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February 2024 Council of Representatives Hill Day

Speakers and Panelists

Arthur C. Evans, Jr., PhD is CEO of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. Evans holds a doctorate in clinical/community psychology from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in experimental psychology from Florida Atlantic University, where he also completed his undergraduate work. Before joining APA in March 2017, Evans spent 12 years as commissioner of Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services. Evans has been honored nationally and internationally for his work. He was recognized as an “Advocate for Action” by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, recipient of the American Medical Association's top government service award in health care, the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service, the Visionary Leadership Award from the National Council of Behavioral Health and was inducted into the Florida Atlantic University Alumni Hall of Fame. 

Cynthia de las Fuentes, PhD is the 2024 President of the American Psychological Association. A former member of the APA Board of Directors and a past chair of the Council Leadership Team, de las Fuentes has been active in APA governance for more than a decade. She was a member of the Board of Educational Affairs, chair of the Committee for Women in Psychology, and currently serves on the Policy and Planning Board. She also served on the APA Council of Representatives representing Division 45, the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race. De las Fuentes is a founding member of the National Latinx Psychological Association and was elected a member and secretary of the Board of Trustees for the Texas Psychological Association. In 2022, she was awarded Psychologist of the Year by the Texas Psychological Association, and in 2019, she received the National Latinx Psychological Association Distinguished Madrina Recognition for Outstanding Accomplishments. She earned a PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1994 and has been licensed by the state of Texas since 1996. From 1993-2007, she was a tenured associate professor of psychology at Our Lady of the Lake University and held numerous leadership positions within the university and department, including training director. Her scholarship focuses on ethics in psychology as well as feminist, multicultural and Latinx psychology.

Luz Garcini, PhD is a member-at-large for the APA Board of Directors. She is the Interim Director of the Center for Community and Public Health at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences and a faculty scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. She holds additional appointments in the Department of Medicine at the University of Texas San Antonio and in the School of Medicine at the University of Houston. Dr. Garcini is a licensed clinical health psychologist and epidemiologist, and her line of research is focused on identifying, understanding, and addressing health equity among historically marginalized Latino communities. Dr. Garcini’s commitment to the use of community engaged science to advance efforts towards equity and social justice is evident by her track record of publications, presentations, awards received, and funding allocated, including funding from the Ford Foundation, the American Psychological Foundation, the Texas Council for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Given the relevance of her research to inform advocacy and policy, Dr. Garcini’s research has received widespread media coverage in avenues such as Univision, Telemundo, CBS, Medical News Today, U.S. News and World Report, and the Oprah’s Book Club. Her contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion in the health and social sciences are also evident through her leadership, service, and mentoring endeavors to the future generation of scientist-practitioners. Dr. Garcini is a graduate from San Diego State University/University of California San Diego, and she is originally from Mexico.  

Alexandra “Alix” Ginsberg, MPH is a Senior Director of Congressional & Federal Relations and Special Projects for the American Psychological Association. For over a decade, Ginsberg has advanced key psychology workforce priorities on Capitol Hill, including increased federal support for psychology education and training and access to high-quality mental and behavioral health services for at-risk populations. She supports strategic advocacy initiatives for APA, including its grassroots work and the Psychology PAC. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Syracuse University, and Master’s in Public Health from the George Washington University. Contact Alix Ginsberg 

Christopher Kush, as CEO of Soapbox Consulting, has trained hundreds of thousands of citizens from all over the United States to effectively influence Congress, state, and local governments. He has helped design sophisticated key-contact networks, Lobby Days, and grassroots training programs for many national associations, including the American Cancer Society, Human Rights Campaign, Easter Seals, Goodwill International, United Way Worldwide, and the American Wind Energy Association. Mr. Kush is the author of three books on grassroots organizing, including Grassroots Games (ASAE, 2002) and, most recently, The One-Hour Activist (Wiley, 2004). He has appeared on National Public Radio, ABC and Fox-news affiliates, CSPAN’s “Book TV,” and in U.S. News and World Report, The Los Angeles Times, and on the Sirius Satellite Radio Network. Contact Christopher Kush

Mary Ann McCabe, PhD, ABPP is a clinical psychologist in independent practice, board certified in child and adolescent clinical/pediatric psychology. She currently serves as Member-at-Large on the APA Board of Directors. She is an APA Fellow (Div. 37, 42, 53, 54; Member of Divs. 31, 38) and serves on the Editorial Boards of Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology and Advances in Child and Family Policy and Practice. Her previous leadership roles within APA include: Member, Council of Representatives, Chair, Child, Adolescent and Family Caucus; Chair, Interdivisional Task Force on Child and Adolescent Mental Health; Chair, Board of Professional Affairs; Member, Board of Educational Affairs; Member, Workgroup on Expanded Advocacy; Chair, Committee for Professional Practice and Standards; and President, Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice (Div. 37). In other professional organizations, Dr. McCabe has held leadership roles spanning science, practice, education/training, public policy, and communications. Currently, she is a member of the National Advisory Committee for HealthySteps, and National Prevention Science Coalition. Previously, she served as: Member, National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine Forum on Children’s Wellbeing; Director, Office for Policy and Communications, Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD); Member, Executive Committee, Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA); founding Member, Collaborative to Enhance Diversity in Science; Chair, Selection Committee, Congressional Fellowship Program, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); Director of Training and Director of Health Psychology, Children’s National Medical Center; and Associate Professor of Pediatrics (followed by Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics) at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dr. McCabe has published and presented extensively in the areas of mental health promotion and prevention; public policy; pediatric psychology; and minors and health care decision-making. She completed her B.A. at Clark University, doctorate at Catholic University of America, and internship and advanced fellowships through Harvard Medical School at Children’s Hospital of Boston, Judge Baker Children’s Center, and Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Katherine B. McGuire, MSc is APA’s first chief advocacy officer, responsible for implementing a unified, strategic vision for the association’s government relations efforts and coordinating APA’s broader advocacy initiatives in nongovernmental sectors. With more than 25 years of senior-level policy experience in Congress, the executive branch and the private sector, McGuire was most recently assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor. In that post, she focused on appropriations, budget priorities and regulatory matters. Before joining the Department of Labor, McGuire served five years in the House of Representatives advising on science and technology issues. Prior to that, she spent five years as vice president for government affairs at the Business Software Alliance. She also served almost 18 years in the U.S. Senate, where she held numerous senior leadership roles. Contact Katherine McGuire

Doris Parfaite-Claude, MPP is the Director of Grassroots Engagement with APA’s Advocacy Office, where she is charged with growing and strengthening APA’s grassroots network. She joined APA in July 2021. Prior to that, she served as Federal Advocacy and Research Manager at the ANCOR, working on disability issues. Before that, she worked as a Legislative Assistant for the NALEO Educational Fund and a Polling Analyst for Lincoln Park Strategies. Doris has a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University and an undergraduate degree in Politics from Brandeis University. Contact Doris Parfaite-Claude

Kenneth Polishchuk, MA, MPP is the Senior Director for Congressional and Federal Relations & Education Policy Lead at the American Psychological Association where he leads APA’s education policy and advocacy portfolio. He has been with APA since September 2019. His issue areas of focus cover the full continuum of education, from early childhood to elementary and secondary to higher education. For the past 3 years, Kenneth has been named one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyist’s. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Committee for Education Funding and the Title IV-A Coalition. Prior to his work at APA, he spent more than 5 years on the government affairs team at the Council of Graduate Schools. He has an MA in American Politics, an MA in Public Policy, and a BA in Psychology. Originally from New York City, he currently resides in Washington, DC. Contact Kenneth Polishchuk

Dinelia Rosa, PhD is director of the Dean-Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services at Teachers College, Columbia University where she coordinates the practicum training for students of five graduate programs, and teaches and supervises for the Clinical Psychology Program. She is a founding member of the TC Psychological Emergency Response Team (PERT) and supervises the Clinical Graduate Students serving on this team. She is the first Latina to serve as president of the New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA). Prior to becoming president for the 2016 term, she helped charter the Division of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity at the New York State Psychological Association, and was honored with the NYSPA Service Award. She obtained her Clinical Psychology degree at The Derner Institute, Adelphi University. 

Karen Studwell, JD is the Deputy Chief Advocacy Officer for Strategy and Operations at the American Psychological Association. She designs and leads designated advocacy campaigns to increase the impact of APA’s advocacy to advance the discipline and practice of psychology and increase the application of psychological science across both the public and private sector. She leads APA’s advocacy efforts to expand federal funding for graduate psychology education and training programs and inform elementary, secondary, and higher education policy. Karen previously worked in the APA Science Directorate Government Relations Office advocating for psychological research funding at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Mental Health and the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. Karen received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ohio University and her law degree from Seattle University. Contact Karen Studwell