Each year, the BACB honors an individual with the Michael Hemingway Behavior Analysis Award to commemorate the life and contributions of Michael Hemingway, who played a central role in the development of behavior analyst certification in Florida before serving as a founding member of the BACB Board of Directors. Michael’s commitments to the profession of applied behavior analysis and to increasing access to services are reflected in the behavior of the individual who receives the award named after him.
We are pleased to announce that the 2025 recipient of the Michael Hemingway Behavior Analysis Award is Margaret “Misty” Bloom, Esq. Misty has been an integral part of the BACB’s history, first as external legal counsel starting in 1998 and later as a full-time staff member from 2008 to 2024. Her contributions have been pivotal in shaping the BACB’s organizational infrastructure, particularly its legal, accreditation, and ethics systems. Misty played a leading role in the development and evolution of the BACB’s ethics standards, including overseeing the development of the first fully enforceable ethics code and establishing the system for processing ethics complaints. When behavior analyst licensure activity gained momentum in the late 2000s, Misty provided input on dozens of licensure bills based on her prior expertise in the integration of professional certification and state licensure. Once state regulators were appointed to implement these new laws, she provided ongoing support to them through consultation, education on regulatory law developments, and the creation of various resources. Misty’s activity in the area of behavior analyst licensure was instrumental in helping to produce a relatively unified licensure landscape with good interstate mobility for practitioners. Misty Bloom’s remarkable career at the BACB has left an enduring legacy that continues to benefit our profession. Thank you, Misty!
