Gina Hatfield

 OKOTA President

My name is Gina Hatfield. I have decided to run for President of OKOTA as a way to give back to a profession that I truly love. 

I graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in education. My teaching career was primarily in special education. My career as an occupational therapy practitioner began in 2010 after I returned to school at Southwestern Oklahoma State University at the Caddo Kiowa Technology Center.  While working as an OTA I completed the OTA to OTR bridge program at Texas Woman’s University in 2015. When people ask me why left teaching, I tell them I didn’t stop teaching, I just specialized. 

Throughout my OT career I have worked in pediatric home health, pediatric outpatient, schools and skilled nursing. All settings have there own challenges and rewards. More recently I have added Instructor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator to my resume. My current position at Murray State College allows me to combine my two passions. 

My favorite quote sums up exactly how I feel about occupational therapy. “Occupational  therapy is where science, creativity & compassion collide.” ~Jessica Kensky, RN, Boston marathon bombing survivor

Kelsey Brown is an outpatient occupational therapist in the Tulsa area. She is currently studying for her CHT certification. She has been a part of the OKOTA board for the last 4 years. She has held the position of secretary for the last 3 years. Before being the secretary, she was the OKOTA student representative. She has enjoyed being a part of an organization that is advocating for our profession every day and would love the opportunity to continue to serve as the secretary. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys spending time with her husband, Matt, and her two dogs, Branson and Josie.

Kelsey believes it is important to empower occupational therapists and students to have a voice in their future in the field of occupational therapy. She believes that OKOTA serves a greater role in advocating for the profession of occupational therapy throughout the state and would be honored to continue to serve as the secretary.

Douglas Ball
OTA Representative

Douglas Ball, MBA-HCA, COTA/L is a graduate of the OCCC Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Program. He is currently a Professor of OTA at OCCC and practices as an OTA at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City. He has a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration from Southern Nazarene University. After completing his master’s degree, Douglas worked as a Clinical Operations Manager for a variety of providers until he returned to following his passion for OT and his desire to be a part of the role OT plays in helping individuals live their best lives.

Prior to accepting a full-time faculty position at OCCC, Douglas was a practicing OTA in outpatient pediatrics, and had previously taught in the OCCC-OTA program as an Adjunct Professor and Lab Instructor. Douglas has experience in a variety of practice settings, including Inpatient Rehabilitation, Acute and ICU Care, and Home Health/Low Vision Rehabilitation. His experience in various roles in the healthcare continuum-of-care provides him with a valuable perspective, a perspective he will whole-heartedly bring to OKOTA and its members.

Another aspect of OT that is important to Douglas is community. He has served on school and church governance boards and committees, volunteers with community organizations, and is active in state and national professional organizations. Douglas currently serves on the OTA Advisory Committee, as SOTA Faculty Advisor, and has been selected as the Div. of Health Professions Faculty Association Representative at OCCC.
Your vote will bring an experienced, passionate OT professional to serve our organization as the OTA Representative for OKOTA.

Bio:  I have been practicing in the field of occupational therapy for 26 years beginning as COTA and later earning a master’s in occupational therapy in 2001. I then completed a Doctorate in Occupational therapy in 2014. I was a counselor prior to entering the field of occupational therapy with my first positions as a COTA in mental health. I worked in the McKinney public school system for 13 years and became certified as a Specialist in School Based Therapy in 2004.

I currently work PRN at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas for the past 23 years in the acute

care setting. I have been the program director for the Murray State College

Occupational Therapy Assistant program since 2015. I have taken the program

through reaccreditation and curriculum changes. I am currently working to create

distance learning opportunities for OTA students at MSC. I have served on

advisory committees for MSC, Brown Mackie College and Texas Woman’s

University. I currently serve as the Faculty Development Committee Chair as

well as serving on the Accreditation Committee for MSC. I am the chairperson

for the JBAMM Healthcare Center Workforce Excellence for southern Oklahoma

and serve on various NBCOT committees.
I have been a member of AOTA since 1997 and OKOTA since 2015. I have served as the OKOTA Director at-Large for the past 2 years. It would be an honor to continue to serve for OKOTA.

Lynanne Lutz
Student Representative
2023

Hello, I am Lynanne Lutz and I am a second-year student in the Master of Occupational Therapy program at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. I will be graduating in May of 2024, and have greatly enjoyed attending OKOTA throughout my time in school. I recall meeting students from OTA programs and current practitioners at the conference, which fostered a greater sense of community found in occupational therapy within Oklahoma. I find the role of the organization to be so vital to our profession. I believe occupational therapy to be immensely beneficial to our clients, and hope to support the growth of our profession through expanding student knowledge of OKOTA and its role in advocacy.

Upon entering school, I have had the privilege of holding multiple leadership roles such as SOTA Vice-President, ASD representative, the DRS Class of 2024 Fundraising Chair, and College of Allied Health Social Chair. I would appreciate any opportunity to champion for OKOTA and its mission.  Thank you for your consideration!