AOTA Immediate Past President's Blog

Did I meet my Goals set in Jan 2009 and what's next for 2010?

Well, when you set goals publicly, it is important to review them and to ask for feedback. Here are my goals from Jan 2009 with my comments about achievement:

1. Personally invite three persons per month to become AOTA members. I more than met this goal! I went to Connecticut, South Dakota, Michigan, Maryland, and California and encouraged state association conference attendees to join both their state association and AOTA. I spoke to students about membership via technology at Thomas Jefferson University, Kansas University, University of Oklahoma, and University of Illinois at Chicago. I attended two graduations, one at Columbia University and the other at Wallace State College in Alabama where I discussed the importance of lifelong membership. I also met students at Quinnipiac, Eastern Carolina, Governor State and University of Southern California. I talked to many students about the importance of involvement at the AOTA Student Conclave held in November in Baltimore, MD. I also discussed AOTA activities and the importance of membership with the Rehab Care employees and with the occupational therapy practitioners in the Army.  I recently sent out a membership letter with Florence Clark, AOTA President Elect and Carol Siebert, Chair of the Affiliated State Association Presidents, which highlighted the importance of both state association and AOTA membership. This letter has been posted on AOTA and various state association websites. The payoff of this effort is that we are well over the 40,000 membership mark!

2. Influence positively, great attendance at the AOTA National Conference as the best continuing education, advocacy and leadership development, and knowledge generating activity of the year!!! Houston is where it's at!!!! We had great attendance, about 3500 paid attendees. This was a success given the state of the economy. I know Orlando in 2010 will be even bigger!

4. Talk with as many senatorial, congressional, and agency leaders in healthcare as much as possible during President-Elect Obama's inauguration. I was very involved in the innauguration activities, attending senatorial breakfasts and parties. I also attended the Michigan Ball and met the Governor and the Michigan senatorial and congressional delegations. I attended a private dinner with Senator Grassley from Iowa.

5. Participate regularly in national healthcare reform discussions with Obama's administration, with Congress, and by forming partnerships with key professional associations. I worked with AOTA staff and the Board to ensure our lobbying staff had the resources they needed. We formed many lobbying partnerships to address our issues in healthcare reform involving, home health, extension of the exception process to the cap for Medicare part B, inclusion of rehabilitation and habilitation services, and workforce issues, etc.

6. Continue to lead and influence how we use OT Connections to interact with members and to develop leaders. I have blogged regularly and have encouraged others to participate. I have commented on the blogs of others as well.

7. Interact with state Association presidents to influence state budget appropriations for healthcare, mental health services, and education. AOTA continues to work on state practice acts, making sure OTAs are licensed in every state, as well as protecting scope of practice, and addressing issues of autism.

8. Work with Program Directors of OT and OTA Educational programs to influence curriculum, address emerging higher education issues, and to enhance our research capacity. We have passed the Model Curriculum, the Blueprint for the Education for the Future, and the Research Priorities for the profession.

9. Work with leaders and members in AOTA to enhance our efficiency and effectiveness in meeting the goals of our Centennial Vision. We are at half-time now in working on the Centennial Vision. We have launched the brand, Living Life to Its Fullest. We have increased our media presence. We have produced evidence-based practice guidelines, some of which have been accepted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

10. My ultimate goal is to make sure by the end of my Presidency that I have visited OTs and OTAs in every state of our country!!!! I haven't quite met this goal. I have not been to Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Montanna, Utah, Nebraska, North Dakota, or Oregon.

I will follow with my new list of goals, although remember, I have 6 months left as your President of AOTA. My main goal is to ensure a smooth transition in leadership from myself to Florence Clark, who assumes office on July 1, 2010.

Penny Moyers Cleveland

AOTA President

University of Oklahoma and University of Scranton Technological Visits

Hi all,

The past two days, because of technology, I was able to visit two Universities. At the University of Oklahoma I conversed via videoconferencing with the student occupational therapy association. This was a rescheduled visit as I was supposed to talk to the students the day I was stuck in South Dakota because of the wind. They were very kind to allow me to take some more of their time. I also attended Rita Castaldy's class at the University of Scranton. Both student groups were very prepared and asked me many questions. Their questions indicated how well-informed they were, their eagerness to learn, and their willingness to be involved and participate. I think I have repeatedly blogged generally how impressed I am with this new generation of practitioners, future educators, and potential scientists. They definately are interested in leadership. In fact, most ask me about my career path to leadership as a possible example. I think that the key ingredients are setting goals (both long and short-term), planning the best strategies to achieve the goals, seeking mentors and new learning, and taking advantage of leadership opportunities that come along the way. Leadership must be assumed while in school, on fieldwork, on the job, in the community, and in your family. In other words, lead where you are. Leadership is not a position but involves skills, critical thinking, strategic action, and a positive, can-do attitude. Leaderhsip can be learned and developed. The world is hungry for positive leaders. Yes leadership is risky and puts you out there for criticism. But, perhaps the greater risk is letting someone else lead you into a direction that is not right for you or your career or even for the profession!

 I approach leadership with the metaphor of being a turtle. I have a hard shell that keeps negativity from getting to my core being; if I get flipped over due to unexpected and unforseen circumstances, I can right myself; I may be slow at times in my progress, but I keep going and I can go the distance; and finally, if I need to protect myself, I can either bring my head into my shell for awhile, or I can snap and bite when I need to! In general, I am tough because I am confident in my education, my experience, my expertise, and most of all because of my relationships with many outstanding occupational therapy practitioners, members of other healthcare professions and disciplines, and community and national leaders. Basically, the message to the students was to decide one's career trajectory and make it happen (and of course it is expected you will make many revisions to the plan along the way). It will never be an easy growth path, but will be one that is full of meaning and self-satisfaction.

Penny Moyers Cleveland

AOTA President