Seeking Illinois Occupational Therapy Association Executive Board Nominations

(June 2022)

UPDATE: Deadline Extended to June 30, 2022!

We are excited to announce that four ILOTA Executive Board positions are open for nominations. The Illinois Occupational Therapy Association (ILOTA) Board wants and needs your active involvement.  Voting will occur this summer for positions which start September 1, 2022. The four positions are:

  • Secretary
  • Director of Communications
  • Director of Membership
  • Director of Finance-Elect

The current Board Members have shared some information below about the positions.  We encourage anyone who would like to be involved to consider nominating yourself or others for one of these Executive Board positions. Please send nominations or questions to Minetta Wallingford, DrOT, OTR/L, ILOTA Nominations Coordinator. She can be contacted through the ILOTA office at [email protected]. Nominations are due by June 30, 2022. All nominees should provide a Position Statement. The Position Descriptions for the open positions can be accessed below or requested from the ILOTA Executive Director or Nominations Coordinator. It may also be useful to view the ILOTA Organizational Chart here.

Secretary

Submits formal notes from all organizational meetings. Oversees the Archives Coordinator, Board Recruitment Coordinator, Nominations Coordinator, and Awards Coordinator. View Position Description here.

"In the role of Secretary, you are responsible for tracking the actions of the Association's Executive Board and Full Board so that they can be reported out to the membership as well as record decisions so that they can be tracked and action can be implemented in a timely manner. Serving as a member of the Executive Board provides an opportunity to engage with a wide variety of OTs and others who are engaged with ILOTA and the profession. It is a rewarding experience that requires good organizational skills and the ability to multi-task during meetings. However, it enables you to remain current with the important issues facing our profession and Association, so well worth the effort if you are seeking an opportunity to be engaged in a leadership role with ILOTA.

Robin A. Jones, COTA/L, ROH"

Director of Communications

Oversees all communication methods provided by the organization including The Communiqué newsletter, social media, and the website. Oversees the Newsletter Coordinator, Website Coordinator, Blog Coordinator, and Social Media Coordinator. View Position Description here.

"In my role as the Director of Communications, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to use the multiple communication platforms to support the work of ILOTA and ILOTA members. Supporting the Newsletter Coordinator, Social Media Coordinator, Blog Coordinator, and Newsletter Coordinator offers opportunities to gain mentorship experience, hone networking skills, and be creative. The role requires a broad knowledge of ILOTA and its members in order to lift up the accomplishments of the organization, the profession, and OT practitioners.

Molly Bathje, PhD, MS, OTR/L"

Director of Membership

Addresses ways to increase and retain membership in order to safeguard the practice of Occupational Therapy in Illinois. Oversees the Professional Development Coordinator, Retention Coordinator, Networking Coordinator, and Leadership Development Coordinator. View Position Description here.

"My term as Director of Membership has been a great opportunity to see first-hand the trends and movement in the membership of our organization, especially our growth. This has been important to be able to see what events have more participation while bringing more opportunities for engagement as well. This role includes collaboration with the other Executive Board members, the SIS Coordinators and the membership at large. This has been particularly helpful in developing the new membership categories to expand our reach and benefits to occupational therapy practitioners in our state.

Christy Rojas, MOTR/L"

Director of Finance-Elect

Organizes and manages budgetary information (manages accounting system, including but not limited to account coding, labeling of line items and proper assignment of debits and credits). The Director of Finance oversees the CE Coordinator, Conference Coordinator, Student Conclave Coordinator, and CE Approval Coordinator. View Position Description here.

"In my role as the Director of Finance, I have had the honor to work to advance the OT profession by supporting our state conference, continuing education events, and student conclave. I am in charge of making sure that all financial records are kept and bills are paid in a timely manner. Much of my role is cyclical, including bills due at the first of the month and reconciling the budget with the accounts before every monthly board meeting. A background in finance is not required, but knowledge of spreadsheets, how to create and manage budges, is recommended. This role provides an opportunity for an occupational therapy professional to help the association grow and provide more for its members while maintaining the financial health of the organization.

Moira Bushell, OTD, MEd, OTR/L, BCP"

Please send nominations or questions to Minetta Wallingford, DrOT, OTR/L, ILOTA Nominations Coordinator. She can be contacted through the ILOTA office at [email protected]. Nominations are due by June 30, 2022.