Sharon E. Friedman
Executive Director
Mental Health Association of Montgomery County

Sharon E. Friedman, LCSW-C, is Executive Director of the Mental Health Association of Montgomery County (MHA). Previously director of Voices VS Violence, a program of MHA, she now heads the $4 million advocacy, education and direct service organization for children, teens, families, the elderly, and individuals with long-term mental illness. Under her leadership, the Mental Health Association was recognized by the Maryland Work~Life Alliance with the “Workplace Excellence Seal of Approval”(2004) and by the Washingtonian Magazine as a “Great Place to Work with an “Honorable Mention” (2005). In addition, the MHA received the Award for Distinguished Service to Public Education in 2002 for its mental health crisis response efforts. Friedman has been a long-time community activist who founded the Montgomery County Alliance for Educational Excellence after serving as president of the 45,000 member Montgomery County Council of PTA’s. In these roles, she sought to strengthen the future of public education in the county through advocacy programs, and public policy initiatives that benefited all, regardless of age. Friedman was profiled by WETA in September 2003 as a “Hometown Hero” for “devoting herself to bettering our community” and received the Athena Award in 1999 in recognition of her professional achievement, commitment to community service, and continuous striving for professional excellence. She continues to be active in the public policy arena as a member of the Board of the Committee for Montgomery and a graduate of Leadership Montgomery. Friedman is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Education. She received her MSW degree from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Community Planning and is a licensed clinical social worker.