ABC Welcomes Three New Board Members; Retires Three 

The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics, Inc. (ABC) welcomes three new members to its board of directors following the retirement of three members on November 30th. Joining the board on December 1st are Curt A. Bertram, CO, Charles H. Dankmeyer, Jr., CPO and Roy B. Davis, III, Ph.D., P.E. as the new public member. At the board meeting in Seattle, Wash., on September 19th, the board confirmed the appointment of Bertram and Dankmeyer and bid farewell to Michael Allen, CPO, FAAOP, Michael Brncick, CPO and Kristi Wilson-Hill, Ph.D.

Curt A. Bertram, CO of Milwaukee, Wis., has been volunteering with ABC as both an orthotics examiner and as a member of the exam team for many years, and is currently the Area Practice Manager for Hanger Orthotics and Prosthetic, Inc., in Wisconsin. Having played a large role in the examination process, Bertram is excited about the future of ABC and specifically the upcoming requirements surrounding the Master’s program requirement for practitioners.

“I’m looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead of us including modifying the examination process to accommodate testing procedures for the new Master’s program students,” he said.

Charles H. Dankmeyer, Jr., CPO of Lithicum Heights, Md., comes to the board with more than 40 years of experience in the O&P profession and currently owns Dankmeyer, Inc., which includes several facilities throughout the state of Maryland. He has always been a big supporter of ABC, including serving as ABC’s President in 1977. After serving on the board, Dankmeyer continued his involvement with ABC by serving on the Character and Fitness and the Facility Accreditation Committees.

Roy B. Davis, III, Ph.D., P.E. has been selected by the board of directors as a new public member of the board. Davis has spent his career researching and teaching in the engineering field and currently serves as the Director, Motion Analysis Laboratory for Shriners Hospitals for Children in Greenville, S.C. The public members of the board are full voting members and represent the interest of consumers, patients and other public groups having an interest in ABC affairs. As part of the public member’s role, Davis will speak at orthotic and prosthetic events, participate in amputee educational conferences and serve as the contact for the general public.

The three board retirees have spent years serving ABC and are leaving having made numerous contributions to the organization.

“ABC is very fortunate to have dedicated and hardworking volunteers such as the three members leaving the board this year.  I am grateful for the leadership and guidance they have provided throughout their board tenure,” says Catherine Carter, ABC’s Executive Director.

During Michael Allen’s term, he served as both a director and in 2008 he served as President. He began his service with the board in 1999 and has never shied away from his passion of orthotics and prosthetics. “Mike Allen is one of the most dedicated O&P professionals I have ever met.  He brought an unparalleled clarity of thought, attention to detail and impassioned style of communication to ABC board activities,” said ABC’s President, Robert Lin, CPO, FAAOP.

The highlight of Allen’s tenure with the board of directors was the creation of the Director of Clinical Resources position on the ABC staff. The board approved the new position to be filled by a credentialed individual who would serve as a resource to the staff and provide insight from an orthotic and prosthetic standpoint. “Although ABC has a tremendously dedicated and knowledgeable staff, the missing link, in my mind, was an individual who could offer the clinical knowledge and insight on a daily basis and ‘real-world’ experience when developing programmatic changes and refinement,” Allen said. “As legislative and regulatory environments are increasingly affecting the profession the need to have immediate access to an individual who could consistently take the ABC message to assist regulators when developing their policies and rules has become critical.”

Michael Brncick joined ABC’s board of directors in 2005 and brought his academic perspective to the board room. He is currently the department head at the Northwestern University Prosthetic-Orthotic Center in Chicago as well as the program coordinator for the orthotics and prosthetics technology program at Joliet Junior College. “Mike Brncick is a true academician and accomplished educator. His visionary perspective helped ABC see the long term challenges that await us,” said Lin.

One of Brncick’s most memorable moments on the ABC board was the first time he met with Executive Director Carter and the staff. “I was overwhelmed by the number of committees, subcommittees and other areas that ABC was involved in,” Brncick said. “It was a very eye opening experience and I realized how busy I was going to be as a member of the board.”

As one of two public members of the ABC board of directors, Kristi Wilson-Hill worked to ensure that the consumer had a voice. “Kristi represented the viewpoints and interests of the public we serve with great aplomb,” said Lin. “Her analytical ability and communication style helped many board discussions come to consensus and closure.”

Wilson Hill joined the ABC board in 2005 and has always been an advocate for orthotic and prosthetic care. Wilson-Hill has dedicated herself to mentoring amputees, advocating for community-based education and promoting awareness programs.

With their continued commitment, enthusiasm and dedication to the profession, Allen, Brncick and Wilson-Hill encompass everything ABC looks for in volunteers. ABC would like to extend its sincere thanks to each of these board members for their sacrifice of time and energy. “ABC will forever be in debt to you for your tireless efforts. It’s been an honor to serve on the board with such distinguished individuals,” Lin added.

The ABC board of directors is comprised of 10 certified practitioners from the orthotic, prosthetic and pedorthic community and two public members. The members of the board volunteer their time to provide valuable input supporting the mission of ABC while continuing to demonstrate their dedication to the profession.