Board of Directors

The nine members of the NCBTMB Board of Directors supervise, manage and direct the affairs of the national certification program, its committees, publications and examinations. They also govern NCBTMB’s policies and procedures.

Chair
Susan S. Toscano, BA, NCTMB
Groton, CT (term ends December 31, 2016)

Susan Toscano has a long history of supporting – and serving – NCBTMB. She was first elected to the Board of Directors in 1997, named Treasurer for 1998-1999 and held the position of Chair from 2000-2001. In addition, she was a member of NCBTMB’s Strategic Planning Committee from 1999-2001 and served as an NCBTMB School Outreach Coordinator from 2001-2002.

Toscano has worked with the former AMTA Council of Schools and been an on-site team evaluator for the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation. She has worked for 25 years in massage therapy school administration, primarily with The Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy, as well as the former New York College for Holistic Health Education and Research. She is currently the Director of Enrollment for Steiner Education Group/CCMT region.

In 1999, Toscano earned a bachelor’s degree in Holistic Studies from Norwich University. She earned a diploma in massage therapy from the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in 1987. Toscano has been a licensed massage therapist with a small private practice in Connecticut for 16 years.

Chair-Elect

Leena Guptha, D.O., NCTMB

Oklahoma City, OK (term ends December 31, 2016)

Leena Guptha, D.O., is the Dean of Academic Affairs and Acting Director for ITT Technical Institute in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where she has taught, developed curriculum and managed the education department. Her professional career spans more than 20 years and has encompassed traditional medical practice, academic appointments and practice of complementary alternative therapies. She is active in a number of professional organizations, including the American Massage Therapy Association, where she presided as national president in 2007-2008. As a driving force in the massage industry, Dr. Guptha is passionate about education, regulation and advancing the profession toward global recognition.

Dr. Guptha was formerly the Dean of Massage Therapy at Lehigh Valley College in Pennsylvania and taught at the National University for Health Sciences Lombard, Illinois, for eight years. She received her degree in Osteopathic and Naturopathic Medicine from the British College of Naturopathy and Osteopathy in London and her Masters degree in Complementary Therapy from the University of Westminster. She graduated from the British College of Acupuncture with a Licentiate in Acupuncture and is a Board Certified Hypnotherapist. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Business Administration.

Dr. Guptha’s personal mission for more than 20 years has been to facilitate the integration of complementary alternative therapies into primary healthcare settings. Her addition to the NCB Board of Directors brings an awareness of the conventional healthcare community that will help form a bridge to the next level for massage.

Treasurer

Alexa Zaledonis, LMT, CPT, NCTMB

Annapolis, MD (term ends December 31, 2015)

Alexa Zaledonis is the owner/operator of Even Keel Wellness Spa, a therapeutic massage and skin care center in Annapolis, Maryland. Even Keel employs seven full-time and several part-time employees who specialize in Thai, sports and rehabilitative massage.

A graduate of the Baltimore School of Massage, she passed the NCE in 2002 and has spent the past seven years building her practice in the community. Zaledonis is a certified Lotus Palm Thai Yoga Massage practitioner and a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Strength Professionals Association. Zaledonis currently is completing her Yoga Teacher Training (RYT200). She also teaches Thai Massage seminars at Even Keel Institute for Continuing Education and is an NCBTMB-approved provider.

A former Certified Public Accountant, Zaledonis specialized in healthcare and nonprofit organizations for more than 15 years. She received her bachelor’s degree from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut.

Public Member

Ronni Burns

New York, NY (term ends December 31, 2013)

Ronni Burns is a professor of communications at the Smith School of Business, University of Maryland and at the Stern School of Business, New York University. Burns served as a senior executive with Citigroup for 17 years, where her positions included consumer advocate, director of national sales, lobbyist and spokesperson.

Burns is also a certified profession coach, as well as a communications consultant. She develops and delivers sales, management, ethics and communications courses to major corporations.

She earned an undergraduate and graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in communications from the University of Connecticut.

Members

	Jessica Abegg, MBA, MS, NCTMB Denver, Colorado (term ends December 31, 2016) Jessica is the owner/operator of Sanctuary Massage in Denver, as well as the owner of Practice Attraction, where she works as a marketing and business coach to massage therapists, wellness professionals, and other holistic practitioners. Jessica describes her core mission as being “of service to massage therapists and holistic practitioners, to help them grow in their profession, to make a great living, and to make a lasting contribution to their communities.” She helps clients think bigger about who they are and what they offer the world, while making a good income doing the work they are so passionate about. Jessica is the author of The Business of Massage Therapy (Pearson, 2012). The book was written for massage therapists and it provides relevant, practical, and put-into-actionable information to grow their massage career or business in a value-centric way. The Business of Massage Therapy is used in massage training programs throughout the country today.
	Bruce Baltz, LMT, NCTMB Poughquag, NY (term ends December 31, 2013) Bruce Baltz is a licensed massage therapist in New York and Florida. He is an internationally recognized educator with over 28 years of experience in the fitness and bodywork industry. An NCBTMB volunteer since 2007, Baltz has served on the Approved Provider Committee. He has also held volunteer positions with the Florida State Massage Therapy Association and American Massage Therapy Association. In 1994, Baltz founder of SpiriPhysical, received his massage diploma from Swedish Institute in New York City. In 1999 he developed and started to teach Deep Tissue Stone Massage workshops with LaStone Therapy. In 2007, Baltz added Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) to his teaching repertoire and developed AIS The Spa Method. SpiriPhysical is now involved in developing massage education for spa trade shows and bringing more depth into spa menus.
	Judy Silcock, NCTMB, CNMT, BA Twin Falls, ID (term ends December 31, 2014) Judy Silcock is a full-time massage therapist and bodywork practitioner. Since 1995, she has served NCBTMB as a volunteer on various committees including the Government Relations Committee, Approved Provider Committee and Recertification Subcommittee. She has also held state-level offices in Idaho with the Massotherapy Association and American Massage Therapy Association. Silcock received an undergraduate degree and completed graduate studies from the University of Arizona. She also attended Esalen Institute and Magic Valley Massotherapy Institute. In addition, Silcock has studied sports massage in Russia at the Physical Culture and Science Institutes of Moscow and St. Petersburg.
	W. Randy Snyder, MS, DC, CMT, NCTMB Carlsbad, CA (term ends December 31, 2016) Randy has 17 years of clinical practice, almost 12 years of managed healthcare experience, and years of teaching both massage and healthcare administration. Randy has earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Southern California University of Health Sciences and a Master of Science - Healthcare Administration from Independence University. Randy has also served on the NCBTMB Board of Directors from 2008 - 2010.
	Julia Young Hayes, CPOI, LMT, M.Ed, NCTMB Meridian, MS (term ends December 31, 2015) Julia Young Hayes is the owner of Victoria’s Water’s Aquatic/Massage Services and maintains a busy private practice. She has been a licensed massage therapist for 11 years – the same duration as her volunteer service to NCBTMB. She has served on a number of NCB committees giving her great insight into the programs and policies of the organization. She graduated from the South Louisiana Institute of Massage in New Orleans, received her Master of Education degree from the University of New Orleans and was inducted into the World Massage Festival Hall of Fame in 2010.