ATLANTA – Mercer University faculty member Dr. David Lane, professor of counseling in the College of Professional Advancement, was recently appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to the Georgia Composite Board for Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists.
The Georgia Composite Board for Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists, created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly in 1984, consists of 10 members appointed by the governor, including three professional counselors, three social workers, three marriage and family therapists, and one consumer member.
The board is charged by law with regulating the practice of professional counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people of Georgia. The board does so by establishing rules to implement the law, enforcing the education and training requirements established by law for licensure in each profession, by adopting and enforcing a code of ethics governing licensees, by establishing and enforcing continuing education requirements, and by addressing unlicensed practice in these professions.
Dr. Lane was nominated by the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia.
“It is a distinct honor to be appointed to the Composite Board by Gov. Kemp. The Board serves a vital function for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, and it is a great privilege to serve the profession and the state in this way,” said Dr. Lane.
Dr. Lane joined Mercer’s faculty in 1995 and was the architect of the University’s doctoral program in counselor education and supervision. Additionally, he and professor emeritus Dr. Art Williams led development and launch of what is now the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program.
“I am not surprised by this statewide recognition,” said Dr. Priscilla Danheiser, dean of the College of Professional Advancement. “Dr. Lane continues to demonstrate leadership within his profession and to provide extraordinary guidance to students enrolled in Mercer’s graduate programs in counseling.”
Dr. Lane is a licensed professional counselor and licensed marriage and family therapist whose development and implementation of training for crisis counselors, pastors and public safety officers has addressed trauma in parts of the world experiencing natural and human-made disasters, including Haiti and Newtown, Connecticut.
About the College of Professional Advancement
Mercer University’s College of Professional Advancement is committed to serving post-traditional learners. Undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs are offered to adult learners seeking professional advancement into leadership roles in and beyond their communities. Programs provide students with distinctive, multidisciplinary experiences that integrate theory and practice. In addition to providing general education and elective courses for various colleges and schools at Mercer, the College of Professional Advancement offers degree programs in areas including technology, public safety, public and human services, leadership and administration, health care and liberal arts. Programs are offered on Mercer’s campuses in Atlanta and Macon, as well as Regional Academic Centers in Douglas County and Henry County, and online. To learn more, visit professionaladvancement.mercer.edu.
