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Seeking Illinois Occupational Therapy Association Executive Board Nominations

(May 2021)

The Illinois Occupational Therapy Association (ILOTA) Board wants and needs your active involvement.  Two ILOTA Executive Board positions are open for nominations until June 15, 2021. Voting will occur this summer for positions which start September 1, 2021. The current Board Members have shared some information about the positions.  We encourage anyone who would like to be involved to consider nominating yourself or others for one of the following ILOTA Board positions.

Director of Advocacy

Summary of position:  This role involves coordinating with topic experts such as the SIS Chairs and the ILOTA Lobbyist to track legislation and identify needed advocacy actions needed to support legislative efforts.  This position also collaborates with the Reimbursement Coordinator and with the Public Policy Coordinator to expand the reach of advocacy work.  In addition, the Director of Advocacy also sits on the executive board of the Illinois Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee (ILOTPAC).  The Director of Advocacy serves for a term of two years or until a successor has been elected.

“In my role as the Director of Advocacy, I have had the honor to work with and support the OT profession from a broad perspective.  The best part of this role is to gain an understanding of the legislative procedure and to be so connected with all practice areas.  This can be a time-consuming role that can require time-sensitive actions and conversations and that requires strong organization and follow-up skills, but it also provides an opportunity to engage with practitioners from many settings and develop leadership skills.”

Carol M. Michels, Ed.D., MS OTR/L

Director of Advocacy, Illinois Occupational Therapy Association

President- Elect

Summary of position: The President-Elect serves for a term of one year in the position to prepare for all duties of the President. The President-Elect assumes the President position the following year and serves for a term of two years or until a successor has been elected. The President-Elect is an ex-officio member of all committees including the executive committee, except the Nominating Committee. The President-Elect shall serve on the ILOTA Board without vote. The President-Elect follows all Standard Operating Procedures of the President.

“Serving as ILOTA’s President has been an honor and a great learning opportunity. This role involves leading all executive board meetings and full board meetings, engaging in ongoing communication with the Executive Director, and ensuring that board business related to the strategic plan is sustained. The best part of this position is having the opportunity to meet and collaborate with so many members who are passionate about OT.  It’s impressive to gain an in-depth understanding of all of the efforts that are being made, often behind the scenes, to promote our profession, educate others, and to connect about common interests and goals.  While it is time-consuming and challenging at times, taking on this important role is one I would recommend to anyone who might be interested!”

Anne Kiraly-Alvarez, OTD, OTR/L, SCSS (she/her/hers)

President, Illinois Occupational Therapy Association

Please send nominations or questions to Minetta Wallingford, DrOT, OTR/L, ILOTA Nominations Chair. She can be contacted through the ILOTA office at [email protected] Nominations are due by June 15, 2021. All nominees should provide a Position Statement.  The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the positions can be accessed below or requested from the ILOTA Executive Director or Nominations Chair.

Director of Advocacy SOP

President SOP