Bios of Current Executive ConnOTA Board and SIS Co-Chairs

PRESIDENT
Susan Goszewski, MSM, OTR/L received her Occupational Therapy degree from Indiana University and her Master's degree from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT. She has been a Supervisor of Rehabilitation Services at Yale New Haven Hospital since November of 1995. In this role, she is primarily responsible for managing occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech language pathology in the pediatric in-patient and out-patient program, along with managing two other adult outpatient therapy departments. Previously, Sue worked as a manager for Restorative Services in Northwest Indiana. Sue was the Region 1 Director for the American Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee from 2008 - 2010. Sue most recently chaired the government affairs committee for ConnOTA and was Special Interest Section liaison for Reimbursement. Sue was instrumental in Indiana's effort to obtain certification for Occupational Therapists and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants and served as Indiana Medical Licensing Board Chairman of the Occupational Therapy Committee 1989-1995. Sue has a special interest in promoting Occupational Therapy services and to ensure that our services are recognized as essential.

VICE PRESDIENT
Elissa Miller, OTD, OTR/L is a full time faculty member of the Graduate Program in Occupational Therapy at Sacred Heart University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology and Nutrition from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Mercy College. She received her doctoral degree in occupational therapy from Creighton University December 2007. She has worked in the school system, home care and private practice and also has been involved in the creation and implementation of several community based sports and camps programs for children with disabilities in southern Fairfield County. Elissa has presented and published in the areas of play and sensory processing, play preference, child development and non-linear dynamic systems theory and assistive technology and play.

TREASURER
Judith Sheehan, OTR/L, CFo, graduated magna cum laude from Utica College in 1983. Her clinical experience has been in acute care, home care, sub-acute and long-term care where she has held many administrative and leadership positions, specializing in organizational management and accreditation preparation. She is a guest lecturer at many of the in state OT programs and is a resource to therapists across the state. She serves on the advisory board at MCC. She is the owner of Splinting Solutions, LLC, where she utilizes her business and clinical skills to facilitate quality patient care. She is a certified orthotic fitter and her company is accredited by The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics. She has assisted ConnOTA in the annual conference planning, was a presenter in 2000, and serves as the ConnOTA historian.

SECRETARY
Fran Harmeyer, M.M., OTR/L is the secretary for the Connecticut Coalition for Culture Change. She has been a member of AOTA and an OTR for 15 years and has worked in geriatric sub-acute, long term care and outpatient upper extremity rehab. She is working with long term care staff at Elim Park to assist in aspects of culture change there. She is also currently working on a Master's Degree in Geriatric Health and Wellness from Sacred Heart University. She is new to active participation in advocacy groups, but committed to "voices being heard"!

MEMBERS AT LARGE
Christine Ross - has practiced OT since 1985. She worked as a COTA for 8 years before receiving a BS from Quinnipiac University in 1993. Her experience includes outpatient, homecare, skilled nursing/subacute, pediatrics/school based, acute hospital and acute rehab. Most recently she is a leader for a large innovative Connecticut based company with responsibility of developing educational programming for staff therapists and therapists in the area, therapist recruitment and operations. She serves on the continuing education advisory board for Sacred Heart University.

Mary Plankey, MS, OTR/L has been working as an occupational therapist for the Hospital of St Raphael for the past six years on both the acute and rehabilitation floors of the hospital. Prior to working at HSR, she worked for one year at Carolton Chronic and Convalescent Hospital. She keeps her hand in the subacute arena by working per diem at Sister Anne Virginie Grimes Rehabilitation Facility. She is an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University where she facilitates problem-based learning groups. She is graduate of Sacred Heart University where she earned her MSOT. Her formal education and my work experience have taught her the importance of being committed to her patients, peers, and profession. She believes a great way to maintain this commitment is to be a member of one's state and/or national associations.

Kari Cruanes, MS, OTR/L is a graduate of the University of New England in Portland, Maine. She was recently published twice in OT Practice, with articles regarding leadership. During her time at UNE, Kari was voted Senior of the Year and Student Leader of the Year. She works as an occupational therapist at a skilled nursing facility in Glastonbury, CT. With a passion for working in the mental health field, Kari works per diem for Community Mental Health Affiliates, developing treatment plans and implementing wellness groups with a population of young adults.

MEMBER FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Salvador Bondoc, OTD, OTR/L, CHT is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at Quinnipiac University, who received his Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of the Philippines and his post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy from Creighton University. He currently teaches foundational neurosciences and their application in neurological rehabilitation. His research interests are in rehabilitation outcomes, recovery of upper extremity function following a CVA or stroke, and community reintegration. Sal is also a practicing clinician as a Certified Hand Therapist. He conducts continuing education courses related to upper extremity rehabilitation nationwide. He serves key volunteer positions at the national level in two major OT organizations -- The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). He is committed to education and life long learning for the profession and is willing to assist the profession in furthering their skills to better serve their patients.

MEMBER FOR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Elaine Craddy Adams, OTR/L has been working as an occupational therapy practitioner for 30 years and is currently employed as a Manager of Regulatory Compliance for Genesis Rehab Services. She has served on ConnOTA's Council on Government Affairs for several years, and frequently consults and works with AOTA regarding legislative, regulatory and reimbursement issues.

MEMBER FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Mary-Ellen Johnson MAHSM, OTR/L - Mary-Ellen is on the faculty of the Graduate Program in Occupational Therapy at Sacred Heart University since 2002. She is also a faculty member of the Graduate Program in Geriatric Health and Wellness, where she teaches ethics, and coordinator of the faculty practice in the Department of Occupational Therapy. Mary-Ellen is a graduate of Dominican College's Occupational Therapy Program and has earned a Masters in Health Systems Management from the John F. Welch College of Business of Sacred Heart University. She is currently enrolled in Creighton University's post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy program.

SIS CO-CHAIRS:  DEANNE ANDERSON AND SHARON MC CLOSKEY
Sharon is an Occupational Therapist with over 22 years of professional experience.  In the past 17 years Sharon has practiced in the area of pediatrics and school based service delivery, with Norwalk Rehabilitation Services Inc.  She is the Director of the School-Based Therapy program at NRS, and strongly advocates a framework for best practices of therapy services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (and other more recent U.S. Educational Reform Initiatives).  With her teams of therapists, Sharon strives for excellence in the delivery of Occupational Therapy service, as an educationally-related service.  Sharon is also an adjunct faculty member at Sacred Heart University, School of Occupational Therapy, in the area of pediatrics. Sharon is a graduate of St. Joseph’s College of Occupational Therapy, Trinity College, Ireland.  She completed her Masters of Business Administration at the University of New Haven, Connecticut.  Sharon practiced as an Occupational Therapist in Ireland for a number of years before immigrating to the United States.  She has lived in Connecticut for the past 17 years.  She continues to be actively involved in grass-root organizations advocating for legislative changes in Ireland and Europe, in relation to special education law.  She has lectured both locally (Connecticut), nationally (AOTA, and tri-state area), and internationally (Ireland and England), on a variety of pediatric and OT service delivery topics.