Board

SRTS 2021 Board Members:

Amber Arrington, CTRS, CDP – South Carolina

Amber Arrington is the Director of Community Programming at Martha Franks Retirement Community in Laurens, SC. She was hired on full time in 2016 after working as a consultant for the facility for 2 years. Prior to moving to upstate South Carolina, Amber worked as the Coordinator of Recreational Therapy at the Medical University of South Carolina, Institute of Psychiatry. Amber received her B.S. from Western Carolina University in Recreational Therapy in 2006 and is a Delta Zeta Alumnae. She is additionally certified as a Dementia Practitioner, Dementia Specialist 1 and Integrative Wellness and Life Coach.

Amber is a member of ATRA and was one of the contributing authors for Guidelines to Ethical Practice in Recreational Therapy. She has additionally worked on various task forces and committees with NCTRC including the Job Analysis Task Force Committee, Item Writing Committee and Passing Score Committee. She has presented at SRTS on creative expression and has been a guest lecturer at a local college on emotional intelligence and leadership.  Amber is the current Secretary of SRTS and serves on various committees within the organization.

Locally, Amber is involved in her community and volunteers with her certified therapy dog, a miniature schnauzer named Kami. She is a member of the local artist guild and enjoys spending time in her studio, painting with acrylics as her preferred medium.

Cliff Burnham, CTRS – Kentucky

Cliff Burnham graduated from Western Kentucky University. Cliff has been a certified recreational therapist for 18 years. For nine years he was a practitioner in the physical rehabilitation field working with CVA, SCI, joint replacement, and TBI clients.

Currently, Cliff is the Director of Recreational Services and a practitioner in the behavioral health field working with children, adolescent, and adult clients. His department offers a wide range of services including animal assisted therapy, aromatherapy, guided imagery, meditation, yoga, therapeutic art, leisure-based discussion/educational groups, outdoor behavioral health groups, and activity-based groups. Over time, he has been involved in a variety of organizations at the state, regional, and national levels that help to support and advance our profession.

Cliff has served as president of KATRA, Kentucky Area Therapeutic Recreation Association, at the state level; as chair and conference coordinator for SRTS, Southeast Recreation Therapy Symposium, at the regional level; and, as a practitioner board member for CARTE, Committee on Accreditation of Recreational Therapy Education – a COA for CAAHEP, Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, at the national level. He has also serve as the KY representative for the Joint-Task-Force between ATRA and NCTRC on state licensure – helping his professional colleagues draft and present a bill for state licensure. Cliff’s personal recreation time is spent in the outdoors adventuring through activities of hiking, backpacking, camping, canoeing and kayaking.

Rebecca Riedl Burnworth, MS, LRT/CTRS- North Carolina

A North Carolina native and double Pirate, Rebecca Burnworth graduated from East Carolina University with a BS in Recreational Therapy and a MS in Recreation, Leisure, Facilities, and Tourism. Her career began at Pitt County Memorial Hospital (PCMH), now known as Vidant Medical Center, where she specialized in psychiatry. Mrs. Burnworth spent several years mentoring recreational therapy students through various practicums and internships in the behavioral health setting. As a faculty member in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at ECU, she coordinates and supervises recreational therapy internships and teaches in the ECU Lab School, a collaboration between East Carolina University and the Pitt County Public Schools. Rebecca is committed to the RT profession and has served as a member of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association and is Past President of the North Carolina Recreation Therapy Association. She currently serves on the North Carolina Board Recreational Therapy Licensure Internship Committee and recently joined the Southeast Recreational Therapy Symposium Board of Directors. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys outdoor activities on the Pamilco River with her husband, two stepsons and their golden retriever.

Kevin Enright, CTRS – Georgia

Kevin Enright lives in Augusta, GA with his wife, Karen, and son, Judson. He has been a CTRS since May 1995. Although he has worked in mental health, he has always enjoyed working with people with developmental disabilities. He started the Special Olympics GA (SOGA) Augusta Stars team in 1995. He serves as their Local Coordinator and head coach, which is primarily adults with intellectual disabilities who live in and around Augusta. In 2003, Kevin was selected to be the Team USA Southeast coach for bocce at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Ireland. His team of two athletes and two unified partners came home with gold, silver, and bronze medals. Also in 2003, Kevin was awarded the Special Olympics GA Outstanding Local Coordinator. In 2013, he was a finalist for the Special Olympics North America Coach of the Year. In addition to leading the Augusta Stars, Kevin also serves as a clinician for SOGA as he travels throughout the state teaching other coaches various sports. Since 2003, he has served as the lead bocce official for the SOGA Fall Games. Kevin believes it’s important to focus on the abilities of his athletes and build from there. When he’s not focusing on the next Special Olympics competition he enjoys darts, baseball, swimming, hiking and enjoying time with friends and family.

Brent Hawkins, PhD, CTRS -South Carolina

Dr. Brent L. Hawkins is an Associate Professor in Recreational Therapy within the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at Clemson University.  He received his doctoral degree from Clemson University in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation in 2013.  He earned his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from East Carolina University in Recreational Therapy in 2009 and 2006. His primary line of research investigates the functional and quality of life outcomes associated with recreational therapy and other rehabilitation services for civilians and military veterans with disabilities.  Understanding how to help veterans with reintegrating into their communities after injury and military service is his top research priority.  Dr. Hawkins has a history of publications and presentations regarding treatment of and programming for injured veterans, as well as other populations.  He also serves as the section lead for the Veterans Section of the American Journal of Recreation Therapy and was a past chair of the ATRA’s Veterans and Military Section. In addition to his work with veterans, Dr. Hawkins was a co-chair of ATRA’s Higher Education Task Force which examined the educational requirements for entry-level RT practice. He was also a coinvestigator for ATRA’s Delphi and Competencies Study to determine the practice competencies associated with the various RT practice settings and populations. Prior to being a professor, Dr. Hawkins’ worked in inpatient physical rehabilitation and community mental health as a Certified and Licensed Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.

Maureen Meador, CTRS – Georgia

Maureen Meador works as recreational therapist at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA. She received her BS degree in Parks Recreation and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation from Clemson University in 1990. Prior to working in the area of physical rehabilitation, Maureen worked in the behavioral health setting for many years where she specialized in ROPES and used experiential education with patient populations as well as in the community setting. Maureen became a frequent presenter at SRTS beginning in 2002 and joined the board in 2015. She is the current chair. Maureen is a contributing author for Guidelines for the Ethical Practice of Recreational Therapy: A Training Manual published by ATRA.

Lisa Morgan, CTRS – Tennessee

Hollyann Turner, CTRS- South Carolina

Holly-Ann Turner is the Lead Recreational Therapist, Programming and Student Internship Coordinator in Youth Behavioral Health at the Medical University of South Carolina Hospital, Institute of Psychiatry in Charleston, South Carolina. Holly-Ann is actively involved in various committees throughout MUSC such as; Program Development, Patient Advocacy, Policy Review, Treatment Innovation Strategies,  Staff Development, Fundraising, and Patient Centered Design within MUSC.  Holly-Ann received her B.S. from Western Carolina University in Recreational Therapy in 2010 and is an Alpha Xi Delta Alumnae. She has received additional Post graduate training in Psychophysiological intervention methods with a specialization in Biofeedback, Mental Health Fist Aid, Parent Child Interaction Therapy, Children’s Yoga Facilitation, and Animal Assisted Therapy

Holly-Ann is a member of ATRA and is active with in the Pediatric Treatment Network. Additionally she Presented at SRTS on Acute Care Treatment Interventions specific to pediatric behavioral health, the efficacy and application of mindfulness methods as a clinical intervention, and has guest lectured at local universities on Recreational Therapy’s role in the health care delivery model, behavioral management applications, self-regulation methods, and the need for Recreational Therapy Clinicians within the patient centered treatment approach.

Locally Holly-Ann is involved in her community and volunteers with Surfers Healing to which provides assisted surfing opportunities for Children within the Autism Spectrum, Project Green Heart, and The Lowcountry Maritime Society.  In her spare time Holly-Ann enjoys traveling, yoga, surfing, adventuring and spending time with her husband, TJ and two dogs, Foster & Rambo.

Markeeta Wilkerson, M.S., CTRS – Kentucky

Markeeta Wilkerson CTRS is the Therapeutic Recreation Supervisor at Western State Hospital in Hopkinsville Ky. She has worked there for over 20 years. She attended Murray State University were she obtained a B.S. in Recreation and Leisure Services with a T.R. emphasis and a M.S. in Organizational Communications. She is also certified as a National WRAP (Wellness, Recovery Action Plan) Facilitator, A Certified Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Trainer, A Reiki Master and a Certified Public Manager. A Member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, GOAL Mayor Appointed Committee, Focus 21st Century Minority Leadership , Hopkinsville Leadership,  ATRA, and  KATRA. She has been writing professionally since 1990, conducts state Wide Mental Health and Recovery training. She was the 2003 Ann James recipient.

Kathy Williams, CTRS- Virginia

She is a 1987 graduate of Virginia Wesleyan College, with a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation and Leisure Studies with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation. She began serving on the Southeast Recreation Therapy Symposium Board of Directors in 2017, she has presented at the symposium at various times since 2010.

She works with the City of Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation; she is the Recreation Supervisor of citywide Therapeutic Recreation Programs and Recreation Services for three community recreation centers. She began working with the department in 1985 as a part time staff in Therapeutic Recreation Programs and continued advancing in the organization to her current position. She has been instrumental in program development for the citizens of Virginia Beach with disabilities, one of the programs being Camp Explore a summer day camp that serves ages 6 – 21 with various diagnoses including Autism Spectrum disorder, ADD/ADHD, Down syndrome, learning disability, mild to profound intellectual disability, traumatic brain injury, hard of hearing, visual or physical disability. She takes pride in her work as a CTRS and enjoys providing opportunities for individuals to try new activities, learn skills and for them to be successful in a supportive and fun environment. She doesn’t take the credit alone; she has a wonderful team of CTRS’s and part time para professionals that work alongside of her to make Virginia Beach a “Community for A Lifetime” for all individuals.

Kathy is a trained facilitator for the City of Virginia Beach and serves as member/ facilitator for the Safest City – Strategic Issue Team. She is also active with Virginia Cooperative Extension and has served as the Co-Camp Director of Virginia Beach 4-H Summer Camp since 1995. In her free time, Kathy enjoys spending time with her family and friends, being outdoors and exploring new places.

During her professional career she has been active and held numerous leadership positions in various organizations:

  • Virginia Recreation and Park Society (VRPS) member since 1989
    • VRPS Board of Directors
    • VRPS Annual Conference – Overall Co-Chair; Education Committee; Publicity Committee; Presenter
    • VRPS Therapeutic Recreation Resource Group – Chair; Treasurer
    • VRPS Eastern Service Area – Treasurer
    • VRPS Strategic Plan
  • Virginia Recreation and Park Society Distinguished Service Award 2007
  • Virginia State Therapeutic Recreation Association (VASTRA) – member
  • Mid-Eastern Symposium on Therapeutic Recreation – Publicity Chair; Presenter
  • Virginia Beach Cooperative Extension Leadership Council
  • Virginia Wesleyan College Accreditation Alumni Advisory Board

Brent Wolfe, Ph.D, LRT, CTRS, FDRT- North Carolina

Brent D. Wolfe, PhD, LRT, CTRS, FDRT is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community and Therapeutic Recreation at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and the Executive Director for the American Therapeutic Recreation Association. He has more than 20 years of experience in the RT profession as a practitioner and educator. Dr. Wolfe graduated with his undergraduate degree from Houghton College in New York and earned his Masters and PhD from the University of Georgia. As a practitioner, Dr. Wolfe’s background is adolescent psych and he worked in a locked, residential treatment center for two years. He served on the board of the National Therapeutic Recreation Society (NTRS) from 2006-2009 and then as President from 2009-2010. More recently he has served on the Board of Directors for the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) as a Member-at-Large (2014-2015) and the Treasurer (2015-2019). His research has been published in the Therapeutic Recreation Journal, Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, and the Journal of Experiential Education. Dr. Wolfe has also written book chapters for numerous Recreational Therapy and Leadership textbooks. His research interests have included team building, volunteering, and adults with developmental disabilities. Dr. Wolfe is currently engaging in research focused on the lived experiences of adults with developmental disabilities and giving them a voice to share their perspectives of the world around them. He has presented on a variety of topics related to leadership, disability, and recreational therapy at local, state, regional, national, and international conferences. Dr. Wolfe believes that the two most important keys to being a successful leader, student, therapist, and person are listening and empathy. He spends his free time with his wife Becky, their two daughters, Austyn Grace and Taylor Faith, their dogs Bella and Lobo, and cats Leyla and Blue.

Angela Wozencroft, Ph.D., CTRS – Tennessee

Angela Wozencroft is an Associate Professor in the Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies department at the University of Tennessee (UTK). She received her Ph.D. from Clemson University in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation. While at Clemson, she worked as a graduate student researcher/instructor and an adventure course facilitator at Clemson’s Outdoor Laboratory.  Dr. Wozencroft received her B. A. in Sociology from the University of Western Ontario, a post graduate professional diploma in Gerontology from The University of Waterloo, and one in Therapeutic Recreation from Georgian College.

Dr. Wozencroft’s research examines issues impacting individuals working in Therapeutic Recreation and related areas such as the name of my field’s professional organization, professional title preferences (Therapeutic Recreation vs. Recreation(al) Therapy), spiritual wellbeing of Therapeutic Recreation professionals, and career mobility of women in recreation. Also, she is currently investigating the benefits and outcomes of the two service-learning programs offered in the Therapeutic Recreation concentration at UTK: Camp Koinonia and Project TRiPS (Therapeutic Recreation in Public Schools). Additionally, her research interests focus on marginalized groups of individuals such as minority and at-risk youth and the elderly. More specifically, she concentrates on at-risk youth and minority groups in team building and group initiative activities (e.g., ropes courses) and in the college setting.

Dr. Wozencroft is the program director for Camp Koinonia, Camp Oginali, Koinonia Retreat, and Vision Camp. She serves as a board member on the Koinonia Foundation board since 2008 and has been a member of the Southeast Recreational Therapy Symposium’s board since 2016. Additionally, she serves on the American Therapeutic Recreation Association’s Research Committee and serves on the editorial board for the American Journal of Recreation Therapy and the Therapeutic Recreation Journal.