O&P Woman of the Year

OPGA is Proud to Announce its 6th Annual O&P Woman of the Year Award Winner, Nina Bondre!

Nina Bondre, CPO

As a CPO, Nina witnessed firsthand the startling inequities in the U.S. healthcare system. These experiences inspired her to co-found a Diversity Council at Ottobock, where she has started a mentorship program and led an Inclusion Workshop for Ottobock's North America executive team. Her clinical and educational experiences have shown her how important patients and clinicians are to the innovation process. Most recently, she has been exploring design thinking and its applications to the patient experience. Having completed her BS in Neuroscience at Duke University and Master of Prosthetics & Orthotics at Northwestern University, Nina is currently pursuing an MBA at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She hopes to become the bridge between clinicians and corporations to improve care in O&P.

Open to all women in the profession, the O&P Woman of the Year Award is presented to someone who has made significant contributions to her patients, community, business, and the O&P profession throughout her career. Congratulations, Nina!

Meet Our FinalistsAward Details and Selection ProcessPAST WINNERSSELECTION COMMITTEE

Meet Our Finalists

Adrienne W. Hill MHA, CPO(L), Clinical Assistant Professor, Prosthetics & Orthotics, with Kennesaw State University

Adrienne Hill earned her Master’s degree in Health Administration at the George Washington University School of Public Health; and her B.S. in Physics and Mathematics at Spelman College. Adrienne became certified in 2007 as a Prosthetist Orthotist after completing post-baccalaureate courses at Newington Certificate Program through the University of Connecticut. Adrienne is a 15-year veteran of Hanger Clinic, most recently serving as the Area Clinic Manager in Atlanta, GA. Adrienne has extensive certifications in a full variety of orthotic and prosthetic solutions. She enjoys not only providing traditional care, but also embraces the advancement of technology to provide better services to patients. She is now contributing to shaping the minds of the next generation of O&P professionals as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University. During her 15-year career tenure, she has had the opportunity to experience different aspects of prosthetics and orthotics through clinical care, patient advocacy, and mentorship. These experiences have fueled Adrienne's dedication to promoting this profession through community Outreach, Hanger’s diversity and inclusion affinity group, PAUSE (People Aligned United to Serve Everyone), and her social media initiative P.O.P.P.E.D. (Promoting Orthotics and Prosthetics Positively Every Day). Outside of work, Adrienne enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons.

P.O.P.P.E.D was born from an idea to promote the Prosthetics and Orthotics profession through education and community engagement. For the last five years, she has been educating K-12 students both in and outside of the classroom. Through social media, P.O.P.P.E.D has made the profession more accessible to students, professionals, and the others within the community. 

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Maggie Baumer, Area Clinic Business Manager with Hanger Clinic

Maggie Baumer is an attorney licensed to practice in both New York and Massachusetts. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Tufts University in 2004 and her Juris Doctor degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2011. She has served in advocacy positions for several health care organizations, including the Long Term Care Community Coalition and the Office of the New York State Attorney General (Health Care Bureau) in New York City. Maggie is a board member of the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics & Prosthetics (2016 to present) and is currently the President (term beginning in January 2022); the American Trauma Society’s Board of Directors (2016 to present); and the Trauma Survivors Network Advisory Board (2014 to present). She currently serves as Area Clinic Business Manager for Hanger Clinic in Western & Central Massachusetts, as well as a Certified Peer Visitor Coordinator for the AMPOWER program, a peer-to-peer network designed to empower and strengthen those affected by amputation or limb difference through peer mentorship, educational resources, and community events.

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Manisha Bhaskar, Senior Director of Communications & Development with American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists

Manisha Bhaskar is the Senior Director of Communications and Development for the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy). Ms. Bhaskar has represented the orthotic and prosthetic profession for more than 25 years and has extensive experience in communications and public relations. Her work has focused on ensuring that the needs of O&P professionals are addressed through the development of programs, initiatives, and partnerships that translate to better resources for those that provide and inform patient care. She has worked with the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics, Inc. (ABC), the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA), the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE), the Orthotic and Prosthetic Education and Research Foundation, and the Orthotic & Prosthetic Activities Foundation (OPAF).

Award Details and Selection Process

Every year, OPGA organizes the Woman of the Year award campaign, and a selection committee made up of O&P professionals will be tasked to select the winner. The award was presented during the AOPA National Assembly in the OPGA booth on Thursday, September 29 at 9:45 a.m.

Past Winners

   

Selection Committee

Kenton R. Kaufman, Ph.D., P.E.

Dr. Kenton Kaufman is the W Hall Wendel Jr Musculoskeletal Research Professor, Director-Motion Analysis Laboratory, Professor of Bioengineering, and Consultant in the Departments of Orthopedic Surgery, Physiology and Biomedical Engineering at Mayo Clinic. He is a registered professional engineer. He has published over 265 papers and holds 8 patents. He is a Fellow in the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, American Society of Biomechanics, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and International Society of Biomechanics. Dr. Kaufman currently serves on the Medical Advisory Board of Prosthetics 2020 for the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association. He is leading an effort to develop a national Limb Loss and Preservation Registry.

Karen Edwards

Karen Edwards is the founder and Director of the Ossur Women’s Leadership Initiative, as well as a Sr. Area Manager for Prosthetics for Ossur in Arizona and Utah. Karen has 14 years of experience in the orthotic and prosthetic field, as well as extensive experience in advertising. Karen has written articles for the OPGA Connection, O&P Almanac, and O&P Edge, has been featured on The Change Makers Podcast, and was awarded the 2018 OPGA Woman of the Year Award. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lives in Phoenix, AZ.

Michael A. Sotak

Michael Sotak is a senior executive and corporate officer with extensive domestic and international experience in manufacturing, distribution, service, and retail. He has more than 30 years of experience in the medical industry including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and orthotics and prosthetics. Michael is consistently recognized for his ability to articulate a vision and drive business solutions within complex and challenging environments to yield both top and bottom line growth. He is a business strategist with a unique ability to reposition businesses resulting in significant increases to both scale and efficiency.

Mike is currently President and CEO at PEL, LLC, a leading distributor of O&P solutions. Prior to joining PEL, he was Group VP & General Manager at Invacare where he was responsible for six businesses within the Outcomes Management Group.

Nicole Ver Kuilen

Nicole lost her left leg to osteosarcoma at age 10 and has made it her life’s goal to raise the standard of care for all amputees. She is the founder of the nonprofit advocacy organization, Forrest Stump, with the mission to promote equitable access to physical activity for individuals with disabilities. In 2021, she joined the nonprofit, the Range of Motion Project (ROMP), as Associate Director of Development, bringing her extensive experience in nonprofit leadership and focus on advocacy, sport and recreation to help broaden ROMP’s mobility mission: to provide high quality prosthetic care in underserved populations. Prior to ROMP and Forrest Stump, Nicole pursued a career in sustainability, working for Clean Energy Coalition, a nonprofit consulting firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan and serving as Assistant Director for the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability $40-million Victors for Michigan fundraising campaign. Nicole graduated from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business with a bachelors in business administration with a focus on strategy and marketing. In her free time, Nicole enjoys racing triathlon, hiking in the PNW, and serving as a peer mentor to other amputees around the globe.