About Us

All of the Network leadership positions are volunteers who have been elected to their term and are dedicated to helping work towards the mission of this group. If you are interested in getting involved or running for one of these positions please contact us here.

Dr. Payton Walling, OTR/L (he/him)

Co-Chairs

The Network always has two chairs who help perform the following tasks:

Manage & organize leadership team efforts
Preside over Network meetings and facilitation of group events at the annual conference
Regulate group for the maintenance of policies
Liaise with Multicultural, Diversity and Inclusion (MDI) initiative
Organization of advocacy/facilitation of group events at internally organized events

Jody J. Victoria (they/she)

Payton Says:

Hello, my name is Dr. Payton Walling, OTR/L and I am unbelievably lucky to be one of two Co-Chairs of The Network. I reside in eastern Washington State and am an orthopedic occupational therapist specializing in Injured Worker Rehabilitation. What I love about The Network is that together, we work to create a stronger community of LGBTQIA+ occupational therapists. Make sure to check out Spill-The-OTea, my favorite event that The Network hosts! When I am not practicing as an OT, I am heavily involved in Parasport Spokane, one of the largest adaptive sports organizations in the country. Within Parasport, I coach Para Fencing and help the organization support the 100+ athletes with physical disabilities who access our programs

Jody Says:

Ahoy, I serve in the role of co-chair in The Network. I live in New Jersey, although have spend most of my time in the Pacific Northwest. My areas of practice have included: traveling, queer youth, community-based practice, mental health, and management. I am grateful to be a part of The Network and am proud to create spaces that elevate our queer voices in our OT profession.

Karlie Ashcroft, OTR/L (they/them), Social Media Chair

Responsible for managing Network social media pages
Assists with creation and organization of events
Coordinates with leadership team for email/facebook blasts
Manages Network website
Responsible for Network CommunOT (AOTA Platform)

Karlie Says:

Hello lovely people! My name is Karlie (they/them) and I’m super excited to continue with The Network in my new role of Social Media Chair. Be on the lookout for posts on both our Instagram (@theotnetwork) and Facebook Group (Network for LGBTQIA+ Concerns in Occupational Therapy)! I work in residential adolescent mental health in Westborough, Massachusetts and am super passionate about LGBTQIA+ advocacy in the OT profession. I’ve spoken on several panels about OT’s role in gender affirming care and contributed to the article in AOTA’s Transgender and Gender-Diverse Care Toolkit, “Caring for transgender and gender diverse individuals: ADLs and IADLs.” Outside of work, I love to make art and be outside on my longboard.

Linday Kallman (they/she),

Membership Engagement Chair

Coordinates efforts to engage members
Maintains the membership master list and email list
Manages emails to membership
Organizes efforts for recruitment and increasing Network visibility

Linday Says:

Hi y’all! My name is Lindsay (they/she) and I’m excited to be entering my 4th year as a member of the Network board! In my time on the board, I think I’m most proud of our advocacy work (advocating for the passage of AOTA’s policies on affirming sexual orientation and on affirming gender diversity and identity) and for our work in creating spaces for queer OTs to be seen, valued, and appreciated for their whole selves (shoutout to Spill the OTea!). I am currently working in acute care at my local safety net hospital, and I am so grateful to be able to provide OT services to all, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. In my free time, you may find me playing Dungeons & Dragons, goofing off at dance class, or re-watching Sex Education (RIP one of my favorite shows). I feel so lucky to be a part of this community, and to celebrate queer joy!

Devlynn "Dev" Neu (they/he),
Content Creation

Dev Says

Hey y’all! My name is Devlynn “Dev” Neu (they/he), and I am so excited to continue as a board member of The Network and will be focusing on content creation. I will also be representing The Network this year at conference (stay tuned for Network meeting information)! I started my career as a traveling therapist and have worked in home health, subacute rehab, acute care, community health, and outpatient settings, primarily working with adult and elderly populations. I am fiercely passionate about advocacy and activism for marginalized and minoritized communities, you may also know me as The Rainbow OT or from my contributions to the textbooks “Sex and Intimacy: An Occupational Therapy Approach” and “Trauma, Occupation, and Participation.” In my free time, you may find me playing Baldur’s Gate 3, Stardew Valley, birdwatching, or caring for my 50+ plant children. I am so excited to continue this work with The Network and to connect with you all!

Tenaya Jo, OTD-S (they/them),
Newest Member

Tenaya Says

Hey y’all! My name is Tenaya and I use they/them pronouns. I am a 2nd year OTD student at Samuel Merrit University in Oakland, CA. I just joined the board in December 2023 and I’m excited to be a part of this organization. Advocating for queer people has been part of my life since I was a teenager and I am excited to continue on a bigger scale. When I’m not doing OT I’m doing carpentry which was my previous profession!