| I’m sitting at my desk reflecting on the last several years of APTA-MS and my time as president. It is a lot to think about. During my tenure, we navigated changing multiple executive directors in a short amount of time, changing landscape in APTA governance and finances, making bylaws changes, surviving a pandemic, and thriving in our centennial year. We have continued to build a solid foundation and structure for the leadership of APTA-MS, collaborated with MSBPT to protect the autonomy of our licensure board, actively participated in advocacy for Patient Self-Referral to PT within our state capital, and advocated Federally in DC to fight the cut for PTA reimbursements and to include PTs in rural tuition grants. We were one of the first components in the nation (#4) to adopt the new marketing platform and integrate it into our advertising. We have had amazing representation at House of Delegates to ensure that the voice of MS PT/PTAs is represented. PTAs were given a full vote on our board in our APTA-MS bylaws, and we successfully resisted MSBPT’s attempt to restrict a PTAs ability to be an administrator within the clinical setting. We have 3 PTA’s running for the delegate position and a PTA running for an executive office. We began the PTA of the year award in the state of MS.We are actively working to become a more inclusive organization for PTAs and all minority individuals. We have had officers who identify as part of the LGBTQ community and 3 officers simultaneously on the Board of Directors who are part of the African American community. We began a minority mentoring program. We have nominated more African Americans to the governor for MSBPT positions than have been nominated in the past. We have more PTAs than ever working alongside us to improve APTA-MS. We have a balanced number of males and females in leadership roles of APTA-MS, and we have worked tirelessly to include ALL geographic areas of the state in leadership and activities. Let’s not forget the hundreds of hours of continuing education that we offered to practitioners in our state. We did this through in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats. They were Tri-State conferences, district conferences, and statewide conferences. They were exceptional! We were a host state for the joint Centennial Tri-State conference with Tennessee and Arkansas. One of the first groups to navigate a virtual annual conference. We could not have done this without Ryan and his team from Horizon Professional Services and our amazing team of leadership in APTA-MS. I would be remiss if I did not mention Eric, Cheryl, and Judy. You guys did so much work that goes unseen and under-appreciated. Eric, you set the tone and the standard. You showed us what was possible. Cheryl, you stepped in during the pandemic and were able to do the impossible and get a virtual line up that was amazing. Judy, you were thrown into a Tri-State conference and the first in-person/hybrid solo conference since the pandemic. You all 3 handled the fall conferences with such skill and grace. Thank you! Ryan and the Horizon team, you deserve your own paragraph! I cannot list all actions you skillfully perform to keep APTA-MS running smoothly. I can say that we were puttering along hoping the turtle would catch the hare on day. Your team has made all the difference. The conferences run smoothly. The finances are clear. The social media, newsletter, and website are flawless. You handle our logistical tasks for everything from board meetings to emails to financial reports. We have leapt forward and continue to grow with your efforts and skill set. Your contributions have been priceless to APTA-MS. I cannot finish this article without extending my gratitude to people who have been the backbone of my tenure as president. First and foremost, my husband Jason. He has been a rock and great listener. He has been my voice of reason and comfort. He has never wavered on helping promote our profession and supporting APTA-MS and never asked for credit for his contributions. My son Will went from my 8 year old smiling little boy to my know-it-all teenager during my tenure. He tolerated the many phone meetings during our daily commute and the countless zooms that required him to watch TV on mute. The members of the Board of Directors have put in countless volunteer hours that go unseen and they are really the ones that make it all work! They do the heavy lifting and do a phenomenal job. I would like to personally thank Eric, Cheryl, Josh F, Tracy, Tommy, and David for all your help. These people really stepped up when I needed them and are the reason for many of the successes that I listed above. I cannot thank them enough.In my personal closing I want to thank you, the membership, for entrusting me with the honor of serving as president of APTA-MS for the last several years. I could not be more proud to help represent our profession and our state. I truly love MS and the profession of PT. In closing my tenure as president, I am looking forward to working with APTA-MS and with colleagues on the national level. I will continue to advocate for our profession. But APTA-MS has chosen a wonderful man to lead us into the future. I truly believe our future is bright so I am going to keep wearing my shades! Signing off, Meg Y. King, DPT, MS APTA-MS President |
A Message From the President
APTA-Mississippi 