Events

Dr. Micki Washburn is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work. Prior to her appointment at UTA, Dr. Washburn worked as a Research Scientist at the University of Houston Center for Drug and Social Policy Research, and was the Coordinator of the Virtual Reality Clinical Research Lab. Dr. Washburn frequently integrates aspects of technology into her scholarship and has expertise in VR development and telehealth. Her current research focuses on the development of interventions for Latinx women with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders who are at risk of child welfare involvement. Dr. Washburn’s other work focuses on the implementation of large scale system improvements to better serve LGBTQ+ youth and families with child welfare system involvement. In addition, she has extensive program evaluation experience related to mental health, substance abuse and child welfare system improvement projects.

For over 15 years, Dr. Washburn has worked with people experiencing co-occurring mental health, substance abuse and physical health concerns. She holds practice licenses in both Social Work and Professional Counseling. She is also a State of Texas board approved LPC Supervisor. Dr. Washburn is trained in multiple evidence-based intervention approaches including motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE). Her extensive practice experience brings real world knowledge to the classroom to further develop the knowledge base and skills of the next generation of social work professionals.

Roshan Mashal is an intellectual woman meanwhile a defender of women’s rights in Afghanistan. She was born in Kabul and graduated from the  at Kabul University. She always made an effort to achieve social services and do prominent activities for the women to reflect the women in society. She always remained a committed woman and could prepare the ground for implementing humanitarian projects due to her efforts and perseverance. She worked as a women’s activist and advocate.

She believes that working together can eliminate all the disarrangements and end the back warded society; according to her, the only way to reach a destination is to work tirelessly. Like the other Afghan women, she also migrated; she continued teaching Afghan girls Students in Peshawar, Pakistan. Then, she returned to her homeland during the Taliban’s first period and started hidden teaching for Afghan girls in her home.

She served in radio and news agencies. Her interest in women’s participation in social affairs encouraged her to join the Afghan Women’s Network in 2010. She worked in AWN as a Networking Manager, Advocacy manager, and Deputy director. At the same time, she served as a member of the board of   Afghanistan Mechanism for Inclusive Peace ( AMIP), CAWC (Central Afghanistan Welfare Committee), NAWA (The New Afghanistan Women Association), Empowerment Center for Women ( ECW), Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalist ( CPAWJ),  Afghanistan Mechanism for Inclusive Peace ( AMIP) and ANEC( Afghanistan National Education Coalition). Also, she is a member of the Women’s Network of MENA and Southeast Asia (IFC). She was a technical committee member for the 1325 National Action Plan for Afghanistan. During these years, she implemented many programs for mobilization of women, capacity building, advocacy, and created opportunities for women.  Mrs. Roshan Mashal is pleased, and she commits to serving women through her job, which has direct relationships with all women around the country. She recently joined as visiting scholar and fellow at UTA Gender and Women Study Program. 

She was awarded by the Afghan Women’s Network, Women's Regional Network, Kabul Municipality, Ministry of Economy, and PSSWDO (Peace Stability and Social Welfare Development Organization). 

Mashal is receiving an Advocacy Award for Exceptional Service from Refugees International on May 11^th, alongside Hillary Clinton. Advocacy Awards: Afghanistan — Refugees International

During her years of struggle as a women's rights activist, she attempted to establish coordination between the women in the capital and provinces to stabilize women’s status in the social and political structure of the country.

Mashal traveled to foreign countries and participated in various national programs that were interfaces between the Network and its members.

She is a mother and performs her responsibilities toward her children reasonably. She strongly believes in women’s progress and considers opportunities essential for meeting the objectives.

The City of Arlington, MyArlingtonTV and the Texas Rangers partner to share the story of how the Rangers, formerly the Washington Senators, ended up in The American Dream City under the leadership of Mayor Tom Vandergriff. 

Special guests will take us through the story in a docuseries titled Journey to Baseball Town that takes viewers back more than 50 years, as our community comes together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Texas Rangers in Arlington. The series will feature three more episodes that will air throughout the Rangers’ 50th Anniversary season at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Before the Rangers’ legends we know and love, a different type of legend was born. A man in a suit with a can-do spirit that now runs through the DNA of this city. The first episode of Journey to Baseball Town named “Leadoff Off: The Boy Mayor” takes us through Vandergriff’s dream and initial efforts to attract a Major League Baseball franchise to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and specifically, to Arlington. You can catch the Episode 1 on MyArlingtonTV, the City’s Facebook page and YouTube Channel. 

A former user experience consultant, I now focus on Arlington's local history & family history communities, combining perspectives from academia & librarianship with the drive for results, strategic agility, & customer focus instilled by my high-tech career. My current passion is working closely with older members of Arlington's African-American community to record first-hand accounts and digitize photos & documents that reveal life in Arlington under segregation. I love my job!

Jim Ross was elected to the office of Mayor at the City of Arlington in June 2021. Jim Ross has spent decades serving his community and his country.  As a proud resident of Arlington for nearly forty  years he has witnessed the growth, and growing pains, this community has endured. 

From 1979 to 1983, Jim served this country as a United States Marine. With assignments at home and abroad, Jim served the Marines in numerous capacities.  Having received his Honorable Discharge in 1983, Jim moved to Texas where he was soon hired by the Arlington Police Department. During his thirteen year career as a Police Officer, Jim was a member of Arlington’s first full time Special Operations Unit (SWAT), taught self-defense and physical fitness at the police academy and spent over six years investigating illegal narcotics trafficking, both locally and with the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force.  His commendations and accomplishments as a Marine and police officer are numerous.

In 1996, Jim decided to make a career change and go to law school.  He completed law school in twenty-eight months, studied and passed the State of Texas Bar exam on his first attempt and was licensed as an attorney in May 1999.  During his first ten years of practice, Jim represented thousands of clients while working environmental exposure cases for some of the country’s most prestigious law firms. In 2009, Jim left the larger firms to pursue private practice.

Initially, Jim was a one-man shop.  He answered the phones, did his own typing, and took out the trash.  The Jim Ross Law Group, P.C. has grown and experienced some tremendous success.  Now with offices in Arlington, Dallas and Fort Worth the Firm has nearly a dozen lawyers and a staff of over thirty employees.  

In November 2017, Jim opened the Mercury Chophouse – Arlington (MCA) which rapidly became Arlington’s premier fine dining steakhouse. 

As an active and proud member of Arlington, Jim has served on the board of directors for the Arlington Police Foundation, the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Margarita Society, Special Olympics, and the American Heart Association.

More than a passionate lawyer, businessman, and advocate for all, Jim is a family man with four children and five grandchildren.  He brings his experience as a caring Father and Papaw to his businesses and the community.