Rhode Island Occupational Therapy Association
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Meet the board
Kim Gilbert, President
Previous RIOTA position: President, 2012-15
Education: BS in OT from Sargent College of Allied Health, BU
Employment/Area of Practice: Physical disabilities, community health, pediatrics, administration
Other Board/Volunteer Affiliations: OT Board at DOH Division of Professional Regulations; NBCOT Simulation Question Developer
Natalie Petrucci, MS, OTR/L
Vice President
Previous RIOTA Position: Social media chair; Mental Health SIG co-chair
Education: Masters in Occupational Therapy, Bachelor's Degree in Business Management, Associates
Degree in Occupational Therapy
Employment/Area of Practice: current Mental health and forensic OTR; previously pediatric COTA
Bethany Horne, Secretary
Previous RIOTA position: New to RIOTA board
Education: New England Institute of Technology, East Greenwich
RI. Associates in Science, Occupational Therapy Assistant and Dotorate in Science of Occupational Therapy.
Employment/Area of Practice: Cromwell Public Schools Public Schools, pediatrics. and Assistant Academic Coordinator New England Institute of Technology.
Joanne Jones, Treasurer
Previous RIOTA position: Vice president
Education: B.S. OT
M.S. Clinical Rehab Management
Post-professional Doctorate OT
Employment/Area of Practice: Academia – specialty in gerontology and neuro
Lucy Garcia,
Education Resource Coordinator
Previous RIOTA position: Nominations chair
Education : MSOT and COTA from New England Institue of Technology
Employment/Areas of Practice: Pediatrics and previously SNF.
Rebecca Simon, Communications Chair
Previous RIOTA Position: Alternate Representative. PR Chair, Treasurer
Education: BS in Health Care Administration, stone Hill College, MS in Occupational Therapy, Tufts University, EdD in Higher education Administration, Northeastern University.
Employment/Area of Practice: Associate Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator Johnson & Wales entry level OTD program and consultant in private pediatric practice
Janet Rivard Michaud, Advocacy Chair
Previous RIOTA Position: President 1992-1996, Legislative Chair 2019-present
Education: BS Tufts University Boston School of Occupational Therapy, 1986
Employment/Area of Practice: outpatient rehab in a hospital based setting and self employment. Specialty areas: pain treatment, manual therapy, psychosocial intervention: PTSD, trauma and dissociation
Other Board/volunteer Affiliations: past member and chair of the RI Occupational Therapy Licensure Board; Coordinator St. Michael's International Community Festival
Committee Chairs
Membership Chair, Richard Borges, membership@riota.org
Nominations Chair, Open Position, nominations@riota.org
Website Editor, Courtney Crone-Socha, news@riota.org
Social Media Editor, Tania Rosa, news@riota.org
Special Interest Groups
Adult SIG, Sheila Sweeney physdisSIG@riota.org
Pediatrics SIG, Lise Faulise & Kelly MacDonald, pediSIG@riota.org
Mental Health SIG, Christine Lynch & Kelly Lee, mhSIG@riota.org
AOTA Representative to the Assembly:
Shannon Strate, OTD