MACES Leadership
2019-2020 Executive Board
From left to right: Jamie McNally, Caroline Ray, Matthew Lyons, Elvita Kondili and Aja Burks
Aja Burks - President
Caroline Ray - President-Elect
Matthew Lyons - Immediate Past President
Elvita Kondili - Treasurer
Jamie McNally - Secretary
Open Position* - Graduate Student Representative
*MACES is currently seeking a counselor education doctoral student to fill this position. The Graduate Student Representative is a voting member of the Executive Council and serves as the Chair of the Graduate Student Committee. The Graduate Student Committee is responsible for coordinating all activities of the graduate student members of MACES. Duties of the Committee include: identifying annual goals and objectives; preparing a budget for consideration by the Executive Council; planning special graduate student activities at MACES Conventions/Conferences/Workshops; and maintaining a Committee membership and roster of at least 20 members. For consideration, please, send your interest statement and CV to Caroline Ray at caroline.ray@wmich.edu.
Caroline Ray - President-Elect
Matthew Lyons - Immediate Past President
Elvita Kondili - Treasurer
Jamie McNally - Secretary
Open Position* - Graduate Student Representative
*MACES is currently seeking a counselor education doctoral student to fill this position. The Graduate Student Representative is a voting member of the Executive Council and serves as the Chair of the Graduate Student Committee. The Graduate Student Committee is responsible for coordinating all activities of the graduate student members of MACES. Duties of the Committee include: identifying annual goals and objectives; preparing a budget for consideration by the Executive Council; planning special graduate student activities at MACES Conventions/Conferences/Workshops; and maintaining a Committee membership and roster of at least 20 members. For consideration, please, send your interest statement and CV to Caroline Ray at caroline.ray@wmich.edu.
President
Aja Burks, MSW, LMSW is a doctoral candidate in the Counseling Education and Supervision program at Wayne State University. She strives to create more content related to culturally interactive supervision experiences. Aja's research interest consists of culturally competent counseling, cross-cultural supervision relationship perceptions, counseling development, treating trauma, and culturally responsive counseling pedagogy. Aja received her masters in clinical social work at Michigan State University and has over 10 years of practice in the field. Aja has been a featured panelist at numerous conferences and workshops on the topic of mental health and trauma in the African American community and currently owns a private group practice, Transformative Mind Counseling LLC., in Southfield, MI. When she gets a free moment between writing her dissertation and teaching, you can find her with her 2 beautiful boys and husband singing songs by Queen.
President-Elect
Caroline Ray, MA, LLPC is a doctoral student in the Counselor Education program at Western Michigan University. Some of her research interests includes multicultural awareness and competence in counseling and clinical supervision, training, education and supervision of international counseling students, and the role of spirituality in emotional and physiological wellness. Caroline has 11 years of experience providing counseling to individuals, couples and groups in early adulthood to late middle age for problems related to grief and loss, substance/alcohol addictions and abuse, eating disorders, self-injurious behavior (suicidal and non-suicidal), marriage concerns, career/academic challenges, and general adjustment issues. In addition to completing her doctoral degree, Caroline manages the day-to-day operations of a university level research center at WMU as the Associate Director of the Center for Research on Instructional Change in Postsecondary Education (CRICPE) . She is also the owner/operator of a small private practice, Defining Moments Counseling & Consulting, LLC. Caroline is blessed to be married to her best friend and greatest supporter, Steven Ray, Jr., for over 17 years. Together they have four wonderful children, Korea, Steven III, Evan and Ava.
Immediate Past President
Matthew L. Lyons, Ph.D. is the Dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of the Cumberlands. He also serves on the American Counseling Association’s Public Policy and Legislative Action Committee. Matthew has published in the areas of leadership, professional identity, and multicultural counseling. His primary scholarship interest are in the areas of transcultural counseling, globalization of the counseling profession, and human spirituality. Previous professional appointments include faculty member and Director of the Center for Counseling and Community Development at Central Michigan University and Assistant Professor at the University of New Orleans.
Treasurer
Elvita Kondili, PhD, LPC, is Assistant Professor of Counseling at the University of Detroit Mercy where she teaches Ethics, Program Development, Research, Counseling Skills and Practicum. Her main research focus is refugee mental health. She is the co-author of numerous peer-reviewed articles and currently co-writing the book titled Cultural and Social Capital Model of Refugee Mental Health: An Advocacy Guide for Counselors. Elvita earned a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2018 and Masters in Counseling from the University of Massachusetts at Boston in 2003. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and supervisor with fifteen years experience in clinical mental health and substance abuse treatment in a variety of settings, including private practice, telepsychiatry, crisis intervention, methadone maintenance and Medicaid utilization review. She specializes in adult and couples therapy and the treatment of depression, anxiety, trauma, borderline personality disorder, disordered attachment, substance use, sexual addiction and infidelity. Elvita was born and raised in Albania and is passionate about immersing herself in other cultures through responsible travel. For the past four years, she has spent most of her free time studying, practicing and teaching mindfulness and Buddhist meditation practices.
Secretary
Jamie McNally, MA, LLP, LPC obtained her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Moody Theological Seminary in 2013 and is currently completing her Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision from Liberty University. She previously served as a Clinic Manager for a graduate-level training clinic where she was responsible for the professional development and direct supervision of over 75 counselors-in-training and where she was the subject matter expert for training and for ethical and legal compliance and licensure issues. Jamie owns and operates Sycamore Counseling Services, a clinical group practice with two locations in the Metro Detroit area. Jamie has training or certifications in Advanced Behavioral and Relational Therapy, Psychological and Spiritual First Aid, Gottman Level 1 and Level 2 interventions, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and HIPAA compliance. She has served as a Teaching assistant and adjunct professor. Jamie's counseling and research interests include trauma, moral injury, OCPD, HIPAA compliance, and best practices in counselor development and professional private practice. Prior to entering the mental health field, Jamie spent fifteen years in diverse career fields including twelve years in the Air National Guard as a structural journeyman. She is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Michigan Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
Email: michiganaces@gmail.com
© 2019 MACES
Email: michiganaces@gmail.com
© 2019 MACES
