Members of the OT Licensing Board:
Whitney Hooker, OTR/L, CLT, OT Member, Board Chair
Heather McCarthy, OTR/L, OT Member
Lisa Grebisz, COTA/L, OTA Member
Ellen Stauder, PhD. Public Member, Vice Chair
Elise Dorris, B.S. Public Member
About the Board Members:
Whitney Hooker, OTR/L, CLT, OT Member, has served the occupational therapy profession since 2012. She spent the first four years of her career in skilled nursing facilities and expanded her expertise in neuro cognitive disorders. She has held leadershp roles in Hood River, and in Eugene as the Director of Rehab. More recently, she has worked in home health in an expansive five county territory in OR and WA which strengthened her passion for the unique needs of rural healthcare. During this time she has a certified lymphedema therapist. Currently, Whitney is dividing her time between outpatient therapy and acute care/impatient rehabilitation in the The Dalles.
Whitney Hooker's term is from 11/15/25 – 11/14/29 (2nd term)
Heather McCarthy, OTR/L, OT Member, has served the occupational therapy profession since 2001 and spent many years working in older adult settings such as SNF's and Acute Care. She brings a unique perspective to the board with her past experience as a Reimbursement Appeals Specialist and as the former Director of Regulatory Administration. She currently works for the State of Oregon as a Nursing Facility Survey Unit Client Care Surveyor.
Heather McCarthy’s term is from 2/16/2024 – 6/14/2027 (1st term)
Lisa Grebisz, COTA/L, OTA member, has served the occupational therapy profession since 1994 and spent many years working in schools, SNF's and home health. During this time she has led efforts to support COTAs, improve collaboration and advocate for equitable recognition.
Lisa Grebisz' term is from 10/1/2025 - 9/30/2029 (1st term)
Ellen Stauder, PhD., Public Member, received her BM in Music History from the Eastman School of Music, a MA in English from the College of St. Rose and a PhD in the History of Culture from the Univerity of Chicago. Ms. Stauder taught English and Humanities at Reed College for 30 years and also served as Dean of the Faculty. Having served as Dean of the Faculty at Reed College and on major faculty governance committees, including those that concern the hiring and evaluation, she is very experienced in the importance of having good policies and procedures for the sake of the health of the institution and its members, including in the case of OTLB, members of the public.
Ellen Stauder's term is from 4/1/25 - 3/31/2029 (1st term)
Elise Dorris, B.S. Public Member, is an administrator for an international Cloud solutions and managed services provider and has an extensive background in all areas of business. She is a mother of twin boys with autism and has direct experience and understanding of the challenges families can face. She has a deep and personal interest in assuring a safe and ethical delivery of OT services to all members of the public.
Elise Dorris' term is from 4/21/2024 - 4/20/2028 (1st term)