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2024 Appointed Positions 

Deadline: Friday, March 29, 2024 at 11:59 a.m. (just before noon)

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AOTA’s Volunteer Leadership Development Committee (VLDC) is seeking candidates for appointed leadership positions. Please consider yourself or encourage a colleague to complete the online application process.

Note: Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs) are strongly encouraged and eligible to apply for all positions except the Occupational Therapy Academic Leadership Council (OT-ALC) Chairperson and Ethics Commission Public Member positions. As valued practitioners, OTAs bring an important perspective for a more inclusive profession.

Awards and Recognitions Committee (ARC)

  • Member #1 – OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #2 – OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #3 – OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #4 – OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)

The ARC serves to solicit and oversee nominations, selection, and publication of the Association’s awards and recognitions. They maintain and revise award categories and criteria as necessary in response to member input and the changing professional environment including the creation of new awards and/or the dissolution of existing awards. The ARC is specifically seeking a minimum of one OTA to join the committee. We are specifically looking to expand the number of OTAs on the ARC.

Preference will be given to individuals who demonstrate:

  • Membership in good standing of the Association and state affiliate at the time of nomination and throughout the term of office
  • A minimum of 1 years of experience as an OT or OTA
  • Previous service to a national organization awards program

Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures Committee (BPPC)

  • Chairperson - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #1 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #2 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)

The BPPC is responsible for maintaining and reviewing Association governance documents and recommending changes to the appropriate body for consideration. Current work is focused on assuring policies and procedures are inclusive, free of bias, and assure diversity of background, lived experiences and perspectives among governance bodies and the Association.

Commission on Continuing Competence & Professional Development (CCCPD)

  • Member #1 – OT or OTA (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #2 – OT or OTA (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)

The CCCPD serves AOTA by identifying, analyzing, and anticipating issues in continuing competence and professional development. 

Commission on Practice (COP)

  • Member #1 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #2 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #3 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)

The COP serves AOTA by promoting the quality of occupational therapy practice and developing practice standards for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants relative to provider and consumer needs. The COP is specifically seeking members with experience in the following practice areas:

  • Adult/neuro
  •  Adult ortho and hands
  • Mental health
  • Work performance
  • Older adults

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Accessibility and Belonging (DEIJAB) Committee

  • Chairperson - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #1 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #2 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #3 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)

The DEIJAB Committee plays a vital role in upholding AOTA's commitment to DEIJAB in every aspect of its work. We're looking for passionate professionals eager to drive DEIJAB efforts within AOTA and the broader occupational therapy field.

Applicants should be OTAs or OTs in good standing with AOTA, possess relevant experience, and have expertise in DEIJAB efforts. They must understand the current trends in diversity, equity, and inclusion, effectively engage with diverse groups, support AOTA's DEIJAB goals, contribute time and energy to the committee, and work well independently online.

Ethics Commission

  • Public Member - Shall be a representative of other professions (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • This is a position for an individual from outside the OT profession.
  • Interested parties may submit a CV and cover letter expressing interest and expertise to ethics@aota.org. 

The Ethics Commission (EC) is responsible for developing the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Ethics Standards for the profession, which apply to occupational therapy personnel at all levels and in all professional and societal roles. The EC has two primary responsibilities: the provision of educational resources for American Occupational Therapy (AOTA) members and consumers, and enforcement of the Code.

Foresight Committee

  • Member #1 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #2 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)

 The Foresight Committee (FC) is an advisory committee of the Representative Assembly (RA) that supports the RA in scanning the environment for strong, weak, and emerging drivers of change to understand, anticipate, and prepare for a full range of plausible futures that impact the occupational therapy profession. The FC helps the RA in making future-oriented decisions by applying foresight knowledge to the RA’s development of professional standards and policy.

Organizational Advisors

The Academic Leadership Councils (ALC) provide a forum at the national level to present, examine, and debate educational issues such as but not limited to practitioner education, faculty recruitment and retention, student admission procedures, reaccreditation policies, extramural funding, budgeting and administrator workloads, research, and continuing education.

Representative Assembly (RA)

  • OTA Representative (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Representative to the Representative Assembly
    • Representative for Alabama (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
    • Representative for Connecticut (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
    • Representative for Georgia (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
    • Representative for Hawaii (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2026*) 
    • Representative for Illinois (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
    • Representative for Maryland (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
    • Representative for Montana (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
    • Representative for New Hampshire (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
    • Representative for North Dakota (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
    • Representative for Ohio (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
    • Representative for Oregon (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
    • Representative for Rhode Island (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
    • Representative for Tennessee (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025*)
    • Representative for Wisconsin (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)

The RA is composed of at least one representative from every state, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, and is responsible for the development and approval of professional policies and standards.

*indicates completion of a term vacated

Special Interest Sections

The SIS Council (SISC), informed by each individual SIS and in partnership with AOTA staff, leads the direction of all of the SISs. The SISC is comprised of the 9 SIS chairpersons and is led by the SISC chairperson. OTAs and individuals representing diversity are strongly encouraged to apply.

The AOTA Special Interest Section Council (SISC) is recruiting for up to eight vacancies in each of the following Special Interest Sections:

  • Mental Health Special Interest Section (MHSIS)
  • Home & Community Health Special Interest Section (HCHSIS)
  • Children & Youth Special Interest Section (CYSIS)

Applicants will be vetted for eligibility based on the qualifications outlined below. The Chairperson will establish a roster of committee members that is designed to support the priorities of the SIS during the 3-year term.

The SIS structure is designed to promote member engagement and connection through a variety of activities. A range of SIS activities requires diverse experience and perspectives from committee members. While there is flexibility with the roles that committee members will fill based on the needs of the section, some potential roles that have been valuable to past committees include:

  • Innovation: Content creation and use within the SIS practice area, organization and leadership of Journal Clubs
  • Outreach: Connecting, communicating, and use of CommunOT to assess and promote practice needs, showcasing SIS work at AOTA INSPIRE Annual Conference & Expo
  • Pathways: Networking, mentoring, and organizing groups; point person for the SIS’ CoPs
  • Advocacy: Policy and professional advocacy efforts with the SIS and AOTA
  • Research: Experience and knowledge in evidence-based practice within the SIS practice area, organization and leadership of Practice Chats, showcasing SIS work at AOTA INSPIRE Annual Conference & Expo
  • Capacity: Developing educational modules and/or writing or engaging authors to contribute to publications such as the SIS Quarterly
  • Quarterly Editor: Professional writing or editing experience

Responsibilities

SIS committee members shall support occupational therapy practice and member engagement through the following:

  • Regular attendance at SIS meetings and annual planning session
  • Collaboration with AOTA content strategy team on content development plan
  • Connection to subject matter experts for content and resource development
  • Providing insights into current and future trends impacting practice area
  • Serving as conference/event content planning/review
  • Collaboration with AOTA editorial team on annual content development plan and editorial calendar
  • Coordination and editing of SIS Quarterly articles related to the practice area
  • Promotion of Calls to Action in collaboration with AOTA advocacy efforts
  • Coordination of attendance at local events in support of AOTA advocacy efforts
  • Engage and support the sections oversight of assigned Communities of Practice

Term of Office

3 years (July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)

Volunteer Leadership Development Committee (VLDC)

  • Member #1 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)
  • Member #2 - OTA or OT (Term: July 1, 2024–June 30, 2027)

The VLDC is specifically looking to expand the number of OTAs on the VLDC. The VLDC not only manages elections and appointments for AOTA's committees, they serve as an elected and appointed group themselves. The VLDC is responsible for promoting member participation and engagement, volunteer leadership development, and volunteer participation initiatives of AOTA. The VLDC identifies and recruits diverse and qualified candidates for elected and appointed positions and oversees the nomination and selection process for the Association's annual awards and recognitions. The VLDC serves as a resource to members and various leadership groups within AOTA to foster and enhance its professional activities and priorities. The Chairperson of the committee is elected by AOTA members.

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