February 2019 President's Message

Published: February 1, 2019

President's Message
February 2019

Happy New Year everyone!!

It’s 2019. What did you learn and gain from 2018 and what are your hopes, dreams and goals for this brand new year?

The AMTA-MA Chapter hopes to add to your year. You’ll see elsewhere in this newsletter that we have elections, awards, and the Annual Meeting weekend coming up.

Membership continues to be our primary focus. How can we best help you?

What’s New?
With all of that going on in membership, what more can we do? Great question! I’m glad you asked that.

1. We want to start a series of “Meet Ups”. This would be small groups of therapists meeting at massage practices, coffee shops, schools, etc. to:

  • Review massage techniques
  • Discuss matters happening with the Board of Massage
  • Should I have disability insurance? (or similar topics)
  • Best business practices
  • Issues we haven’t even thought of yet!

Would you like to host a meet up or be a part of our membership team? I bet your answer is, “Sure, Greg! That sounds like so much fun and it wouldn’t even take up much of my time!”

That’s the spirit! Email me, (Greg) at info@massamta.org and we’ll talk!

2. Instagram…. Hmmm…. Do you think we should have Instagram? Are you someone who LOVES to take photos and would like to come to our meetings and events? Let us know and we just might be on Instagram soon.

3. More on Membership….

Here are other things that we do with you, the AMTA-MA Chapter Member, in mind:

CE classes in 2019 include:
  • In Safe Hands – Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, and Skin Cancer on Saturday, April 6 at the Sheraton Needham, the day before the Annual Meeting.
  • Ethics in the Social Media Age on Sunday, April 7 at the Sheraton Needham right before the Annual Meeting.
  • COMT for the Low Back and Pelvis – Coming in September in Springfield
  • Fundamentals of Fascial Therapy – Coming in December. Location to be determined
Easy access to Chapter Board and Committees:
Chapter Website where you can find contact information for Board and Committee members
General Email – info@massamta.org
President’s email – greghurdlmt@gmail.com
Continuing Education - Debbie Baker - education@massamta.org
Toll Free Number: 888-833-3206
Mailing address: Mass Chapter AMTA | PO Box 1044 |Worcester, MA 01613
We have Facebook & Twitter
Annual Meeting with speakers from the Massage Board and from our lobbyist.
Awards: Nominate someone who has earned one of these awards!
  • Humanitarian
  • Distinguished Service
  • Meritorious
  • Volunteer of the Year
Elections. We do online elections. Are you interested in being on the Board or perhaps you would like to go to the National Convention in Indianapolis this year as a Delegate? We are voting for:
  • Board member
  • Financial Admin
  • 2 Delegates
Law & Legislation

If you would like to be active in our Law & Legislation committee, let us know! Email me at greghurdlmt@gmail.com.

From previous newsletters, you have seen that we have a very active lobbyist and we work closely with him on all the legislative issues affecting massage therapy. He also goes to all the MA Massage Board meetings (and your President often attends them).
Issues we are closely looking at:
  • Regulations for bodyworkers
  • How massage can be an effective non-pharmacological treatment of pain and can help with those working to stop taking opioids
  • Assisting individual members with their concerns
  • Working to help facilitate the process of getting individual and establishment licenses
  • Anything new that comes up!
I’d like to finish this President’s Message with a big thank you to those who have volunteered for us this past year and I hope I got everyone. This list doesn’t even count those who I called and met with for help on a variety of matters.
  • Katie Adams
  • Debbie Baker
  • Karen Buck
  • Sue Cormier
  • Nichole Cross
  • Roxanne Cunningham
  • Kelly Dalbec
  • Ernie DiNatale
  • Gail Dobinski
  • Charles Gaudette
  • Patty Jaworski
  • Solange Lopes
  • Kristen Lutz
  • Kate Peck
  • Gordon Pilotte
  • Merrill Pregeant
  • Christine Rose
  • Regine Ryder
  • Jennifer Savage
  • Cynthia Sykes
  • Tonya Taylor
  • Brenda Thibault
  • Cathrine Thibault
  • Rishad Tillman

Wouldn’t it be nice if you were on this list too? Email me your talents, what you would like to do, or just as a question! greghurdlmt@gmail.com

Thank you so much for all being members of our Chapter. See you in April!!!

Greg Hurd
AMTA-MA Chapter President