President’s Message

Happy OT Month!

In my last message, I invited you to embrace the new year as a time for collective growth, community building, and advocacy. I wrote about the opportunities on the horizon. Today, as I look back at the first quarter of 2026, I am both humbled and invigorated to see how quickly those opportunities have turned into tangible action.

You showed up. And because you did, we have turned a corner of immense promise into a season of remarkable achievement.

Let’s take a moment to celebrate just a few of the highlights from these past few months. In January, we launched our first-ever Feeding Symposium. With 62 participants, the energy in that virtual room (and the evidence-based discussions!) proved that our members are hungry for this sort of specialized content. Congratulations to the lucky attendee who walked away with the Feeding Matters Continuing Education Package! And thank you to Danielle Griffin for helping to coordinate this wonderful raffle prize!

At Student Conclave, we brought together 59 rising OT practitioners from across the state for two dynamic nights of learning and connection with our dedicated volunteers and breakout room facilitators. From resume building to navigating the ethics of AI, students gained access to practical tools and perspectives that they’ll be able to take with them into their nascent careers.

And a special thank you to the practitioners who participated on our New Grad Panel. Your generosity with your time, the frankness with which you shared your perspectives, and the welcoming atmosphere you helped create all reaffirm that our association isn’t just about maintaining standards, it’s about passing the torch.

Our first “mini” Virtual Conference, OOTA Winterfest, was a great success as well. To the 65 of you who logged on for two evenings of deep-dive learning, thank you for trusting us with your time. By combining access to live and asynchronous sessions, we were able to provide each attendee with access to up to 11.5 contact hours of continuing education with this event. We are excited to continue exploring innovative formats like the one at Winterfest in future programming.

We also took OOTA’s advocacy efforts from the statehouse to the classroom through our partnered event with the Ohio School Health Services Association (OSHSA). Thank you to all who were there for a great discussion demystifying the complex topic of Ohio school funding.

Beyond these marquee events, our districts have been working tirelessly to bring you relevant, cutting-edge education. From the holistic benefits of EFT Tapping, to outdoor OT practice, to critical regulatory updates, OOTA’s district leadership continues to coordinate educational programming that deepens interprofessional connections and expands our clinical breadth.

As the snow melts and we head into spring, I’m excited by the fact that this isn’t just my association; it’s ours. The momentum we’ve built in these first three months belongs to every single one of you who attended an event, asked a question in the Member Forum, or volunteered your time.

To honor your commitment, and celebrate an OOTA milestone this OT Month, we are offering a $5.50 discount for membership and renewal for the month of April to celebrate our 55 years of OOTA. You can access this discount if you join or renew now using the code OH552026 at Checkout

Here’s to a spring of continued growth and connection.

Christie Tuttle, MS., COTA/L, ROH (she, her, hers)
President, Ohio Occupational Therapy Association

For questions or to learn more about any OOTA initiative, please contact ootastaff@gpsforgrowth.com.