Earlier today I put up a blog on my personal site, www.lauraallen.com about the departure of John Goss, a COMTA (Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation) volunteer for the past ten years. As background, prior to writing the blog, I contacted Kate Henrioulle, Executive Director of COMTA, and Melissa Wade, Chairperson, and asked them if they would like to comment. Both responded with “COMTA thanks John Goss for his service to COMTA and wishes him well in the future.”
If you’ll read the blog, you’ll see that I commented on Dr. Goss being dismissed from the Commission during a meeting he was not present at; I also quoted two different COMTA sources who gave me comments about their perceived problems at the organization, and an observation of my own that the organization seems to be stuck in neutral, having gained only 100 schools in an 8-year period.
What ensued before and after is the interesting part. Just yesterday, I was notified that I am on the ballot at COMTA for the upcoming election; I had submitted my resume a couple of months ago and been interviewed by a member. Apparently, I passed muster. I also put a disclosure at the end of the blog that I was a candidate.
Today, however, after my blog went live, I received, erroneously is my take on it, e-mails that transpired between the present Commissioners who were horrified at the way I “am working to harm COMTA.” I don’t think they were aware they were cc’ing me. Or perhaps they were. At any rate, the word from Chair Melissa Wade is that she would see to it that none of the Steiner schools, which she works for, would vote for me. Lisa Helbig chimed in and asked if there was any way they could remove me from the ballot due to the fact that I am not the type of objective person they are looking for. All because I expressed an opinion.
There was also a good deal of speculation among them about who my sources are. I don’t divulge them. That’s why they’re my sources. I will say that their guesses were wrong; however, I will be letting those people know that they’re suspected. They’ll probably be tickled that they were thought of.
So here we have the Chair of a national massage education accrediting organization who is going to tell her associates not to vote for me, regardless of what they may think of me personally, and another member who wants me removed from the ballot because I spoke out. I’m going to contrast this situation with a comment that Paul Lindamood, CEO of the NCBTMB made to me last year the day we met. I had been slamming him personally, and the NCB, in my blog for well over a year. He stated to me that in spite of the fact that a lot of what I said in my blog was distressing to him, that he wouldn’t dream of trying to shut me up because he values freedom of speech as much as I do.
I’m on the ballot. I don’t expect to get elected due to the uproar I have caused and due to Ms. Wade’s efforts to keep it from happening, and if that’s the case, I’m sure my talents can be put to use somewhere else. Too bad, because as I wrote in my candidate statement, I would like to see COMTA move from an exclusive club for 100 schools to a standard-bearer that every school and program aspires to join, and I would have worked hard to make that happen. And I suspect that even if I do win, against the odds, I am hardly likely to be welcomed with open arms.
Maybe the NCBTMB will let me volunteer for them.
Peace & Prosperity,
Laura Allen
May 5th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Laura,
you are an inspiration!
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May 5th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Wow Laura – so ironic! Sorry to hear they can’t see the value in your opinions, whether one agrees or not.
If it were not for you, many of us would be in the dark as to what is happening in the massage industry.
When I owned a smaller massage school many years ago, I could not afford to become COMTA approved because of the huge costs involved. They are elitist in my opinion. I know being COMTA approved doesn’t mean you are a better school either. Sometimes, the contrary in my opinion.
It is sad that someone like you with so much passion and dedication to the massage industry is not respected by an organization like COMTA. Like CEO of NCB who is wise enough to have said ‘he would never shut you up”…..no one can ever shut you up. lol
Go Laura!
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May 5th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
I sincerely hope that an explanation, apology, correction or something of the sort will be issued from COMTA very soon. Given that this industry—dare I say community—stands upon the shoulders of the schools and educators which train our future professionals, I would hate to make the assumption that the exclusive accrediting body for massage therapy would prevent a dedicated volunteer to serve based on voicing her opinion. If there were no stipulations regarding blogging, etc., as a candidate then this situation needs to be resolved with professionalism and haste. And Laura, a piece of unsolicited advice—if you want to “work to harm” an organization, it’s not a good idea to apply to serve as a commissioner! It would create a lot of work for you once you were elected!
This week is National Teacher’s Appreciation Week–the irony of the timing is remarkable.
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May 5th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
If that don’t beat all! It is always shocking for me to hear people in the massage profession acting so unprofessional. Can anyone vote or just the board?
Maybe Comta will be in with NCBTMB!
Maybe we need a new organization??
Julie
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May 6th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Laura you are not alone in being targeted for voicing your opinion and using the Internet to do so.
Here in BC our regulatory college board (CMTBC) is apparently very sensitive about being photographed while in a board meetings. During a meeting that I attended on April 9th, I took 3 pictures of the meeting and posted them on Facebook (look at my mobile upload photos). Two were of the board in general, taken from my seat in the gallery. The second one was taken while I sat at the board table during a presentation that I took part in. All of these photos were taken in plain view and noticed by most attendees. One week later I get a phone call from a chair of a CMTBC committee (that I sit on) telling me that I have been removed of the committee due to me taking these photos. However this was only a short term (punishment) as I could continue to work on a particular project I was the lead on (just not as a official committee member).
To this date I have not received any official correspondence around this issue asking me to remove the photos or notifying me of the rationale for this decision. I was never consulted as to my purpose for taking these pictures nor was I given any opportunities to defend my reasons for taking them.
The reason that was apparently used to kick me of the committee, was that I committed a gross error in judgment by taking the pictures. And this is based on the fact that no recording is allowed once the board meeting is in session. This was only the second meeting where this rule was in force. Silly me thought it implied that no voice recording was allowed not picture recording.
One has to wonder about the unspoken reasons for such harsh reaction to a minor unintended infraction. Could it be that I have been an outspoken critic? Could it be that this happened because I had been on the record in saying that the board had not followed the rules when it allowed, a school owner that was in direct financial conflict of interest, to stay on one committee for two years?
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May 6th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Bohdi, they were just looking for a reason because you hold out the standard that they reject- professionalism. I am sorry that happened to you. Than you for all the work you do communicating information on reaseacrh and out profession on Facebook. And Laura, I am also sorry that you and your voice were not respected by your professional body. Seems like some peopel still need to understand the power of the internet and how unstoppable the communications is. You can’t legislate it to stop, just slap wrists afterwards so you should learn how to roll with it, even use it.
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May 8th, 2010 at 5:56 am
Bodhi,
I think Sarah probably hit that on the nail head. You and I are two of those people who won’t blindly follow the crowd. We demand explanations and some people don’t like to have their perceived authority questioned. It’s their loss on both our accounts.
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May 18th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Laura,
I think I am going to start a task force for an Advanced Accreditation Commission. If you would like to be co-chair volunteer, you are invited! Keep up the most excellent work amidst the madness. You are a voice for many who are not even aware.
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May 28th, 2010 at 6:32 am
Thanks for the offer, but once I finish my term on the North Carolina Board, which I’m in the last year of, no more boards for me. I’ve realized if I’m on them I can’t write about them, so it’s best for me to keep blogging and not be on any committees, commissions or boards.
LA
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