2008 ACA Presidential Nominees

May 28, 2003

Wyatt D. Kirk
Barbara Brady Blackburn
Lynn E. Linde
E. Christine Moll
Colleen R. Logan
A. Michael Hutchins

Wyatt D. Kirk

Title and Full Business Address
Professor/Chairperson,
Department of Human Development and Services
212 Hodgin Hall
North Carolina A&T State University
1601 E. Market St.
Greensboro, NC 27411-1066

Education
B.A., Physical Education/Sociology;
M.S., Counselor Education;
Ed.D., Education Administration

Certification and Licensure
Licensed Psychologist (Michigan) and National Certified Counselor

Recent Professional Experience
Professor for 26 years at NC A&T State University; CACREP Site Visitation Team, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1996

Association Experience
AMCD, ACES

ACA, Branch, Division and Affiliate Membership, and Other Related Memberships
ACES Editorial Board, 1990-Present; ACA Inter-Professional Committee, 2002-Present; AMCD President, 2004-2005; MBCC board member, 1999-2000, ACA Public Awareness and Support Committee member 1990-93 and Chair, 1992-93; SRBA President, 1990-91; NCACD President, 1988-89; AMCD Editorial Board, 1986-88

Awards and Honors
AMCD, President's Meritorious Award, 1998; WMU William D. Martinson Outstanding Alumnus Award, 1994; Who's Who Among Black Americans, 1975, 1985, 1988, 1991; President's Service Award, NC ACD, 1988- 89; National AMCD John L. Lennon Award, 1988; Outstanding Faculty, NC A&T School of Education, 1987, 1988; John L. Lennon Award, NCACD, 1987

Publications and Presentations
Published articles and conducted workshops on cultural diversity, multicultural counseling, and academic and athletic counseling; co-edited book with wife, titled Student Athletes: Shattering the Myths and Sharing the Realities

Community Service
Chair, U.S. Civil Rights, North Carolina Advisory Committee, 1997-Present; President, Western Michigan University Alumni Association, 1993-99; President, Family Life Council of Greater Greensboro, 1988-90

Goals Statement

I would like to thank the AMCD Executive Council for nominating me to run for ACA president-elect. It is an honor and a pleasure to continue to serve the counseling profession. If elected, I will carry on many of the ACA programs and services put into action by my predecessors, and I also will focus upon some changes designed to strengthen and move the association forward.

Thinking about change, it is not a clich? to say that ACA is at a crossroads. Our organization is over 50 years old, and in these years, counselors have become recognized and legitimate members of the greater helping circle. Still, we cannot rest upon past accomplishments or we risk stagnation. I've often heard my friends from the corporate world say: "If you aren't growing, you're dying!" That may be true. If so, then thoughtful yet creative change is a necessary and revitalizing element to any healthy organization.

Thus, during my administration, I would propose we explore the following possibilities: (1) change the term of president to at least two years; (2) hold the convention every two years; (3) create a President's Council consisting of division presidents, regional chairs and affiliate chairs (aside from COPARC) to assist in improving internal stability and communication between ACA, the divisions, regions and affiliates.

In closing, I wish once more to thank my dear AMCD friends for their support, and I assure them -- and the greater counseling community -- that I am prepared to join with whatever organizational arrangement may be in place. We will work together, shoulder-to-shoulder, to lead the great American Counseling Association into the next 50 years.

Candidate Questions

If you had ample financial resources at your disposal to establish four spending priorities for ACA, how would you allocate the money and why?

I believe that the following strategies would serve if more financial resources were available.

Not being an advocate of annual conventions, I would work to renew our partnership with state branches and divisions to promote improved efficiency and membership. I would put more resources at the regional and state level for our membership to support our goals.
I would support more conferences and activities that would increase counselor visibility with the general public and other local groups that can be advocates for the counseling profession.
With greater funding, I would promote new initiatives to define new, innovative ways of generating more income for ACA.
I would use funds to improve our public image within the mental health community and the general public. I would seek greater counseling visibility through compelling multimedia messages, and I would assist divisions and state organizations in the same effort.
I would work toward achieving parity with other professional groups. This would include access to third-party reimbursements while participating in the managed care network.

Having ample financial resources is not about "why" but "how" we can establish spending priorities that will benefit the association.

Professional counseling is evolving internationally. What can ACA do to be at the forefront?

It is important that we be part of the international community if we hope to understand the changing face of counseling internationally. At the same time, we must be prepared to deal with the demographic example inside the United States, where the Latino population at 12.4 percent has surpassed African-Americans, who compare at 12.2 percent. English is a second language for many residents. This vastly changes the face of current and potential clients. We must restructure services to accommodate existing worldviews. Possible restructuring moves would include:

We need to participate at international levels, where we can share our experience.
There are cultural and multicultural similarities and differences that need to be understood from various perspectives, and counseling skills should reflect these similarities and differences.
It is essential for counselors to understand how counseling is practiced internationally.

We must expand and promote research on the international level to increase our understanding of perception/recognition of theoretical methods and concepts across cultures. International counseling is a call to serve and is the next real frontier.

What are the most important internal and external opportunities and challenges facing the American Counseling Association and counseling as a profession in the next five years? How would you seek to address these issues?

Today, ACA is composed of 19 divisions organized around specific interests and/or particular areas. According to the organization's vision statement, ACA is the foundation that expands the image and influence of professional counselors. Internally and externally, I view the opportunities and challenges as follows:

Advocacy for the counseling profession is important. One definition for advocacy may include access to certifications and portability, client protection legislation.
Internally, ACA is a member-driven association. I intend to establish a committee consisting of representation across ACA membership and leadership to examine joining and renewal procedures and to recommend ways to build membership.
Internally, pursuing funding initiatives is also critically necessary for external growth. And defining new and innovative ways of generating much needed income for ACA is necessary.
Externally, it is imperative that we improve our public image both within the mental health community and among the general public. I plan to work with ACA leadership to increase organizational income both from current and other sources.
Internally, I question the need for an annual convention. I favor a biennial convention format and would ask Governing Council to consider the feasibility of a biennial versus an annual convention.

Although the United States is becoming increasingly culturally diverse, the profession of counseling is not. What can the profession do to attract more individuals from cultural minority groups to become counselors?

Historically, blacks in particular came into education as one of the first professional fields to welcome them. Affirmative action and the civil rights movement opened up other professional fields. The future is inclusive of all diverse groups, ages, colors, cultures, genders, sexual orientations and education levels. The full ACA mission and CACREP standard is to enhance the quality of life for all culturally diverse groups. The following strategies will be helpful:

Increasing relative literature with representation across all ACA divisions as how to encourage cultural minorities to invest in education and counseling in particular
Using conventions, regional and state forums to focus on how to get more culturally diverse groups into the counseling profession
Sending messages through media (e.g., television stations, radio stations, newspapers and Internet sites) that are targeted toward culturally diverse audiences
Partnering with other associations and organizations that focus on human dignity and diversity
Offering scholarships that will encourage culturally diverse students to enter the field of counseling

These are important goals for today in our schools; a child of color may go all the way from kindergarten to the 12th grade and never have a counselor or teacher who encourages them.

Barbara Brady Blackburn

Title and Full Business Address
School Counselor
Greenbrier East High School
Lewisburg, WV

Education
MA-School Counseling (5-12), WVU, Morgantown, WV; currently completing Post-Master's Certification in MCFC, Marshall University, South Charleston, WV

Certifications and Licensure
WVLPC, 1988-2007; WVDE Professional Certificate, Counselor 5-12

Recent Professional Experience
School Counselor, GEHS, 1984-Present

Association Experience
ASCA President, 2004-2007; COPARC, 2004-2006;WVSCA President, 1999-2001; WVSCA Government Relations Chair, 2000-06

ACA Branch, Division and Affiliate Membership, and Other Related Memberships
ACA, ASCA, WVCA, WVSCA

Awards and Honors
2002 WVCA Counselor of the Year; Outstanding School Counselor of the Year, Berea College, 2000

Publications and Presentations
Various articles in Guidance Channel online newsletter, including "Adolescents of Divorce: Resilient or Vulnerable," "Stop Those Negative Battles Between Teens and Parents" and "What Parents and Counselors Should Know about Military Recruitment in the Schools"; co-author/developer of WVDE State Policy 2315 Program Manual; contributed to "Skilled Versus Professional Careers," Wall Street Journal; "The Effects of the War on Military Enlistment on High School Students," Washington Post; "Teen Age Popularity, How Important Is It," Sex, etc.; professional reviewer for Best Practices for Effective Secondary School Counselors, 2003 Corwin Press; interviewed for NPR's All Things Considered and Talk of the Nation

Goals Statement

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way." -- John C. Maxwell

From my earliest recollection, I have worked to bring forth change necessary to help others succeed. I devoted my career to building a comprehensive school counseling program, helping students overcome barriers to successfully build better lives.

When changing laws in WV began to obstruct school counselors' ability to run effective school counseling programs, I became the West Virginia School Counselor Association president, helped rejuvenate the association and facilitated enactment of several pieces of legislation that tremendously impacted the effectiveness of school counseling in the state. Then, during my four years on the board of the American School Counselor Association, the past one as president, I focused my passion on making a difference in our profession nationally through publications, legislative advocacy, conducting statewide trainings, collaborating with other stakeholders in education and working with my board to make tough decisions necessary to raise the professional bar.

I have also worked with ACA leadership to promote unity among counseling groups. As a school counselor, I rely on the expertise of other counseling specialties. We rely on ACA as a resource. My goal is to create a common vision for counseling professionals and to create a longtime work plan to guide our growth. I will promote working collaboratively, not competitively, with our regions, branches and divisions. Utilizing what I have gained at the state and national level, I will dedicate myself to ACA to take the next big steps to lead the profession. As your president, I will work with you to create a 21stcentury organizational model that makes ACA thrive. I will be the leader who takes you to where you don't necessarily want to go but where you know you ought to be.

Candidate Questions

If you had ample financial resources at your disposal to establish four spending priorities for ACA, how would you allocate the money and why?

ACA is in a unique position to advance the counseling profession by focusing on doing what only ACA can do. With ample financial resources, I would initiate the following four programs:

National Licensure Board to work with each state to require licensure and ensure consistent, rigorous standards. I envision ACA as the national certifying body for counselors, just as AMA is for medical doctors.
National Counseling Leadership Center to assist the large number of ACA members in private practice and administrative positions to learn more about the organizational, leadership and business side of being a counselor.
National directory of counseling providers to help ACA members provide services to clients outside their organizational specialty. This would also be invaluable to counselors in schools, agencies or other settings who frequently refer clients to counseling specialists.
Review of ACA organizational structure. ACA has a proud, successful history. Unfortunately, many of the governance and organizational structures have been in place since ACA was founded. An organization moving forward in the 21st century cannot thrive with practices created in the middle of the 20th century. Some practices should be replaced, some retained. I would devote resources to finding what works and what doesn't.

Professional counseling is evolving internationally. What can ACA do to be at the forefront?

In Thomas L. Friedman's The World Is Flat, he states that "the falling of the walls, the opening of the windows and the rise of the PC all combine for the flattening of the world and provide a whole new global platform for collaboration." These factors, combined with the ease of travel, provide unique opportunities for ACA to become a global leader in the counseling world.

We must reach out to counseling organizations in countries with limited resources and provide them with ACA's professional services and expertise in the manner they deem most appropriate. To expedite this process we must establish relationships with leaders of international counselor education programs and take a leadership role in collaborating on a variety of efforts, including education, publications, research and resource development.

We began the process this spring when we held our first global conference. We must expand this by collaborating with many countries to hold true world conferences and offering sponsorships for deserving students, counselors and counselor educators. We must take advantage of advanced technologies such as web conferencing, webcasts, podcasts, bulletin boards, blogs and more to share resources to create an international body of knowledge.

Internally, ACA has an extraordinary opportunity for growth by helping its regions, branches and divisions grow so they serve as assets to ACA and don't become a drain on resources. Strong regions, branches and divisions mean a stronger ACA. The challenge is changing the way ACA has operated since its inception. By clearly defining the roles our regions, branches and divisions play, ACA can minimize duplication of efforts and wasted resources. Therefore, energies could be redirected to more productive purposes currently not being addressed for counselors.

Externally, the counseling profession is on the precipice of growth. More attention is being given to mental health and human development by Congress and the general public. They increasingly see the value of people who are prepared for meaningful careers. They also equate sound mental health with increased productivity and as a contributing factor to a safer world. Society is becoming more aware of mental health issues, is more willing to help its citizens and is less eager to stigmatize. With more than 600,000 counselors in the country, ACA has the opportunity to expand its membership base immensely by capitalizing on this opportunity as it rises to the forefront in our American society.

This problem is not unique to ACA and the counseling profession. As the U.S. rapidly becomes more culturally diverse, educators and, indeed, many professions, face the problem of not having qualified, culturally diverse professionals to fill needed positions. A longer term solution would be to establish a working group from professional associations that would study and propose solutions. Some of the considerations would be: development of an international classroom, internationally standardized curriculum, internationally recognized certifications that are portable and creation of an expedited process for acquiring U.S. visas for immigrants who are bilingual, academically qualified and dedicated to pursuing master's-level programs in high-need areas. In the short term, we must use technology to promote counseling as a viable career option by developing recruitment tools that are readily available over the web and other media sources. These tools must also be accessible in high schools, college and adult career centers, and even doctor's offices to dispense facts about our profession, providing statistics about the cultural makeup of our population and the need for counselors with the same background to serve them. To truly be committed and move forward aggressively on this issue, we must have multilingual capability in the ACA office.

Lynn E. Linde

Title and Full Business Address
Director of Clinical Programs
School Counseling Program
Loyola College
Timonium Graduate Center
2034 Greenspring Drive
Timonium, Maryland 21093

Education
Ed.D., Counseling, The George Washington University; M.A., School Counseling, The George Washington University; B.A., Psychology, Clark University Certification and Licensure NCC, Maryland certified school counselor

Recent Professional Experience
Director of Clinical Programs and assistant professor, The School Counseling Program, Loyola College in Maryland; previous experience: Chief, Student Services Branch, MD State Department of Education

Association Experience
SR rep to Governing Council; chair, Southern Region; currently secretary, PCF; member, 20/20 Visioning & Ethics Committees; previous member of PPL, Financial Affairs Committee; Past President, MACD; PPL chair

ACA Branch, Division and Affiliate Membership, and Other Related Memberships
ACA, AACE, ACES, ASCA, NCDA, SACES, MACD, MCDA, MSCA, PCF

Awards and Honors
ACA Fellows Award, ACA Counselor Educator Advocate Perkins Award, ACES Professional Serv.-Supervision, SACES Outstanding Program Supervisor, MACD President's Award (4), MD Governor's Citation (2)

Publications and Presentations
Have authored one chapter and co-authored three chapters on ethics and legal issues for professional counseling; have conducted more than 300 workshops and professional development activities

Goals Statement

I am uniquely qualified to be the president of ACA due to the breadth of my work and association experiences, my passion for the profession and my devotion to the association. For over 25 years I have served in a number of leadership positions at the local, branch, region and national level. My work as a counselor in local school systems and at the State Department of Education and my current position as a counselor educator have allowed me to develop a broad perspective of the issues facing the counseling profession and a feel for the concerns of counselors. We are at a critical junction in the profession and need leaders with the experience, knowledge and skills to move us forward. I can help do this.

Through my involvement with MACD and the regions, I have developed an understanding of the grassroots issues we face. Through my involvement with public policy and legislation at both the ACA committee and branch levels, I believe that recognition of professional counseling is critical to our profession. We must continue to educate the public about professional counseling and make our presence felt in all arenas. As a member of Governing Council, I developed an understanding of the governance of ACA and issues facing its entities. As a member of the Financial Affairs Committee, I gained an understanding of ACA's budget and finances and the impact on programs and services. Thus I have developed a broad perspective of how the association and its entities function.

From my grassroots involvement to my ACA experiences, I believe that I have the knowledge, skills and vision to be ACA president. I have an understanding of our strengths, our needs and our challenges, and the ability to work both as a leader and member to accomplish our goals.

Candidate Questions

If you had ample financial resources at your disposal to establish four spending priorities for ACA, how would you allocate the money and why?

Assuming ample financial resources, the four spending priorities I would establish for ACA are:

creating and implementing a public awareness/ marketing campaign to increase ACA's recognition and standing among the public, legislators, nonmembers and other mental health professionals/stakeholders;
strengthening ACA's ability to respond effectively to crises through training and identifying responders;
developing the "signature product" for ACA; and
supporting research on the efficacy of counseling and identifying model programs/strategies.

These priorities address multiple goals. The health of an association depends on its membership, visibility, reputation and the services and products it offers. First and foremost, we must respond to the needs of members and potential members by providing desired services and resources.

Second, we must increase ACA's visibility/name recognition and influence in the legislative arena and among other professional organizations. ACA must be viewed as an expert resource.

Third, our activities must provide information about the effectiveness of counseling, which can be used in a marketing/public awareness campaign. The development of a signature product, similar to APA's Publication Manual, could generate significant revenues and provide tremendous visibility for ACA. In short, all association activities must support and target services for professional counselors and the clients we serve.

Professional counseling is evolving internationally. What can ACA do to be at the forefront?

Counseling has the advantage of leading other mental health professions in commitment to the value of diversity. To be at the forefront of counseling internationally, ACA must broaden our current mission and scope. We need to be respectful of counseling that looks different in other countries and see things through the eyes of our colleagues. We need to partner with associations and organizations from other countries to promote the global mission and reputation of professional counselors around the world.

International efforts need to be a priority of the association. The convention in Montr?al last April was a beginning; ACA needs to collaborate with associations from other countries on similar professional activities and initiatives. While it may not be feasible to have an international conference every year, ACA can participate in international events, and we can ensure that our convention, conferences and professional development and training activities are inclusive.

Another major focus should involve counseling research and the articles that appear in the journal and newsletter and the books ACA publishes. We need to ensure that what is written has an international focus and includes work from our international colleagues.

In summary, we need to broaden our thinking and our practice.

One of our most important challenges is our identity; identity permeates everything we do. As ACA has grown and counselors practice in increasingly diverse arenas, we sometimes question whether we are one profession with many specialties or many professions with core commonalities. As a profession, we need to decide who and what we are. We currently have the opportunity to do this through the 20/20 Visioning Committee and subsequent related efforts that will involve the membership. This decision will drive some of our external challenges (i.e., public recognition/visibility of the profession and ACA), and building coalitions and credibility with other organizations.

A second major challenge is membership. We need to continue to gather feedback from our members to ensure that we are focusing on the services and resources members want and help them understand what ACA offers. We also need to focus more on what we do well and what we should do. We should not duplicate efforts that other groups can achieve more effectively. By looking at ourselves, we have an opportunity to increase the satisfaction of our members and attract new members.

In short, we must address our identity within our association and among our publics.

Attracting increasing numbers of cultural minorities to the profession will require a much greater level of proactive recruitment. While we need to expand our outreach efforts in undergraduate programs to increase the number of cultural minority students continuing into graduate programs in counseling, that alone will not be enough. We must do something more radical than what has been attempted in the past. We must take a long-term view.

We cannot wait until students get to college to talk to them about becoming a counselor. We need to begin no later than middle school and establish programs to support, mentor and assist students as they move through their education. These programs should provide academic, career and personal/social support to students and assistance to their families as they move through middle and high school. We must also increase the numbers of cultural minority students in programs such as peer counseling, conflict resolution and counselor aide to help students understand the connection to the profession and what counselors do, and to see counseling as a viable career choice. Students should continue to be mentored through their college and graduate school programs as they become involved with ACA and its programs and services.

E. Christine Moll

Title and Full Business Address
Associate Professor
Canisius College
2001 Main Street
Buffalo, New York 14208

Education
Ph.D., Leadership & Counseling, Barry University-Miami, FL; M.S., Counselor Education, Canisius College, Buffalo, NY; B.A., Religious Studies & Education, Barry College

Certification and Licensure
NCC and NY LMHC

Recent Professional Experience
Canisius College; limited private practice; adjunct faculty, Christ the King Seminary, Buffalo, NY; experience in geriatrics and college counseling, and K-12 education

Association Experience
ACA Ethical Code Revision Task Force member; AADA Strategic Planning chair; ADULTSPAN Editorial Board; AADA president; Task Force for the Enhancement of ACA Divisions; JCD Editorial Board

ACA, Branch, Division and Affiliate Membership, and Other Related Memberships
ACA, AADA, ACES, AGLBIC, AMCD, C-AHEAD, NYCA, Chi Sigma Iota

Awards and Honors
Canisius College Joan M. Lorch Award -- recognition for advancement of women's issues on/off campus

Publications and Presentations
Publications and presentations focus on developmental issues across the life span, the Code of Ethics, leadership, communication patterns across generational groups and women's issues

Community Service
AIDS Family Services, Buffalo, NY; St. Joseph University Church School Board

Goals Statement

Counselors working day-today to facilitate change are the flesh and blood of ACA. I celebrate the diversity of our members and the varied venues in which you serve many individuals. Your interest in our profession, ACA and each candidate's answers is essential. I wish to be a voice for the "everyday counselor" and to serve as your president.

ACA is the professional organization that represents "counseling" in the United States. I believe that ACA in its entirety will continue to promote "counseling" as a profession and science. We also have the responsibility to share in the global advancement of our counseling profession, not as an all-knowing guru, but as collaborators with our neighbors.

In recent years, ACA has made strides in advocating for concerns regarding mental health, education and the promotion of social justice initiatives at national and local levels. ACA leaders participated on governmental panels/task forces. They have appeared within national/ local media to promote the counseling profession and the overall well-being of our constituencies.

As president I will:

Continue to advance the initiatives made by recent ACA presidents and members of our Governing Council and COPARC
Explore ways in which ACA can be a visible "public face" representing counseling in the United States -- within the media, forming coalitions with professional partners here and abroad, and helping members feel linked to leadership
Work with Governing Council and the Financial Affairs Committee to maintain fiscal stability for ACA and provide a nimble governance structure
Explore new services desired by the membership, in addition to collaborating with ACA partners to enhance and continue the provision of cost effective traditional services: journals, insurance, professional development opportunities, etc.
Continue efforts toward the portability of counseling credentials

Additional goals/ideas are delineated within my answers to the four questions presented to the candidates.

Candidate Questions

If you had ample financial resources at your disposal to establish four spending priorities for ACA, how would you allocate the money and why?

I would use financial resources to promote the following initiatives (assuming current services would continue):

A. Create a "public image campaign" to make ACA the "face of counseling." The public and membership need to see our leaders available to news agencies and trained regional spokespersons responding to events on behalf of "counseling" and ACA as "news happens." ... Thank a counselor!

B. Form "ACA Road Crews" to provide "teach-ins" for continuing education. In utilizing regional/divisional leaders in addition to local counselor educators, we can provide training and learning experiences that are affordable, accessible and grounded in skill-based competencies for local counseling communities.

C. Develop task forces to research and continue conversations regarding the skills necessary for emergency preparedness and issues addressed in questions 2-4. Task forces might include professionals from the Red Cross, United Nations and other human service entities to broaden our perspective to better serve society.

D. Membership within ACA, the divisions and local branches continues to be a concern. This issue causes great consternation, debate and frustration among fine individuals. We need resolution, healing, and we need to move on. I would work with divisional and regional leaders, members and others to find some solutions.

Professional counseling is evolving internationally. What can ACA do to be at the forefront?

During the ACA Convention in Montr?al, Stephen Lewis, the U.N. secretary-general's special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, shared the incredible challenge that the epidemic in Africa presents to the global community. There is need for counselors to travel to Africa to help train local residents so that they may minister to their own people.

Our international neighbors' needs extend beyond Africa to countries that do not possess our resources and opportunities. I believe in our profession and our obligation to mentor (and co-mentor) those who wish to tend to others using listening and diagnostic skills. Our ACA mission admonishes us "to enhance the quality of life in society" and "to promote respect for human dignity and diversity." If we do indeed care about the human condition worldwide, we need to "be" who we say we are.

One tangible way to reach out beyond our borders is to work with other affiliated members of the International Association for Counseling. In tapping into the expertise of colleagues around the world, we can form a sort of United Nations of counselors to develop training teams and consultant groups to work with local responders to empower them to assist their own people.

When discussing this question, a colleague's response was "getting counselors to become fierce advocates for our profession!" One person cannot adequately address the quagmire of internal/external opportunities and challenges.

The ACA president needs to form alliances using the strength of our members, the expertise within our divisions and branches, and other professional partners to move the counseling profession forward. Within every challenge is an opportunity; these include (but are not limited to) issues regarding:

National/local health care concerns: inclusion of counseling service within Medicare; parity of service within insurance coverage (equal co-pays); the protection of counseling services within all levels of education
Worldwide/national concerns: The development of skills to respond to an ever-growing population of older adults in the U.S., the challenge of violence worldwide and the globalization of counseling
ACA concerns: increasing the public "image" of "counselors" and of ACA; the continuation of solid strategic planning and strategic management within ACA; the financial limitations of various constituencies; the portability of counseling credentials; the recognition and regard of "counseling" as one profession with individual specializations and expertise

A quick scan of 2000 U.S. Census data suggests that:

About 25 percent of respondents reported being "nonwhite" individuals (I realize "cultural minority" means more than "non-white"; I use the data as an example)
Nine percent reported attaining a master's or higher degree
The following were "nonwhite" workers: 19 percent of those employed as "counselors," 24 percent of those who were "social workers" and 10 percent of those who worked as "psychologists"

The problem of "attracting" more individuals from cultural minority groups is shared among all human service professions. This is a perfect example of how the three "service" professional organizations (ACA, NASW and APA) can work together to explore the underlying issues. There is more to this concern than a simple answer can address. Collaboration may serve our clients and our profession at a much deeper level.

There were 238,593 individuals who reported being employed as "counselors" with a master's or higher degree. Approximately 50,000 counselors belong to ACA. Where are the other 188,593?

Bottom line: We share a responsibility to be who we say we want to be -- genuine individuals promoting the dignity and worth of others. Our actions may speak louder than our words!

Colleen R. Logan

Title and Full Business Address
Associate Professor
Academic Affairs Officer
Chair, Counseling and Education Programs
1550 Wilson Blvd., Suite 600,
Arlington, VA 22209

Education
Ph.D. (Counselor Education), University of Virginia; M.Ed. (Counselor Education), Duquesne University

Certification and Licensure
LPC, LMFT

Recent Professional Experience
Academic Affairs Officer, Department Chair, Associate Professor, Private Practitioner, Consultant and Trainer

Association Experience
Chair-Blue Ribbon Panel, ACA Executive Committee, Governing Council, Human Rights Committee Liaison, Best Practices with Sexual Minority Youth in School Task Force Liaison, Best Practices to Empower All Families Through Counseling Interventions Committee Member, Co-Chair ACA National Ethics Committee, National Ethics Committee, AGLBIC President, TAGLBIC President

ACA, Branch, Division and Affiliate Membership, and Other Related Memberships
ACA, AGLBIC, CSJ, Virginia Counselors Association

Awards and Honors
Service Award for Contribution to National Ethics Committee, 2003; Service Award for Co- Founding the Texas Association of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues in Counseling, 2003; ENRON "Teaching Excellence" Award, 2002; Service Award for Co-Founding the National Division of the Association of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues in Counseling, 2002

Publications and Presentations
Authored or co-authored a book, several chapters and numerous articles; presented over 60 workshops, seminars and professional presentations regarding the myriad issues associated with working effectively with sexual minority clients and their significant others

Goals Statement

I am indeed honored to accept the nomination for ACA president-elect. As president of ACA, I plan to continue the important work that our great leaders before me have put into motion. I will move from behind the shadow of our leadership boards, committees and task forces and strive to unify our organization by bringing the focus back to our most important asset -- the membership. I will use my passion to make ACA a viable, vibrant resource that professional counselors proudly identify with and call their own. I will engage graduate students by reaching out to them in their world, not wait for them to join ours. I will reach out to practitioners, the folks working in the community agencies, government offices, military stations and private practice offices.

Within me and with your help, I have the passion, energy and vision to help meet and exceed the following goals:

Plan and implement an appealing marketing campaign designed to educate the public about professional counselors
Align with our sister organizations by engaging in joint projects and activities that promote mental health and wellness
Promote respect for human dignity and diversity by disseminating our competencies related to multiculturalism, diversity and advocacy
Continue to advocate for private practice rights and a strong sense of professional identity within the counseling field
Increase focus on members and member services, while working closely with divisions to increase retention and maintain quality customer service
Increase our legislative effectiveness by obtaining parity with other mental health professions for reimbursement of services, and ensure that regions and branches have access to our Public Policy and Legislation office
Maintain financial prudence, while remaining cognizant but not immobilized by real and/or perceived budgetary restraints

Candidate Questions

If you had ample financial resources at your disposal to establish four spending priorities for ACA, how would you allocate the money and why?

If I had ample financial resources at my disposal, I would establish the following priorities for ACA to strengthen and encourage diversity within our professional organization:

I would allocate funds to increase the professional identity development of ACA. I would implement a major marketing campaign to educate potential clients and their significant others, lawmakers and lay people about what professional counseling is and what professional counselors do for our society.

I would allocate funds to continue the focus on the globalization of professional counseling.

I would allocate funds to "help the helpers" and initiate development and implementation of a "Healing of the Healers" program designed to help healers heal themselves and encourage counselor wellness. Issues that must be addressed include work/family balance, stress and burnout, dealing with oppression, chemical dependence, compassion fatigue and various other mental health issues.

I would allocate funds to engage graduate students and new members in every aspect at every level of the organization. To do this, I would host a number of town hall meetings nationwide and invite graduate students and new members to attend. The purpose would be to really listen and learn from students and other individuals as to what they need from ACA.

Professional counseling is evolving internationally. What can ACA do to be at the forefront?

It is critically important that ACA continue taking strides toward making its presence known at the international counseling table. To do so, ACA needs to actively develop collaborative relationships with our sister organizations in Montr?al, Great Britain, Russia and Latin America. We must join with our sister organizations and respond immediately and compassionately to world crises and events.

Within our own backyard, we must make every effort to be inclusive both in terms of language and behavior. I am counting on our members to stand on the front line and fight against ignorance, intolerance and discrimination at a local and global level. Forums, focus groups and other such facilitated or non facilitated grass-roots venues need to be encouraged for our members so that we all have an opportunity to honestly share with each other and work toward understanding and appreciation of our differences and similarities. Divisions such as AMCD, AGLBIC, AMHCA and CSJ should be encouraged to work together and serve as conduits to carry out this important work.

Internally, I think the biggest challenge facing ACA is finding ways to creatively meet the needs of our changing membership. We need to ensure that we are providing our members with the resources they need to work effectively with students, clients, parents, colleagues, etc. We need resources such as online continuing education programs, crisis training, and multicultural and diversity education.

Externally, I believe the biggest challenge we continue to face is a lack of professional identity. We need to increase our visibility and illuminate the uniqueness of professional counseling and the services we provide. We need to continue to develop relevant public service announcements. We need to draw on our own pool of experts and ask them to be readily available to the media as world events and crises unfold. We need to broadly disseminate brochures and pamphlets regarding the services that professional counselors provide. We need to use our member resources to tap into high profile people who have received quality counseling services and are willing to serve as spokespersons for our profession. Moreover, we need to continue to work toward developing a signature product. If elected ACA president, I will be a proactive, consistent and energetic advocate for our profession.

To be honest, I don't necessarily agree with this statement. When I look around the graduate counseling classrooms at the Argosy University, D.C. campus, I see every nationality, ethnic identity, religion and orientation represented. I see students actively engaged in learning about professional counseling and actively sharing with each other their own ideas, opinions and differences about how to help and relate to others.

Unfortunately, the arena in which I do not see minorities represented is within the leadership of our organization. The bigger question is how do we attract more culturally diverse members to become actively involved in ACA? One method for answering this question is to find ways in which we can make our organization relevant to today's graduate student. Otherwise, we stand the risk of being dismissed as an out-of touch organization full of white folks who have become irrelevant and lost sight of what's really important -- people helping people no matter where you come from or who you are.

A. Michael Hutchins

Title and Full Business Address
6812 N. Oracle Road
Suite 100
Tucson, AZ 85704

Education
Ph.D., University of Idaho, Guidance/Counseling; M.A., Assumption College, Psychology/ Guidance; B.S., College of the Holy Cross, Sociology/ Psychology

Certification and Licensure
AZ Licensed Professional Counselor

Recent Professional Experience
Counselor, private practice; consultant, Cottonwood de Tucson Treatment Center; adjunct faculty, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Arizona

Association Experience
ACA: Governing Council (2003-2006), Executive Board (2003-2004), Liaison: PP&L Committee (2003-2005), Financial Affairs Committee (2005- 2006), Multiculturalism Task Force (2005-2007); ACA Insurance Trust (2002-2005), Chair (2004-2005); Human Rights Committee (2001-2004, 1992-1994), Chair (2002-2003, 1992-1994); Process Observer, Governing Council (2000-2001); COPARC (1996-1998; 1999-2001); PP&L Committee (1998- 1999). ASGW: Editor, Together newsletter (1990-1996); Chair, GLB Issues Committee (1989-1991); Human Rights Committee (1992-1994); President (1997-98). CSJ: President (1999-2001); ACA Governing Council representative (2003-2006). AGLBIC: Co-chair (1990-1993); Journal of GLBT Issues in Counseling Editorial Board (2005-08).

ACA, Branch, Division and Affiliate Membership, and Other Related Memberships
ACC, ACES, AGLBIC, AMCD, ASERVIC, ASGW, AzCA, CSJ, IAMFC, PCF

Awards and Honors
ACA: Kitty Cole Human Rights Award; AGLBIC: Joe Norton Award; CSJ: 'Ohana Award; ASGW: Fellow, Professional Advancement Award, Professional Development Award

Publications and Presentations
Publications focusing on sexual identity development, social justice advocacy, multicultural and experiential group work

Community Service
City of Tucson GLBT Commission (2004-2008)

Goals Statement
As we weave our way through a chaotic world, we must address the dynamics of fear and dissonance. Our challenge is to sew threads of hope and peace through a complex and divisive social fabric. We must continue to work for licensure of counselors in all states, to support portability of licensure, to increase the inclusion of counselors as community service providers, to create new generations of counselors from diverse populations and to explore the changing roles of counselors in a new world economy.

We must continue to balance advocacy for the profession, for the clients we serve and for the community in which we live. Using our Code of Ethics and our divisional competencies, we must continue to collaboratively create additional education, training and research opportunities that promote cultural competence and social justice advocacy. By providing support and training for counselors at all stages of our careers, and by collaborating with training and credentialing associations, we must continually enhance counselor competence in wellness, crisis intervention, trauma, advocacy, cultural diversity and ethics, while enhancing the skills we need for licensure renewal. We must bring our training to counselors, those who employ us and the greater community on the local, branch and regional levels and create incentives for increased member involvement and retention.

Most important, by collaborating with the ACA Foundation and other entities, we must engage in a humanitarian project that incorporates our values and skills as counselors, providing the opportunity to reach underserved, disenfranchised and marginalized members of our world community. Through this project we can focus on building peace, justice and hope in our world, while increasing the involvement of our membership, enhancing our visibility and expanding our contacts in the world community.

We must be actively involved in creating a more peaceful, respectful and harmonious world.

Candidate Questions

If you had ample financial resources at your disposal to establish four spending priorities for ACA, how would you allocate the money and why?

My first priority would be to develop a humanitarian project that would address the needs of marginalized and oppressed populations. As part of the project, ACA would collaborate with other national and international associations developing training, research and support services addressing world and local mental health, advocacy, career exploration and educational development while enhancing ACA membership and member retention.

We would move forward with a signature product based on our Code of Ethics and diversity/ advocacy competencies. This project would provide training focusing on multicultural competence, peace and social justice advocacy for counselors, those who employ us and the community at large.

We would develop scholarships, mentorships and training programs targeting students and new professionals from diverse backgrounds. As part of this program, we would encourage the inclusion of nontraditional approaches to healing and wellness, integrating ACA programs into larger programs connecting counselors throughout the world.

We would hire the world's most creative advertising agency to develop a campaign publicizing counseling using mass media, including television, the Internet, text messages, blogs, etc. To further market the profession and the association, I would hire Steven Bochco to develop a television series which highlights the work that we, as counselors, do.

Professional counseling is evolving internationally. What can ACA do to be at the forefront?

Internally, ACA can strengthen the collaborative efforts of the international committees of our different divisions and regions by working with the ACA International Committee to create a shared focus for our global involvement. Internationally, we can expand our participation in the International Association of Counselling and our involvement in groups exploring global issues. We can collaborate in and support international research, training and discussion addressing such issues as comparative ethics, the effects of trauma and oppression, social justice advocacy, community mental health, student mentoring, ongoing professional training, the perception of counselors across cultures and similarities and differences in individual, family, group and career counseling across cultures.

In 2006, we had a joint conference with the Canadian Counselling Association. We must continue to have conferences with counseling associations from other countries, with opportunities for shared conference presentations by ACA members and helping professionals from other cultures and countries. Perhaps most importantly, we can follow up on the address by Stephen Lewis at the ACA/CCA Convention by collaboratively establishing a culturally appropriate international humanitarian project to address some of the most basic mental health, educational and vocational needs of some of the world's most disenfranchised and marginalized populations.

One of our greatest challenges is that of living in a world where the dynamics of fear and divisiveness play themselves out on a daily basis. This fear-based world tears at the fabric of our community and impacts the smaller groups and individuals with whom we live and work. As resources decrease, the need and demand for our services increase. Our challenge is to collaboratively and creatively weave threads of hope and peace in the fabric of loss in our world.

Internally, we are impacted by changes in the world economy. We must become increasingly creative in exploring ways to increase our revenues and to attract and maintain members. We are becoming more effective in collaborating amongst ourselves. We must integrate more people with diverse worldviews and life experiences into our community and into leadership.

We have begun to incorporate some plans to address the above concerns. In addition to what is in place, I support a collaborative effort with the ACA Foundation to develop a humanitarian project with which ACA becomes publicly identified. This project can be a source of hope, generate revenue and significantly involve the next generations of counseling professionals.

I was introduced to counseling through my school counselor and later became a school counselor. Collaborating with ASCA and other divisions and regions, we must continue involvement in programs increasing our presence and visibility in schools and other communities while providing shared mentoring opportunities. ACA has established task forces to address the needs of diverse populations. We must continue with the recommendations of these task forces.

Many groups in our community are targets of oppression and discrimination. We must become advocates for, and teach advocacy to, marginalized members of our community in culturally appropriate ways while addressing our own biases and prejudices. We could create a "signature product" integrating our Code of Ethics and our diversity/advocacy competencies. We must collaborate with members of diverse communities to make this ongoing project relevant to our increasingly diverse world.

We must strengthen counselor training programs, and ongoing training for counselors in the field, by increasing the integration of nontraditional approaches into our training programs and by making a concerted effort to increase the diversity of educators and trainers. We must become students in diverse communities and invite members of all communities to see themselves in our profession and in our leadership.

2008 ACA Presidential Nominees

Wyatt D. Kirk

Goals Statement

Candidate Questions

Barbara Brady Blackburn

Goals Statement

Candidate Questions

Lynn E. Linde

Goals Statement

Candidate Questions

E. Christine Moll

Goals Statement

Candidate Questions

Colleen R. Logan

Goals Statement

Candidate Questions

A. Michael Hutchins

Candidate Questions

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