ACES and NBCC Announce New Leadership and Expanded Research Initiatives
The leadership of ACES and NBCC are pleased to announce that Dr. Maribeth Jorgensen is stepping into a new leadership opportunity designed to propel workforce expansion through research, policy, and collaborative engagement between NBCC and ACES. As of September 1st, Dr. Jorgensen will join the NBCC team, full-time, as the Interim Executive Director of the Policy, Advocacy, and Research in Counseling (PARC) Center and she will provide visionary leadership to ACES as the Inaugural Director of the ACES Research Center.
Over the past two years, the ACES Governing Council has prioritized expanding research knowledge and skills through webinars and trainings focused on research methodologies, grant writing, and publication, and launching initiatives such as the Grant Academy. Further, ACES has increased direct investment in member research. In the 2025–2026 academic year, ACES awarded over $175,000 in research funding to support member-led projects. The creation of the ACES Research Center is a natural progression of these efforts and a strategic investment in sustaining and scaling research development across the organization and, ultimately, the profession. The Center will provide direct and ongoing research and grant support to members, advancing scholarship, expanding impact, and building a robust research culture. The integration of consultation, project support, and training represents an innovative model within professional associations, with few, if any, comparable centralized research infrastructures currently in place.
“The ACES Research Center is an exciting opportunity for ACES members to expand their research impact and for our organization to continue to build collaborations across the profession. I am very excited that Dr. Jorgensen will be leading the research center and sharing her expertise with our members” shared Dr. Madeline Clark, ACES President.
Dr. Jorgensen is a nationally recognized leader in research development and professional advocacy with over 15 years of experience as a counselor educator supporting evidence-informed change in counselor training and practice. Her leadership experience spans research and faculty development, academic administration, research center leadership, policy guidance, counselor training, and national professional service. Dr. Jorgensen has most recently served as a Professor of Counselor Education, Interim Associate Dean for Academic Administration and Enrollment, Assistant Dean for Research and Faculty Development, and Director of the Center for Research Excellence and Innovation (CREI) at Sam Houston State University (SHSU), leading the growth and transformation of a college-based center into a university-wide resource supporting research and grant development across multiple colleges. She has also served as Director of counseling training clinics at Sam Houston State University, Central Washington University, and the University of South Dakota and as Co-Chair of SHSU's JED Campus Task Force, a multi-year, data-informed mental health initiative through which she partnered with executive leadership to advance institutional policy.
In recognition of her ongoing impact, she was selected as a fellow for a national-level Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership, where her fellowship work focused on designing scalable research infrastructures for institutional and organizational impact, further expanding her specialized knowledge in this area. Dr. Jorgensen also brings significant clinical experience as a counselor to her work with ACES and NBCC, with over 19 years of clinical experience as a licensed counselor and over the course of her career, she has lived out her commitment to grounding research, policy, and advocacy leadership in practice-based insight.
The boards and leadership of ACES and NBCC are dedicated to expanding access to counseling and counselor education and curating systems that anticipate and proactively meet the needs of students, professionals, and the communities they serve. PARC and the ACES Research Center have been designed from the belief that meaningful system development and transformation is strongest when it is data-informed and community-engaged; both ACES and PARC are committed to preparing researchers, generating needed workforce research, and translating and applying findings to strengthen counselor education, regulation, professional opportunities, policy, and systems of care. Dr. Maribeth Jorgensen brings both a passion for this work and the expertise to connect and advance these initiatives.
PARC and the ACES Research Center are excited to engage counselors, clinical supervisors, researchers, counselor educators, and professional organizations in advancing this work. Those interested in contributing are invited to connect with PARC or the ACES Research Center and help shape research, policy, and advocacy efforts that strengthen the counseling profession.
ACES and NBCC are excited about the opportunities on the horizon and welcome Dr. Jorgensen into her new role.