Brian Doherty named MPA director
After an extensive search, the Massachusetts Psychological Association appointed Brian Doherty – former CEO of the Northeast Association of Realtors – as its new executive director.
Doherty officially began serving in the role in June. Operations Manager Pamela Goodspeed had been serving as interim executive director after Elena Eisman, Ed.D., stepped down from her long-time post a year-and-a-half ago.
The MPA’s search was conducted by a transition consultant from Third Sector New England, who completed a comprehensive review of MPA. The review led MPA to define and seek an executive director with the following qualities and skills: customer service mentality, effective general manager, strategic thinker, planner, and implementer, passionate spokesperson and advocate, and an approachable, accessible and collaborative style.
“The Board of Directors is confident that Brian Doherty brings all of these talents to MPA, and is just the person to serve as executive director as we seek to build on MPA’s strong foundation and grow ever stronger to provide you with the valuable programs and services you count on,” said Abigail A. Seibert, Ph.D., president of the Massachusetts Psychological Association, in a statement announcing the appointment.
Doherty, who has a B.A. in political science with Phi Beta Kappa honors from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, served for more than two years as CEO of the Northeast Association of Realtors, a more than 1,300-member association.
Prior to that position, he was manager of local government affairs for the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, and served in several capacities since 2006 with that association, which has more than 20,000 members.
“I enjoyed working with the Northeast Association of Realtors and could see myself there for many years, but when I saw the posting for the executive director of the Massachusetts Psychological Association I was very intrigued because I missed the political advocacy that I had done when working for a state association,” Doherty said.
“At the local association level, I was able to hone a new skillset, but I very much am interested in health policy on the legislative and regulatory end and I’m excited to represent the Massachusetts Psychological Association on that front.”
In his first month at MPA, Doherty reached out to a wide variety of members to learn about the priorities of what psychologists need from the association.
“We will be convening a strategic planning task force to focus in on what MPA’s top priorities will be going forward,” Doherty said. President-elect Dawn Cisewski, Psy.D., chairperson of the task force, is working with Doherty and Seibert to identify task force members.
Doherty has also been working on plans for the fall educational calendar, and the Nov. 7 annual conference, “Advocacy in the 21st Century: Working Together for the Greater Good.” Areas of legislative and regulatory focus will include working with health plans for wider access to behavioral health care and parity and increased reimbursement rates.
“The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office recently issued a report that said that behavioral health care has had historically low reimbursement rates and was very critical of that,” Doherty said. “We sent a letter to the Attorney General commending that report because it echoed the message we’ve been working to educate everyone in Massachusetts about for years at MPA. So we’ve got some positive developments that we look forward to capitalizing on in both education and advocacy.”
The MPA is also improving internal procedures to be more visible in communicating the value of its day-to-day work to members, is revamping its newsletter and will work to update members on changes associated with health care integration and the Affordable Care Act, Doherty said.