Past Presidents

Dr. Shannon Shoemaker joined the ACSSW Executive Council in January 2019, becoming the organization's first secretary. As secretary she structured the early Executive Council meeting agendas and maintained meeting records. As an early member of the Executive Council, she was a strong influence in the development and expansion of ACSSW. She maintained the secretary position until she was elected as President-Elect in 2023. In the summer of 2023, Dr. Shoemaker stepped up and filled the role of President earlier than expected and navigated some challenging times in ACSSW. Her strong leadership, which included taking on the co-editorial role with the Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness during her presidency, was exactly what was needed to ensure ACSSW would continue to move forward. Dr. Shoemaker's focus during her presidency was on sex positivity and pleasure advocacy. She established the Strategic Planning Task Force, led by Trustee Marty Jencius. The ACSSW Board of Directors successfully voted on several issues under her presidency including to adopt the Strategic Plan the task force developed, the Exemplary Practices developed by the Research & Scholarship Committee was adopted, as well as to establish a formal relationship between ACSSW and JCSSW through an MOU. Dr. Shoemaker is a licensed clinical professional counselor and a board approved supervisor in Maryland and an LMHC in Massachusetts. She is also a Nationally Certified Counselor. Dr. Shoemaker earned her BS in Psychology and M.Ed. in Counselor Education at Bridgewater State College and a doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from The Pennsylvania State University. She has over ten years of clinical experience in school systems, community counseling services, and working with adults, adolescents, and families. She is currently assistant professor at Hood College in the Psychology and Counseling Department.

Dr. Frances McClain, "Dr. Mac," received her MA in Counseling from Governors State University and her PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision from The Chicago School. Since 2010, she has been the Director of Clinical Training in the Counseling Psychology Department at The Chicago School. She was the Clinical Director at a community mental health center for 10 years prior to joining the faculty at The Chicago School. Throughout her career she has worked in several different capacities that includes individual, family, and group clinical work, clinical and administrative supervision, grant writing, program development and implementation, case management, psychosocial rehabilitation, community liaison work with both private and state psychiatric hospitals, and consultation with mental health centers around program development and accreditation preparation. She has presented at the local, state, and national level on topics related to cultural sensitivity, professional ethics and values conflicts, and human sexuality, especially as it relates to the LGBTQ+ community. She maintains a limited private practice where she provides pro bono psychotherapy services, as well as providing training and consultation for community agencies, area hospitals, Cook County probation, and Cook County Judges office staff. Dr. Mac is one of the co-founders of ACSSW and the second President. As one of the co-founders, she has played a significant role establishing some of the key components which have established ACSSW in the professional counseling and wider mental health community. Since 2021, she has coordinated the annual ACSSW webinars in partnership with The Chicago School, since 2020, she has been the editor of the ACSSW Newsletter which is published quarterly and maintains the ACSSW website. She is also an inaugural board member of the Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness. Since 2018, along with both Drs. Zeglin and Schubert, the other co-founders of ACSSW, Dr. Mac has been a regular speaker at ACA, ACES, and SAIGE conferences promoting ACSSW's mission of the importance of addressing sexuality in clinical work from a sex positive paradigm and increasing counseling sexology and scholarship. While she was president, she put together a BIPOC task force to explore and identify the educational/training needs necessary to develop counselor competencies to effectively work with BIPOC communities around sexually related issues. Additionally, the task force reviewed current research and scholarship related to BIPOC communities and made recommendations for future areas of focus for research and scholarship.

Dr. Angela Schubert, "Angie", is an ACSSW co-founder and first President of ACSSW. She was an integral part of the development of ACSSW from the onset. Prior to her work in ACSSW, she was the moderator for the Sexual Wellness Interest Network (SWIC) in ACA. Angie's strengths are her ability to connect and network with others. From the beginning she was ACSSW's face to the community and within ACA. Her ability to promote and engage others was critical to the early success of ACSSW. Angie is a knowledgeable academician and can spar with the best when it comes to human sexuality. While President, she led the submission of the application for ACSSW to become an ACA Organizational Affiliate. Angie is an Associate Professor and Director of Online Learning for the Clinical Counseling department at Central Methodist University. Dr. Schubert is also the lead clinician and supervisor at Brightside Counseling in Denver, Colorado. She is licensed in Colorado, Missouri, and Florida and is a state approved clinical supervisor. Her research interests primarily explore clinical training and competencies related to sexuality and sexual health as well as the sexual rights and experiences of marginalized populations whose sexual expressions and orientations fall outside of heteronormative, repronormative lens. Dr. Schubert is in the process of becoming an AASECT certified sex therapist and continues to advocate for comprehensive K-12 sex education and sex positive training for mental health professionals across the fields.