Washington — The American Psychological Association has named Lindsay Childress-Beatty, JD, PhD, as its new chief of ethics, recognizing her 20-plus years of ethics work at APA.
“Dr. Lindsay Childress-Beatty brings a wealth of experience to this position, having served as the head of the ethics adjudication team before becoming interim ethics director in 2017,” said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, in announcing the appointment. “She brings a future-oriented, strategic vision and strong leadership to move the association’s ethical work forward.”
Childress-Beatty provided strategic vision and leadership, administrative oversight and operational management of the Ethics Office as it underwent a period of transition. She has worked closely with the Ethics Committee and its ethics code task force, guiding the association through its most recent revision of its Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, one of the most widely cited professional ethics codes among associations. She has presented on ethics at national and international psychology conferences, as well as association, medical and multidisciplinary legal conferences, and provides consultations on psychological and organizational ethics.
“I am gratified for the opportunity to be a part of this new era of ethics at APA,” Childress-Beatty said. “The pairing of psychology and ethics can provide meaningful guidance regarding the impact of new technologies on society, while a new ethics code will guide the future work of the discipline of psychology while ensuring that the public understands psychologists’ commitment to transparent, ethical behavior based on clear values.”
Childress-Beatty, who is also a certified association executive, is immediate past chair of ethics of the American Society of Association Executives. In that post, she guided the ASAE Ethics Committee through a 2022 revision of its Standards of Conduct for association professionals/executives, consultants and industry partners.
Childress-Beatty was named APA’s deputy general counsel in 2001 and in 2007, became deputy director of ethics. Director of adjudication was added to her title in 2011.
She holds a master of philosophy degree in international relations from Cambridge University, a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School, and a PhD in clinical psychology from Columbia University.