Beaver Falls, Pa., July 27, 2016 – James K. Matta, Ed.D., NCC, LPC, Associate Professor in Geneva College’s Graduate Counseling program, was recently elected chairperson of the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors. The 13-member state board was empowered by Pennsylvania lawmakers in Act 136 of 1998 to license and regulate the practice of social work, marriage & family therapy, and professional counseling. They meet eight times a year in Harrisburg.
The governor of Pennsylvania appoints board members to four-year terms. Dr. Matta has twice been appointed, first by Governor Edward Rendell in 2008, and then again by Governor Tom Corbett in 2013. He previously served as the board’s vice-chairperson and in May 2016, by a unanimous vote of his peers, became the first vice-chairperson to rise to his current position. He is just the second Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) to serve as chairperson.
“I was flattered,” Dr. Matta says of the honor. As the new head of the board, Dr. Matta leads the committee that is responsible for protecting the public from unprofessional, improper, unauthorized and unqualified practice.
“I have the opportunity to serve the profession and make an impact. The board is about the citizens of Pennsylvania and we’re looking to protect them with higher standards of care,” he explains.
In a career spanning 30 years, Dr. Matta served in various professional counseling roles, including clinician, researcher, and educator. He practiced counseling with numerous organizations and agencies in western Pennsylvania, including Family Services of Beaver/Butler County, UPMC’s Services for Teens at Risk (STAR) Center, and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC, among others. At the Pennsylvania Counseling Association, he served two years as treasurer. He previously held a Board Member position and practiced as a Licensed Professional Counselor with the Christian Counseling Collaborative. In April, he was awarded tenure at Geneva, where he is the Director of the Clinical Mental Health track of Geneva’s CACREP-accredited Counseling program. He has published over 60 chapters, articles, presentations, posters, abstracts and newsletters as lead or co-author.
He earned Doctorate (Ed.D.) and Masters of Science in Education degrees from Duquesne University, and a Masters of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Matta resides in Pittsburgh with his wife of 30 years, Carla, with whom he has four children.
To learn more about Geneva College’s Master of Arts in Counseling Program, contact counseling@geneva.edu or visit the Geneva College website at geneva.edu/graduate/counseling.
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