Committees & Task Forces
AHA, Inc. is comprised of dedicated board members, faculty, and staff but it takes a community to be a leader in the industry. Key committees and task forces lead projects to develop or update tools for you, our members.
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Board Development Committee
Committee Chair:
Melanie Dominko-Richards, MS, CCC-SLP, HPCSThe Board Development Committee is primarily responsible for vetting nominees for the Board of Directors on an annual basis. The committee also organizes the volunteer appreciation event at the biennial conference. The committee may support committee chairs by connecting them with interested members.
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Education Committee
Committee Chairs
Meredith Bazaar, MA, CCC-SLP, HPCSThe Education Committee is responsible for shaping and overseeing educational policies, guiding course initiatives, ensuring effective course/program development and oversight, and supporting faculty development.
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Conference Committee 2028
Committee Chair:
Melanie Dominko-Richards, MS, CCC-SLP, HPCSThe American Hippotherapy Association, Inc. Conference Planning Committee is composed of dedicated volunteers who help shape the organization’s international conference experience. Committee members collaborate to plan, organize, and execute all aspects of the event, from selecting speakers and developing educational content to coordinating logistics and outreach.
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EQUILIBRIUM Editorial Team
Editor:
Ilana Casady, MS, OTR/L, HPCSThe Editorial Team is responsible for managing and upholding the quality and integrity of published content for EQUILIBRIUM, guiding editorial policies and standards, overseeing the review and publication process, and supporting contributors in the development and refinement of written materials.
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Ethics, Advocacy & Reimbursement Committee
Committee Chairs
Nina Ekholm Fry, MSSC, CCTPThe Ethics, Advocacy, and Reimbursement committee assists AHA, Inc. and its members in the areas of promoting ethical practice, advocating for therapists, and removing reimbursement obstacles. The committee is a dedicated group of therapists with years of experience incorporating equine movement into each of their therapy plans of care.
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Finance Committee
Committee Chair:
Dr. Cassandra Sanders Holly, PT, DPT, HPCSDescription Coming Soon!
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Fundraising Committee (Subcommittee of the Finance Committee)
Committee Chair:
Melanie Dominko-Richards, MS, CCC-SLP, HPCSDescription Coming Soon!
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International Membership Committee
Committee Chair:
Neita Miller, MS, CCC-SLP, HPCSDescription Coming Soon!
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Professional Practice Committee
Committee Chair:
Jessica Perkins, MS, OT, HPCSThe Professional Practice committee addresses issues that affect the incorporation of equines in OT, PT, SLP and mental health treatment sessions by expanding the awareness and utilization of evidence-based practice (EBP), research, and performance/quality improvement among healthcare professionals. The Professional Practice Committee oversees the Code of Ethics Grievance Subcommittee and the Research Subcommittee.
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Research Committee (Subcommittee of Professional Practice)
Committee Chair:
Irina Fedulow-Plante PT, DPTThe Research Subcommittee is responsible for staying up to date with current research, delivering research findings in a meaningful and practical way to the community, and supporting clinicians in research-related activities while using proper terminology and guidelines.
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Website Committee
Committee Chair:
Cynthe Slaybaugh, PT, DPT, MPH, HPCSThe Website Committee is involved in designing and maintaining AHA, Inc.’s website. The committee ensures that its layout, content, and flow are meaningful and easy to navigate and that the AHA, Inc. website is a reliable source of information for all visitors.