Staff

LaVone brings over 27 years of experience in Association Management.  He utilizes his exceptional organizational skills and creativity to think outside of the box and works to exceed MPA member expectations.  His spare time is spent enjoying a good read, golfing, and spending time enjoying the great outdoors, especially Lake Michigan. He lives in Lansing, Michigan.

Judith Kovach, PhD
Public Policy Consultant
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Dr. Judith Kovach is a licensed clinical psychologist. She received her doctorate in psychology from Wayne State University in 1984. In independent practice since then, she was a founding member and President of Michigan Women Psychologists. In 1994, after having served as chair of the Women’s Advocacy and Legislative Committees of the MI Psychological Association (MPA), she was elected President. She later served as the Executive Director and Director of Professional Affairs for the MPA from 1995 through 2011. She continues to serve the MPA as a public policy consultant.

She was appointed to the MI Health Professional Recovery Committee and subsequently served as Chair. Nationally, she served as a member of APA’s Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance for five years. She served on the Criminal Justice and Human Service Work-group of the MI Mental Health Commission and was President of the MI Mental Health Policy Institute. She chaired the Steering Committee of the MI Partners for Mental Health Parity, a coalition of over 80 organizations and businesses for over fifteen years. She served as Project Director of the MI Project for Informed Public Policy, an organization dedicated to LGBT equality.

Dr. Kovach’s professional recognition includes having received Michigan’s Distinguished Psychologist Award, APA’s Heiser Award for Advocacy, and the Outstanding Psychologist Award from the APA Division of State Psychological Associations. In 2011, she received an award from the MPA and the MPA Foundation for her years of advocacy on behalf of mental health and social justice. In 2012, she received the national Evelyn Hooker Award for Distinguished Contribution by an Ally from the APA Society for the Psychological Study of LGBT Issues.

MHSA
MPA works/contracts with MHSA, LLC, to assist with our organization’s membership activities and advocacy efforts.  MHSA has worked with MPA for the past 12 years.

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