This year our Annual General Meeting was held in June, and members attended via Zoom. The meeting confirmed our sound financial position and acknowledged the hard work of the volunteers that hold positions on the Board and Management Committee. The Chairpersons report is available below, for your reference.

AGM Chairpersons report.

This year we were again faced with challenges relating to Covid and the use of using technology for our meetings. Thankfully we are able keep our services and meetings going and really look forward to doing business more on a face-to-face basis.

The Board and Management Committee members listed below, continued in their respective portfolios despite the effects of COVID-19:

Board Members
Sally Wojnar-Horton – Chairperson
Lynda Quigley – Deputy Chairperson
Sandy Kevill – Treasurer
Michelle Carrington – Secretary
Mike Lyttle – Advisor
Dan Hill – Advisor

Management Committee Members
Sandy Kevill – Corporate Services
Jodie Watts – Convenor of the Private Practitioners Proprietors Group
Lynda Quigley – Newsletter Editor and her colleagues, Vera Riley and Julia Woo. Lynda has yet again, produced the very important communication our Newsletter for 2021, despite her busy schedule.
Michelle Carrington – Rural and Remote. Servicing the rural and remote OT community is a huge task for Michelle. Her contribution is much valued by COM as she displays the ability to see the big picture in health at all levels. Issues this year have included COVID-19 and the continuation of the NDIS.
Dimity Taylor, Lauren Spada and Alex Manera – Marketing.
New Graduate representative – Lauren Spada. Lauren provided a support group for new graduates.
Student representatives – Rebecca Anderson, Serena Ton, Shannon Sherwin, Sally Foster, Ashby Gordon, Eloise McArthur, Amy Hang, Kimlai Dang, Kruti Desai and Vy Nguyen. This team continued to supply PD events for fellow students and a conduit to WAOTA for student members.

Interest Groups
Hand Interest Group – Romy Steele and Bec Kevill
OT Services in the Home Interest Group – Camille Wakefield, Anna Barkla, Anna Mills and Rachael Daglish.
DOT(WA) – Jacqui Hunt, Fiona Kemp, Isabelle Pontre and Alycia Keys. Although DOT(WA) is a separate entity, WAOTA has a MOU in place to ensure co-operation and prevent duplication of CPD events.
Soft Tissue Interest Group – Roisin Sullivan. Who has continued in this role and has also presented muchappreciated CPD, for WAOTA.
Workplace Modifications – Monika Bravo, Bianca McKay, Joanna Stanes and Daniel Lim

An incredible effort is made by all the Interest Group Convenors in the provision of continuing professional development events. In conjunction with PD events organised by Carolyn Earle, the PD programme assists us all to comply with our obligations for CPD under AHPRA regulations.

Greg Wolff continues to be our honorary solicitor and we thank him for his time and assistance.

On your behalf, the Management Committee would like to extend our appreciation to our staff members. Thank you to Lorna Celenza our administrator continued to expand her skills and proficiency in the Newsletter and the website. Lorna also assisted Carolyn Earle in preparation of PD works and Kim Vercoe with forwarding any accounts. Carolyn Earle must also be congratulated on the quality of presenters and her organisational skills related to our extensive PD programme which complements our Interest Group meetings. The Pagoda is a very popular venue for the meetings. Thank you, also to Kim Vercoe for her diligent accounting. Our auditor Greg Ledger was very happy with her efforts and so are we.

Guild Insurance and HBF continue to support our Association by offering discount insurance for our members.

OT Week Breakfast Sponsors – Platinum Sponsor: Unicare Health; Gold Sponsors: Glide Products, Motobility and National 360; Silver Sponsors: Guild Insurance, eBikers, Edith Cowan University and GP Medical. These organisations supported by us, also support us, for which we are grateful.

WAOTA extends it thanks to you, the members, for continuing your engagement with thereby enabling activities and functions to be carried on for the profession. We will continue to put our members first in the planning for activities in 2022/23.

As we are well and truly in to the second half of 2022, planning is well underway for the WAOTA OT Week Breakfast, which is intended to be a celebration of how great OTs are, so keep your eyes out for updates and the opening of ticket sales for the opportunity to attend.

There are increasing indications that Australia is likely to experience another wave of COVID infections. There are resources on the WAOTA website and we would encourage you to keep up to date with information, with Healthy WA being a reliable source with Western Australian specific information released by the Government.

Until next time, stay safe, and we really would encourage you consider what you are able to contribute and to become involved in your Association. Contact Lorna in the office, to express your interest info@waota.com.au