Meet The Board

​Dr. Ford is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at Indiana Wesleyan University. She has
served in various national leadership roles within therapy organizations and is currently the President of
the Allen Cognitive Network.

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Dr. Ford has expertise in the assessment and treatment of clients with Alzheimer’s disease and related neurocognitive disorders, as well as interprofessional knowledge translation. She was co-author of the Functional Cognitive Assessment©, which is a standardized cognitive performance assessment that can be administered during everyday tasks.

She was the recipient of the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association Greater IN Chapter Early Investigator Scholarship for Dementia Research and Study, the American Occupational Therapy Young Scientist Theater award (2018), as well as the McKnight’s 2018 Technology Award of Excellence.

She was recently honored with the 2023 Occupational Therapy Practitioner of the Year award by the Indiana Occupational Therapy Association. She is a member of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, American Occupational Therapy Association, Indiana Occupational Therapy Association, and the Allen Cognitive Network.

Liz Metzger has been a practicing occupational therapist for over 12 years. She has practiced in a variety of settings including skilled nursing, acute rehab, sub-acute rehab, continuing education and home health. She currently has a private practice specializing in individuals and families impacted by dementia. 

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Liz recently co-authored the American Occupational Therapy Association's Practice Guidelines on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Neurocognitive Disorders and has presented on topics including cognition, sexuality, evidence-based practice and incontinence at state and national conferences. 

Manny Marrero is a Clinical Team Manager and Occupational Therapist for the VNA of Cape Cod and the Islands. As a self-proclaimed lifelong learner, Manny earned dual master’s degrees, a master’s degree in occupational therapy, and a master’s in business administration from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.

Additionally, Manny served eight years honorably in the United States Marine Corps. In 2018, Manny was honored by Cape and Plymouth Business Magazine for his community leadership and engagement as one of the area’s 40 Under 40. Manny teaches yoga, meditation, and mindfulness and mentors through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod. Manny is active in his local community and sits on multiple Cape Cod and Boston non-profit boards. He resides in Yarmouth with his wife Patrice and their son Antonio.

Tanya Feddern-Bekcan, OTR/L, got her start in OT with pediatrics in the hippotherapy setting, but has been working with late middle-age and geriatric clients since 2011. She is also a medical librarian and for many years, taught an academic course on Evidence-Based Medicine to University of Miami medical students and CE courses to nurses and other clinicians at the Jackson Memorial Hospital.

She is an experienced and comfortable public speaker who has presented at numerous conferences in the US and Canada. The specialized training she received at Dementia Care Specialists has greatly enriched her skills as a therapist. Occupational Therapy: Activities for Practice and Teaching by Estelle B. Breines, Claudia Allen’s Model of Cognitive Disabilities, and Sensory Integration have formed her core philosophies in OT, leading to many engaging (and even fun!) sessions for her and her clients.

Marcia Zeiger, OTR/L is a current board member with the ACN.  She is employed with Powerback Rehabilitation as a Clinical Director and has achieved clinical recognition within Powerback as a Master Clinician in Dementia.  She enjoys teaching others in order to assist in improving the quality of life of residents; frequently lecturing on topics such as Occupational Therapy’s Role in Dementia Management, Pain Management, Interprofessional Pain Management, and Seating/Positioning. 

Allison Sullivan is a Professor and Lead Faculty for the Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate program at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts, where her research interests include pedagogy in occupational therapy education, cognitive disabilities, and trauma-informed care. As an occupational therapist and educator, Dr. Sullivan has worked in day habilitation, school systems, and residential settings in a career spanning three decades. She has provided expert testimony for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Joint Committees on Financial Services and Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Recovery. 

In 2023, Dr. Sullivan received a Recognition of Achievement Award from the American Occupational Therapy Association for her innovations in social media healthcare education. She is currently serving as Research Coordinator for AOTA's Mental Health Special Interest Section and is one of three Massachusetts representatives to the Mental Health Occupational Therapy Interstate Collaborative.

Allison is a member of the Endorsement Committee for the Massachusetts Alliance for Infant Mental Health (Mass AIMH). She sits on the boards of the Martin Luther King Family Services of Springfield, Allen Cognitive Network, and The Lighthouse, a psychosocial clubhouse in Springfield. She is President of the Human Rights Committee for Viability, Inc., an organization which provides day habilitation services and programs across the US. Dr. Sullivan is a proud member of the OT Leaders and Legacies Society, an international, intentional community dedicated to the advancement of occupational therapy. 

Heather Johnsons is AFWC, assistant professor for the RMU OTA-MOT Bridge program. In her commitment to non-pharmacological interventions, she has trained in several CHAIHs. She has a special interest in addressing health related quality of life issues for persons with autoimmune disorders, dementia and mental illness.

She just completed the RMU Health Practitioner Education Certificate Program. Her current research interests include topics related to higher education (healthcare, clinical education, ipe, hybrid learning), assessments and intervention related to clients with autoimmune or functional cognitive performance difficulties, the arts in medicine, and CHAIHs with occupational therapy.

Ms. Johnson earned her BSOT from UNH (Durham), her PP-MSOT from SJSU with an innovation project of nurse assistant dementia care training. She completed her PP-OTD work through the MGH-IHP with an innovation project of a GVHD intervention toolkit.

Dr Johnson is a nationally recognized dementia specialist and has presented/created IPE content across the country since 2008 on topics ranging from dementia management, functional cognitive assessments, therapeutic use of exercise for older adults, evidence-based e-stim protocols, sensory impairments across the lifespan, non-pharm interventions, authentic use of AI in student assessment, and the therapeutic benefits of humor.

Susan Higgins is the Director of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program at the University of New Haven in Connecticut.  Susan has expertise in mental health occupational therapy and fieldwork education.  She received the prestigious “Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association” (FAOTA) award in 2020 for her dedication to mental health practice and innovation in student fieldwork education. 

Susan has published and presented nationally and internationally on innovative fieldwork and the future of fieldwork education.  Areas of service include current and past board member positions on the Allen Cognitive Network, the New England Occupational Therapy Education Council, the Rhode Island Occupational Therapy Association, and Oknooshoon, a non-profit organization bringing animal-assisted interventions to the people of Armenia.

Josephine Burriss MOT, OTR/L, QMHP is an Occupational Therapist with over 20 years of experience including a primary focus in behavioral/mental health and cognition at the inpatient and outpatient levels of care. She is currently the academic fieldwork coordinator in the occupational therapy assistant program at Fox College, which is located in the Southwest Chicago suburbs. Josephine has been involved
in various roles over the years including serving on quality improvement committees, acting as a consultant for inpatient behavioral health OT programs, curriculum development, serving as a fieldwork educator for level 1 and level 2 OT and OTA students, developing several community based/role emerging level 2 fieldwork experiences for OT and OTA programs and teaching of various courses as an adjunct and then full-time faculty member. She is currently leading the scholarship research agenda at Fox College which is focused upon the implementation of a sensory room within a psychosocial rehab
program. She is a member of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, American Occupational Therapy Association, Illinois Occupational Therapy Association, and the Allen Cognitive
Network.