the History of BCPA

The Bexar County Psychological Association or BCPA is a local area society in San Antonio serving Bexar County psychologists, related mental health professionals, and the wider San Antonio and Bexar County community. Founded in 1972, BCPA has been serving these communities for more than 50 years. Here are some bullet points about the history of BCPA.

(If you would like to contribute a bullet point to this list, please contact drkevinaharris@gmail.com.)

BCPA History

  • Founded in 1972 by Alvin G. Burstein and other faculty at the UT Medical School (now UT Health), including Larry Schoenfeld, Al Riester, Joe Kobos, Russ Adams, Jim Steadman, and John Worsham, and later residents including Wayne Ehrisman and Sandra Loucks

  • Larry Schoenfield was an early board member and committee chair, along with Joe Kobos and Russ Adams

  • John Worsham (210-307-8021) and/or Wayne Ehrisman were early members

  • San Antonio psychologists helped pass legislation in the state legislature, with TPA, allowing for psychologists to practice independently without a psychiatrist’s supervision in 1969, then started BCPA

  • BCPA psychologists were influential lobbyists in the state legislature in the 1970s and 1980s

  • Before that, Abraham Carp was the psychologist in charge of astronaut selection procedures, and his wife Frances Carp was chair of psychology at Trinity University, and both lobbied for psychologist independent practice

  • Larry Smith also lobbied extensively for psychologist independent licensure — he received license #1

  • Wil Kauw and Will Rogers were also active in BCPA

  • BCPA had several relationships with other city psychological associations

  • BCPA was very influential in TPA in 1970s

  • Richard Naciefski was the first BCPA Fellow in the late 1970s

  • Paul Ingmunson and his wife Cuneen Ingmunson were the “backbone” of BCPA for several years in the 1990s, coordinating meetings, keeping membership records, corresponding with members and with TPA, coordinating events, with Paul serving as president and Cuneen serving as unpaid administrator

  • BCPA membership in the 1990s was largely LPs and LPAs

  • BCPA again had a strong relationship with TPA in the 1990s

  • When the LPA push for independent licensure failed, LPC licensure was created, and several LPAs left BCPA to pursue independent practice as LPCs

  • BCPA had a provider referral service for members; BCPA (Cuneen) would facilitate referrals from all over San Antonio

  • The BCPA newsletter began in the 1990s

  • In 2007, BCPA tried to change its name to the San Antonio Psychological Association, but the state said no

BCPA Fellows

2024: Allyson Ruha, Psy.D.

2023: Deborah Healy, Psy.D.

2022: Richard Reams, Ph.D.

2021: Cynthia Diaz de Leon, Ph.D.

2020: Steven Logsdon, Ph.D.

2019: Anne Thomas, Ph.D.

2018: Geoff Gentry, Ph.D.

2017: Alan Peterson, Ph.D.

2016: Joan L. Biever, Ph.D.

2015:

2014: Don McGeary, Ph.D.

2013: Paul Ingmundson, Ph.D.

2012: Tova Rubin, Ph.D.

2011: Lisa Kearney, Ph.D.

2010: Poonam Sharma, Ph.D.

2009: Dee Yates, Ph.D.

2008: Kathy Glash Sawyer, Ph.D.

2007: John Worsham, Ph.D.

2006: Joann Murphey, Ph.D.

2005: Raul Martinez, Ph.D. and Marilyn Maas, Ph.D.

2004: None

2003: Larry Schoenfeld, Ph.D.

2002:

2001: Dixie Van Eynde, Ph.D. and Bonnie Blankmeyer. Ph.D.

1998: Gary Neal, Ph.D.

BCPA Executive Committee (EC) Members

2024

President: Mary Kaye Matthews, Psy.D.

Secretary: Rowland Folensbee, Ph.D.

Treasurer: William Guy, Ph.D.

Members At Large: McKenna Hereford, Ph.D., Amy Gorniak, Psy.D., Ashlee Martinez, Psy.D., Dennis Scholl, Ph.D., Mistie Seawell, Psy.D., Amanda Wetegrove-Romine, Psy.D., Alyssa Arredondo, MS, LPC (Student Representative)

 

2023

President: Kevin Harris, Ph.D.

Secretary: Rowland Folensbee, Ph.D.

Treasurer: William Guy, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Mary Kaye Matthews, Psy.D., Amy Gorniak, Psy.D., McKenna Hereford, Ph.D., Emily Muszynski, Psy.D., Elias Barghash, Psy.D., Ashlee Martinez, Psy.D., Craig Grant, MA, MS (Student Representative)

 

2022

President: Ashlee Martinez, Psy.D.

Secretary: Leslie Musgrove, Psy.D.

Treasurer: [None]

Members At Large: Kevin Harris, Ph.D., Mary Kaye Matthews, Psy.D., Jennifer Cleveland, Ph.D., Regina Vanburg, Psy.D., Melva Torne-Boyd Psy.D., Valerie Perez, MA (Student Representative)

 

2021

President: Daniel L. Lopez, Ph.D.

Secretary: Leslie Musgrove, Psy.D.

Treasurer: Ashley Powell, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Poonam Sharma, Ph.D. (Interim Treasurer), Kevin Harris, Ph.D., Tim Peterson, Psy.D., Jennifer Cleveland, Ph.D., Eboney Jackson, Ph.D., Regina Vanburg, Psy.D.

 

2020

President: Joshua Essery, Psy.D., ABPP

Secretary: Megan Lawson, Psy.D.

Treasurer: Ashley Powell, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Kevin Harris, Ph.D., Jessica Foti, Psy.D., Ashlee Martinez, Psy.D., Tanya Shan, Ph.D.

 

2019

President: Cynthia Diaz De Leon, Ph.D.

Secretary: Rowland Folensbee, Ph.D.

Treasurer: [None]

Members At Large: Kevin Harris, Ph.D., Ashlee Martinez, Psy.D., Karen O’Brien, Ph.D., Tanya Shan, Ph.D.

 

2018

President: Amanda Wetegrove-Romine, Psy.D.

Secretary: Rowland Folensbee, Ph.D.

Treasurer: David Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Melva Torne-Boyd, Psy.D., Nichole Vincent, Psy.D., Mitzi Gonzales, Ph.D.

 

2017

President: David A. Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Secretary: Rowland Folensbee, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Tabatha Blount, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Jeslina Raj, Psy.D., K. Chase Bailey, Ph.D. (half year), Rocio Garcia, Ph.D., Stacy Ogbeide, Psy.D., Ryan Creech, Ph.D.

 

2016

President: Deborah Healy, Psy.D.

Secretary: Leigh Scott, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Tabatha Blount, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Joan Biever, Ph.D., Rocio Garcia, Ph.D., Amanda Wetegrove-Romine, Psy.D., Jeslina Raj, Psy.D., Chase Bailey, Ph.D.

 

2015

President: Sarah Reiner, Ph.D.

Secretary: Louise Donnell, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Emily Bowers, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Anne Esquivel, Ph.D., David Gonzalez, Ph.D., Deborah Healy, Psy.D., Jennifer Adams, Ph.D., Lavina Sanders, Ph.D.

 

2014

President: Kasi Howard, Psy.D.

Secretary: Emily Bowers, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Anushka Pai, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Anne Esquivel, Ph.D., Sarah Reiner, Ph.D., Anushka Pai, Ph.D., David Gonzalez, Ph.D., Ezequiel Pena, Ph.D.

 

2013-2014

President: Anne Esquivel, Ph.D.

Secretary: Jill Thurber, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Karin McCoy, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Emily Bower, Ph.D., Sarah Reiner, Ph.D., Veronica Shead, Ph.D.

 

2012-2013

President: Ezequiel Pena, Ph.D.

Secretary: Jill Thurber, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Karin McCoy, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Kasi Bowles Howard, Psy.D., Mary Torres, Psy.D., Nabeel Yehyawi, Psy.D.

 

2011-2012

President: Allyson Baker, Psy.D.

Secretary: Jill Thurber, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Karin McCoy, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Mary Torres, Psy.D., Deborah Gilbertson, Psy.D.

 

2010-2011

President: Javier Villanueva, Ph.D.

Secretary: Jill Thurber, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Karin McCoy, Ph.D.

Members At Large: Nancy Logan, Ph.D., Mary Torres, Psy.D., Deborah Gilbertson, Psy.D.

 

2009-2010

President: Jill Squyres, Ph.D.

Secretary: Kellie Crowe, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Karin McCoy, Ph.D.

Members At Large: John Beach, Ph.D., Marilyn Maas, Ph.D.

 

2008-2009

President: Lisa Kearney, Ph.D.

Secretary: Kellie Crowe, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Karin McCoy, Ph.D.        

 

2007-2008

President: Melissa Graham, Ph.D.

Secretary: Emma Mata-Galan, Psy.D.

Treasurer: Jill Squyres, Ph.D.

 

2006-2007

President: Karen Bierman, Ph.D.

Secretary: Susie Mercado, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Jill Squyres, Ph.D.

 

2005-2006

President: Tova Rubin, Ph.D.

Secretary: Lisa Kearney, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Dennis Grill, Ph.D.           

 

2004-2005

President: Kathy Sawyer, Ph.D.

Secretary: Karen Bierman, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Dennis Grill, Ph.D.

 

2003-2004

President: Suzette Stokes, Ph.D.

Secretary: Trey Thompson, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Kozue Shibazaki, Ph.D.

 

2002-2003

President: Jodi Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Secretary: Tom Cayton, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Kathleen Glash, Ph.D.      

 

2001-2002

President: Raul Martinez, Ph.D.

Secretary: Suzette Stoks, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Kathleen Glash, Ph.D.      

 

2000-2001

President: Poonam Sharma, Ph.D.

Secretary: Jodi Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Poonam Sharma, Ph.D.

 

1999-2000

President: Marvin Abney, Ph.D.                               

 

1998-1999

President: Sergio Orozco, Ph.D.                                

 

1997-1998

President: Debra Morrow, Ph.D.

Secretary: Cynthia De La Fuentes, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Marvin Abney, Ph.D.       

 

1996-1997

President: Dee Yates, Ph.D.

Treasurer: Anne Lopez, Ph.D.           

 

1995-1996

President: Clair Jacobs, Ph.D.                        

 

1994-1995

 

1993-1994

 

1992-1993

 

1991-1992

President: Daniel Lopez, Ph.D.