Volunteer Profiles

Our deepest appreciation goes to all of our volunteers! We truly appreciate your dedication and your efforts make all the difference!

Are you interested in volunteering for MTF? Learn how here.

Board of Trustees

 

Kim Kane-Santos, LMT, BCTMB – President

Kim Kane-Santos is licensed in NJ & PA. She serves as the Immediate-Past President of the American Massage Therapy Association. She has been a massage therapist for over 20 years and began volunteering with AMTA around the same time. Kim has her own private practice which focuses on massage therapy for health and wellness. She also works with hospice patients, providing massage therapy, at a local hospital where she is part of an interdisciplinary team at the in-patient facility. When the need arises, Kim writes up Utilization Reports, in regard to massage therapy, for Pennsylvania.

Previously, Kim was an instructor of a deep muscle massage course and supervised the student clinic at Health Options Institute in Bethlehem, PA. She has held several positions in her Pennsylvania Chapter, including President from 2014 to 2016. She received the Pennsylvania Chapter Meritorious Award in 2015. Kim has also served on the National Convention Operational Committee, the National Healthcare Operational Committee, the National Audit Committee as well as the National Finance Committee.

 

Rick Greely M.Ed., LMT

Rick Greely is the current President-Elect of the American Massage Therapy Association. He has been a licensed massage therapist since 1987 and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University and a Masters of Education from Ohio University. In addition, Rick taught massage therapy for 26 years and is a certified Sports Massage Therapist.

From studying at the Olympic Training Center in Beijing to working with the USA Duathlon team at the World Championships in Frankfort, Rick has continued to further his knowledge of the profession. He previously served as the Ohio Chapter President and has received several Chapter Awards over the years. He was the Chairperson of the State Medical Board of Ohio Massage Therapy Advisory Committee for six years, and was responsible for working with Columbus State Community College to offer an Associate of Applied Science degree in massage therapy.

 

Niki Munk, PhD, LMT

Dr. Munk, is an Associate Professor of Health Sciences in Indiana University’s School of Health and Human Sciences at IUPUI, a non-practicing Kentucky licensed massage therapist, and member of the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health (ACIH) research work group. Dr. Munk is one of 13 international Fellows in ARCCIM’s International Complementary Medicine Research Leadership Program, co-investigator on the VA TOMCATT study, and former Practice and Education Sections Editor for the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Dr. Munk’s research explores real-world massage therapy for chronic pain and associated factors, trigger point self-care, massage for amputation related sequelae, and the reporting and impact of massage related case reports among other projects. Prior to beginning her gerontological doctoral pursuits in 2006, Dr. Munk worked as Program Director and a lead instructor for the Lexington Healing Arts Academy in Lexington, Kentucky. Discouraged by accessibility barriers to massage therapy faced by much of the population, she chose research and academia as a means to help bridge the accessibility gap reasoning that stronger evidence for the field will lead to increased routine 3rd party coverage for massage treatment. Niki has been volunteering with the Massage Therapy Foundation since 2011, joined the Board of Trustees in 2017, and now serves as Research Committee Chair. Since 2021, Niki has led the relaunch of MTF’s MassageNet Practice-Based Research Network. View Niki’s IUPUI bio here: https://shhs.iupui.edu/connect/directory/munk-niki.html

 

Cynthia Price, PhD, MA, LMT

Dr. Price is a Research Professor at the University of Washington, her clinical and research expertise is in the development of body awareness to improve health and well-being. Research studies have focused on the study of MABT for multiple health conditions including Substance Dependency, Pain, PTSD, and HIV (see publications page). Interested in the processes involved in learning mindful body awareness, Cynthia studies qualitative aspects and underlying mechanisms of the MABT approach. She is a co-author of two scales to measure interoceptive awareness: the Scale of Body Connection (SBC) and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA). Committed to increasing health care access to underserved populations, Cynthia works with local and international programs to provide and improve complementary and integrative health care through her research, teaching, and service.

 

Cheryl L. Siniakin, PhD, LMT, BCTMB

Cheryl L. Siniakin has been a licensed massage therapist since 1986 and holds Board Certification in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. She has over 33 years of experience as a massage educator and is a NCBTMB Approved Continuing Education Provider. Cheryl also served for multiple years as a site visitor for COMTA.

In 1999, Cheryl spearheaded the adoption of a two-year Associate in Science degree program in massage therapy that she had written for her local community college. As Program Director, she strategically guided and taught the program for near a decade.  This A.S. degree Massage Therapy program continues to thrive today.

Cheryl has served in AMTA leadership roles since 1990. She was Pennsylvania Chapter President from 1994 to 1996, and then served as National Bylaws Standing Committee Chair for over 25 years. She currently serves as a member of the AMTA National Board of Directors.

 

Advisory Council

johnb_01_smallerJohn Balletto, BSc, LMT, CKTP
John Balletto is a licensed massage therapist, author, educator, researcher and certified KinesioTaping® Practitioner in private practice in Providence, Rhode Island. He is past National Vice-President of the American Massage Therapy Association, past President of the Massage Therapy Foundation and a member of the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals, the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education, the Fascia Research Society, the Kinesio Taping® Association International and an affiliate member of the American College of Sports Medicine. In addition to his private practice, he serves as the massage therapist for several collegiate and professional athletic teams, as is the current Chair of the State of RI Board of Licensed Massage Therapists.
A graduate of Bates College, Lewiston, ME, John is an avid sculler, gardner, beekeeper and nature photographer. He currently lives with his wife, Janet, in Warwick, RI.


Grace Chan, BSc, RMT, DOMP
Grace is a founder and co-owner of the Sutherland-Chan School of Massage Therapy and is the founder and owner of the Sutherland-Chan Clinics. She is known in Toronto for her role as an educator and employer of massage therapists. Grace entered massage therapy school in 1975 with a diverse educational background. She completed the course of massage therapy study at 3HO Foundation and completed the course of shiatsu at Kikkawa College (Shiatsu). She is an honors graduate from the University of Toronto with a B.Sc in Physiology and Psychology. In addition, she completed post-graduate studies in Neuroanatomy, Advanced Physiology and Psychology. More recently, she graduated from the Canadian College of Osteopathy as an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner. Grace has a long history of volunteering for charitable organizations. Starting in 1972 with the Beverley School for students with intellectual and physical disabilities, she has worked with a diverse list of organizations in leadership roles including the Mon Sheong Foundation, and Mount Sinai Hospital. She has also worked extensively with massage therapy associations in Canada and the United States, including being the founding President of the Massage Therapy Foundation, begun in the early 1990s by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). Prior to that she was the founder of the Canadian Sports Massage Therapists Association (CSMTA) and was instrumental in the founding of the Canadian Massage Therapists Alliance (CMTA).

Aviad Haramati, PhD
Aviad “Adi” Haramati is Professor and in the Departments of Physiology and Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine with research interests in renal and electrolyte physiology. Dr. Haramati has taught medical and graduate students for over 25 years. He served on the Physiology Test Development Committee (USMLE Step 1) for the National Board of Medical Examiners, and is currently Chair of the Examination Section for the Certification Board of Nutrition Specialists (CBNS) of the American College of Nutrition. His CAM-related interests focus on the use of Mind-Body Medicine Skills for stress management and on the integration of CAM in health professions education. Dr. Haramati was the principal investigator of an NIH grant that is supporting a broad educational initiative to incorporate CAM and integrative medicine into the 4-year medical curriculum at Georgetown. Dr. Haramati is the past Vice-Chair of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine and a member of the executive committee of the Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium. He chaired the program committee for the 2006 North American Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine, and was chair of the organizing committee for the 2009 Research Conference.

 

Janet KahnJanet R. Kahn, PhD, NCTMB
Janet Kahn is both a CAM practitioner and a medical sociologist with years of experience looking at issues of healthcare delivery and systems integration. She is currently serving as Executive Director of the Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium, and Director of Research for the Massage Therapy Research Consortium. Dr. Kahn is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Vermont, College of Medicine. She was the co-investigator on three studies currently in the field — a clinical trial comparing two kinds of massage for people with chronic low back pain being conducted at Group Health Center for Health Studies; a Phase II SBIR grant to develop and test an educational DVD for cancer patients and their caregivers; and a qualitative study of the effects massage clients notice. Dr. Kahn is a past president of the Massage Therapy Foundation, and was a member of the NIH National Advisory Council on Complementary and
Alternative Medicine.

 

Thomas Myers, LMT
Thomas Myers directs Anatomy Trains, which offers courses in manual therapy and the anatomy of movement worldwide. Tom is the author of Anatomy Trains (Elsevier 2001, 2009, 2014),Anatomist’s Corner (Kinesis 2012), Body3 (Kinesis 2010), and co-author of Fascial Release for Structural Balance (North Atlantic 2010, 2016). Tom has authored numerous chapters and contributes frequently to trade magazine and journals. Tom has produced 16 DVDs and a dozen webinars for manual therapists and movement teachers. Tom speaks frequently on fascia, connected anatomy, and movement.
Tom is a certified Rolfer ®, a member of the Health Advisory Board for Equinox Fitness, and has formerly been on the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, as well as the Rolf Institute’s Board of Directors. He studied directly with Drs. Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and other luminaries of the bodywork world, and had successful practices in London, Germany, Italy, Australia, and various cities in the US. Tom developed the Anatomy Trains myofascial meridians system from a combination of his practice and anatomy teaching to his students. This system, which connects the muscles into functional units through the fascial bio-fabric, has been taken up with enthusiasm by a variety of body-oriented practitioners from rehabilitation and performance enhancement.

 

Whitney Lowe, LMT
Whitney Lowe is a recognized authority on pain and injury treatment with massage therapy. His contributions to the massage field are wide-ranging and include extensive research, professional publications, teaching, clinical work, consulting, and participation in national boards and committees. He is the author of the books, Orthopedic Assessment in Massage Therapy, and Orthopedic Massage: Theory and Technique, which are used in training programs and schools nationally and internationally. He is a former chair of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork and In 1994 founded the Academy of Clinical Massage (formerly OMERI) to provide massage therapists the advanced education they would need for treating orthopedic soft-tissue disorders. He is a member of the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies and has been a regular featured author in publications such as Massage Magazine, Massage Today, The Journal of Soft-Tissue Manipulation, and Massage & Bodywork.

 

Ruth Werner, BCTMB
Ruth Werner is a massage therapist, writer, and educator with a passionate interest in massage research and the role of bodywork for people who struggle with health. Her groundbreaking textbook, A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology was first published in 1998; keeping it current is now her main occupation. In addition, she writes a column for Massage and Bodywork magazine and teaches continuing education workshops all over the country. She has served on committees for the Utah Department of Public Licensing, the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), the National Certifying Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB), and the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). Ruth was extremely honored to be selected for the AMTA Council of Schools Teacher of the Year Award for 2005. Ruth is a past President of the Massage Therapy Foundation and served on the Board of Trustees from 2007-2018.

 

Leslie A. Young, PhD
Leslie has enjoyed donating to and volunteering for the Massage Therapy Foundation since 2008; she was honored to serve as a Trustee and Development Chair until 2016. In 2002 Leslie joined the massage profession as Editor-in-Chief of Massage & Bodywork magazine; she’s also Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals’ Vice President Communication. Her dedication to the Foundation traces back to her appreciation for inquiry and her respect for evidenced-based practice. She sees the Foundation as the philanthropic crossroads for the massage profession and particularly enjoys stewarding key Foundation relationships and educating professionals about its three focal points: community service grants, research grants, and education on the efficacy of therapeutic massage.

 

Current Massage Therapy Foundation Committee Volunteer Roster:

Case Report Contest Review Committee
Robin Miccio, MS, LMT, CEIM (Chair)
Portia B. Resnick, PhD, ATC, BCTMB
Susan Salvo, EdD, LMT, NTS
Ruth Werner, BCTMB
Andrea Winzer, M.Sc., BCTMB, PCC

Community Service Grant Proposal Review Committee
Dolly Wallace, LMT, BCTMB (Chair)
Samantha Zabel, PhD(c) (Staff Liason)
Steve Albertson, LMT, BCTMB
Melissa Clark, LMT
Tiffany Dowling, MS, LMT
Jessica Larsen, LMT
Denise Logsdon, MS, LMT
Rachel Mann, LMBT
Dawn McCullough, LMT, BCTMB
Scott Raymond, LMT
LaDonna Ward, BCTMB, LMT
Angela Barker, LMT, BCTMB
Lucas Zarlengo, LMT, BCTMB

Development and Marketing Committee
Nicholas Bodkin, LMT
Clinton Kyles, CMT
DaVonna Willis, MA, ATC, LMT

Education Committee
Lurana Bain, LMT
Andrew Jurdan, LMT
Jordan Meyer, LMT, ACSM
Pete Whitridge, BA, LMT

Research Committee
Niki Munk, PhD, LMT (Chair)
Amanda Baskwill, PhD, CMT
Rob Hemsworth, BPE, Bed, MRSC, RMT
Gordon MacDonald, BSc
Robin Miccio, MS, LMT
Portia B. Resnick, PhD, ATC, BCTMB
JoEllen Sefton, PhD, ATC, CMT
Samantha Zabel, PhD(c)

Research Grant Proposal Review Committee
Niki Munk, PhD, LMT (Interim Chair)
Jill S. Cole, MS, LMT, BCTMB
Sarah Fogarty, PhD, LMT
Kerry Jordan, LMT
Antony Porcino, PhD, HSI
Cynthia Price, PhD, MA, LMT
Portia B. Resnick, PhD, ATC, BCTMB

Writing Committee
Matthew Fecteau, LMBT, BCTMB
Delhia Gaynor LMT, COMTA Peer Reviewer
Jolie Haun, PhD, LMT
Corey Rivera, BA, LMT
JoEllen Sefton, PhD, ATC, CMT
Andrea Winzer, M.Sc., BCTMB, PCC

International professionals work with the Massage Therapy Foundation in various capacities. We designate their academic degrees and professional credentials according to the countries in which they qualified. We make every effort to do this as accurately as possible.