Executive Director - Frederick Somers
The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
Frederick P. Somers has served the membership of AOTA for more than two decades. In his current position as Executive Director, he directs the operations and staff of the national headquarters of the Association and provides strategic and governance support to the officers and Board of Directors.
Before assuming this position, Mr. Somers served as AOTA's Associate Executive Director for Public Policy, overseeing the Association’s federal and state legislative, regulatory, and reimbursement initiatives as well as the American Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee (AOTPAC), the political arm of the Association.
Mr. Somers has almost 30 years of experience as an association executive, congressional staff member, lobbyist, and political fundraiser. During his career, he has worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Representative James M. Jeffords (R-Vermont) and as a senior lobbyist for the Transportation Institute, the Seafarers International Union, the Maritime Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, and the Air Line Pilots Association. He has worked extensively on national, state, and local political campaigns and holds a bachelor's degree in political science and economics. Mr. Somers resides in Chantilly, Virginia, with his wife Jeanette and son Patrick.
