Message from the AMTA President

Dear AMTA Member,

As President of AMTA, I am reaching out to share that the Board of Directors is committed to moving the association forward. As part of this resolve, we must address systemic issues in our organization so that we can truly impact the profession in a way that meets the needs of our entire community. We have heard the many voices calling for long overdue change, and we are both self-reflecting and actively discussing how we can better listen to members, include more voices, and collaborate through more participatory processes. Since the conference, we have met six times to discuss what is and what could be. We have discussed the need for a more effective and equitable election process; hired a non-profit governance consultant to address systemic bylaws issues; paused on strategic planning to broaden the pool of voices; and designated meeting time to reflect on the insufficient progress and mistakes related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, which have resulted in continued harm and the resignations of respected leaders. Soon, we will start identifying other systems and processes that can be strengthened and diversified across the organization. We are committed to removing inequities, increasing cultural humility and responsivity, making changes throughout all areas of the organization, and building trust.

The Board will work on WHAT needs to change and consult with various key stakeholders, including existing and/or new committees or task forces to help determine HOW to make the needed changes. To do this, we will first recommit ourselves to individual and collective education, training, and self-reflection. The Board will also begin reviewing existing data and comments from various community surveys and group discussions, and we welcome additional input. If you want to share additional insights, please send me an email with your recommendations before 4 pm ET on December 8. You can reach me at AMTApresidentGooding@gmail.com. I will share your input with the full board, and we will provide updates on next steps in January 2022.

As we work towards transformation, we will need leaders to serve on work groups or task forces to implement the changes. Please sign up for the AMTA Call for Volunteers here: https://forms.gle/op3Du9owrW8ZnyE47. A separate, dedicated message to sign up and volunteer will also be distributed to increase visibility. If you are willing to serve on a work group, be considered for future board or committee service, or even assist in a single micro-volunteer capacity, I encourage you to respond to this call. We need your help to impact change organization-wide. We are committed to bringing others into the decision-making process and changing the culture of the organization. We hope you will partner with us.

Sincerely,

Lori F. Gooding, PhD, MT-BC,
AMTA President

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