MOTA President
Claire Schueler, MSOT, OTR/L
Claire has worked in school-based practice for 11 years and also worked PRN in inpatient rehab for 8 years. She’s volunteered with the Missouri OT Association for an accumulative 13 years. In addition, she’s taught break out groups for pediatrics in the OT program at Washington University in St. Louis and owns a small, online, international OT business through Teachers Pay Teachers
MOTA Vice President / Nominations Committee Chair
Christy Gorman, COTA/L
• Years in Practice/Teaching: 11 Years
• Place of Work: Coxhealth
• Current Title:
• Specialties/Setting: Acute care
• Why MOTA Leadership Matters to Me: I love working with MOTA members because they increase my awareness of my duty to involve myself in the promotion of the profession. I really would like to see our districts and our communities of practice grow through improved engagement with our specific areas.
MOTA Treasurer
Patricia Nellis, OTD, OTR/L, FNAP, MBA
Pat currently is faculty at Washington University in the clinical division and works as the Director of Operations. She has worked on interprofessional teams focusing on adult rehabilitation and habilitation across the continuum of care.
Her clinical experience includes working with adults who have experienced strokes and community-dwelling adults living with multiple morbidities, including anxiety and depression that affect function and engagement in everyday occupations.
Dr. Nellis’ focus is on health promotion, well-being and self-management in order to empower individuals to take charge of their own global health.
Dr. Nellis also has an interest in alternative health-care service delivery models including team-based, interprofessional care aimed at community integration and identification/remediation of functional risk for vulnerable, community-dwelling adults.
MOTA Secretary & OTA Liaison
Kristi Peterson, BGS, COTA/L
Kristi serves dual roles on the MOTA board as secretary and OTA liaison, showcasing her dedication to professional leadership. As an Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri, she specializes in fieldwork education across pediatrics, psychosocial aspects, adult physical disabilities, and assistive technology. Kristi’s diverse clinical background includes experience in neuro, acute care, rehabilitation, skilled nursing, memory care, and schools, which informs her teaching in geriatric care and community-based interventions. Passionate about emerging technologies, she is exploring AI’s role in OT and incorporating simulated client experiences into education to enhance student learning. Kristi’s contributions continue to advance the profession through leadership, innovation, and education.
MOTA Director of Education
Wendy Stav, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
• Years in Practice/Teaching: 35 years
• Place of Work: Saint Louis University
• Current Title: Department Chair
• Specialties/Setting: Occupation-based practice
• Why MOTA Leadership Matters to Me: The Director of Education role is important to me because I believe the profession can only survive and thrive through our participation in education and professional development related to the current science and latest trends. Professional and continuing education allows us to provide better clinical services, document more clearly, justify our contributions more soundly, and advocate for clients and the profession with more evidentiary support. In this role, my goal is to ignite an interest and passion for education beyond the obligatory expectations.
MOTA Director of Organization
Laura Landon, OTD, OTR/L
• Years in Practice/Teaching: 11 years
• Place of Work: Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri
• Current Title: Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy
• Specialties/Setting: n/a
• Why MOTA Leadership Matters to Me: Leadership in MOTA allows me to stay informed about the latest developments in our field, ensuring I bring current and relevant knowledge to my students. By actively serving on the board, I can role model professional leadership and demonstrate the value of advocacy and engagement. This involvement helps me translate what I learn from MOTA into meaningful lessons for the future occupational therapists I teach.
MOTA Co-Director of Practice
Lindsay Bright, OTD, OTR/L
- Years in Practice/Teaching: 3 years
- Place of Work: WashU – School of Public Health
- Current Title: Occupational Therapist
- Specialties: n/a
- Why MOTA Leadership Matters to Me: MOTA is a tool to help other OTPs realize that advocacy is approachable (and fun). I hope to bring others to the table and expand to voice of occupational therapy in Missouri.
MOTA Co-Director of Practice
Maria Lindbergh, MOT, OTR/L, ECHM
- Years in Practice/Teaching: 12 years
- Place of Work: WashU – School of Public Health
- Current Title: Occupational Therapist
- Specialties: Executive certificate in home modifications
- Why MOTA Leadership Matters to Me:I’m a part of MOTA leadership to drive efforts towards occupational therapy practitioners becoming an instrumental part of health care decision-making at the state and local level.
MOTA Nominations / Awards Committee
Tyler Hood, OTD, OTRL
- Years in Practice/Teaching: 12 years
- Place of Work: WashU – School of Public Health
- Current Title: Occupational Therapist
- Specialties: Executive certificate in home modifications
- Why MOTA Leadership Matters to Me:I’m a part of MOTA leadership to drive efforts towards occupational therapy practitioners becoming an instrumental part of health care decision-making at the state and local level.
MOTA Kansas City – District Co- Chair
Laura Carder OTR/L
- Years in Practice/Teaching: 34 years
- Place of Work: Raytown School District
- Current Title: Occupational Therapist
- Specialties: Schools
- Why MOTA Leadership Matters to Me: MOTA is important to me because of the professional collaboration, friendships, continuing education, and ability to learn about and make a difference in policies that impact my job and me personally. I hope MOTA continues to grow.
MOTA Kansas City – District Co -Chair
Haven Herndon, OTD, OTR/L
- Years in Practice/Teaching: 8 years
- Place of Work: Kansas City Public School District /adjunct faculty Rockhurst University OTD program
- Current Title: Occupational Therapist
- Specialties: Schools
- Why MOTA Leadership Matters to Me: Haven hopes to foster genuine connections with other OTPs throughout the state of Missouri by being a MOTA district chair.
MOTA Southwest District Chair
Haley Isbell, OTD, OTR/L
- Years in Practice/Teaching: 4 years
- Place of Work: Mercy Pediatrics Outpatient Therapy
- Current Title:Occupational Therapist, Probono Clinic Educator at Missouri State University
- Specialties: SOS Feeding Therapy, Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist, ASTYM
- Why MOTA Leadership Matters to Me: MOTA leadership allows me to give back to an OT community that has done so much for me and my practice. I value the community, networking opportunities, wisdom, professional development, and inspiration that comes from sitting on his board of leaders.