Greetings,
During my time on the PSHA board, I have greatly enjoyed my roles as Vice President of Governmental Relations and President-Elect. I’ve also gained greater insight into the breadth of speech-language pathologists’ and audiologists’ knowledge and skills and the daily issues clinicians face. My understanding of the power of advocacy has grown tremendously, and I now have a more thorough understanding of the hard work completed by PSHA and its members. I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to serve as President and ask for your ongoing support.
The PSHA board and committee members have been instrumental over this last year, actively working with our lobbyist to support legislation that directly impacts our practices. Their efforts, including town halls, committee topic webinars, and participation in our annual convention held in Pittsburgh, have been invaluable.
The PSHA mission is not just a statement but a commitment we all share. It “empowers our current and future professionals and those they serve through education, advocacy, and inclusion to promote clinical excellence.” My goals for this coming year are to continue to build on the success of the goals of our outgoing president, along with supporting our mission. This includes increasing membership and opportunities for members to collaborate with the association and one another, utilizing our expert committees to expand advocacy efforts to ensure we meet our members’ needs, provide innovative, high-quality continuing education and leadership opportunities, and continue to raise awareness of the purpose and efforts of our state associations.
I want to thank our outgoing president, Dana Bitteti, and past president, Louise Keegan, for their tireless contributions to PSHA and its members. I’d also like to thank Craven management, the McNees-Winter group, committee members, and the executive board for consistently supporting PSHA’s advocacy endeavors.
I look forward to continued partnership with our members who advocate for clients, students, and our practices. Your feedback is crucial to our growth and success. Also, thank you for your continued support and funding of PSHA’s work. I eagerly anticipate your feedback and ideas, and I look forward to seeing you at upcoming town halls and events. Your active participation is crucial to our association’s growth and success.
Sincerely,
Erin M Buckwalter, MBA, MS, CCC-SLP