In 1991, the VCA Foundation was founded by five Virginia Counselors Association Leaders. In its first year, significant strides were made to solidly establish the VCA Foundation as a noteworthy force for Virginia’s counseling professionals. The VCA Foundation is committed to the Virginia Counselors Association and its Chapters and Divisions, and to all professional counselors in Virginia.
Demonstrating this commitment, the VCA Foundation has made a number of significant strides and sponsored a variety of activities that have supported Virginia’s counseling professionals. Here is an historical overview of the Foundation’s important contributions to Virginia’s counselors, VCA, and the community at large.
| YEAR | HIGHLIGHTS & ACTIVITIES |
| 2022 | VCAF and VCA Contributed to the Norfolk State University Counselor Education Foundation, to provide funding for the expenses for the CACREP Accreditation process. |
| 2021 | VCAF and VCA initiate BIPOC (Black Indigenous and People of Color) Membership Scholarships to enhance racial and ethnic diversity in VCA. |
| 2021 | Grants Program renamed in memory of Suzee Leone, VCU, highly respected Counselor Educator Emeritus, distinguished VCA Past President, and long time, very active participant in the VCAF Board . |
| 2020 | Contracted Digital Services Director to assist with website redesign and social media. Conducted first “Speed Mentoring”, online panel. |
| 2018 | Began affiliation with #GivingTuesday international movement. Sponsored “VCA’s Got Talent” at VCA Annual Convention. |
| 2017 | Began acknowledging “Esther Pincus Grant” “affirming the genuine qualities of care and concern Esther extended to her family, friends, colleagues, and especially to her students.” |
| 2015 | Supported the sponsorship of Scholarships for emerging student leaders’ participation in the VCA Leadership Academy. |
| 2013 | Student Fellows Program named in Honor of Pete Warren, a counselor educator at Lynchburg College who had a profound influence on many students and contributed substantially as a leader in the Virginia Counselors Association and the VCA Foundation. |
| 2012 | Initiated the Student Fellows Competition, designed to identify and support counselor education students in Virginia who aspire to leadership in the counseling profession. Resumed awarding small grants for proposals which furthered counseling initiatives in the Commonwealth. Grants are awarded twice annually subject to merit and appropriateness of the submissions. |
| 2011 | Foundation redefined its focus as the “alumni association for professional counselors in all settings.” Continued to focus on supporting, empowering, and nurturing professional counselors throughout their lifetimes. |
| 2010 | Rebirth of the Foundation’s contributions to the profession, with another sponsorship of the VCA Journal. |
| 2009 | A year of reorganization and reflection, with many plans made for the new direction of the Foundation ahead. By-Laws revised, and Foundation Board vacancies filled, Board |
| 2008 | Came to a critical decision point, where the existing leaders had to determine the future of the group. Fortunately for counselors in the Commonwealth, the leaders decided to maintain the Foundation and instill a renewed energy in the vision that Dr. Cook had for the organization at the outset . |
| 2007 | Assisted VCA in hosting the ACA Southern Region Leadership Conference. |
| 2005 | Sponsored a pre-convention workshop for clinical counselors at the VCA Annual Convention. |
| 2004 | Funded the printing of the VCA Journal, and continued to fund annually since. |
| 2003 | Sponsored a workshop for Central Valley Counselors Association on Attachment Disorders. |
| 2002 | Awarded funding for the VCA Office to initiate web services with Affiniscape and assisted the counseling community in preparing for the implementation of the Standards of Learning. |
| 2001-2006 | Annually funded professional development scholarships to provide for two new VCA members to attend the state convention and a second year’s membership in VCA. |
| 1998 & 2000 | Co-sponsored, with funds from the Virginia Department of Education, nine regional workshops on HIV/AIDS for counselors and nurses working in the school settings. |
| 1992 | VCA Board voted to allot 10 percent of profits from the annual VCA Convention to the Foundation each year. |
| 1991 | In the VCA Foundation’s founding year, sizable contributions were made by several members, including the establishment of The Nancy McCoy Fund under the Foundation’s auspices in memory of the VCA’s late secretary. Awarded research grants up to $500 for materials and other resources to professional counselors in support of their leadership and professional development efforts. The VCA leadership voted to name the keynote lecture at each annual VCA Convention the John Cook Convention Keynote, which VCAF has sponsored on a regular basis over the years. John Cook Award initiated, to recognize a VCA Counselor for “long and meritorious service to VCA and the counseling profession“. John Cook was the first recipient. |