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About IPA
Brief History of IPA
The Illinois Psychological Association (IPA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit association, and the largest professional association of psychologists in Illinois, with nearly 1,200 members.
The IPA was first incorporated on August 28, 1936 as “Illinois Society of Consulting Psychologists.” In December 1944, the Articles of Incorporation were amended to change the name to “Illinois Association for Applied Psychology.” Finally, in February 1976, the Articles of Incorporation were again amended to change the name to “Illinois Psychological Association.”
Until 1963, when the IPA successfully lobbied the General Assembly to pass the first Psychologist Registration Act (HB 926), the IPA was recognized as the credentialing authority for psychologists. After the Registration Act was passed, the IPA successfully worked to include psychologists in the adult guardianship laws, civil laws to assess mental capacity, criminal laws to stand trial or enter a plea, the Dissolution of Marriage & Child Custody Act, child and elder abuse reporting, Social Security mental impairment evaluations, and evaluations of children with special education needs, among others. Psychologists’ work is protected by the Illinois Confidentiality Act and they are given specific privileges in the Illinois Mental Health Code.
The Registration Act was completely revised in 1989 and became the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act. In 1991, it was updated to become a Practice Act. The Act was again amended in 2014 to include a section to license prescribing psychologists, only the 3rd state in the U.S. to do so.
The IPA has fought to ensure that insurance companies compensate psychologists for their services if the insurance company pays a physician for similar services by passing the Freedom of Choice Act. The IPA further fought to include psychologists in the Prompt Payment Act and the Any Willing Provider section of the Insurance Code, and continues to advocate for psychologists’ ability to perform evaluations independently under the Probate Act.
IPA Mission Statement
The purpose of the IPA shall be to advance psychology as a science and a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare by the encouragement of psychology in all its branches; by the continual improvement of the qualifications of psychologists through high standards of ethics, conduct, education and achievement; by expanding roles and opportunities for psychologists to serve the public within the field’s emerging scope of scholarship and expertise; and by the increase and dissemination of psychological knowledge through meetings, professional contacts, reports, papers, discussion, publications, electronic media, and current methods of communication.
Past Presidents
2024 – 2025 Sue Bae, Ph.D.
2023 – 2024 Colin Ennis, Psy.D.
2022 – 2023 Derek Phillips, Psy.D., MSCP, ABMP
2021 – 2022 Abigail Brown, Psy.D.
2020 – 2021 Daniel Brewer, Psy.D.
2019 – 2020 Kalyani Gopal, Ph.D.
2018 – 2019 Lynda Behrendt, Psy.D., RN
2017 – 2018 Laura L. Faynor-Ciha, Ph.D
2016 – 2017 Joseph E. Troiani, Ph.D.
2015 – 2016 Karla Steingraber, Psy.D.
2014 – 2015 Blaine Lesnik, Psy.D.
2013 – 2014 Beth N. Rom-Rymer, Ph.D.
2012 – 2013 Patricia Farrell, Ph.D.
2011 – 2012 Beth N. Rom-Rymer, Ph.D.
2010 – 2011 Gregory Sarlo, Psy.D.
2009 – 2010 Steven Rothke, Ph.D., ABPP
2008 – 2009 Gregory Sarlo, Psy.D.
2007 – 2008 Steven Rothke, Ph.D., ABPP
2006 – 2007 Eleanore Ryan, Ph.D.
2005 – 2006 John Blattner, Ph.D.
2004 – 2005 Armand R. Cerbone, Ph.D.
2003 – 2004 Mary E. Halpin, Ph.D.
2002 – 2003 Kenneth H. Kessler, Ph.D.
2001 – 2002 Marlin Hoover, Ph.D., ABPP
2000 – 2001 Nancy Molitor, Ph.D.
1999 – 2000 Katherine B. Klehr, Ph.D.
1998 – 1999 Chris E. Stout, Psy.D., MBA
1997 – 1998 John R. Day, Ph.D.
1996 – 1997 Patricia A. Pimental, Psy.D., ABN
1995 – 1996 Lisa R. Grossman, J.D., Ph.D.
1994 – 1995 Nancy A. Slagg, Ph.D.
1993 – 1994 Ronald H. Rozensky, Ph.D., ABPP
1992 – 1993 Randy J. Georgemiller, Ph.D.
1991 – 1992 Donald Paull, Ph.D., J.D., ABPP
1990 – 1991 Terrence J. Koller, Ph.D., ABPP
1989 – 1990 Bruce E. Bonecutter, Ph.D.
1988 – 1989 Jean J. Rossi, Ph.D.
1987 – 1988 Joseph S. Maciejko, Ph.D.
1986 – 1987 Michael Mercer, Ph.D.
1985 – 1986 Joseph F. Pribyl, Ph.D.
1984 – 1985 Edmund J. Nightingale, Ph.D., ABPP
1983 – 1984 Sue E. Moriearty, Ph.D.
1982 – 1983 Mary Ann Poprick, Ph.D.
1981 – 1982 Daniel Beach, Ph.D.
1980 – 1981 Ian Wickram, Ph.D.
1979 – 1980 Mary Kay Pribyl, Ph.D.
1978 – 1979 Thomas Hollan, Ph.D.
1977 – 1978 Bruce E. Bennett, Ph.D.
1976 – 1977 Robert P. Barrell, Ph.D.
1975 – 1976 Sol Rosenberg, Ph.D.
1974 – 1975 Robert C. Nicolay, Ph.D.
1973 – 1974 Helen Sunukjian, Ph.D.
1972 – 1973 Virginia Harris, Ph.D.
1971 – 1972 Walter Friendhoff, Ph.D.
1970 – 1971 Alan Rosenwald, Ph.D.
1969 – 1970 Vin Rosenthal, Ph.D.
1968 – 1969 Charles Dewey, Ph.D.
1967 – 1968 Joseph Wepman, Ph.D.
1966 – 1967 Fred Spaner, Ph.D.
1965 – 1966 Albert Hunsicker, Ph.D.
1964 – 1965 Leroy Vernon, Ph.D.
1963 – 1964 Phillip Ash, Ph.D.
1962 – 1963 Robert McFarland, Ph.D.
1961 – 1962 A. Arthur Hartman, Ph.D.
1960 – 1961 Alan Rosenwald, Ph.D.
1959 – 1960 Ralh Heine, Ph.D.
1958 – 1959 George Speer, Ph.D.
1957 – 1958 Noble Kelley, Ph.D.
1956 – 1957 Leo Hellmer, Ph.D.
1955 – 1956 William Sloan, Ph.D.
1954 – 1955 Stanley Marzolf, Ph.D.
1953 – 1954 George Yacorzynski, Ph.D.
1952 – 1953 Ross Stagner, Ph.D.
1951 – 1952 Irwin Berg, Ph.D.
1950 – 1951 James Miller, Ph.D.
1949 – 1950 Robert Seashore, Ph.D.