DISTRICT 23

Dr. Jo-Ann is a fourth generation Apostolic Pentecostal whose mother was her first pastor.  She credits this “store front” experience as establishing a foundation for true holiness.

Dr. Lipford Sanders is the retired Dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education and Professor of Graduate Studies in Counseling at a public university in Ohio.  She has held other academic positions as Program Director, program accreditation liaison, Faculty Representative to the Board of Directors, and grant writer.  She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Bowling Green State University in Liberal Studies/Psychology and Guidance/Counseling respectively, and her doctorate from Kent State University in Counselor Education and Human Development, with a concentration in Marriage and Family counseling.  She also has experience in private clinical practice and maintains her professional clinical mental health counselor license with a supervisory endorsement, in the state of Ohio. While not currently practicing, her clinical experience is diverse. Since retirement, she continues to mentor and teach masters and doctoral level students at Walden University, as well as providing pro bono telehealth services for medical health professionals and first responders in the state of Ohio.

 She has professional publications in the areas of multicultural counseling practices with children and African American adolescent girls, working with the African American family, African American women, women and stress, counseling advocacy and ethical practices of counseling.  Influenced by her interest in female adolescent development, Dr. Lipford Sanders has designed and implemented various groups for children and adolescents (Honey in the Rock – life preparation for adolescent girls, C.H.I.P.S. – Children having incarcerated parents succeed, Kujichagulia – Support group for African American college women, to name a few).  She has extensive presentations in her other research interest areas:  African American families, familial socialization, multiculturalism, forgiveness, and counselor training.  She co-edited a monograph, published by the American Counseling Association (ACA), entitled “Counseling African American Families” and is an often-sought-after motivational speaker in colleges, schools and churches.

She is an active member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and its several auxiliaries (state and national), the American Multicultural Counseling Association (AMCD), the NAACP, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and Chi Sigma Iota.  She has served as Chair of the ACA Ethics Committee and as an editorial board member of The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Counseling and Therapy for Couples and the Journal of Counseling and Development.  Dr. Lipford Sanders has served as the co-chair of the 2009 Standards Revision Committee (SRC) for the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and for over 12 years as the Treasurer of the Ohio Association of Counselor Education and Supervision (OACES). 

Dr. Lipford Sanders infuses her love for knowledge about human development and wellness with her love for teaching.  She has had the opportunity to teach at Heidelberg University in Sapporo, Japan and at Tianjin Normal University in Tianjin, China several times over the course of her academic career.  She has also traveled extensively abroad both professionally and personally.

Dr. Lipford Sanders received the 2018 Educator Award from the Seneca Chamber of Commerce; 2018 Mentor award from the Ohio Counselor Education and Supervision; 2018 Mentor Award from Chi Sigma Iota; 2015 Firelands College Outstanding Alumni award; 2013 Woman of Inspiration award; 2011 Heidelberg University’s Ream Paradiso Distinguished Teacher award; 2009 Ohio Counseling Association Distinguished Service award; 2009 Herman J. Peters Award from the Ohio Counseling Association; 2008 BGSU Accomplished Alumni Award from Bowling Green State University; and the Mary Smith Arnold Anti-Oppression Award, Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ) from the American Counseling Association. She has served as board chair for two county mental health services.  She received a $2,000 grant to study female socialization practices in West Africa; and $2 million dollars worth of grants to assist graduate clinical mental health and school counseling students provide mental health services in rural and underrepresented areas, as well as to develop a center for violence against women on a university campus.

She is baptized in Jesus Name and received the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Dr. Jo-Ann has served in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in the young people’s department, minister’s wives auxiliary and the Transformational Leadership Institute.  Over the years she has been a member in the Ohio District Council.  She is a mentor and much sought-after inspirational speaker whose calling is to help women see and experience their potential.  For 44 years, she served as the chair of women’s ministry at Emmanuel Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith hosting an annual Women’s Holy Convocation entitled “Gather2Grow;” taught in the Sunday School program; and hosted a weekly online Biblical Conversations class.  She is the widow of Bishop Rufus G. W. Sanders, Ph.D. and resides in Pepper Pike, OH.