Alliance Completes its Founding Member Campaign

The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education, a non-profit organization for massage schools and educators, completed its Founding Member Campaign on December 31. In just 12 weeks, a total of $48,850 in contributions was generated to fund the launch of this new endeavor. Now, the focus of the Alliance is shifting to its 2010 General Membership Drive, which will begin later this month. There are separate membership categories for Massage Schools, Teachers, Continuing Education Providers, and Industry Partners. Information on the dues structure is now available on the Alliance website at www.afmte.org.

The Alliance wishes to acknowledge the generous support of those pioneering institutions and individuals who have stepped forward to help establish this organization. The Founding Members of the Alliance are as follows:

MASSAGE SCHOOLS
ASHA School of Massage - Norcross, Georgia
Atlanta School of Massage - Atlanta, Georgia
Body Therapy Institute - Siler City, North Carolina
Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy - Samara Beach, Costa Rica
Colorado School of Healing Arts - Lakewood, Colorado
Educating Hands School of Massage - Miami, Florida
Florida School of Massage - Gainesville, Florida
Health Enrichment Center - Lapeer, Michigan
Institute of Therapeutic Massage - Ottawa, Ohio
Institute of Therapeutic Massage of Western Colorado - Grand Junction, Colorado
Irene’s Myomassology Institute - Southfield, Michigan
Kalamazoo Center for the Healing Arts - Kalamazoo, Michigan
Massage Therapy Training Institute - Kansas City, Missouri
Maui School of Therapeutic Massage - Makawao, Hawaii
New School for Massage, Bodywork & Healing - Chicago, Illinois
Palm Beach Academy of Health & Beauty - Lake Park, Florida
Potomac Massage Training Institute - Washington, DC
Sage School of Massage & Healing Arts - Bend, Oregon

CONTINUING EDUCATION PROVIDERS
Laura Allen - Thera-ssage, Inc.
Karen Ball - yourCEplace
Steve Capellini - The Royal Treatment
Erik Dalton, PhD - Freedom from Pain Institute
Judith Koch - Institute of Somatic Therapy
Claire Marie Miller - Integrative Reflexology® and Nurturing the Mother®
Thomas Myers - Anatomy Trains and Kinesis, Inc.
Sharon Puszko - Day-Break Geriatric Massage Institute
Michael Shea, PhD - Shea Educational Group
Carey Smith - BTI Center for Teacher Education
Cherie Sohnen-Moe - Sohnen-Moe Associates
Ralph Stephens - Ralph Stephens Seminars
Yamuna Zake - Yamuna Body Rolling

INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Art of Admissions - Lex Filipowski - Glenham, New York
Books of Discovery - Andrew Biel - Boulder, Colorado
Florida State Massage Therapy Association - Winter Park, Florida
ITEC: The International Therapeutic Examination Council - United Kingdom
National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork - Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois
Oakworks, Inc. - New Freedom, Pennsylvania
Resource ETC, LLC - Christopher Alvarado & Angela Palmier - Evanston, Illinois
RMTstudents.com - Ontario, Canada

TEACHERS
Mark Beck - Teacher, Colorado
Michael Broas - Florida School of Massage
Ivonne Eiseman - Body Therapy Institute
Ben C. Franklin - Body Therapy Institute
Sandy Friedland - Educating Hands School of Massage
Gabrielle Gaillard - Earth Angel Bodyworks
Joan Gennarini - Inst. of Therapeutic Massage of Western Colorado
Valerie Gora - Excellent Bodywork
Beverly Johnson - Body Therapy Institute
Sunny Klaber - Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy
David Keil - Educating Hands School of Massage
KimLien LaFitte - Body Therapy Institute
Ronald McKendree - Keiser Institute
Sandy Mason - Body Therapeutic
Franklin Merillat - Florida School of Massage
Cate Miller - Florida School of Massage
Annie Morien - Florida School of Massage
Joe Muscolino, DC - Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy
Eugenie Newton - International Professional School of Bodywork
Bernadette Nicholson - Springfield Technical Community College
Noel Norwick - Institute of Practical Professional Therapy
Vilma Pico - Technical Career institute
Kevin Pierce - High-Tech Institute
Kevin Powell - Body Therapy Institute
Jiovannina Ramos - Teacher, Florida
Elan Schacter - Teacher, South Carolina
Richard Schekter - Educating Hands School of Massage
Jennifer Schulte - Academy of Healing Arts
Jan Schwartz - Education & Training Solutions
Adam Silverberg - Florida School of Massage
Alex Somoano - Educating Hands School of Massage
Sally Stuckey - Body Therapy Institute
Carol Verner - Body Therapy Institute
Lee Whitridge - Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy
Pete Whitridge - Florida School of Massage

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About the Alliance:
The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education is the independent voice, advocate and resource for the community of massage therapy schools and educators. It has been created to serve the entire education sector – from entry-level training programs through post-graduate studies. The National Headquarters of the Alliance is located at 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, Virginia 22102. The phone number is 703-506-2888, and the general office email address is admin@afmte.org.