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
Sheila R. Sweeney,
Vice President
Previous RIOTA Position: Physical Disabilities Special Interest Group
Education: MOT, Worcester State University
BS, Salve Regina University, Human Resources
Employment/Area of Practice: South County Home Health - Home Care
Other Board/Volunteer Affiliations: Narragansett Lions Club
Point Judith Fishermen's Scholarship Fund
Ashley Meizoso, Secretary
Previous RIOTA position: Secretary since 2015
Education: New England Institute of Technology, East Greenwich
RI. Associates in Science, Occupational Therapy Assistant and
Masters in Science of Occupational Therapy.
Employment/Area of Practice: Hattie ide Chaffee Home for the past
4 years. Skilled nursing facility. Herren Wellness Center, mental
health and substance use recovery.
Other Board/Volunteer Affiliations: Rhode Island Special Olympics.
Linda Curry
Education Resource Coordinator
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
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, Bethany Pratt, membership@riota.org
Legislative Chair, Janet Rivard Michaud, legislative@riota.org
Nominations Chair, Kathy O'Neil, nominations@riota.org
Website Editor, Courtney Crone, news@riota.org
Special Interest Groups
Adult SIG, Linda Curry & Patty Grimes, physdisSIG@riota.org
Pediatrics SIG, Lise Faulise, pediSIG@riota.org
Mental Health SIG, Natalie Petrucci & Kelly Kania, mhSIG@riota.org