New appointment advances recognition of fire service psychology in the US
Iain Hoey
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Newly elected Section Officers for APA Division 18 encourage broader public service psychology representation
According to information from the American Psychological Association’s Division 18 Psychologists in Public Service, the following officers were elected in 2025.
Dr Meera Patel has been appointed Secretary/Treasurer of the Criminal Justice Section.
Alex Ray will serve as Student Representative for the same section.
Members of that section who stood for election were thanked and encouraged to remain involved in future leadership roles.
Dr Kristen Wheldon has been selected as Chair Elect of the Police and Public Safety Section of APA Division 18.
Dr Thomas Coghlan was elected as Secretary/Treasurer for that section.
This marks the first time a psychologist with expertise in fire service psychology will feature at the leadership level of that section, reflecting progress towards formal recognition of the fire service within Division 18.
Significance for fire service psychology recognition
There is no dedicated fire service psychology section in APA Division 18.
The appointment of a fire service psychologist to Chair Elect of the Police and Public Safety Section may help elevate the role of fire service psychology in the broader professional psychology community.
This development could support future inclusion of fire service practitioners in Division 18 governance.
Election process and participation acknowledged
Dr Edgar Villarreal, PhD, President Elect for 2024–2025, extended thanks to all candidates and voters.
He emphasised that member participation in the election supports APA Division 18’s mission to advocate for public service psychology both inside and outside APA.
Election of Division 18 officers advances recognition of fire service psychology in the US: Summary
This report covers the election outcomes for Division 18 Psychologists in Public Service of the American Psychological Association, as shared by the Executive Committee.
The Criminal Justice Section confirmed the appointment of Dr Meera Patel as Secretary/Treasurer and Alex Ray as Student Representative.
Meanwhile, the Police and Public Safety Section chose Dr Kristen Wheldon as Chair Elect and Dr Thomas Coghlan as Secretary/Treasurer.
These roles were contested by multiple candidates.
The leadership of Dr Wheldon is notable because she is the first psychologist with fire service psychology credentials to assume a senior role in that section, advancing fire service recognition within APA.
APA Division 18 continues to encourage candidate participation and member voting to shape its governance and representation of public service psychology broadly