I look forward to my second year as AKOTA’s president and plan to continue supporting our Alaskan OT community. The board members and I aim to support and promote the great work that we all do and advance the art and the science of occupational therapy across Alaska. As always, please reach out with questions, comments, suggestions, and let us know of anything we can do to support you as members of AKOTA. Term expires: 1/28/24

Dee moved to Alaska in 2008 as a traveler and has worked at the Anchorage VA Clinic as the sole outpatient OT since 2012. She calls everywhere home and enjoys traveling to new places. “If you want to learn something about yourself, step outside of your comfort zone!” Fun fact: she graduated from high school and enlisted in the US Army from Nurnberg, Germany! Her AKOTA goals for 2023 are to enhance AKOTA member connections and advocate for greater access to occupational therapy services across the state. Term expires: 1/28/24

I originally hail from a small suburb of Chicago, Illinois (Schaumburg) and made my way up to Alaska in 2020. I have fallen in love with the State, the people, and the landscape of Alaska! I started as a graduate intern at Alaska Psychiatric Institute (API) where I promoted to an Occupational Therapist after completing my internship, and then promoted to the Director of Rehabilitation for API in December of 2022. During that time, I worked on-call at the Alaska Native Medical Center in acute care and began teaching the mental health lab for the occupational therapy students in the Creighton/UAA program. My time in Alaska has taught me the importance of cultural competency, creativity to meet the unique needs of the population, and the amazing grit and perseverance of the Alaskan People. I am honored to serve on the Alaska Occupational Therapy Association (AKOTA) board as Secretary. My goal for my term is to continue to grow our organization in the number of members and increase engagement through a variety of platforms. Term expires: 1/28/25

Hi! I’m Jennifer and I’m excited to serve another year as the Treasurer for AKOTA! I graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2014 and have spent several years working primarily in the acute care setting. I was drawn to Alaska’s beauty, diversity, and close-knit community and moved to Anchorage in 2017. I currently work as a lead therapist at Providence Alaska Medical Center, am and adjunct professor for the Creighton OTD program through UAA, and I recently completed my post-professional doctoral degree through Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. My goals for 2023 include increasing membership engagement, enhancing AKOTA’s community presence and involvement, and working toward meeting the financial goals or our organization. Term expires: 1/28/24