident in what they do year after year." During a prolific career in the military, Furukawa exhibited similar leadership skills, serving as a part of a team that helped to redefine the roles of leadership and family support in units. His research resulted in defining how to create and sustain "unit cohesion" and reduce the incidence of both combat stress and post-traumatic stress: train together, deploy together, and fight together.
Throughout his career, Furukawa has lived by the motto: "Why not now and why not me?" Demonstrating an unhesitating approach to social work, he has dedicated his adult professional life to the field. Apart from his work with the Army, the San Antonio Police Department and CAMP, he has sat on board of the Council on Social Work Education, served as President of the Texoma Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, and served as an elected board member on the Texas-Oklahoma section of the American Camp Association. He also lectures locally and consults throughout the state of Texas.
As for long-term goals, Furukawa said, "Social work is a profession that offers a range of opportunities and my sense is that I'm only partially done. What comes later as executive director of CAMP or even beyond CAMP, I'm looking forward to that." He continued, "I plan to contribute to the state of Texas as we become more sensitive to the needs of children and families that are at the poverty level or worse, and that have members with disabilities and special needs that CAMP can address. I would like to make use of the wonderful resources this state has to help such families."
For more information about CAMP, please visit http://www.campcamp.org.
About Cambridge Who's Who
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Cambridge Who's Who membership provides individuals with a valuable third party endorsement of their accomplishments and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. In addition to publishing biographies in print and electronic form, it offers an online networking platform where members can establish new professional relationships.
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