Introducing new team members!

Written by Lynnett Glass, ACPE Executive Director

Greetings ACPE –

It was a privilege to be with so many of you in Minneapolis during our annual conference celebrating 100 years of CPE. What a meaningful time it was! A full recap of the event is underway and will be shared later in June. However, as promised, we are excited to share the full strategic update regarding the new director-level positions that have recently been filled on the national staff. After careful consideration, we are pleased to announce…

Director of Education: David Carnish, MA, MDiv, BCC

David Carnish will join the National Staff of ACPE as our new Director of Education this summer.

Until recently a member of the Board of Directors, David has thoughtfully relinquished his seat in order to become more intricately involved as ACPE navigates its path forward from recent accreditation-related issues. He has already been instrumental to the current Recognition Task Force as a member of its Forensics Sub-team.  Over the years, David has been extremely active in building relationships throughout the organization, serving as a volunteer on the accreditation commission for three former regions and as a member of the REM committee.

David’s primary responsibilities as Director of Education will include, but not be limited to, overseeing ACPE’s accreditation and certification processes; managing mutually beneficial relationships with federal partners, cognate groups, and other education stakeholders; and establishing valuable training and development offerings for ACPE’s counseling and psychotherapy members. In collaboration with the Director of Member Engagement and Executive Director, David will help elevate ACPE’s international profile as an accrediting body and highly regarded professional membership association. Please click here to learn more about David.

Director of Member Engagement: M. Colette Gaffney, DMin

As announced during our annual membership meeting on 5/20, M. Colette Gaffney will join the National Staff as our Director of Member Engagement beginning July 1st.  This position was created as part of the 2024 strategic plan for ACPE. Colette’s primary responsibility will be to cultivate a professional home for all ACPE members. They will collaborate closely with volunteers and staff to oversee the planning and coordination of annual events, Communities of Practice, pastoral counselor and psychotherapist engagement, and the implementation of the future Hub Model for member engagement. Colette will also support professional member processes, including accreditation, certification, and ethics, in partnership with the Director of Education and Executive Director. Colette previously served as a member of the Professional Well-being Committee and the Accreditation Commission and was ACPE’s 2024 Emerging Leader Award recipient.  Please click here to read more about them.

The ACPE Staff looks forward to welcoming David and Colette in the coming weeks.