Alum Pumphrey named state advocate of the year

Sean Pumphrey was named the 2026 Myrna Miller Wellons Advocate of the Year by The National Association of Social Workers-North Carolina Chapter. Pumphrey is a graduate of East Carolina University’s Master of Social Work program and current ECU instructor in social work.

Sean Pumphrey was unanimously selected for the advocacy award.

This honor is awarded annually for someone who has demonstrated a strong passion to advocate for the needs of the social work profession and/or policy issues. Pumphrey was honored for helping secure primary legislative sponsorship for HB-231, which was signed into law in June of 2025. It encouraged multistate practice for licensed social workers and increases public access to social work services.

“I am honored, and overwhelmed as I knew the person, personally, who this award was named after as she passed in 2010,” he said.

Pumphrey’s full-time role is a psychotherapist with the Brody School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine. He also teaches ECU social work students earning their master’s degree in three years, part-time.

He is an advocate for emotional and mental health access, suicide awareness and prevention, and ethical professionalism.

“I can’t think of a single person who deserves it more than he does,” said Tara Strickland, co-chair of NASW-NC Legislative Committee, in a NASW-NC news release. “He completely embodies the values of social work and the definition of advocate.”

Pumphrey has been a member of NASW since 1992. He was unanimously selected for this award.