Stronger Together: Q1 2025

Thank you for your continued engagement and support. I am honored to serve as president of our professional membership association. During this quarter, with the support of our insightful members, hardworking elected and appointed leaders, incredible staff, and committed Board of Directors, here are the ways we have been able to advance the work of APA’s strategic plan.

Below are three priority areas that highlight the proactive contributions across APA

The first quarter was busy with governance meetings and activities. These included but are not limited to:

• The Board of Directors (BOD) January retreat for a work meeting and to culturally immerse themselves in learning from the Hawaiian people. The BOD also observed the devastation and long-term recovery from the wildfires in Lahaina, Maui, as part of the presidential initiative on disaster preparedness, response, and recovery;
• The Executive Committee of the BOD participated in the American Society of Association Executives CEO Symposium;
• APA launched the presidential initiative “Engaging Psychology’s Future” to excite high school and community college students in careers in psychology through local Psyched for Success events;
• The APA Practice & State Leadership Conference (PSLC) brought together leaders to provide updates on practice and discuss current and upcoming advocacy issues and concerns;
• APA’s Council of Representatives (COR) held townhalls and caucus meetings to prepare for the upcoming February COR meeting;
• The COR met in February. The group reviewed and processed numerous policies and actions and participated in a joint discussion activity around organizational processes that was organized by the BOD, the Council Leadership Team, and Caucus Chairs; and
• The Spring Consolidated Meeting brought many of APA’s boards and committees together to collaborate on policies and cross-sectional projects

Advocacy and action have been major focuses for APA, particularly due to the transition to a new U.S. presidential administration in January:

• Capitol Hill Day, when over 150 APA members advocated for maintaining funds toward the Graduate Psychology Education program, retaining NIH funding, and continued Medicaid behavioral health services;
• APA created a Response Center to inform members of the latest relevant updates and to gather information and stories about the impact on members and the individuals that they serve;
• APA members engaged in Action Alerts to notify representatives of impending legislative bills affecting the field of psychology;
• The “Understanding Menopause: Empowering Women with Knowledge before 40” event was hosted by APA and the Society of Women’s Health Research to illuminate information and gaps in the research, knowledge, and clinical care for those who will, are, and have experienced menopause;
• I served on a panel discussing mental health issues and solutions for Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities for the Asian Pacific American Institute on Congressional Studies; and
• Various PAC events such as the “Stronger Together” event at PSLC and fireside chats with Psychologists in Politics with U.S. Rep Lisa Willner, PhD, of Kentucky, and Rep. Judy Chu, PhD, of California, were held.

Strengthening our global partnerships is an important part of APA’s efforts in collaborating with and learning from other psychological associations and organizations worldwide:

• In January, I presented with CEO Dr. Arthur C. Evans, Jr., and Dr. Amanda Clinton, Director of the Office of International Affairs, at the Transnational Meeting on Innovative Human Science in Osaka, Japan;
• Drs. Evans, Clinton and I also presented and were hosted by HIMPSI (Indonesia Psychological Association) at three professional meetings in Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali respectively; and
• The Jamaican Psychological Society (JAMPSYCH) and the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Office of International Affairs hosted the International Summit on Psychology and Global Health: A Shared Vision for Global Psychology on March 19–22, 2025, in Kingston, Jamaica, to advance the field by developing concrete evidence-based collaborations between organizations.

I hope that this helps in communicating some of the activities that have advanced our mission. We can and do make a difference when we use our collective power for good to improve society and the overall health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities.