The ICA's top leaders are elected by a democratic vote of association members. Opposing the Humber/McMullen ticket were Dr. Tom Klapp (Michigan) and Dr. Gene Cretsinger (Iowa).
Drs. Humber and McMullen received 61 percent of the ballots cast. The vote count was certified at ICA's 75th annual meeting in Washington, D.C., June 7, by the ICA's legal affairs committee and legal counsel, and affirmed by the secretary treasurer.
Dr. Humber is the 13th president of the ICA, an organization founded in 1926 by Dr. B.J. Palmer to promote his basic chiropractic principles. Dr. Humber is a native of Georgia, and started a private practice in Smyrna soon after graduating from Palmer College. He soon left practice to serve in the U. S. Army. After serving his country he returned to Georgia, where he was in private practice for 20 years.
Dr. Humber was named "Chiropractor of the Year" by the Georgia Chiropractic Association (1973), and by the Georgia Chiropractic Council (1998). In 1978, Dr. Humber joined Life College in Atlanta. He served as vice president of clinics, then vice president of development. Currently, he is senior vice president for clinic business at Life University. Dr. Humber served as ICA's Georgia Assembly representative for 18 years before being elected the Southern regional director on the ICA's Board of Directors in 1999.
Dr. Maxine McMullen is internationally recognized as one of the pioneers of chiropractic pediatrics. As a professor of pediatrics at Palmer College for more than 25 years, she has probably taught more chiropractors in practice about pediatrics than any other instructor. A native of New Zealand, and a former surgical nurse, Dr. McMullen came to Palmer College to study chiropractic after a life-saving experience with chiropractic. She joined the faculty at Palmer College and rose to become one of the first women deans at a chiropractic college. Besides teaching, Dr. McMullen practiced in Davenport, Iowa for 25 years.
Dr. McMullen has served ICA in different capacities over the years. She is responsible for the development of the profession's only diplomate program in pediatrics through the ICA Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics. Currently on sabbatical from Palmer College, she is the first woman to be elected an ICA officer. This is her second term as vice president. She was elected vice president last year, even though she ran on a different ticket than Dr. Robert Hoffman, who was elected president.
As president of the ICA, Dr. Humber said his focus over the next two years will be on "federal legislation aimed at opening up access to chiropractic services in all federal programs, especially Medicare and federal employees health benefits programs." He well also continue work on international development projects and programs, postgraduate education and public education.
Dr. McMullen said she would help Dr. Humber in his goals, and was confident they would work well together. "Because D.D. and I feel the same way about ICA and chiropractic, and that is why we must remain true to the principles on which ICA was founded. These same principles and values are our strength, and must be the foundation of everything that we do, say, and work toward, now and in the future."
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