President’s Message 2022-2023
It’s a time for reflection and planning. Whether you celebrate the new year based on the calendar or the first new moon of the first lunar month, we tend to take this time to look back on the year that has passed and look forward to the potential for our future.
This past year was a busy one for your board. One of the main goals was to bring our Chapter together and with the incredible efforts of Tracy Albuera, Board Member and Anna Beltran, Board Member; we had several opportunities to meet each other face to face. This trend will be continuing into 2023 and we’re truly excited that we will see you at the California State Conference in Santa Ana. There will be a special issue of the newsletter to give you an outline of the speakers and classes that will be presented at State Conference April 21st-23rd!
Another initiative that is important to us is connection. We’ve been discussing this for a while and with the support of the Volunteer Engagement Committee, we’re establishing two committees to support outreach and events within our Chapter. A Northern and Southern Community is the first step, and we are seeking 6 volunteers for each community to participate in volunteer trainings with National, educational event support, government relations, and planning. We know that running for Chapter Office can be intimidating and we hope that providing this opportunity, many of you will take advantage of the opportunity to learn what it means to volunteer for the AMTA before making a significant commitment. Keep an eye out for the call for volunteers; it’s just around the corner.
The AMTA is working towards licensing legislation for California. While the road ahead is uncertain, we know it’s important to help educate and engage all chapter members regarding the future of our industry. We will continue to find methods to educate everyone, including our patients/clients, employers, and legislators on the needs for our industry and our own desire to grow and explore new employment opportunities. Start following our social media to receive information that can be shared to start conversations and express our points of view.
I’m excited for the upcoming year and, just in case you didn’t know, National Convention is going to be just one state over in Arizona! We’ll be in Phoenix, August 24-26 so it’s going to be hot!! While we’re celebrating and enhancing our profession, we’ll also be celebrating AMTA’s 80th Anniversary; I’m sure there are going to be some incredible opportunities all year to recognize our Association.
I’m jumping into 2023 with both feet – join me…it’s going to be AWESOME!
Phil Okazaki
president@amta-ca.org