Angie D. Cartwright, PhD, LPC-S, LSOTP-S

Candidate Statement:

As a professional counselor for over 15 years, a professor of counseling, and a higher education administrator, I advocate for professionals and communities across many settings. In addition to my work leading long-term organizational change in my private practice and in higher education, I have experience leading professional counseling organizations as president (TACES and IAAOC) and in other leadership capacities. Having served on the ACA Governing Council for the last three-years, I am proud to have been a part of the team who reconfigured the governing structure of ACA. We made great progress with changing our governing structure, revising our mission and vision, and we advocated on behalf of and with our members. Building on this experience with a second term, provides continuity and ensures that the momentum to complete some of the structural initiatives to set our organization up for success will continue. My motivation for continuing to serve is to elevate ACA and the counseling profession, to advocate for policies that strengthen our profession, and to ensure ACA remains relevant and responsive. Equally important, you can tell what an organization values based on how and where they allocate resources (financial, time, and human). As a member of the Board, I will make and support decisions that are rooted in serving our members, equity, and vision while balancing that with the long-term fiscal health of our organization. As professional counselors, we are highly trained and positioned to serve our communities and advocate on behalf of and for our profession. ACA must be guided by leadership that can facilitate progress and strengthen advocacy on behalf of the profession and those we serve. I will continue to lead with a counselor’s perspective and with a governance lens to strengthen our organization and the profession we serve.

Candidate Biography:

Dr. Angie Cartwright is a counselor, counselor educator, scholar, and national leader dedicated to advancing the counseling profession through advocacy, access, and systems-level change. She serves as Interim Dean of the College of Education and Professor of Counseling at the University of North Texas (UNT), where she leads a $17 million portfolio while working to strengthen the mental health workforce and expand equitable access to care. At her core, Dr. Cartwright is a counselor. She has worked across a range of clinical mental health settings, including private practice, intensive outpatient mental health hospitals, prisons, and children’s treatment centers. These experiences continue to shape her commitment to serving justice-involved individuals and historically underrepresented populations, and to preparing counselors who are equipped to meet complex, real-world mental health needs. Dr. Cartwright has led innovative, community-engaged counseling initiatives that have provided more than 50,000 hours of free clinical services to medically underserved communities across the Dallas–Fort Worth region. Her work focuses on expanding culturally responsive care, addressing systemic barriers to access, and building sustainable models of integrated behavioral health. She has secured more than $4 million in external funding to support this work and to strengthen counselor preparation and increase access to mental health services. A Past President of the Texas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision and the International Association of Addiction and Offender Counseling, Dr. Cartwright currently serves on the Governing Council of the ACA where she serves as a member of the Executive Committee. She has received numerous honors, including ACA’s Robert H. Rencken Emerging Professional Leader Award, the Texas Counseling Association’s Research Award and recognition as UNT’s Inaugural Presidential Early Career Professor. Dr. Cartwright is committed to advancing the counseling profession, elevating the voice of counselors, and ensuring that all communities have access to high-quality, mental health care.