Nominating Committee Chair Letter

By Stephanie Weyrauch, PT, DPT

I first became involved in the Section after I attended Graham Sessions as a student.

I found the people, atmosphere, and expertise of the Section enriching, thought-provoking, and welcoming. Section leaders seemed interested in me and what I could offer PPS, which astonished me because I was “just” a student and didn’t own a private practice. But in PPS, no one is “just a…” Soon, I was being asked to join committees and participate in focus groups. Fast forward five years and here I am, composing a letter as Chair of the PPS Nominating Committee.

The PPS Nominating Committee is tasked with recruiting PPS leadership. Our most important recruitment events are the Annual PPS Conference, Graham Sessions, and CSM. However, recruiting looked a little different this year. With no in-person conferences, the traditional way in which the Nominating Committee encourages members to share their talents—face-to-face interactions—was not possible. Like my fellow private practice physical therapists, we found ourselves having to change our approach rapidly.

This year, the Nominating Committee implemented a series of strategic changes to adapt and streamline the nominations process. We employed an online nomination form, decreased barriers required to nominate potential candidates, and standardized the interview process. This allowed us to reach out to a diverse group of leaders, enhancing representation of our organization’s membership. We also assessed how the composition of the current Board of Directors compared to the diversity of our membership. We utilized this data to assist in completing this year’s candidate slate.

We have been delighted with the results. The Committee received a high volume of nominations this year, many more than available candidate spots. We are committed to keeping all those who were nominated—whether slated or not—involved in the Section through a novel collaboration with the Board of Directors. Our goal is to decrease the barriers required for participation within the Section (e.g., committees, task forces, work groups, etc.) to give members more opportunities for leadership development. All of these opportunities can be found on the Section’s website (ppsapta.org/committees/). I believe this collaboration is imperative because as members of the Nominating Committee, it is our job to engage with membership. We want to learn about you, your talents, and your leadership skills so that we may connect you to the most valuable leadership opportunities within the organization. We also encourage engagement with organizations external to our profession (for example the Arthritis Foundation or Parkinson’s Association) to extend our expertise across all aspects of healthcare.

Everyone—including you—has something to offer our organization. You are not “just a…” If we are going to continue to be successful, we need you. So, as Nominating Committee Chair, I ask, what are you passionate about and how can your talents enhance PPS?