Board Openings

The following Board positions will opening in April 2022:

President-Elect, 3 yrs
Central Regional Representative, 3 yrs
Treasure, 3 year
Media Representative, 2 yrs
2 - University of Northern Iowa Student Representative, 1 yr
2 - University of Iowa Student Representative, 1 yr

IITRA was established to serve as an advocate for the Therapeutic Recreation profession to promote the health and well being of the public through service, education, research and development and enforcement of standards.

Board Members are expected to attend 12 one-hour monthly meetings of the Board each year as well as participate in assigned subcommittees. Please see IITRA by-laws for additional details.
Meetings are held the first Friday of each month at 12 pm with an April meeting the night before the Annual Conference and the first meeting of the year immediately following the conference on Friday. Meetings are via Zoom Web-Conferencing in addition to a host setting.

The Board shall supervise and direct the affairs of IITRA, shall determine its policies or changes therein, within the limits of the by-laws, and actively promote its purposes. Board Members participate in deliberation on IITRA matters, contribute to formulating decisions, assist in carrying out recommended actions, monitor committee functions, and make reports as required.

The Offices of President, Past President, President-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, Members-at-Large and Regional Representatives of ITRA shall be reserved for professional members and associates in good standing. Members of ITRA must be employed or reside in the State of Iowa.

If you are interested in being nominated for one of these positions, please email adrienne-johnson@uiowa.edu as soon as possible.

Thank you in advance for stepping up to lead and better the profession of Therapeutic Recreation.

2022 Board Nominees

President-Elect Nominees

Whitney Broghammer

My name is Whitney Broghammer. I have served on the IITRA Board in many positions over the past 6 years and have seen our program make great strides during that time. I have connected with therapists across the state and nation and I am excited to use those connections to best serve our members. As the president elect I am eager to bring fresh new ideas and experiences to our conference to best fit the needs of our community of recreation professionals. I am eager to step into this leadership role and help foster a community amongst our organization.

Central Regional Representative Nominees

Gabby Cole

My name is Gabby Cole. I work at Link Associates as a Leisure Services Specialist. In my free time, I love to spend time outdoors, and I teach dance. I would like to be the Central Iowa Representative because I’ve had the opportunity to fill in for this position and throughly enjoyed my time. I want to continue to be involved with and impact the therapeutic recreation profession.

Treasurer Nominee

Nicole Fritch

My name is Nicole Fritch. I attended University of Iowa, and graduated in 2016 with a Therapeutic Recreation Bachelor and a Certification in Disability Studies. Upon graduation I worked with the geriatric population in a skilled nursing facility. Currently I am working with patients with traumatic brain injuries as a Recreation Therapist. I want to be the Treasurer for the board to ensure accuracy and efficiency to improve what the board is able to accomplish.

Media Representative Nominee

Colleen McFarlane

My name is Colleen McFarlane. I am a recent graduate from the University of Iowa and a soon-to-be CTRS. I have connections and experience in outdoor adaptive adventure sports as well as psychiatry and I hope my time with IITRA will help me broaden my network and share the experiences I have. As social media chair, I would work to raise awareness as well as advocate for IITRA and the profession of TR. As a new professional, I will have new experiences and viewpoints to share with the organization, as well as a different outlook on how IITRA can continue to advocate for inclusion and therapeutic recreation for all.

Alexis Cutsforth

Hello! My name is Alexis, and I am running for Media Representative on the IITRA Board! I am currently a CTRS at Pillar of Cedar Valley on the ICF/ID unit. I work with PT, OT, and ST to create different recreation therapy programs for clients. The programs help individuals with intellectual disabilities and other diagnoses learn the skills needed to live an independent lifestyle. I am newer to this field on a professional level and bring lots of creative, young, and fresh ideas to the table. I want to be a Media Representative because I can be creative with various themes but also have fun relaying information. At Pillar, I help create different announcements for the unit to inform staff of upcoming meetings and events! As Media Representative, I would like to expand on how information gets across in a quarterly newsletter, continue to update the media websites with current and new information and have some fun exploring different ways to let out my creative side! I served as a UNI Representative 3 years ago and I’ve missed serving on the board ever since!

Student Representatives

Sydney Woodruff

My name is Sydney and I’m currently a sophomore studying Therapeutic Recreation at the University of Northern Iowa. For the past two years I’ve served as a mentor on the UNI Sparkles adaptive cheerleading team. Our group works with children with special needs in the Cedar Valley who have an interest in cheerleading and we aim to help them develop and showcase their skills to the community at UNI basketball games. Seeing the joy and pride on their faces when they learn a new skill or have the opportunity to perform in front of others is one of the main factors that led me to the TR profession. In my future career I hope to continue working with children with special needs in order to cultivate the leisure skills they need to reach their goals!
I see becoming an IITRA board member as an opportunity to grow in my knowledge and leadership experience as a future Therapeutic Recreation professional. I hope to leave this opportunity as a more well-rounded person and professional.

Ellie McNeil

My name is Ellie McNeil, and I am a Junior at the University of Northern Iowa studying Therapeutic Recreation. I grew up in Moline, Illinois, which is right on the Mississippi river, with my parents, two brothers, and two dogs.
My dream job is to work with adults who have disabilities in a camp setting. I wanted to be on this board because I think this will be an amazing opportunity to learn, grow, and teach others about this Association and Therapeutic Recreation in general. Also, I am excited to share what I learn on a daily basis both in the classroom and from my experience at several camps and jobs working with people who have different abilities and backgrounds.

Emily Bonert

I am currently a second year at the University of Iowa studying Therapeutic Recreation. I currently hold a student position at the University of Iowa Hospitals on the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit. With this position I work with various CTRS and help them with therapeutic and recreational activities while the patients are admitted. In the past, I have also worked with older adults in a nursing home as an activity assistant. Additionally, this past winter I was able to attend the Special Olympics Winter Games in Iowa as a Practicum Course offered through the University of Iowa. At this event I was able to engage and connect with various athletes and help with the event. As a student, I have found a passion for working with various individuals and providing various leisure activities and needs and I am excited to continue along this career path and see what the future holds!

As I approach my internship and career, I believe that it will be beneficial for me to have various networking opportunities and gain experience and knowledge from others in the field. After attending monthly meetings and other related events, I hope to learn from others and hopefully apply it to my classes, work, and future career. Additionally, I have always valued leadership, by becoming a board member I hope to practice and grow my leadership skills with others to become a better individual, student, and employee.