MePA Committees

Community Engagement & Social Justice Committee

Co-Chairs: Doug Kimmel, PhD and Laura Slap-Shelton, PsyD
Mission: responsible for outreach and education on topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice and public health. Activities include op-eds, public press releases,

Continuing Education Committee

Co-Chairs: Susan Maataoui, PhD and Stacy Whitcomb-Smith, PhD
Mission: oversees all member education initiatives including the annual conference and at-home continuing education opportunities.

Ethics Committee

Chair: Christine Gray, PsyD
Mission: provides consultations to MePA members about ethical issues related to the clinical practice and conduct of psychologists.

Finance Committee

Co-Chairs: Rosemary McCullough, PhD and Howard Kunin, PsyD
Mission: reviews fiscal policies and documents, receives feedback from members on problems they are having with third-party payers, discusses avenues for addressing the problems, acts as an intervenor with insurance companies and meets with officials from the Bureau of Insurance to discuss ongoing concerns. Reviews ED compensation changes.

Legislative Committee

Co-Chairs: Diane Tennies, PhD and Doug Kimmel, PhD
Mission: responsible for monitoring issues affecting psychologists at the State House and in state government, develops annual legislative agenda, and supervises the work of the MePA lobbyist.

Membership Committee

Chair: Jamie Pratt, PsyD, BCBA-D
Mission: responsible for maintaining a vibrant MePA membership including providing opportunities for prospective and new members to become acquainted with MePA and maintains close ties to membership. This Committee reviews and redrafts MePA bylaws for membership votes.

Personnel Committee

Co-Chairs: Jamie Pratt, PsyD, BCBA-D, Thomas Cooper, PsyD, Howard Kunin, PsyD
Mission: responsible for addressing any HR-related issues, complaints, concerns, and compensation changes.

APA Positions

APA Council of Representatives: Mary Donahue, PhD
Represents MePA at the national level within the American Psychological Association (APA), helping to shape policies and advocate for the interests of psychologists in Maine.

Federal Advocacy Coordinator: Diana Prescott, PhD
Leads MePA’s efforts to engage with federal policymakers, ensuring that the voice of Maine psychologists is heard on national legislative and regulatory issues.

Deductibility: Association dues are not deductible as a charitable contribution, but may be deducted as an ordinary business expense. MePA estimates that 30% of dues will be allocated to lobbying expenditures, and are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. IRC Sec 162(e)(3).