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Two OTRs Elected to NBCOT’s Board of Directors in 2023

NBCOT welcomes Chi-Kwan Shea, PhD, OTR/L, and Jacqueline Ward, Dr.OT, OTR/L, to our board of directors.

During the summer months, OTR and COTA certificants had the opportunity to vote for two new members to join NBCOT’s board of directors. Thousands of certificants participated and elected Chi-Kwan Shea, PhD, OTR/L, and Jacqueline Ward, Dr.OT, OTR/L.

Chi-Kwan resides in California and is currently a professor in the OT department at Samuel Merritt University. She has been a certified OTR for 44 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch. She also has a master’s degree in health care management from California State University and a PhD from a joint doctoral program in special education from the University of California, Berkely and San Francisco State University.

In 2020, Chi-Kwan initiated the Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) task force for the OT department at Samuel Merritt University in response to requests from students to increase racial diversity within the department. She has actively volunteered with NBCOT on various committees over the past 10 years. She has also spent 23 years giving her time to San Francisco’s Occupational Therapy Training Program (OTTP-SF), a nonprofit organization that provides mental health services and support to youth in overcoming barriers because of racial or social injustices.

Jacqueline resides in Florida and currently practices in home health. She has been a certified OTR for five years, and before that, she was a COTA for six years. She earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Keiser University and her doctorate in OT from Nova Southeastern University.

Jaqueline believes in building environments that are culturally diverse and inclusive. She believes that we must value differences and create environments within the OT profession that encompass all individuals regardless of their backgrounds. As a home health practitioner, Jacqueline visits different home environments daily and demonstrates cultural competency to provide efficient client-centered care in a professional manner. Jacqueline has been volunteering with NBCOT for the past four years. She considers herself a change agent and wants to commit to improving the OT profession by serving on the NBCOT board.

Interested in applying for a position on the board of directors? Be on the lookout for a call for candidates in 2024 for an OTR position on the board with a term beginning in January 2025.

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