BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board of Directors

The RMTAO is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors whose role it is to provide overall strategic direction to the Association and to monitor the organization's performance towards achieving the strategic goals it has identified. 

The Board is also responsible for setting governing policies for the organization and establishing position statements on matters of importance impacting the profession.

To contact members of the Board of Directors on strategic matters or to let your views be known on issues facing the profession of massage therapy, please e-mail the RMTAO at info@rmtao.com, or write the RMTAO Office.  You may also contact members of the Board of Directors at the e-mail addresses noted below or, if they have made their contact information public, in the RMTAO On-line Member Directory.  All communication sent to the RMTAO Board of Directors are filed by members of the Board with the RMTAO Office in accordance with record retention policies of the organization.

The Members of the 2013 Board of Directors are:

Officers

Krystin Bokalo, BAHSc., CAT(cc), RMT
Chair of the Board
E-mail:  Board_Chair@rmtao.com

Krystin has been practicing massage therapy since graduating from the Ontario College of Health and Technology in 2009. Before this, she obtained her bachelor of applied health sciences in athletic therapy from Sheridan College.

Krystin joined the RMTAO in 2009 and has worked at several multidisciplinary clinics in Burlington, which complement her interest in sports injuries. Krystin also has a strong background in insurance, particularly MVAs, and works with a company that assesses accident benefits claimants.

Andrew Lewarne, RMT
Vice Chair
E-mail:  Board_ViceChair@rmtao.com

Andrew has been a practicing RMT for eleven years. He began working out of a medical facility before moving on to a variety of multi–disciplinary clinics and finally opening his own clinic The Body Wise in 2003. He has contributed a number of articles to industry publications and teaches seminars on running, injury recovery and exercise.

He has worked for the CMTO as their examinations Officer from 2001-2006. He continues to work for both the College and the police as an expert witness since 2006.  He spent several years working with the University of Toronto Clinical Skills Assessment Unit both as a Trainer and member of the Cross Cultural Communication Workshop and the Inter-Professional Communication Workshop.

Stacey Shipwright, BA (Hons.), RMT
Secretary
E-mail: secretary@rmtao.com

Stacey Shipwright is the Research Officer in the Applied Research and Innovation Centre at Centennial College. She has a degree in Philosophy with an emphasis in applied ethics from Trent University and graduated from the Massage Therapy program at Centennial College where she was also recognized as an Alumnus of Distinction in 2009. Stacey is very active in the massage therapy and research community. She is a member of the Pediatric Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research and Education Network (PedCAM) and the Interdisciplinary Network for CAM Research (IN-CAM). Stacey is also a tutor with the Centre for Students with Disabilities at Centennial College where she has the opportunity to work with a variety of students, including those in the massage therapy program.

Directors

Amanda Baskwill, RMT

Amanda is a practitioner, educator and researcher of massage therapy. She joined the RMTAO as a student member in her final year of massage therapy education. Amanda currently practices at the Bloor West Homeopathic and Wellness clinic in Toronto, Ontario. As a volunteer, she sits on the publication committee of the RMTAO and also contributes to the publications.

Amanda’s research interests include the investigation into the efficacy of massage therapy for various conditions, the use of technology in education, innovative educational strategies and health policy. She is currently involved in two research projects concerning massage therapy: the effect of an international massage therapy bridging program on the preparedness of internationally educated massage therapists to enter practice in Ontario and take the registration exams; and the motivation of students to enter massage therapy education.

Dan Carell, RMT

Dan is a double graduate of Georgian College, receiving diplomas for environmental Engineering Technology in 2003 and registered Massage Therapy, with honours, in 2010. He began his RMT practice at a chiropractic office in Barrie in 2011, the same time he joined the RMTAO.

Dan's passion is for education and research in the RMT profession. He is the elected Chair of the Georgian College Massage Therapy Advisory Board, which is involved with facilitating the improvement and evolution of the Massage Therapy program.

Outside of the RMT community, Dan has been studying martial arts for over 20 years and is an assistant coach with Olympia Sports Camp.

Juliana Fernandes, RMT

Juliana graduated as an RMT from Kikkawa College in 2002. Since then she has worked in a variety of clinical settings with a diverse population. She completed the contemporary medical acupuncture course in 2005 and continues to widen her skills.

Juliana returned to Kikkawa College in 2006 as a clinic supervisor and soon became the admissions officer, clinic coordinator, director of the alumni association, and often a substitute instructor and examiner.

Tracy Lovitt, RMT

Tracy joined the RMTAO after graducating with her Diploma in Massage Therapy from Sutherland-Chan in 2007. Soon after, she pursued further training in Craniosacral Therapy, as well as Labour Support, and has integrated all aspects in her practice. She has experience working within both the multidisciplinary and Massage Therapy clinic settings, and presently has her own practice working in a Chiropractic clinic.

Tracy is a proponent of advocacy and professionalism within the Massage Therapy field, and strongly believes as practitioners, we can play a vital role in treatment and education of the public. Tracy also graduated in 1995 from Ryerson University wheere she recieved her BAA in Media Arts Studies.

Ivan Lukaroski, RMT

Ivan joined the RMTAO as a student member in his first year of studies in the massage therapy program at Everest College. Since becoming an RMT, Ivan has been working in a physio-rehap facility in Mississauga and manages his growing practice, Relax on the Run, providing massage therapy to individuals in the comfort of their own homes.

Parisa Moallemian, RMT

Parisa graduated from the CCMH in 1998. In her 15 years as a RMT, she has worked in a variety of practice settings, and since 2003 has owned and operated a corporated & mobile practice. Parisa is also the Teaching Chair for the Massage Therapy program at Everest College, which helps to keep her knowledge base current and up to date.

Before joining the RMTAO, Parisa spent five years serving as a non-council professional member on various committees at the CMTO. Parisa joined the RMTAO Board of Directors in 2009 and was most proud of the work she did as co-chair of the Credibility Survey, she was re-elected for her second term in 2013 and looks forard to serving the profession at large for years to come.

Kimberly Paterson, RMT, D.Ac, CR

Kimberly graduated from the Canadian Therapeutic College with an honours diploma in Massage Therapy in 2004. Since graduating she has worked in a multidisciplinary clinic in Burlington.

Prior to becoming a Massage Therapist, Kimberly worked as an Early Childhood Educator working to develop skills programs for autistic children. She continues to work with autistic children in her practice and also has experience treating infants and children with various conditions. In 2007, she completed her Doctorate in Acupucture and has also completed the McMaster Medical Acupucture course.

Kimberly joined the RMTAO in 2007 and brings her experience from prior boards and committees with her.

Ken Roche, RMT

Ken is a blind Massage Therapist working out of Kitchener-Waterloo since 1996.  Over the last 15 years, Ken has worked as an independent, self employed, treatment oriented, therapist in several settings including health clubs and medical/multi discipline clinics. While in general practice, Ken has acquired extensive experience working with WSIB and Motor Vehicle Accident patients, as well as catastrophic injuries and multi-sport athletes (including high performance Para-Olympians). Ken has also been involved in the instruction of Massage Therapy for several years as a clinic and outreach supervisor, and also teaching assistant/lead instructor for C.C.M.H

Debbie Wilcox, RMT

Debbie joined the RMTAO as a student member in 2002 and since then has been actively in involved in the profession by volunteering for the Education and Membership Committees. While maintaing a small practice in Scarborough she also teaches part-time in the massage therapy program at Centennial College.

Debbie is currently working towards her Bachelor of Adult Education at Brock University.