Page 11 - spring_2020_exemplar

Spring 2020

Given the challenge of somehow capturing the legacy of such
an amazing leader and prolific scholar (she averaged over six
publications per year for 35 years and was cited as being in
the top 1% of contributors to the Journal of Counseling and
Development (JCD) from 1978-1993, the top 5% of contributors
to JCD from 1988-1996, and as one of two top contributors to
JCD from 1996-2006), I turned to her widower (T. Sweeney,
personal communication, February 6, 2020) to determine

how best to focus this narrative and he was quite clear in his
response. According to Dr. Sweeney, Dr. Myers’ legacy is best
captured in the continued and ongoing leadership, scholarship,
teaching, and excellence exhibited by the many people she mentored during her career that
spanned more than four decades. This is highly consistent with Dr. Myers’ own thoughts. When
she was asked (Nichols & Carney, 2013) to list her biggest accomplishment or proudest moment
as a leader, she responded that it was her “role as a CSI chapter faculty advisor because the
mentoring of students in their roles as leaders and advocates and really needing to help them
learn about what a servant leader means has been really…meaningful” (p. 245).
It seems clear, then, that Dr. Myers’ legacy actively continues today as former colleagues
and students continue to draw from her mentoring and lead and serve the counseling profession.

While there are countless examples, consider first the fact that since Dr. Myers won the
American Counseling Association David K. Brooks, Jr. Distinguished Mentor Award in 2012,
seven of the eight subsequent recipients had close relationships with Dr. Myers (three students
and four colleagues or former colleagues) and were influenced and mentored by her. Further,
the immediate Past-President of the American Counseling Association (Dr. Simone Lambert)
and President-Elect-Elect of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (Dr.
Casey Barrio Minton) are both former students and mentees of Dr. Myers. Dr. Donna Gibson,
who has served as President of the Association for Assessment in Research and Counseling and
American Counseling Association Governing Council Representative, among other positions,

and is a leading scholar in the area of counselor leadership development, was a student and
mentee of Dr. Myers as was Dr. Shawn Spurgeon, who has served as Co-Chair of the ACA
Ethics Committee and President of the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling.
Similarly, Dr. Brian Dew, who has served as President of the Association of Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling and Treasurer of the Association for Counselor
Education and Supervision was similarly mentored and influenced by Dr. Myers as was Dr.
Catherine Chang, who has received numerous national awards and served as President of the

11 CHI SIGMA IOTA EXEMPLAR