A Path Discovered: Dr. Tony DeBono on Volunteering with ASPPB
A registrar’s perspective on professional growth, continental community, and organizational stewardship.
For Tony DeBono, MBA, Ph.D., C.Psych., Registrar and CEO of the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario in Canada, the path into volunteerism with the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)® is one he traces back to his first committee role. As a member of the Board Administrators and Registrars Committee (BARC), DeBono attended his first ASPPB Midyear Meeting in Denver in April of 2023, where he remembers encountering a community of professionals who were engaging, thoughtful, and genuinely invested in a shared commitment to psychology regulation in service of public protection. His presence at subsequent meetings brought new opportunities: substantive conversations, fresh perspectives to reflect on, and invitations to present at future meetings.
When a colleague recognized DeBono’s business acumen and suggested a seat on the Finance and Audit Committee (FAC), he was ready for the challenge. The FAC is fundamental to the Association, as it provides input and recommendations to the ASPPB Board of Directors to assist in fulfilling the Board’s fiduciary duties of overseeing the Association’s finances. Accepting the invitation opened a chapter of professional engagement that continues to shape how he leads and learns.
Stewardship in Service of ASPPB’s Mission
The Finance and Audit Committee is one of several standing committees through which ASPPB fulfills its governance responsibilities to its 66 member jurisdictions across the U.S. and Canada. Meeting quarterly with the CEO and Finance Officer, the FAC reviews ASPPB’s budget, examines variances, and ensures that all resources are directed appropriately. Additionally, it oversees the external audit process on behalf of the Board of Directors and annually advises on ASPPB’s investment portfolio, maintaining appropriate oversight while respecting the autonomy of senior leadership. Chaired by Dr. Cindy Olvey, the committee includes incoming board members and the president-elect, making it a meaningful introduction to both the financial foundation and broader leadership community within ASPPB.
DeBono credits his service on the FAC with giving him a unique view of the organization through direct involvement. He has found that understanding how an organization allocates and manages its resources provides a clear, transparent picture of its priorities in practice. “I will say, when you see how much work is done day in and day out, you gain so much more of an appreciation for it all,” Debono stated that this firsthand perspective has strengthened his confidence in ASPPB and enhanced his ability to represent its work to his own jurisdiction in Ontario, seeing this insight as one of the less visible yet equally meaningful benefits of volunteering on the FAC. When asked what energizes him most about ASPPB’s volunteer community, he shares: “The people. It’s the people, the shared values; I hope these are lifelong relationships.”
On Volunteering with ASPPB: “It needs Canadians to step up and volunteer, to help support that, to make sure that it is as representative as possible across both of the great nations.”
Tony DeBono, MBA, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Convergence of Commitment and Community
Among the many aspects of volunteer service that have influenced DeBono professionally, working with ASPPB’s Chief Executive Officer, Mariann Burnetti-Atwell, PsyD, stands out as an ongoing lesson in leading with both precision and grace. Her consistent ability to balance organizational responsibility with genuine human awareness, whether in the context of committee governance or the unpredictable, has given him language, approach, and perspective he can bring back to his own college’s FAC. That same spirit of applied learning extends to the perspective gained through engagement with the American psychological and financial landscape, offering a view of governance at a scale that complements and enriches his experience within the Canadian regulatory context.
Having experienced firsthand what cross-jurisdictional engagement offers, including a broader understanding of how psychology regulation serves the public in two distinct yet connected national contexts, DeBono speaks with genuine enthusiasm about Canadian representation within ASPPB’s volunteer community and fervently supports the opportunities the exchange provides. For him, that enthusiasm is not only reflective; it has translated into active advocacy for jurisdictional support of volunteer participation. When asked how supportive jurisdictions should be of their members’ participation in ASPPB, he answers: “As supportive as absolutely possible, this is key for every jurisdiction.”
Referring to Canadian jurisdictions’ transition from the American Psychological Association (APA) Code of Ethics to the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Code of Ethics as an example, DeBono emphasizes that Canadian participation in this manner helps to ensure that the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP)® reflects both national contexts. “The team that works on the EPPP does an excellent job to ensure that it is as appropriate for the Canadian context as it is for the American context.” From his perspective, ASPPB “…needs Canadians to step up and volunteer, to help support that, to make sure that it is as representative as possible across both of the great nations.” Having contributed across the Board Administrators and Registrars Committee (BARC), the Bylaws Revision Task Force (BRTF), and FAC, for DeBono, volunteering with ASPPB as a Canadian registrar has been professionally enriching and personally meaningful, and he encourages fellow Canadian jurisdictions to support and invest in their members’ participation wherever possible.
Volunteers bring diverse experience, perspectives, and dedication that strengthen both the organization and the jurisdictions it serves. For some, volunteering begins with a formal call. For others, as it did for Tony DeBono, it starts with a meeting and a community that makes the next step feel natural. Across all paths to volunteerism, ASPPB is grateful for the service of its volunteers, whose time and expertise support the organization’s mission of helping its 66 member jurisdictions fulfill their responsibility for public protection.
Interested in more from ASPPB’s volunteer community? Stay informed by visiting: ASPPB Stories
