Dr. Gena St. David to depart after nearly 15 years of service; Dr. Awa Jangha named director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality
Seminary of the Southwest announces the departure of Dr. Gena St. David, director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality, following nearly 15 years of distinguished service to the seminary. Dr. Awa Jangha, a longtime member of the counseling faculty and nationally recognized leader in counselor education, will succeed St. David as director of the center.
St. David has played a central role in establishing Southwest’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program as a distinctive leader in counselor education, particularly in the integration of spirituality, multicultural competency, and a commitment to serving historically underserved communities.
St. David first joined Southwest in 2012 as an adjunct instructor at the invitation of then-Dean and President Cynthia Kittredge. She became a full-time faculty member in 2015, the same year the seminary established the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality. Working alongside colleagues, including Dr. Stephanie Ramirez and founding director Dave Scheider, she helped build the center’s curriculum, expand its faculty, and establish the foundations for its growth. She became director of the center in 2019.
During her tenure, the counseling program more than tripled its enrollment and expanded to six core faculty members. St. David helped guide the development of the program’s accreditation efforts and contributed to securing nearly $10 million in grant and endowment support, including funding for three endowed faculty chairs.
Among her most significant contributions was helping establish innovative initiatives that connect counselor education with community needs. These include the Bishop Dena Harrison Fellowship Program and the Richmond/Rosenberg Bilingual Fellowship Program, which support graduates serving underserved communities; the Latinx Counseling Concentration; and programs advancing spiritual integration and racial healing.
An accomplished scholar and author, St. David published two books during her time at Southwest, The Brain and the Spirit (2021) and The Nonviolent Brain (2026), along with research and program evaluation studies exploring the relationship between counseling, spirituality, and human wellbeing.
“So many of us are beneficiaries of the contributions Dr. St David has made to our common life in her 15 years of service,” said the Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D., academic dean. “She has worked tirelessly with the counseling faculty to make ours a beacon of anti-racism among counseling programs. She has richly collaborated with the theology faculty by learning with them as well as helping them deepen their theological insights. She has transformed the lives of so many students by her teaching and by modeling for them how to be a great human being. We are all better because of her time among us.”
Reflecting on her years at Southwest, St. David expressed gratitude for the colleagues, students, and alumni who have helped shape the program.
“It has been the honor of my professional life to help build the counseling program at Seminary of the Southwest over these past nearly fifteen years,” St. David said. “I am deeply grateful — to Cynthia Kittredge for first bringing me on, to the faculty and staff who built this program alongside me, and to every student and alum who has trusted us with their formation as counselors.”
Dr. St. David was previously announced as a featured speaker for this year’s Blandy Lectures, an occasion that now takes on special significance as she prepares to conclude her time at Southwest. This year’s Blandy programming will also provide an opportunity for the seminary community to celebrate her service and recognize her contributions to the institution, its students, and the counseling profession.
St. David will continue her professional work in individual, couples, family, and trauma therapy, as well as writing, speaking, and consulting on nonviolence and practices of care that support the wellbeing of individuals, communities, and the wider world.
Dr. Awa Jangha Named New Director
As Southwest celebrates St. David’s contributions, the seminary also announces the appointment of Dr. Awa Jangha as the next director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality. Dr. St. David’s last day at Southwest will be December 31, 2026. Dr. Jangha will begin in her new role on January 1, 2027.
A member of Southwest’s faculty since 2016, Jangha brings extensive experience as an educator, clinician, scholar, and leader in the counseling profession. Her work has been especially influential in advancing spiritually integrated counseling and culturally responsive approaches to mental health care.
“Gena has been such a fantastic leader and colleague,” said Dr. Jangha. “She embodies both grace and strength- qualities which have fostered growth and flourishing within our counseling program. I am glad to carry on the wonderful work Dr. St. David has begun and I look forward to continuing to cultivate the richness of the MHC program.”
Jangha recently received the Meritorious Service Award from the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC), recognizing her leadership of a national task force that revised the profession’s Spiritual and Religious Competencies and Best Practices. At Southwest, she has helped shape the counseling curriculum and co-developed the Spiritual Integration in Scholars program, further strengthening the center’s distinctive approach to counselor formation.
“My sadness that Dr. St. David is leaving is mitigated by my delight that Dr Jangha will succeed her as director,” said the Rev. King. “Dr. Jangha already serves Southwest so well and makes great contributions to her field. The Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling just gave her their meritorious service award for 2026. She will now share such expertise with us in a leadership capacity.”
St. David expressed particular enthusiasm for Jangha’s appointment.
“I’m so proud of the program we’ve built together, and of the alumni community of talented, compassionate, culturally responsive, and spiritually integrated counselors it continues to grow,” St. David said. “I’m also delighted that Dr. Awa Jangha will be stepping into the role as the new director. Awa brings extraordinary national leadership to this role. The seminary’s counseling program, students, and community partners are in wonderful hands.”
Under Jangha’s leadership, the center will continue its commitment to preparing skilled, compassionate mental health professionals who integrate clinical excellence, spiritual understanding, and cultural responsiveness in service to individuals and communities.
Seminary of the Southwest extends its deep gratitude to Dr. St. David for her extraordinary contributions to the institution and the counseling profession, and warmly welcomes Dr. Jangha into this new leadership role.