Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I am pleased to share that this March, Carol Merchasin, JD, will assume the role of President of ICSA. At that time, I will step aside as Board President and transition into the role of Vice President. This planned transition reflects the Board’s ongoing commitment to strong governance, continuity, and thoughtful leadership development.
It has been a true honor to serve the ICSA community in this capacity over the past six years—a period marked by both challenge and meaningful progress.
Among the most significant developments during this time have been the revision of our Bylaws and the procedural updates required to ensure full compliance with 501(c)(3) standards, as well as the restructuring of our Board processes. Throughout these changes, the Board has demonstrated extraordinary dedication, approaching complex issues with both discernment and integrity.
A particularly important milestone has been the establishment of three-year Board terms, with a maximum of nine years of continuous service. Our past presidents, Steve Eichel and Lorna Goldberg, voluntarily initiated their departures from the Board to help catalyze this process of renewal. Their decisions were not driven by a desire to leave, but by a commitment to lead by example and strengthen the long-term vitality of ICSA’s leadership. Steve, Lorna, and others who have stepped aside remain active and essential members of our community.
We are already benefiting from the addition of new Directors Adam Arnold, Omar Saldaña, and Zoe Lambert. Our leadership is not diminishing, but expanding and evolving.
Working closely with our Executive Director, Jackie Johnson, we have streamlined key processes to ensure that ICSA remains fully compliant with nonprofit regulations and responsive to developments in the field. Leadership transition has opened new avenues for innovation and growth. Our membership continues to expand, enabling us to deepen and broaden our understanding of coercive control—a term that captures patterns of abusive and inhumane behavior across many contexts, including cultic groups, interpersonal relationships, gangs, human trafficking networks, workplaces, spiritual communities, the troubled teen industry, and other high-control environments. Through our website, publications, conferences, and professional collaborations, we remain steadfast in our mission to educate, advance research, and support recovery.
It is with great confidence that I introduce our incoming President, Carol Merchasin, JD. Carol is Of Counsel and Head of the Spiritual Misconduct Legal Practice at McAllister Olivarius. An accomplished attorney, she specializes in cases involving sexual misconduct, forced labor, and other abuses within religious, faith-based, and spiritual communities. Known for her fearless advocacy on behalf of survivors, Carol has investigated and litigated cases across a wide range of global religious movements, including Shambhala International, the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, and FPMT, among others. She brings deep expertise in litigation and investigation, a survivor-centered approach to legal practice, and a longstanding commitment to confronting abuses of power in high-control environments. In addition to her legal work, Carol is a respected public speaker who contributes to international conversations on accountability, reform, and survivor support.
With Carol’s leadership, a dynamic and forward-looking Board of Directors, Executive Director Jackie Johnson, and the continued engagement of our members, I am confident that ICSA is well positioned to meet the challenges ahead and to expand its impact in meaningful ways.
Warmly,
Debby Schriver
