Secretary Candidate Page |Alison O’Connor Sutherland
President-Elect Candidate Page | Len Angelli | Derek Lautieri
Alison’s candidate statement:
Dear NHATA Members:
It is an honor to be nominated to be the NHATA Secretary. While I am relatively new to our state, I believe that the variety of experiences I have had in my ten-year career as a Certified Athletic Trainer will be an asset to the executive board and therefore our membership and profession. In addition to my clinical experience, I am detail oriented with strong organizational and communication skills.
I am a native Vermonter, and a proud graduate of the University of Vermont. Concurrent with pursuing my BS in Athletic Training, I was also an active member of UVM Rescue, a unique collegiate ambulance service that served both the campus and surrounding communities. I volunteered nearly 7,000 hours over my four years, and was peer-elected to serve one year as a Personnel Officer, responsible for the acceptance process for new members as well as managing any interpersonal issues, and then served two years as the Public Relations Officer, responsible for all aspects of external relations.
In my career, I have worked at the secondary school level, as well as at Division I and in the physician practice setting. I completed a MS in Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, with a focus on injury prevention and biomechanics while serving as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for the Huskies. I also completed a post-professional residency at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, and have spent more than two years working in the orthopaedic physician practice setting. I joined the staff at Dartmouth College as an athletic trainer in April, 2019. I have always felt it important to give back to my profession in a meaningful way. I have given numerous guest lectures and have a strong interest in clinical education and mentorship. With that said, I am finally settled in a place I intend on staying at for a long time, and feel that the timing is finally right for me to jump into state leadership, which is a goal I have had since I was an athletic training student.
I appreciate your support of my candidacy, and welcome questions, concerns, and ideas at any time. I firmly believe that those elected to positions of leadership must do so with the best interests of their constituents at heart, and I think that feedback and open communication among stakeholders and leadership is the most appropriate means of achieving that goal. I look forward to the opportunity to serve you and our profession.
Warmly,
Alison C. O’Connor Sutherland, MS, NH LAT, ATC
Alison’s Answer to Questions
What does serving as an NHATA Officer mean to you? Why is it important?
Serving as an NHATA Officer is a tangible way to give back to a profession that I deeply love. It has been a career-long goal of mine to give back consciously and increasingly, and I see serving as the NHATA Secretary to be an appropriate next step in that process. I feel that giving back and working actively toward advancing our profession is of paramount importance. This includes diligently working to continually improve our public image, and supporting our colleagues through advocacy and any other means they deem important to their individual success. We have made tremendous progress particularly over the last thirty years, but I know we are capable of so much more.
Describe the qualities, attributes and experiences that have prepared you to the NHATA Secretary
I have strong organizational and communication skills with a knack for attention to detail. I am experienced in operating under Robert’s Rules of Order as well as in documenting meeting minutes. I have spent the first ten years of my career focusing on developing a wide variety of clinical skills that enable me to understand many of the nuances of our profession through experience.
What do you plan to accomplish as an NHATA Officer?
I aim to work collaboratively with Christine and the rest of the executive board to carry on the great progress that Sandy, Ali, David, and Ben have worked so diligently toward in their tenure. I don’t have my own agenda per se, but I see this opportunity as a chance to truly represent the athletic trainers in New Hampshire, and it will be my aim to use my position to listen to the membership and support our collective goals. In coming to New Hampshire, I am very impressed by our state’s Practice Act and positive acknowledgement of athletic trainers. I know other states are not as fortunate, and using our success to help other states is something I would be amenable to put energy towards if the leadership and membership agrees this is important. Conversely, I would like to continue to explore what other state associations are doing and use those examples to improve our profession here in New Hampshire.
