California Career Development Association (CCDA) is the second largest division of the California Counseling Association (CCA), formerly the California Association for Counseling Development, and the state chapter of the national Career Development Association (NCDA). CCDA was founded in 1968 as the California Vocational Guidance Association and was a founding division of the California Personnel and Guidance Association (now CACD) along with the California School Counselor Association, the California Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Guidance (now the California Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development), the California Rehabilitation Counselors Association, and the California Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.

In the early 1970s the California Vocational Guidance Association, following the lead of its national association, changed its name to the California Career Development Association in order to emphasize the developmental nature of the practice of career counseling and to redefine the changing scope of its membership. The name change was an acknowledgment of certain professional and societal changes.

Career development was beginning to be more than what school counselors did; it was becoming part of business, industry, and government as well as nonprofit community agencies and private professional counselors, many of whom can be found in this directory.

CCDA has been a leader in the professionalization of the career counseling field. Under the strong leadership of career professionals with substantial private practices like Judith Grutter, Dean Porter, Norma Zuber, Martha Russell, and Mark Pope, CCDA has led the drive in the California General Assembly for the licensing of career counselors.

One very important by-product of this legislative effort has been the founding of the California Registry for Professional Counselors and Paraprofessionals ("Registry"). This Registry, with CCDA Past-President Robert Swan as Executive Director, was established in 1991 with the explicit goal of establishing standards of practice which will help protect the public from those not qualified to provide professional career counseling services.

CCDA, as part of its professional development program for its membership, founded the California Career Conference in 1983. This annual conference, now called the International Career Development Conference and California Career Conference, along with the CACD Annual Convention, features important speakers and presenters in career development from all over the world and has become one of the premier events for professionals who specialize in career development.

Most recently, CCDA has begun to have an impact nationally. In 1991 Norma Zuber and Martha Russell attended the NCDA Legislative Networking Seminar and then in 1992, Mark Pope, 1994-95 CCDA President, was elected NCDA Secretary. Mark was subsequently elected NCDA President for 1998-99. Martha Russell, 1993-94 CCDA President, is the 2000-2002 Secretary of NCDA. These initial forays have lead to increased visibility for ongoing CCDA programs.

Although CCDA has had consistently high quality programs throughout the history of the organization, national recognition came in 1993 and 2000 when CCDA was awarded the NCDA Outstanding State Award and Judith Grutter, a CCDA Past President, received the NCDA Merit Award for her outstanding work in career assessment. Martin Rosenberg, CCDA Board Member, received the NCDA Legislative Award in 2000, and Dean Porter, 1991-92 CCDA President, received the NCDA Merit Award in 2001.

CCDA Executive Board

CCDA Past Presidents
2008-09 - Robert Wendt
2007-08 - Kathy Engelstad
2006-07 – Rochelle McCready
2005-06 – Mary Robins
2004-05 – Serena Santillanes
2003-04 – Michelle Beese
2002-03 – Greg Jackson
2001-02 – Sally Gelardin
2000-01 – Claudia Finkel
1999-00 – Amy Lichy
1998-99 – Sue Aiken
1997-98 – Patrick Kelwin
1996-97 – Lois Reid
1995-96 – Mary Clare Gildon
1994-95 – Mark Pope
1993-94 – Martha Russell
1992-93 – Norma Zuber
1991-92 – Dean Porter
1990-91 – Wade Hawley
1989-90 – Linda Surrell
1988-89 – Judith Grutter
1987-88 – Sharon Paul
1986-87 – Judith Wilson
1984-86 – Shel Weissman
1984-84 – Dick Knowdell
1982-84 – John Patterson
1981-82 – Robert Swan
1980-81 – Jerry Miller
1979-80 – Clella Klinge-Wood
1978-79 – Ed Whitfield (NCDA President also)
1976-77 – Joe Ogilvie
1975-76 – Patricia Cook
1974-75 – Stanley Ostrum
1973-74 – Thomas Jacobson
1972-73 – LeRoy Hill
1971-72 – David Phillips
1970-71 – Charles Roumasett
1969-70 – John C. Flanagan
1968-69 – Karl Kunze