The Illinois Delegation to the APTA House of Delegates

The House of Delegates of the American Physical Therapy Association has all legislative and elective powers and authority to determine policies of the Association and has the authority to adopt ethical principles and standards to govern the conduct of members of the Association in their roles as physical therapists or physical therapist assistants.

The Illinois Physical Therapy Association elects the delegates who will represent it at the annual session. One delegate is elected as the Chapter’s chief delegate.  The number of delegates for each chapter is assigned based on the number of Physical Therapist, Retired Physical Therapist, Life Physical Therapist, Physical Therapist Assistant, Retired Physical Therapist Assistant, and Life Physical Therapist Assistant members in each chapter.

For 2007, the Illinois Chapter has 18 delegates and 4 alternate delegates.  The members of the Illinois delegation are:

Becky Wojcik	Chief Delegate
Peter McMenamin	At-Large Delegate
Jim Milder	At-Large Delegate
Barb Sullivan	At-Large Delegate
Vicki Lee	At-Large Delegate
Mickey Bonk	At-Large Delegate
Jim Dayhuff	At-Large Delegate
Jeannette Elliott	At-Large Delegate
Patti Naylor	At-Large Delegate
Mary Keehn	At-Large Delegate
Diane Davis	Eastern District Delegate
Colleen McQuillan	East Central District Delegate
Heidi Tippner	Central District Delegate
Sandy Levi	Northern District Delegate
Ed Kapper	North Central Delegate
Bill McGehee	Western District Delegate
Jane Winders	West Central Delegate
Dale Pape	Southern District Delegate
Paula Eppenstein	Alternate Delegate
Jean Kestner	Alternate Delegate
Jennifer Ryan	Alternate Delegate
Mary Ziomek	Alternate Delegate

Representation of Physical Therapist Assistants in APTA Governance

Physical Therapist Assistants are represented in APTA governance through the PTA Caucus.  The PTA Caucus represents the physical therapist assistants’ interests, needs, and issues in APTA governance. The PTA Caucus includes the Chief Delegate, four Delegates at Large, and 52 PTA Caucus Representatives. The Chief Delegate and Delegates at Large are elected by the PTA Caucus and serve two year terms and are the voice of the PTA Caucus during APTA’s House of Delegates.  The PTA Caucus Representatives are elected or selected by each Chapter.

The Illinois PTA Caucus Representative is an  active participant in the Illinois  Delegation, providing information and raising issues related to the work and development of physical therapist assistants. The PTA Representative also attends the APTA House of Delegates, PTA Caucus meetings, and other PTA related meetings. The Representatives serve as crucial points of contact for the physical therapist assistant members in their respective Chapter as well as providing the Chapter Delegation with the physical therapist assistant’s perspective on issues before the House.

For 2007, the IPTA Physical Therapist Assistant Director, Louise Dolvig, represents the Illinois Chapter.