Cobb Reporter

The American Occupational Therapy Association has awarded the national OTA Award of Excellence to Dr. Amy Shaffer, the esteemed Program Director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Chattahoochee Technical College. The OTA Award of Excellence, established in 1976, is the highest accolade bestowed upon an occupational therapy assistant, recognizing exceptional leadership and sustained contributions to the profession.

Presented during the national awards ceremony in Orlando, AOTA President Alyson Stover commended Dr. Shaffer for her outstanding dedication and leadership in the field of occupational therapy. Dr. Shaffer, who has been at Chattahoochee Tech since 2012, is renowned for her commitment to preparing students for successful careers as occupational therapy assistants, emphasizing the importance of service learning and community engagement.

Expressing her gratitude for the recognition, Dr. Shaffer stated, “I feel it is the highest honor to be recognized and selected by my professional peers for this work. I hope that winning these awards will show our community that occupational therapy assistants and OTA students are important and valuable to our OT profession.”

Dr. Shaffer's passion for empowering students was evident as she shared, “The students in the OTA Program at Chatt Tech fuel my ‘why.’ I desire for these OTA students to have the future they envision for themselves, and for many, that includes working as occupational therapy assistants with children.”

Occupational therapy assistants play a crucial role in helping patients enhance their daily living and work skills under the guidance of occupational therapists. The American Occupational Therapy Association, established in 1917, serves as the national professional association dedicated to representing the interests of occupational therapy practitioners and students, striving to enhance the quality of occupational therapy services.

For more information on Dr. Amy Shaffer and the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Chattahoochee Tech, visit www.ChattahoocheeTech.edu.