CEO’S MESSAGE
Judge Us by the Company We Keep By Danny Langfield NMEDA CEO
N
MEDA recently signed
primarily as a special-interest trade
Director of Education & Training, is
an agreement with the
group representing the interests
key to this repositioning.
University of Pittsburgh’s
of the auto mobility industry in
Department of Rehabilitation
general, and wheelchair van dealers
Science & Technology (Pitt RST)
specifically. While we have worked
to oversee and administer our
hard to educate allied health
Education & Training program. Pitt’s
professionals and other influencers
Amy Lane, OTR/L, CDRS will serve as
on the importance of our Quality
our Director of Education & Training,
Assurance Program and the QAP
with at least 50% of her time devoted
difference, we’ve not achieved as
exclusively to NMEDA. Resources
much awareness as we would have
from Pitt RST’s continuing education
liked.
team will also be made available to the association to assist with our Learning Management System (LMS) implementation and ongoing online education offerings. Many of you know Amy, who has been a fixture at the NMEDA conference for over a decade. She is a past president of ADED and a 20+ -year veteran of the auto mobility industry who brings the
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Most of the influencers we are trying to reach operate in a world where credentials, for both organizations and individuals, are intrinsic to their professions and an important part of their everyday lives. Put another way: a quality program for auto mobility dealerships is likely perceived very differently
Over the next few years, I’d like to leverage that partnership and our CAP fund awareness resources to reposition NMEDA as a recognized national credentialing association that administers the QAP accreditation and the NMEDA Certified Technician certification.”
unique perspective of an allied health professional to our program. Pitt
Our partnership with Pitt RST gives
by influencers than the national
RST’s experience with hosting the
us the opportunity to change up
recognition of a true accreditation and
International Seating Symposium
that narrative significantly. Over the
certification program. NMEDA, on our
will be very helpful as we work
next few years, I’d like to leverage
own, is unlikely to be able to change
toward building next year’s Annual
that partnership and our CAP fund
that perception from the former to
Conference & Expo (to be co-located
awareness resources to reposition
the latter. But together with a globally
with ADED, September 18-20—mark
NMEDA as a recognized national
recognized academic entity such
your calendars!).
credentialing association that
as Pitt RST, we can change not only
administers the QAP accreditation
the perception but the reality of our
and the NMEDA Certified Technician
purpose. And Pitt will undoubtedly
certification. Our association with Pitt
hold our feet to the fire to ensure
RST, and the reality of a registered
our programs are truly held to their
OT and CDRS in Amy Lane as our
exacting standards.
This partnership with Pitt RST means so much to NMEDA’s future—here’s why. Our association is currently perceived
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NMEDA Circuit Breaker
