Leadership
Board of Directors OTIS National Office Committees
Lori Wolfe, OTIS President
Lori Wolfe, MS, CGC, is the Director of the Texas Teratogen Information Service for the state of Texas. Lori, a board-certified Genetic Counselor specializing in the area of teratogen counseling, began the service in 1991. The Texas Teratogen Service and the Pregnancy Riskline are housed at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. Lori has been a member of OTIS since 1991 and has been active in the organization over the years. Lori was the Chair for the Education Committee for eight years, served as a Member at Large on the Executive Board for two years and held the position of Treasurer for many years. Currently Lori is the President of OTIS for the 2010-2012 years. In addition to running the Texas Teratogen Service, Lori also supervises students working for the service, lectures for classes at UNT, and presents public workshops and lectures to high school students and health care professionals. At home, Lori is the busy Mom of three kids, two of whom are adopted. As an adoptive parent Lori enjoys talking to prospective adoptive families regarding exposures during pregnancy.
Information About OTIS
OTIS is governed by a board of directors, an elected body consisting of a president, president elect, immediate past president, secretary, treasurer, and three members-at-large. OTIS appoints an executive director who manages the OTIS National Office located at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. The OTIS National Office also employs an administrative assistant on a part-time basis. OTIS has several working committees including education, research, website, abstract, public affairs, meeting planning, elections, and membership. Committees meet once a year at the Annual Education Conference and hold conference calls throughout the year as needed.
The Board of Directors
President: Lori Wolfe
Past President: Myla Moretti
Secretary: Mark Roth
Treasurer: Janine Polifka
Member-at-Large: Christina Chambers
Member-at-Large: Kenneth Lyons Jones
Member-at-Large: Robert Felix
OTIS National Office
Executive Director: Dee Quinn
University of Arizona
Drachman Hall
P.O. Box 210202
1295 N. Martin
Room B308
Tucson, AZ 85721-0202
(520) 626-3547
The OTIS National Office handles all administrative inquiries. Click here to email our administrative assistant.
Abstract Committee:
The Abstract Committee evaluates all abstracts submitted for poster and platform presentation at the OTIS annual meeting, and selects abstracts to be presented. The abstract selection process is held each year in the spring before the annual meeting in June.
Education Committee:
The Education Committee is responsible for selecting topics, assigning writers, preparing text, reviewing, publishing and periodically updating Fact Sheets on pregnancy and lactation exposures. The OTIS Fact Sheets are designed to provide patient friendly information about common exposures during pregnancy and lactation. The Fact Sheets are available for download here.
Elections Committee:
The Elections Committee is responsible each fall for soliciting nominations for positions that will become vacant on the Board of Directors for the upcoming year. Nominations of suitable candidates are submitted for a vote to the membership in the spring of the year of the election. The Elections Committee calls for the vote, receives and qualifies ballots, and announces results to the Board of Directors and the membership.
Lactation Research Committee:
The Lactation Research committee is another subcommittee of the Research Committee that was formed from volunteers at the Mid-Year Research Team meeting on January 27, 2008. The subcommittee is charged with the responsibility to develop a framework for conducting and/or collaborating in lactation studies.
Meeting Planning Committee:
The Meeting Planning Committee organizes the OTIS annual education conference. The Executive Director serves as Chair of the Meeting Planning Committee, and is responsible for coordinating the planning activities, providing continuity and procedural support, and working with the other members of the committee on the meeting program.
Membership Committee:
The Membership Committee establishes and maintains criteria for OTIS individual membership and participation in the OTIS National Routing System for TIS. Membership recruitment, maintenance of the new member information packets, and maintenance of the membership list falls under the duties of the Secretary as a member of the Board of Directors who works with the Executive Director at the National Office where all membership applications are processed and archived.
Public Affairs Committee:
The Public Affairs Committee is responsible for selecting public health or current event topics that are of relevance to the mission of OTIS, and outlining the committee’s stance or recommendations on these topics either through published position papers, or other media. The Public Affairs Committee may also encourage or support research projects or other activities that address these public health concerns.
Research Committee:
The Research Committee is responsible for selecting topics/projects, approving protocols, and overseeing the conduct of OTIS collaborative research. The Research Committee sets policy for OTIS Collaborative Research publications, and approves requests by outside investigators to utilize OTIS data. The Research Committee also oversees the selection and certification of Research Coordinators at each OTIS site. The Research Committee organizes and conducts two annual meetings for the Research Committee and Research Coordinators, one during the annual scientific meeting in June, and one freestanding meeting in January.
Scientific Affairs Committee:
The Scientific Advisory Committee is a subcommittee of the Research Committee. It is comprised of 10 members representing both ENTIS and OTIS. The subcommittee is responsible for developing a process for building a partnership between ENTIS and OTIS that would include the establishment of a formal guidance document to maximize the benefits of collaborative research between the two organizations, while maintaining their core missions of research, education, and service. The advisory committee will also provide strategic advice on all ENTIS/OTIS collaborative research endeavors.
Website Committee:
The Website Committee is responsible for reviewing all new updates or additions to the OTIS website and approving these before submission to the webmaster for uploading. The Website Committee also reviews the content, appearance, functionality, and appeal of the website and recommends upgrades or revisions to the Board of Directors. The Website Committee also monitors web activity through the webmaster.
