Moving into the new year, the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education announces two important changes in the organization’s leadership:

It is with the utmost appreciation and gratitude that we bid farewell to our Executive Director, Rick Rosen, MA. LMBT. He is stepping down from this position to bring his full attention to the Body Therapy Institute, the school he founded in 1983. Rick’s vision, skills and commitment have helped to build a solid foundation for the Alliance, as well as a strategic direction that will support the continued success of the organization.

Rick is a founding member of the Alliance, was the head of the startup Leadership Team, and became the first Executive Director in August 2009. The Alliance has been the fortunate beneficiary of Rick’s many talents in the areas of communications, planning and policy development. His influence throughout the organization will be missed.

At this time, we are also moving from our association management company, Coulter Nonprofit Management, of McLean, Virginia. We have enjoyed working with their team of professionals during this crucial startup period. In particular, we want to acknowledge Shane Robinson, Alliance Managing Director, and Coulter CEO Thomas C. Gibson for their contributions. We are extremely appreciative of the high level of support and guidance the Coulter team has provided; their continued belief in the Alliance’s mission means a lot to us.

Within the next 30 days, the Alliance will be announcing a new administrative location for the organization. In the meantime, use the existing phone number and mailing address. The Alliance’s email <admin@afmte.org> and website address <www.afmte.org> will remain the same. This restructuring is in keeping with our fiscal responsibilities.

This transition brings challenges, yet we are excited by the opportunities and are seizing the moment to reconfirm the Alliance’s original vision to serve as the voice, advocate and resource for the entire education sector. We are confident that the evolution of a new structure will make the organization stronger and better able to serve our members and the massage therapy profession as a whole.

As we move into this new phase, we invite you to join us now as a member or sponsor, and to participate in the work of the Alliance.