2024 ATRA Annual Conference - Together We Thrive, Together We Rise

Ph.D., LRT, CTRS, FDRT

Jennifer Hinton obtained a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in recreational therapy; she has been a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist for over 30 years, spending most of her career as an educator. She is currently a Professor in the Recreational Therapy Program in the School of Health Sciences at Western Carolina University.

Hinton is a licensed recreational therapist (LRT) in the state of North Carolina and a distinguished fellow in the National Academy of Recreational Therapists. Hinton is an accomplished speaker, having nearly 100 presentations at the state, regional, and national levels. Hinton has served the profession in multiple capacities. Currently she is serving as the President for the American Therapeutic Recreation Association. Past leadership positions include Member at Large for the Committee on Accreditation of Recreational Therapy Education and Chair of the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification Board of Directors.

Hinton has been the recipient of multiple teaching and service awards, including specific recognition for her work on curricula and in service learning. She has a passion for serving her community in rural Western NC. This small haven in the mountains of Southern Appalachia immerses her in her many interests including hiking, investigating nature’s small miracles, and growing things. She is a fan of all the types of outdoor exploring that allow one to get lost in the forest or in destinations far away and off regular beaten paths.

MS, LRT, CTRS, CAE

Anne Richard, MS, LRT, CTRS, CAE is currently the Executive Director of the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification. Over her 30+ year career in the therapeutic recreation profession, she’s worked as a therapist, consultant, educator, and manager. As a recreational therapist, her primary focus was on improving the quality of life for persons receiving mental health services and for older adults residing in long term care communities. As a manager, the focus has always been on creating a work environment that is efficient and effective, while also supporting the mission of the organization and the quality of life for the employees. She has presented at state/provincial, national and international conferences on a variety of topics including international recreational therapy practice, professional certification and recertification, licensure of recreational therapy practice, the role of therapeutic recreation in resident quality of life, and leadership techniques.

CTRS, FDRT

Cliff Burnham has been a CTRS practitioner for over 25 years. His professional work has concentrated in working with individuals in physical rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals. He has provided numerous professional presentations at state, regional, and national levels that promoted building better internship programs, developing innovative programming, and empowered professional advancement. Cliff has contributed to multiple organizations at the state, regional and national levels to help shape and define Recreation Therapy. He has served ATRA as a member-at-large and was the ATRA President during 2022-2023. He has served on the Southeast Recreational Therapy Symposium board since 2004, with experience in the Chair and Conference Coordinator positions. He served on the CAAHEP-CARTE board (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs – Committee on Accreditation of Recreation Therapy Education) and continues to contribute to CAAHEP-CARTE as a site visitor; and, he has worked with the Joint-Taskforce for State Licensure since 2012 as the Kentucky liaison and current co-leader of the taskforce since 2017. As a result of these professional contributions, Cliff is recognized as a distinguished fellow by the National Academy of Recreational Therapists.

PhD, CTRS

Jared Allsop, Ph.D., CTRS – is a clinical assistant professor and the associate chair of the Department of Health and Wellness Design, in the School of Public Health at Indiana University. He is currently serving as the Chair and Commissioner of the Committee on Accreditation for Recreational Therapy Education (CARTE). He received his undergraduate degree in Recreation Management & Youth Leadership with an emphasis on Recreational Therapy from Brigham Young University in 2007. He received his master’s degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism with a focus on Recreational Therapy from the University of Utah in 2012. He completed his PhD in Leisure Behaviors at Indiana University in 2018. He has worked as recreational therapist serving individuals recovering from substance abuse. He has also been the program director and recreational therapy supervisor at the Kostopulos Dream Foundation (KDF) working with individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities of all ages. While at KDF he led a wide range of therapeutic interventions including adaptive canoeing, adaptive fishing, equine therapy, aquatic therapy, adventure therapy, expressive arts, music therapy, therapeutic camping, leisure education, community reintegration, and experiential education. He has been at Indiana University since 2012 where he has cultivated his passion for teaching and best practices for recreational therapy education.

Ph.D., CTRS

Melissa D’Eloia is an Associate Professor in the Recreation, Management and Leadership Program (RML) in the Department of Health and Human Development at Western Washington University. She has been a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist for over 24 years working both as a therapist and educator. As a recreation therapist, she worked in a variety of settings including adapted outdoor recreation, community-based rehabilitation, and behavior health. At Western, she serves as the coordinator of RML’s therapeutic recreation concentration overseeing curriculum development, program assessment, and accreditation. In 2022, she joined the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT) as an education representative and a year later became vice chair of the council. She is a new member of the editorial board for the Therapeutic Recreation Journal. Her scholarship bridges theory to practice with the aim of improving program delivery and outcome measurement. Her most recent project is in collaboration with RML faculty and students to evaluate the impact of a nature-based, peer mentoring program on student wellness. She has presented her work at the state, regional, national, and international levels. When she is not working, she can be found recreating, traveling, and enjoying the outdoors with her family.