AMTA Oregon Newsletter Winter 2024
Contents:
- Editor’s note
- President’s note
- Education Chair’s Note and Events Update
- Government Relations Report
- Membership Report
Editor’s Note:
Happy New Year from the AMTA Oregon Chapter! It’s been a busy Fall for our chapter, from National Convention in Tampa, FL, to our Education Event in Bend, at McMenamin’s Old St. Francis School with Whitney Lowe, to engaging with OBMT, our Lobbyist, and Legislators to contribute and address the problem of Illicit Massage Businesses (IMB’s). We look forward to sharing what we learn and how we can help protect both our profession and the public.
In addition to notes from our President, Eduction Chair, and Government Relations Chair, please enjoy photos from Tampa and Bend throughout the newsletter. We look forward to seeing you, and having you a part of our picture in 2025.
Thanks for reading and being a part of AMTA OR,
Aaron Gustafson
President’s Note:
I hope this message finds you well and inspired! I wanted to share highlights from the 2024 American Massage Therapy Association National Convention, as well as updates on the chapter’s efforts to provide CE’s, and our advocacy work. This year’s National Convention in Tampa, Florida was a fantastic reminder of the power of connection and growth within our profession.
National Convention Highlights
I always find that attending the National Convention is a positive and energizing experience. Engaging with practitioners from across the country is inspiring, and the variety of CE classes offered was excellent. It was also great to connect with AMTA-OR members at this year’s convention. It was wonderful to see how dedicated so many members are to supporting and advancing the field of Massage Therapy. We participated in the AOD (Assembly Of Delegates) meeting as well as Government Relations meetings. See our Delegate and our Government Relations chair highlights for more.
Continuing Education Opportunities
Our chapter remains committed to providing high-quality continuing education opportunities for our members. Our education chair is consistently seeking courses that provide practical, in-depth and engaging educational content. AMTA Oregon seeks to provide educational opportunities meeting OBMT requirements, and ways to bring this to our members in-person whenever possible. Our goal is to provide opportunities that keep members well inspired, and well prepared.
Advocacy and Protecting Our Profession
Our chapter is deeply invested in safeguarding and upholding the integrity of the Massage Therapy profession in Oregon. This work is essential to protecting legitimate massage practices and ensuring that our profession remains, and grows, as a respected part of the Health and Wellness community in Oregon. We’ve had opportunity to meet with the OBMT to discuss their disruption plans in addressing the very significant issue of (IMB) Illicit Massage Businesses, which also includes issues of human and sex trafficking. What I found very promising was the knowledge, dedication and motivation of the OBMT officers, AMTA-Oregon member representatives, the FSMTB, the Oregon lobbyist and interested lawmakers and their focus to not allow this problem to fade away. It was also abundantly clear that it is going to take a collaborative approach that includes law enforcement, local city counsel and the community to make a sustained impact. One of AMTA-Oregon goals is help by educating our community and raising public awareness.
Cheers to our members for your the support and dedication to building and strengthening the Massage Therapy profession in Oregon!
Happy New Year,
Devery Broddie
Education & Events Update:
The Bend Oregon Conference was another sold out event with over 85 members and non members joining us for 8 hours of education. It was so exciting to see the response for quality continuing education along with engaging with each other in thoughtful dialog on ethics in our industry.
It’s wonderful to see how much positive feedback the Oregon AMTA has been receiving. We’re excited to see the 2025 Oregon Annual Convention in Wilsonville taking shape. Be sure to save the dates: Saturday April 26th and Sunday 27th, 2025. The venue at the Holiday Inn allows us to accommodate 300 attendees while keeping the cost as low as possible for members. Our hope is that all that want to attend will be able, and we won’t have to have a wait list. Even when we think we’ve finally booked enough space, these events sell out fast, so please don’t wait; specific class details and registration info will be announced soon.
It’s a privilege to help facilitate these events and to work with such great colleagues. Getting A+ education while having opportunities to engage with fellow LMTs (AMTA members and Non Members) has become the hallmark for all future events. We have also been in conversations with the Washington AMTA for the possibility of combining our resources to put out a NW Summit soon.
We hope you’ll join us,
Jamin Rak
Board Member Danika Tkacik on her National Convention experience:
Attending the massage therapy conference in Tampa was such an inspiring experience. It was a perfect blend of learning, connecting, and growing as a therapist. The chance to learn from some of the best in the field was invaluable. I picked up new techniques and deepened my understanding of how massage therapy is evolving, especially in how it supports the nervous system—a core part of the work we do.
I particularly enjoyed the Table Thai class and have already been incorporating some of the techniques into my my work. Client feedback has been wonderfully positive toward the added stretching and mobility work, with the best part being how effective the work is with minimal effort.
Beyond the education, the relationships I built were just as meaningful. It was so refreshing to connect with fellow therapists from all over and share stories, ideas, and challenges. I walked away with a real sense of community, which as we all know is so important in this field.
AMTA-OR Government Relations Report:
The AMTA National Government Affairs team hosted a meeting with Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) representatives, Chapter Presidents, and Government Relations Chairs at the National Convention in August to discuss developments with the proposed Multi-State Licensing Compact (IMPACT.) AMTA National has received assurances from FSMTB that LMTs in states with licensing requirements lower than the compact threshold, who can show additional hours, will qualify for multi-state licensure. FSMTB has also agreed to address other fairness and accessibility issues which AMTA might identify. Therefore, AMTA has withdrawn its opposition to the compact.
The AMTA-OR leadership team and our Lobbyist Cindy Robert have been in ongoing meetings with OBMT, FSMTB, and State Legislators to identify more effective ways to shut down illicit massage businesses and combat human trafficking. We will keep you updated as we learn more and what actions we can take.
Anyone interested in the rules and policies which shape our profession is urged to contact the GR chair.
Don Schiff, LMT #23463
AMTA-OR Government Relations Chair
Membership Report:
As of December 2024, The Oregon Chapter has 2,226 active members. Thanks for being a part of AMTA OR!
Get to know and get in touch with your Oregon Board members by clicking here.
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