Penfield College Professor Elected President of American Counseling Association Georgia Branch

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ATLANTA – Dr. Caroline Brackette, associate professor of counseling in Mercer University's Penfield College, will serve as president of the American Counseling Association's (ACA) newly reactivated Georgia branch.

The ACA is a not-for-profit, professional and educational organization dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession with 56 chartered branches in the U.S., Europe and Latin America. Founded in 1952, it is the world's largest association exclusively representing more than 56,000 professional counselors in various practice settings.

“The faculty and I are proud of Dr. Brackette's work to reestablish the Georgia branch of the American Counseling Association, and we are confident of the positive impact she will continue to have on the counseling profession in the state,” said Dr. Priscilla Danheiser, dean of Penfield College. “Her election to this leadership role serves to further demonstrate our commitment to becoming the center for counselor education in Georgia.”

The Georgia branch will be officially reactivated this fall. Dr. Brackette will lead its executive board, which was recently elected and committed to serve for two years to get the branch back to full operation and establish emerging leaders and an engaged membership. The branch will also be involved in the planning of the ACA's 2018 Conference and Expo, which will be held in Atlanta.

Additionally, Keith Myers, a Ph.D. candidate in Penfield College's counselor education and supervision program, was elected as the graduate student representative on the executive board.

“I am honored to be a representative for ACA members who reside in the state of Georgia,” said Dr. Brackette. “Our executive board is excited about the opportunity to serve professional counselors in various practice settings. Our board includes representatives who have training and experience as college counselors, counselor educators, licensed professional counselors, rehabilitation counselors and school counselors. We look forward to working with our colleagues at ACA and other professional counseling and related organization across the state, region and nation to promote and advance the profession of counseling.”

Dr. Brackette is a licensed professional counselor and licensed/certified school counselor in the states of Georgia and Ohio. She has experience as an administrator in higher education, a clinical mental health therapist and a high school counselor. She is also a disaster mental health counselor volunteer and counselor officer on call for the American Red Cross.

Dr. Brackette was the recipient of Penfield College's 2010-2011 Excellence in Teaching Award. Her teaching and research interests include scholarship of teaching and learning, counseling theories, skills and techniques, advocacy and professional development, community collaboration and engagement, college students with psychiatric disabilities, intercultural competence, and disaster mental health counseling.

She earned two bachelor's degrees, a Master of Education and a Ph.D. from the University of Toledo.

For more information on the ACA, visit www.counseling.org.

About Penfield College of Mercer University

Penfield College of Mercer University, established as the College of Continuing and Professional Studies in 2003, is committed to serving non-traditional learners and currently enrolls more than 1,300 students. Undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs are offered to working adult learners seeking professional advancement into leadership roles in and beyond their communities. Educational programs provide students with distinctive, multidisciplinary programs that integrate theory and practice. The College offers general education and elective courses for various colleges and schools at Mercer. Another initiative called the Bridge program transitions students enrolled in Mercer's English Language Institute and other international students to undergraduate programs throughout the University. Areas of study include organizational leadership, counseling, human services, human resources, informatics, criminal justice leadership, nursing preparation, liberal studies, psychology, communication, homeland security and emergency management, and healthcare leadership. Programs are offered on Mercer's campuses in Atlanta and Macon, as well as multiple regional academic centers in Douglas County, Henry County and Newnan, and online. To learn more, visit penfield.mercer.edu.