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Executive Director
Welcome to CALPCC's New Executive Director
We proudly introduce Suzzette Garcia as the new California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (CALPCC) Executive Director. Suzzette has been an integral part of CALPCC for over 10 years, serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Board for over six years. Their dedication to advancing the profession of clinical counseling and championing social justice has been at the forefront of their work.
Suzzette is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC+), certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). They are also an esteemed Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Board President of CALPCC, and the recipient of the Audre Lorde Voice and Vision Award for Outstanding Social Justice Advocacy.
Growing up in California’s Central Valley, Suzzette witnessed the effects of poverty, multi-generational trauma, and systemic injustice on mental health. These experiences inspired them to pursue solutions through education, earning a master’s degree in clinical counseling and working toward completing a doctoral degree in organizational development, both from Alliant International University.
A steadfast commitment to underserved communities has marked their professional journey. Prior to becoming CALPCC’s Executive Director, Suzzette worked for six years in community mental health, overseeing outpatient (OP) and intensive outpatient (IOP) programs, and served as a Director for Meadows Behavioral Healthcare in Silicon Valley. During the pandemic, they co-founded the CALPCC fellowship program to pipeline LGBT+ and BIPOC undergraduate students into the mental health field. Suzzette regularly provides consultation on addressing disparities impacting communities of color, LGBT+ individuals, and people with disabilities.
Earlier in their career, Suzzette founded and led Inferno Elite All Starz Association, a nonprofit organization providing mentoring, athletic programs, tutoring services, and college application assistance for at-risk youth. As CALPCC’s Executive Director, Suzzette brings a wealth of experience and a visionary approach to advancing the association’s mission, supporting licensed professional clinical counselors, and promoting mental health equity across California.
Besides their professional work, Suzzette enjoys camping, hiking, gardening, golfing, traveling, training service dogs, and researching social psychology and organizational development. They are also learning American Sign Language (ASL). We are excited to have Suzzette lead CALPCC in an exciting new chapter of growth, advocacy, and excellence.
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Farewell to our Founding Executive Director
CALPCC is grateful to its retiring Executive Director, Dean Porter, who led the effort to secure the LPCC in California, beginning in 2002. When licensure was achieved in 2010, CALPCC was established and Dean became Executive Director. Cara Maffini, Past CALPCC President has said, “Her vision, motivation, and energy have continued to push CALPCC forward.” Dean was honored for her leadership at the American Counseling Association (ACA) Conference held in Montreal, Canada in April 2016.
Dean says, "It is a pleasure to pass the baton to Kenneth, so he can take CALPCC to the next step in its development." Dean will work with Kenneth through October in order to insure a smooth transition.
Congratulations Kenneth and welcome to CALPCC!
