In April, the AMTA-NE chapter awarded Kimberly Adams Johnson the Chapter Meritorious Award. Kimberly was recently honored, along with other State Chapter Meritorious Award winners, at the AMTA National Convention in Washington, D.C. in August.
We asked Kim to give us some insight into what drives her to continue working to improve the massage therapy profession. Now, we would like to take the opportunity to share with you what we learned about Kim.
Kim has been a Licensed Massage Therapist for almost 18 years. She has served on the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) Board of Directors for 3 years. Kim has been on the policy committee, the Continuing Education Task Force, the License Renewal Committee, as well as the Human Trafficking Task Force.
She has served on the Nebraska State Board of Massage Therapy for 10 years and most recently was serving as the Chairperson of the Board. When asked how she got started volunteering for the massage board, Kim replied, “I always remember hearing people say that ‘someone needed to do things’, so I decided to be that someone. I wanted to help effect change within the massage profession and help make Licensed Massage Therapists more recognized as a viable alternative healthcare profession.”
We asked Kim for any advice she may have to give the young professionals and here was her response. “Get to know your peers and get out there and volunteer. Our profession still has a tenuous foothold when it comes to legitimacy and we need all our voices to speak as a united front to help secure that foothold. Whether it's helping with the AMTA, serving on the Nebraska State Board of Massage Therapy or testifying at Legislative hearings; make your voice heard. Collaborate with your peers. Don't look at the Licensed Massage Therapist down the street as competition, look at them as an ally. We all bring something different to the table, so learn from your peers and network. That is one of the most valuable tools that I have gained, is the power of networking. Also, stay informed. There's that old saying that knowledge is power. That is so true. The more educated we are when speaking to our peers and opponents will help with our overall impression.”
Kim has many memories and even a great memory of travel to and from the National Convention in DC. You’ll have to stop and ask her about that!! Overall, she is very grateful for the opportunities and experiences that developed through her years of service and is especially grateful for the people she has met and still has lasting friendships with.
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