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New BOC Board Member Named for Upcoming Term

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The BOC is pleased to announce the election of a new Athletic Trainer (AT) Director to the Board of Directors. Mary Kirkland, MS, LAT, ATC, will take office January 2020, following a year of mentorship and learning as an AT Director-elect.

Mary Kirkland

Kirkland has had extensive experience in both her professional career and in the athletic training industry. Kirkland serves as an Athletic Training Supervisor for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at John F. Kennedy Space Center. In her career, she was responsible for establishing NASA’s first athletic training facility at the John F. Kennedy Space Center and spent nearly her entire professional career with NASA. Now entering her 30th year, Kirkland stands on a firm foundation of what ATs have built in the past and with her focus on what ATs can build in the future.

“With roots firmly established on Florida’s Space Coast, I have been blessed to travel across the country meeting and collaborating with numerous ATs from a broad spectrum of employment settings. These individuals have had a profound impact both on myself and on our profession. I will bring this incredible network of colleagues and healthcare settings to my work on the BOC Board of Directors to best represent each of you as we progress the mission of the BOC.” Kirkland says.

“In the words of Marie Curie, ‘I never see what has been done … I only see what remains to be done.’” Kirkland says.

Kirkland brings the knowledge and experience she gained from serving in leadership roles within the athletic training profession. Kirkland participated in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) as a liaison to the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity. There, she contributed to the dialogue centered on policy and programmatic decisions that would affect the health and wellness of all Americans. In addition, Kirkland served as President for the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity for 2 years, highlighting a level of professional capability and moderation across diverse organizations and associations.

Kirkland also spent an 8-year tenure as the Chair of the NATA’s Council on Employment. In that role, she had the unique opportunity to restructure the committee to reflect the emerging employment settings at that time, work with extraordinary ATs across a broad spectrum of work environments and participate in the NATA’s strategic planning sessions.

“One of my favorite scripture quotes is 2 Thessalonians 3:13, ‘You must never grow weary of doing what is right.’ I will work hard to advocate on your behalf and on the behalf of the athletic training profession in order to achieve the mission set forth by the BOC. To achieve this goal, I ask for your commitment to practice at the highest level possible, so that when you or I state that, ‘I’m an AT’ our patients and all Americans will acknowledgement and respect this healthcare profession that we love.” Kirkland said.

Ad Astra Per Aspera.” Kirkland said, “This means ‘A Rough Road Leads to the Stars’ – this goal that we set will not always be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.”

The AT Director-elect received the majority vote of the BOC Certified Athletic Trainers who participated in an online election. The election ran from September to October, after 2 candidates were selected by the BOC Nominating Committee. Board terms are 3 years with the possibility of reappointment for 1 term.

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