Vice-President 

Donnamarie Krause

Donnamarie Krause, PhD, OTR/L, is an Associate Professor and current Director of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Donnamarie has been a licensed OTR/L since 1991 with specialty intervention certifications in hands, cardiac, burns as well as in leadership and spiritual care. She received a PhD in Rehabilitation Science in 2019 and current scholarship agenda looking into innovative methodologies for chronic neuro-musculoskeletal disorders focusing on upper extremity or posture related issues as they impact occupational performance, and the intersection of spirituality and self-mastery.

Past experiences with adults in burn care, hands and upper extremities, aquatic therapy and postural restoration are just a part of her clinical areas of expertise. 

Donnamarie has been involved in leadership throughout her career in professional and volunteer social justice committees and has served in higher education for 15 years in Undergraduate and Graduate programs. 

My number one objective will be to support the vision of the President and the organization. I believe occupational therapy is a calling and in today’s rapidly evolving environment, we must remain committed to advocacy, professional support, and bold future planning as the strength of our Nevada profession will be determined by its current course and capacity for future vision. 

To me advocacy is clearly articulating the contributions of our profession and of the occupational therapy professionals to the communities in which they live and serve. By doing so we impact change bit by bit. I believe we must continue to engage policy makers, educate the public, and follow uncompromising standards for by doing so we will secure trust in our practices.

Supporting the professionals that make up this organization means providing accessible, high-quality resources for professional development, fostering mentorship opportunities, and promoting mental and professional well-being. I would like to see these practices continue and expand.

And, finally, by envisioning a broad future we open ourselves to exploring innovative and multidisciplinary approaches to best reach our communities and growing service industry. 

It is these principles of advocacy, support, and the future that I hope to bring to NOTA.

Advocacy Chair

Angela Terencio

Angela Terencio graduated with her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2023. She currently works as a school-based occupational therapist at the Clark County School District serving students and families in the community. Angela has been involved with the Nevada Occupational Therapy Association since 2020 as an undergraduate intern and later became the organization’s Capstone student focusing on systems-level advocacy. She created an advocacy toolkit to support practitioners and students to empower relationship building with legislators and policy change. Angela’s favorite occupations include spending time with loved ones, walking in nature, and watching anime and baseball.

A wise OT advocate once told me: “Advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint.” Progress takes time, and each small step we take forward as a collective can make rippling effects for the clients and systems we serve. I hope to stand on the shoulders of the leaders with and before me to continue the mission of promoting, protecting, and progressing our profession for a healthier Nevada. I aim to continue the work on the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, collaborate with our therapy partners and community members, and mobilize practitioners in Nevada to impact legislation and regulation.

Membership Chair

Iris Kwan

Iris Kwan grew up in Southern California and graduated from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where she studied classical voice. She later transferred and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. In 2016, she moved to Nevada to pursue her clinical doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Touro University Nevada. She graduated in 2019 and began working in pediatric outpatient settings, as well as in home health with both pediatric and adult clients. She then transitioned to the hospital setting, working in the cardiac ICU, pediatric ICU, and outpatient pediatrics.

Iris took time away from the hospital to deliver and care for her baby, during which she fell in love with the dyad relationship between mother and baby. She subsequently returned to school to become a certified lactation consultant. She is currently opening a small business in lactation and occupational therapy and enjoys staying involved in the community, supporting underrepresented populations by serving on professional associations that advocate against injustice and underrepresentation in the health care system.

Iris would like to increase student and clinician membership in NOTA. She plans to focus on helping occupational therapy students become more involved in their state association by encouraging them to become members and attend at least one event each year while they are students. Iris aims to organize one to two student events each year to support student morale, strengthen relationships among occupational therapy programs in Nevada, and increase collaboration between students from different OT programs.