Q3: APA has been grappling with a number of recent challenges. What is the single greatest challenge facing the association and how would you address it during your presidency?
APA's single greatest challenge is the need to assure that its mission is central in all that it does. APA's mission is to serve the public by advancing "the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives." When we are mission-driven, stay true to our values and focus on what we do best — research, practice, service and learning — we can advance both our profession and society. But we cannot just talk about being mission-centric. We must measure the extent to which we are actually fulfilling our mission. As psychologists, we measure outcomes.
Q4: What plans do you have to increase membership as well as engagement of APA members and/or help them receive benefits from their membership?
APA's membership demographics, like those of many professional organizations, reflect an aging society with many APA members approaching retirement. Like any organization, APA must renew itself and become an organization that will thrive in tomorrow's world, not resting on its considerable laurels from the past. APA's uniqueness lies in its focus on science, practice, education and service across the full spectrum of our wonderful profession. APA's membership will grow when it succeeds in fulfilling its inspiring mission in an organizational climate that is welcoming and nurturing to all psychologists and to all areas of psychology.