Staff Participants

President and Chief Executive Officer, NBCC and Affiliates

Dr. Kylie Dotson-Blake serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and Affiliates. With over 70,000 National Certified Counselors (NCCs) and partnerships and engagement in more than 40 countries, NBCC works to leverage the power of counselor certification to advance health equity and expand access to mental health services across the globe. Dr. Dotson-Blake joined the leadership team at NBCC as the interim Chief Operating and Policy Officer and later served as the interim President and CEO. Her tenure at NBCC also includes 6 years of service on the NBCC Board of Directors, with two terms as the elected Chair of the Board. Previously, Dr. Dotson-Blake served as professor and Counselor Education Program Coordinator at East Carolina University, in Greenville, North Carolina. She received a doctorate in counselor education from The College of William and Mary. Over the course of her career, Dr. Dotson-Blake’s scholarship and engagement have focused on increasing access to mental health services in rural communities and expanding counseling services for children and families. Her professional service has largely centered on promoting and sustaining the professional infrastructure of counseling through governmental engagement and interagency collaboration.

Chief Operating Officer, NBCC

Rebecca S. Amburn has served as Chief Operating Officer for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and Affiliates since September of 2019. This follows a 30-year career in the hospitality industry marked by successive promotions through the highest levels of leadership in the industry. From 2013 to 2019, in addition to continuing to provide consultation within the hospitality industry, Amburn operated a private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Board Certified Coach (BCC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Amburn’s extensive history in leadership allowed her to develop a wealth of professional experience and deep business acumen, having served as Senior Vice President for Homewood Suites Brand Management and as Senior Vice President, Electronic Distribution & Customer Relationship Management for the Hilton Hotels Corporation. Amburn served on the CCE Board of Directors for 4 years prior to joining NBCC, including a term as Chair.

Chief Government Affairs Officer, Executive Director of the Policy Advocacy and Research in Counseling Center (PARC), NBCC and Affiliates

Brian D. Banks is the Chief Government Affairs Officer and the Executive Director of the Policy, Advocacy, and Research in Counseling Center (PARC) for the National Board for Certified Counselors and Affiliates. He has over 25 years of government affairs experience, including working for Non-Governmental Organizations, the Air Force, Congress, and for-profit organizations. He also served a term as a White House Community Leader for the Obama administration, as well as the Congressional Strategy and Engagement Lead for former United States Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. His résumé boasts a variety of experiences focused on issues including health care, education, tax policy, gaming, healthy food access, and the environment. Banks earned his bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Marshall University, where he was a member of the Thundering Herd football team and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Salisbury University, where he studied business communication. He earned his Master of Arts in politics with a focus on congressional studies from The Catholic University of America. Banks is a native of Washington, D.C., and is a published author. In his spare time he enjoys perfecting his culinary skills, pilot training, boating, and going for motorcycle rides, but spending time with his family is his favorite thing to do.

Vice President, Business Services and Partnerships Division, CCE

Tammi Lee oversees the daily operations of CCE’s state agency services, business development, and contracted management services. This responsibility involves engagement with our credential partners and training providers, promotion of our training programs, curriculum development for our credentials, organizational services, and management of educational equivalency review processes and contracts. She also oversees the management of CCE’s contracted clients, state licensure examinations, Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) registrations, and jurisprudence assessment delivery. She ensures exemplary customer service is reflected in every phone call. Maintaining strong relationships with our state board representatives and partners is paramount to the success of CCE. Relocating from her home state of Georgia, Lee joined CCE in 2013 as an application reviewer after a 20-year career as a customer service supervisor. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Guilford College and earned her MBA from Capella University in 2020.

Vice President, Credentialing and Quality Assurance Division, NBCC

Callie Marino received her Master of Science and Education Specialist degrees in couples and family counseling from UNC Greensboro. In her current role, she ensures NBCC standards for all certifications and credentials, including ethical codes and continuing education provider responsibilities. Marino also oversees examination development and maintenance in accordance with best practices in credentialing and test development. She is also a marriage and family counselor in private practice in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Vice President, NBCC Foundation and Professional Services Division

Isabel Gomez joined the NBCC Foundation in November 2016 as the Grants and Events Project Manager. She was promoted to her role of Vice President of Foundation and Professional Services in November 2019. Gomez received a degree in business administration from Miami-Dade College in Miami, Florida. She has managed the logistics for multiple national conferences, regional trainings, and site-based events. She also has more than 30 years of experience managing logistics and contractual requirements, as well as managing databases, listservs, websites, and learning management systems, including on-demand distance learning.

Business Data Intelligence Specialist, CCE

Shonette Rangel joined the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) in June 2011 as a State Licensure Reviewer. During her tenure with CCE she has held many different roles. As an Accommodations Coordinator, she reviewed the registrations applications and supplemental documents for candidates with documented disabilities. In the Project Coordinator role, she was responsible for arranging the NCE and NCMHCE Examination Committee meetings. As the State Licensure Facilitation Manager, she managed the daily functions of the Facilitation staff and Counselor Preparation Comphrehensive Examination (CPCE) program. In her current role as the Business Data Intelligence Specialist, she supports the State Licensure Facilitation and CPCE teams. Rangel acts as the point of contact for Pearson VUE, our test administrator, and Thoughtspan, our Credentialing Gateway database vendor. She also assists the Vice President of CCE with reporting data to state board regulators.

Director of Assessments, Lead Psychometrician, NBCC

Dr. Unber Ahmad is the Director of Assessments and Lead Psychometrician for the National Board for Certified Counselors and Affiliates, where she oversees and maintains eight critical examination programs that serve as the gateway to certification and licensure for mental health professionals across the country. In her role with these high-stakes examinations, she leads the team responsible for ensuring the examinations are based on rigorous work analyses, the items are developed in accordance with psychometric best practices, and the passing decisions are produced by formal standard-setting procedures. Dr. Ahmad holds a PhD and Master of Science in industrial/organizational psychology from North Carolina State University and a master’s degree in statistics. In addition to her work at NBCC, Dr. Ahmad leads a specialized consultancy that partners with public sector clients to develop customized assessment solutions and ensure psychometrically appropriate assessment development. She also provides psychometric services to partners in the K–12 domain for statewide assessments. In prior roles, she has worked at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, the Durham VA Medical Center, and the Carolina Population Center.

Director of Ethics, NBCC And Affiliates

Dr. Brenden A. Hargett serves as the Director of Ethics for the National Board for Certified Counselors and Affiliates, Inc. He holds a PhD in rehabilitation counseling and rehabilitation counselor education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. Dr. Hargett is credentialed as a National Certified Counselor (NCC), Master Addictions Counselor (MAC), a North Carolina Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC), and a North Carolina Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS).

Dr. Hargett also works as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Counseling at North Carolina A&T State University and in various other roles. He works tirelessly to improve and enhance behavioral health to create a responsive and comprehensive array of resources and services.

Legislative Research Manager, NBCC and Affiliates

Jolie Long is the Legislative Research Manager in the Government and Legislative Affairs Department and the Policy, Advocacy, and Research in Counseling Center (PARC) for the National Board for Certified Counselors. She has over 30 years of experience working in the counseling profession in various capacities, including hospital, university, and association positions. Her current focus is developing and implementing policy initiatives in the state and federal legislative arena to promote professional excellence. She aims to strengthen the regulatory framework of the profession, expand governmental recognition of counselors, and increase access to high-quality counseling services. She analyzes active legislation and policy and coordinates advocacy, lobbying, and grassroots efforts on behalf of counselors and the profession. She is the former Executive Director of the American Association of State Counseling Boards (AASCB), where she provided oversight, strategic leadership, and day-to-day administration of the organization. She received her master’s and Educational Specialist degrees in counseling and educational development from UNC Greensboro.

Director of Operations and Procurement, NBCC

Robin Colburn joined NBCC in 2012. As the Director of Operations and Procurement, Colburn supports NBCC and Affiliates’ strategic and operational objectives through directing, supervising, and leading the organization’s procurement and contracts efforts and providing leadership in the development, implementation, and oversight of procurement policies, processes, and programs. Colburn brings more than 30 years of experience in business administration and management to her profession. Her passion and enthusiasm for helping others, coupled with extensive experience, have been a great asset to NBCC and Affiliates.

Executive Strategic Project Coordinator, Office of the President and CEO, NBCC

Regan Whicker is the Executive Strategic Project Coordinator for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and Affiliates. Whicker joined the NBCC Executive Department in July 2024 after working in the Ethics Department for the past 2 years. In her current role, she oversees projects from the Executive Department and coordinates cross-departmental teams for project development, implementation, and launch. Whicker also assists in the election of Board members and strategically coordinates meetings for the NBCC and Affiliates Boards of Directors and Trustees. She received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and will soon be working toward a Master of Business Administration.

Graphics Team Lead, NBCC And Affiliates

Rachel Sommers is the Graphics Team Lead in the Communications Department for NBCC and Affiliates, where she plays a key role aligning visual communication efforts across the organization. She leads the development and execution of creative content, manages project timelines, and fosters cross-departmental collaboration to ensure the timely delivery of high-impact communications to stakeholders and staff. Driven by a deep commitment to NBCC’s mission of expanding the counselor workforce and access to quality mental health care, Sommers brings both precision and creativity to her work. Sommers received a Bachelor of Science in music education from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and is a professional vocalist, performing with three ensembles in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Digital Engagement Team Lead, NBCC and Affiliates

In her role as the Digital Engagement Team Lead, Tory Watkins Cherry helps develop and manage NBCC’s digital interactions through the organization’s social media presence, educational webinars, and website content. With over 10 years of experience working in a variety of nonprofit roles including communications, volunteer coordination, development, and grant writing, she is passionate about helping nonprofit spaces bring about more equitable practices and resources to the communities they serve. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Alabam