Node Smith, ND
OANP 2017 Annual Conference
If you were at the Oregon Association of Naturopathic Physicians’ (OANP) 2017 annual conference, you undoubtedly learned that Laura Farr has moved on from her position as executive director of the OANP to executive director of the AANP. As happy as we are that Laura will be representing the naturopathic profession at the national level now, she has left some big shoes to fill in one of our most dynamic and effective state organizations, the OANP.
However, those who had the opportunity to meet Beth Martin over the weekend, may have had these concerns of the future leadership of the OANP eased. Beth Martin, the new executive director of the OANP, is surely up to the challenge of serving the eclectic and free-spirited naturopathic physicians of Oregon. She has a keen interest in our history, traditions, and willingness to serve the communities in which we are a part.
Meet Beth Martin, OANP’s Executive Director
Beth comes with a substantial non-profit background, mostly in higher education. She has worked most recently as a consultant helping holistic practitioners grow and enhance their networks as well as engage the community through strategic planning. Her public relations and community engagement experience will be a valuable asset to the OANP. She already has an eager mind, and creative ideas to raise awareness and accessibility for the profession in Oregon.
Beth’s “Dream Job”
Perhaps equally as important, is how well of a fit the OANP is for Beth. She calls this her “dream job,” and is very grateful to be working with such a hard working staff. She is “amazed at what caring, compassionate, and driven people belong to the association.” She has a personal connection with naturopathic medicine, and is excited to make it more accessible to all.
Increasing Public Awareness of Naturopathic Doctors & Creating Obstacle-free Environment
On a logistical note, her initial intentions for the OANP include advancing the association’s strategic plan, which includes increasing public awareness of NDs, and creating an obstacle free environment in which NDs can practice. She is looking towards increasing overall membership, as well as increasing the sponsors that support the Association. She is excited to create a community relations plan to build mutually beneficial relationships within Oregon to maximize every opportunity share OANP’s message. She is also interested in building stronger networks of advocates to support the profession, and increasing community involvement.
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Node Smith, ND, is a naturopathic physician in Portland, OR and associate editor for NDNR. He has been instrumental in maintaining a firm connection to the philosophy and heritage of naturopathic medicine among the next generation of docs. He helped found the first multi-generational experiential retreat, which brings elders, alumni, and students together for a weekend camp-out where naturopathic medicine and medical philosophy are experienced in nature. Four years ago he helped found the non-profit, Association for Naturopathic ReVitalization (ANR), for which he serves as the board chairman. ANR has a mission to inspire health practitioners to embody the naturopathic principles through experiential education. Node also has a firm belief that the next era of naturopathic medicine will see a resurgence of in-patient facilities which use fasting, earthing, hydrotherapy and homeopathy to bring people back from chronic diseases of modern living; he is involved in numerous conversations and projects to bring about this vision.
