Executive Committee

The Div. 19 executive committee consists of the president, president-elect, past-president, secretary, treasurer, members-at-large and representative to APA council.

President: Mark Staal

Lt. Col. (Ret) Mark Staal, PhD, ABPP, previously served as the U.S. Air Force’s senior operational psychologist and an associate professor of behavioral science and leadership at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Mark completed a postdoctoral fellowship in human factors engineering at NASA and has published numerous papers on topics including resiliency, ethics and operational psychology. He currently serves as an operational psychology consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton in support of U.S. Special Operations Command.

President-elect: Steve Bowles 

Past President: Sally Harvey

Over the course of a 27-plus year military career, COL(R) Sally Harvey, PhD, has served in clinical and operational positions, with duty assignments in the United States, Asia and Europe, as well as multiple trips to combat theaters. She has completed a fellowship in neuropsychology as well as training in aeromedical psychology and survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE). Her awards include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the AMEDD “A” Proficiency Designation. At present, she continues to serve as a civilian psychologist in support of the medical evaluation board process at Fort Hood, Texas, finally sharing the same 10-digit grid square with her best friend, and husband, Richard.

Secretary: Nathan Ainspan

Nathan D. Ainspan, PhD, has conducted research, written and spoken extensively about the psychological issues impacting wounded and transitioning service members. He is the research psychologist with the Transition to Veterans Program Office (TVPO) of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. This office has been tasked with revising the Transition Assistance Program that is a requirement for all service members. Ainspan’s role is to ensure that the revision of the program is based on behavioral science and psychological research. His research focus has been on improving civilian employment opportunities for returning service members and the positive impact that employment can have on service members with posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and other injuries. He is editing the “Handbook of Psychosocial Interventions for Veterans” to be published by Oxford University Press in 2015 and has edited “When the Warrior Returns: Making the Transition at Home” and “Returning Wars Wounded, Injured, and Ill: A Handbook.”

Treasurer:  Scott Johnston

Capt. Scott L. Johnston is a native Californian and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Davis and his PhD in clinical psychology from the Pacific Graduate School in Palo Alto. He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at Harvard Medical School. He has been a licensed clinical psychologist since 1995 and is board certified in both forensic and clinical psychology.

Capt. Johnston was commissioned in 1993. During his career he has served at Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), Naval Hospital Yokosuka Japan, Marine Barracks Washington, Presidential Helicopter Squadron One and Naval Health Clinic Hawai’i. He deployed with the USS Constellation Expeditionary Strike Group to the Persian Gulf; 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit; Charlie Surgical Company to Fallujah, Iraq; 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment to Ramadi, Iraq; 3rd Marine Regiment to Haditha, Iraq; and Joint Task Force, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He is currently stationed at NMCSD, where he serves as the director for the Naval Center for Combat & Opera-tional Stress Control. He also serves as the specialty leader for Navy clinical psychology.

Academically, Capt. Johnston has published and lectured around the world on treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), building resilience in Marines and sailors and transitional interventions for returning warriors. He is currently investigating virtual reality treatments for PTSD, stress injuries in detention operations and use of meditation in substance-abuse treatment.

Capt. Johnston’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy Achievement Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal (Fleet Marine Force), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (Fleet Marine Force) and various service and unit awards.

Members at Large
  • Arlene Saitzyk
  • Tatana Olson
  • Paul Bartone
APA Council Representatives
  • Larry James
  • Carrie Kennedy