Message from the ILOTA President and President-elect Regarding the Current Inspire AOTA 2022 National Conference 

March 30, 2022

Dear ILOTA Members,

NEWS FROM AOTA - INSPIRE 2022 

Leadership meetings have begun at the Inspire AOTA 2022 National Conference in San Antonio! 

A big discussion is on AOTA's proposed Bylaws changes, as the organization evolves with the times with a vision of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Association. The proposed Bylaws changes are being met with a variety of opinions and concerns, much of that coming from the need for more understanding and communication about what changes are being proposed, and why.

The changes to the Bylaws go to a full vote by the membership, so now is the time to educate yourself so you can make an informed decision in June, 2022.

Please refer to the AOTA website for more information about all of the proposed changes at this link. 

If you are attending the conference, please do your best to participate in the events AOTA is holding:

  • March 31 from 4:15–5:15 pm: Town Hall on Bylaws
  • April 1 from 3:00–4:00 pm: Bylaws Listening Session
  • April 2 from 1:30–2:30 pm: Bylaws Listening Session

Then watch for more opportunities to provide your feedback following the conference. It is up to each of us to make ourselves as aware as possible about the proposed changes and how it will affect the AOTA and our profession.

An important factor to consider is participation in AOTA elections over the past years. Around 4% of the membership - 5% if there is a presidential election - have participated in elections!  Out of 65,000 AOTA members, that is about 2,600 to 3,250 members voting nationally. Additionally, at this year's elections, there were more states without a quorum than those with, many states with no candidate at all, and only two states (Texas and Illinois) had more than one candidate running for their RA representative. Ultimately, this means that 78% either had a single slate or will have to have a representative appointed to the RA, so concerns about a future RA made up of appointees is worth taking some time to consider.

AOTA Election Results:
https://www.aota.org/community/get-involved/elected-and-appointed-positions/elections/2022-elections 

Watch for future updates at www.aota.org and www.ilota.org!

Anne Kiraly-Alvarez, OTD, OTR/L, SCSS

ILOTA President

Bev Menninger, MA, OTR/L

ILOTA President-elect