Archaeological excavations in Massachusetts reveal that the earliest human beings arrived here more than 10,000 years ago. Archaeologists call these earliest settlers "Paleo-Indians". They are the ancestors of today's Native Americans or Indians.

Massachusetts (officially called Commonwealth of Massachusetts) is one of the original 13 colonies and known for being the landing place of the Mayflower and the Pilgrims in 1620, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. English explorer and colonist John Smith chose our state's name to recognize the Massachusett tribe of Native Americans who lived in the Great Blue Hill region, south of Boston, the Indian term, roughly translated as, “at or about the Great Hill.”

Boston, the state capital, and specifically Faneuil Hall, a well-known stop on Boston’s Freedom Trail for over 20 million annual visitors, was the very center of intense meetings, discussions, protests, debates and activities during the American Revolutionary Period related to the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party, earning its affectionate nickname "The Cradle of Liberty". Faneuil Hall has provided a forum for debates, actives and lectures dealing with anti-slavery, Boston's Underground Railroad network, suffrage and other topics involving many individuals, including Samuel Adams, George Washington, Frederick Douglass, Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony and John Kennedy.

The earliest roots of our current MACDA, date back to The New England Vocational Guidance Association. In 2013 the NCDA Centennial Global Conference was celebrated in Boston, Massachusetts, where MACDA had on display a copy of our Constitution tracing back to The Greater Boston Vocational Guidance Association and the New England Vocational Guidance Association Charted in 1920.

The real history relating to some form of vocational guidance or counsel is clearly ancient. Plato founded The Academy, the first institution of higher learning in Greece. Plato's Republic discusses the polis, the Greek city-state, and defines its ideal form, the kallipolis, and he advocated that education is for men and women. He was keenly aware of the importance education for character and the wellbeing of human society. He advocated using penetrating questions to go beneath the surface, to grow, develop character and the ability to do good.

Modern vocational guidance and counseling is rooted in the United States (specifically Boston, Massachusetts), in the area now known as The North End, because of the efforts of Frank Parsons, an American educator and reformer, and his collaboration with several important individuals as mentioned further on. Parsons also lectured and wrote about the importance of education for character, discovering truth and one's calling using probing questions, and contributing one's calling to society. Parsons as well deliberated and then shared his own vision about The Ideal City and the role of education for men and women, as referenced below.

Parsons was a trained civil engineer and lawyer, joining the staff at the Boston University School of Law in 1891 for over a decade, and a social activist advocating for the underprivileged and improving city life including the lives of the working poor. He also became known as an economist and an authority on municipal government, and was an author of many articles and books including The World's Best Books, Our Country's Needs, The Law of Equal Freedom, and The Bondage of Cities.

In one speech to municipal leaders he emphasized the importance of inspiring (Parsons used the word "electrifying") men and women to become their best potential, "by giving every youth a thorough practical education, making every worker a partner in the business and cultivating a true civic patriotism and lofty ideals of devotion to individual and social service". He also asserted, "Train a child to do a kindly act each day, or better every hour, and soon the habit of kindness will become reflex". Further on during this same speech, he added, "Perhaps there will be a commission of experts to examine children and help them and their parents decide what occupations they are best adapted to" (Parsons, 1903, The Ideal City), certainly a foreshadowing of Parsons' involvement with The Vocation Bureau as Director, the systematic and scientific approach he created and called "vocational guidance", and the eventual establishment of the National Vocational Guidance Association, now known as the National Career Development Association.

In the 1890's his work had caught the attention of several others in Massachusetts when he was teaching classes at Boston University School of Law and Boston's YMCA. Philanthropist Pauline Agassiz Shaw founded the Civic House in 1901 to help poor people and immigrants obtain jobs, including providing them educational opportunities.

She appointed Meyer Bloomfield, a social worker and Harvard graduate, to head the Civic Service House where Parsons and his close friend and colleague, Ralph Albertson, were recruited to teach classes. In 1905 Parsons and Albertson founded the Breadwinner's Institute at the Civic Service House, and with other faculty, offered mostly 'liberal arts' courses to young men and women including two courses Parsons and Albertson taught together called Industrial History.

Bloomfield realized Parson's passion for the working poor and his interest in helping them with their vocational choices, and urged Parsons to create plans for an organization that would specifically focus on vocational guidance for young people using the scientific systematic approach he had created that primarily focused on a clear understanding of oneself, knowledge of the various possible requirements and job opportunities, and "true reasoning on the relations of these two groups of facts."

Parsons referenced himself in his book when discussing The Vocation Bureau of Boston, "The Vocation Bureau of Boston was founded in January, 1908, by Mrs. Quincy A. Shaw, on plans drawn up by the writer" (Parsons), and continues, "I stated the essence of the matter in a lecture on 'The Ideal City.'" Parsons then shared "That lecture was repeated in Boston before the Economic Club a few years ago, and soon after Mr. Myer Bloomfield and Mr. Philip Davis, on behalf of The Civic House, invited me to speak to the graduating class of one of the evening high schools on the choice of a vocation. After the talk a number of the young men asked for personal interviews, and the results proved to be so helpful that Mr. Bloomfield requested me to draw plans for the permanent organization of the work” (Parsons 1909, p. 89). Thus, The Vocation Bureau of Boston was established as a new department of The Civic House in the North End of Boston.

In January 13, 1908, the Vocation Bureau of Boston opened its doors as a new department in the Civic Service House, with Parsons as the Director, a major step in the institutionalization of vocational guidance globally. Parsons gave his first report to the executive committee of the Vocation Bureau on May 1, 1908, and presented the term "vocational guidance," thus using this term that would become the recognized name of this movement he had envisioned. His three colleagues included Ralph Albertson, Lucinda Wyman Prince, and Philip Davis, who had the title of "Associate Counsellor."

Parsons was intending to teach vocational courses to specifically train counselors in October 1908, and sadly died on September 26, 1908, less then two months before his fifty-fourth birthday.

Ralph Albertson assumed responsibility to teach those courses, Myer Bloomfield eventually became the Director of the Vocational Bureau, and Albertson published Parsons' notes that were planned for his book, posthumously.

Parsons described in his important book that while the majority of applicants to the Vocational Bureau were high school aged students or working youth, "a large number of men and women from fifteen to seventy-two years of age have come to us for consultation, and, according to their own statements, all but two have received much light and help, even declaring that the interview with the counselor was the most important hour of their lives."

Parsons had stipulated the critical importance of implementing some form of vocational guidance within the school system itself. To this end, the Commissioner of Education for Massachusetts, Dr. David Sweden, suggested a committee should plan the First National Conference on Vocational Education which took place during a two-day period, November 15 and 16, 1910 in Boston, sponsored by the Boston Vocation Bureau and the Boston Chamber of Commerce. Professionals from education, social work and corporate settings representing thirty-five cities were invited to participate in what was to be the first of three meetings. The Second National Conference was held in New York City, 1912 sponsored by Teachers College, Columbia University, during which it was decided to create a national organization for vocational guidance. At the Third National Conference in Grand Rapids Michigan, the National Vocational Guidance Association was founded in October, 1913, close to five years later to the month of Frank Parsons' death.

The National Vocational Guidance Association was founded in October, 1913

The National Vocational Guidance Association (NVCA) was one of the founding members of the American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA) in 1952. APGA changed its name to The American Association for Counseling and Development (AACD) in 1983.

The National Vocational Guidance Association retained its name (NVCA).

The National Vocational Guidance Association (NVCA) changed its name to The National Career Development Association (NCDA) in 1985 and has retained this name.

The American Association for Counseling and Development (AACD) changed its name to The American Counseling Association (ACA) in 1992 and has retained this name.

MACDA is one of NCDA's oldest State Divisions and has a longstanding tradition of serving persons in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Our roots trace back to the Associations listed below in reverse chronological order starting with our present State Division MACDA, each having different names as even the parent associations have also had name changes over the years, and all with a direct relationship that trace back to our roots in Boston, Massachusetts, the birthplace of vocational counseling.

A) The Massachusetts Career Development Association MACDA (1986-present)

B) The Massachusetts Bay Association of Counseling and Development (1983-1985) The use of the word "Bay" is a reference to the earlier colonial days because our Bay State was one of the 13 original colonies.

Its Constitution (Article 1, Section 3) stated, "This association also retains its charter as a branch of the National Career Development Association, a Founding Division of the "American Association for Counseling and Development," the latter name being changed to The American Counseling Association in 1992.

C) The Greater Boston Personnel and Guidance Association (1956-86)

D) The Greater Boston Vocational Association chartered in 1920.

E) The New England Vocational Guidance Association (1920-1925)

(“The New England Vocational Guidance Association was organized May 12, 1920, as the result of a series of meetings in Boston of persons interested in the vocational guidance movement. The call for the first meeting was issued by the President of the National Vocational Guidance Association, in accordance with the plan of that body to foster local associations." (October, 1925 article in the Field Department of The Vocational Guidance Magazine, Organ of The National Vocational Guidance Association, Vol. 1V, No. 1. The Bureau of Vocational Guidance, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA)

F) First National Conference on Vocational Education in Boston, sponsored by the Vocation Bureau of Boston and the Boston Chamber of Commerce (November 15 -16, 1910)

G) The Vocation Bureau of Boston, opens its doors as a new department in the Civic Service House, with Parsons as the Director, a major step in the institutionalization of vocational guidance globally. (1908)

H) Frank Parsons and colleague Ralph Albertson establish the Breadwinner's Institute at the Civic Service House in the North End, and offer courses that provided a two-year diploma. (1905)

I) Philanthropist Pauline Agassiz Shaw founded the Civic House to help poor people and immigrants obtain jobs, including educational opportunities. Meyer Bloomfield, a social worker and Harvard graduate, appointed to head the Civic Service House where Parsons and his close friend and colleague, Ralph Albertson, were recruited to give lectures.

MACDA in its early years was called MCDA (Massachusetts Career Development Association) and focused on uniting in one organization, all persons engaged or interested in any phase of counseling and development in the Massachusetts Bay Area. This included maintaining and improving professional standards, coordinating counseling activities in public or private agencies and related services for students and service providers.

Much of MCDA’s history during the 1980s through 2012 focused on the important role for school guidance counselors who facilitate students’ school-to-work and school-to-school transitions. This occurred under the leadership of Captain Edward Bryant, MCDA's previous longtime President and inspirational leader with numerous organizations, and a retired Captain in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. For over 21 years Captain Bryant also served as a Blue and Gold Officer for the Naval Academy for the state of Massachusetts.

MCDA collaborated closely with the Massachusetts School Counselors Association (MASCA) and encouraged the active participation of school counselors to connect with post-secondary institutions. Ed Bryant accomplished this through networking at numerous ‘dinner meetings’, including spearheading many activities for graduating high school youth who expressed an interest in serving with the United States armed services.

When Dr. Skip Niles became NCDA President (2003-2004) he invited Dr. Ed Colozzi, a member of MCDA, to be NCDA’s Membership Chair. While serving as NCDA Membership Chair under Skip, and four successive NCDA Presidents through 2007-08, Ed initiated five three-hour teleconferences that were implemented during the actual NCDA Global Conferences wherever they occurred, a first for NCDA!

This provided an opportunity for hundreds of individuals nationally and globally, who might have been unable to attend the NCDA Global Conference because of monetary or travel related challenges, to participate virtually, and receive NCDA CEs for these professional development activities.

These teleconferences included MCDA President Ed Bryant and participants signing in from Massachusetts while Ed Colozzi was at the Global NCDA Conference moderating the NCDA Teleconferences, and many NCDA State CDAs nationally, and international sites including Australia, China, Mexico City, Paris and even Lebanon, where the women gathered in ‘women-only public spaces’ as required by the gender segregation norms.

Ed was privileged to work with Skip Niles and also NCDA Executive Director Deneen Pennington and all her Career Management Alliance (CMA) Team, on these NCDA Global teleconferences and other membership initiatives. One was the Each One Reach One (EORO) Membership Initiative Ed had created while living in Hawaii and serving as Public Relations Director of the Hawaii State Jaycees in 1976, a volunteer appointment by the President of the Hawaii State Jaycees. He had used EORO with his MCDA chapter and then approached Skip, Deneen and her CMA staff who also gave their important support for the EORO Membership Initiative that resulted in engaging members and increasing membership, and especially targeting new members from K12, women, and BIPOC individuals and groups.

In 2005, NCDA recognized MCDA with the NCDA Outstanding State Division Award, the first ever such recognition for MCDA, which was given to Ed Colozzi at the Global Conference, and when Ed returned home to Massachusetts, he presented the award to Ed Bryant, our MCDA President.

Dr. Edward Anthony Colozzi, MACDA’s current President since Ed Bryant retired in 2012, expanded efforts to promote excellence in career development practice and research, and continued collaboration with NCDA Executive Director Deneen Pennington and her Career Management Alliance (CMA) Team. The official name of our Massachusetts Career Development Association was still MCDA.

On April 15, 2013 the Boston Marathon Bombing occurred, placing many local neighborhoods under a shelter-at-home order via the Governor’s Office that lasted several days while Massachusetts and many national and global news reporters were in the area trying to report all the terrible events that seemed unending.

July 4th, 2013 would be the 50th Anniversary of the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, 50 years since the fireworks were included to the free musical celebration of Independence Day.

July 8-10 would be the highlight of NCDA’s celebration of its centennial year - The NCDA Centennial Celebration in Boston, the birthplace of vocational guidance and counseling.

Frank Parsons was the first individual to promote the importance of using a scientific systematic approach to assist youth and adults in a process he termed ‘vocational guidance‘ and the use of ‘vocational counselors’ that has since spread locally, nationally and globally.

In 2013 when the NCDA Centennial Global Conference was held in Boston, MCDA worked closely with Deneen and her CMA Team and provided Proclamations and greetings from the Governor of Massachusetts and the Mayor of Boston, including arranging for the official Lexington Minutemen Color Guard and Colonial Dancers to kick of the Centennial Gala. Deneen, with assistance from Past NCDA President and a dear friend of Ed, Pat Schwallie-Giddis, provided a special display case to showcase our MCDA original Constitution for individuals to view.

A very meaningful painting was purchased from a well known local artist who had recently created it around the Boston Strong movement featuring portrayals of the Boston Marathon runners and local sports teams and players. On behalf of MCDA and especially the centennial celebration of NCDA in Boston, Ed asked the artist to paint into her painting a special wording commemorating the NCDA Centennial, which she did, and MCDA arranged for small copies of that painting to be printed and were given to conference participants who paid a small donation with half the proceeds going to NCDA and half to MCDA.

That painting was given to Executive Director Deneen Pennington and the CMA Team to display in their office for all the staff to enjoy for all the amazing support Deneen and her staff provides for our MCDA and all the other NCDA State CDAs.

MCDA then began reaching out via snail mail and other networking activities to create a new membership base since many of the previous MCDA members were retired and not as interested in MCDA’s new focus on professional development actives based on best practices and research. Our MCDA was in transition.

A small core group was identified and began having a dialogue about ideas for professional development activities, and how to build our MCDA, engage and serve a variety of underserved populations in Massachusetts, including veterans, the incarcerated and special needs populations.

We began to review the Bylaws for appropriate updating, and continued to encourage members to promote excellence in research and practice by providing articles in books and journals, including various NCDA publications, and participating and presenting in NCDA and ACA professional development activities. Snail mail was not working well, and we really needed a website to give us visibility, allow networking, facilitate professional development ideas and activities and share more about the special work MCDA members were doing.

In 2016 Ed Colozzi had a brief phone conversation with Skip Niles and shared an idea about creating a consortium of all the New England NCDA State CDAs and having a discussion with the State CDA Presidents. Skip thought it was a great idea. Ed created a draft White Paper with some history of New England, a Mission and Values statement, and the NEC Guidelines to incentivize collaboration professional development and networking activities, and initiated a dialogue among the Presidents of the six New England State Divisions (MA, ME, CT, RI and the joint VT/NH) to establish the NEC (New England Consortium-NCDA State CDAs).

After three years of monthly Zoom meetings mostly hosted by the Maine CDA (MCDA) by Amy Jaffe and moderated by various members for each meeting, many e-mails, and keeping NCDA informed about these activities, the NEC was officially formed.

In March 2019 our NEC White Paper, Mission and Values Statements, and the NEC Guidelines that specify a fee structure that incentivizes collaboration and participation in professional development activities and networking among the NEC State Division CDAs, was officially presented to the NCDA Board prior to the NCDA Global Conference June, 2019 for NCDA recognition of our NEC.

MCDA collaborated with two NEC representatives who actually presented in person at that 2019 NCDA Global Conference about the creation of our NEC, Amy Jaffe, Past President of the Maine CDA, and Angela Bourassa, Past President of the joint VT/NH CDA. Our NEC is the first such initiative in NCDA's history, and Amy and Angela's presentation inspired other State Division CDAs to initiate a dialogue about possibly forming their own regional consortiums.

Covid changed so much in 2020 for so many, locally and globally, including individuals, families, hospitals, businesses and so much more, for far too long.

During 2021 our NEC began having discussions about having our first ever NEC (New England Consortium-NCDA State CDAs) Virtual Conference in March 2022.

Working with our NEC, it became evident that our MCDA name needed to be changed because our MCDA was exactly what Maine was using, MCDA.

In 2022 we changed our MCDA name to MACDA with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and also applied for our EIN required by the IRS which usually takes 5 minutes on-line. It came back in 5 minutes with an incorrect name- Massachusetts. instead of our new name, Massachusetts Career Development Association (MACDA)

It took one year to rectify that mistake because of how Covid negatively affected many IRS employees including office closings and re-routing millions of letters.

Because Covid stopped most face-to-face meetings for most people including work, schools, businesses, and many other gatherings, it was critical that our MACDA also needed a website, and we researched various options including asking NCDA, speaking to other CDAs and looking online. After much research and speaking with several individuals, including some informative Zoom calls with other CDAs, we decided to select Wild Apricot.

The Wild Apricot website platform required the correct EIN number and name as did our financial Institution, and we were delayed with activating our website and were only able to use it for posting information about our March 25, 2022 NEC (New England Consortium-NCDA State CDAs) Virtual Conference.

The NEC offered its first virtual free Conference March 25, 2022.

A short while later MACDA was finally able to activate the Wild Apricot Payment Platform and collect dues.

Since then our NEC has had three successful virtual conferences that can be found referenced on our MACDA Home page under NEC (New England Consortium-NCDA State CDAs) and click Past NEC Events.

On March 25, 2025, our NEC is having its 4th virtual Conference featuring a Keynote by Dr. Skip Niles on HOPE and two Roundtable Sessions, and several other presenters, including some of our own MACDA members, covering various topics. It will be the first NEC Conference to which we have invited all NCDA Student Members with an NEC discounted fee, including other students in undergraduate or graduate education.

Very special thanks to Haley Brown, a member of our sister NEC State Maine MCDA who has greatly and graciously facilitated bringing our MACDA into the 21st century with her truly excellent assistance!

Our MACDA recognized Haley on March 21st, 2023 by inviting her to be the first-ever Honorary Lifetime MACDA Member for her wonderful support and discretionary efforts for our first-ever MACDA website!

Dear Haley, your ideas and competence, and mostly your wonderful caring attitude and heart, have been very much appreciated during these past two years as you have shared your creativity and strategies for our website and our MACDA State CDA.

Warmest Regards and Mahalo nui loa (‘Thank you very much with care’ in Hawaiian),

Ed

Edward Colozzi, Ed.D. President Massachusetts Career Development Association (MACDA)

On February 24th, 2025, MACDA invited Dr. Skip Niles to be the second Honorary Lifetime MACDA Member.

It is now important to expand our MACDA State Division and reach out to our many colleagues doing valuable work in numerous settings with multicultural students and clients throughout Massachusetts. This includes professionals from diverse and excellent associations that currently serve the Commonwealth, counselors and teachers from K-12 and post-secondary education settings, counselor educators, representatives from agency, business, and various public and private sectors including private practice, government, labor, parents, and ALL stakeholders. We must collaboratively discuss issues and create innovative and relevant career-life development programs that sufficiently prepare youth for their future as contributing members of an informed citizenry, and assist adults dealing with their own on-going career-life transitions. Our efforts with both practice and research, must include individuals and groups with diverse faith traditions and marginalized populations e.g., BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), first generation students, veterans, incarcerated, homeless, special needs and others.

We welcome your membership in MACDA as we collaborate with NEC sister State Division CDAs, NCDA and other stakeholders, to promote excellence in our efforts.