Susanne Francis-Thornton (Psy.D. ’03) took the helm as The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Alumni Council Chair. Dr. Francis-Thornton is the executive director of the Cornerstone Counseling Centers of Chicago (CCCOC) and has served as adjunct professor in the Clinical and Forensic Psychology departments since 2003. She replaces Elizabeth “Scottie” Girouard (M.A. ’03), who served as the Alumni Council Chair for three years.

Enhancing mentoring opportunities between and for alumni and students is one of her core objectives.
“One of our current, proudest pieces of how we are connecting alumni to the school is the mentoring program—including the longer term mentoring program that is in place as well as encouraging alumni to come back and speak on panels and have a continued relationship with the school,” she says.

Efforts to realize these goals will include networking events, career advancement lectures, and philanthropic opportunities. A Student Ambassador program will allow four students to participate in all council activities and have voting rights. She will also work to expand membership to include representatives from all program areas.

“The better we are at representing all constituencies of the school, the better we are able to give back to up-and-coming students,” she says.