Oakbrook Terrace, IL. The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) has announced today the resignation of its current chair, Susan Toscano, B.C.T.M.B. Leena Guptha, D.O., B.C.T.M.B., and most-recently chair-elect, will transition to the board chair effective immediately.
“For personal reasons,” states Toscano, “I have decided at this time to resign as chair for the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. I have decided to pursue alternative professional directions at this time. I express this with genuine appreciation to everyone with whom I have had the pleasure to accompany over many years of dedicated service and contribution to the field of massage therapy and bodywork. I wish you relaxation, peace of mind and wellness—the true work, and the real gift, of our profession.”
Working side by side with Toscano, serving the massage profession as a member of the NCB board, has been Leena Guptha, D.O.
Guptha, a longtime driving force in the massage profession, embraces the new role. “On behalf of everyone at NCBTMB, I express a debt of gratitude to former chair Sue Toscano with whom I have worked closely for more than a decade. We all wish her well in all that she does and her future endeavors. I am humbled, honored and privileged to take up the challenges and the torch for NCBTMB and I look forward to reaching out to all of you in the very near future.”
Steve Kirin, CEO, acknowledges Toscano’s contributions. “It has been a pleasure for me to work side by side with Sue for the past few months and I wish her tremendous success in her future endeavors. Moving forward, I fully support and look forward to working with Dr. Guptha in this role.”
About Leena Guptha, D.O., B.C.T.M.B.
Leena Guptha, D.O., B.C.T.M.B., received her degree in osteopathic and naturopathic medicine from the British College of Osteopathic Medicine in London, England; a master’s degree in complementary therapy from the University of Westminster; graduated from the British College of Acupuncture with a Licentiate in Acupuncture; is a board-certified hypnotherapist; and graduated with honors as a valedictorian from her Masters in Business Administration program. She was formerly the dean of massage therapy at Lehigh Valley College in Pennsylvania and taught at the National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, Illinois, for eight years.
Guptha is passionate about advancing education, securing regulation and facilitating the profession at large toward global recognition. Guptha is an NCB-approved provider and dedicates her time to promoting and teaching ethics, research, musculoskeletal alignment techniques and business practices. Her professional career spans more than 20 years and has encompassed primary care, academic appointments and the practice of massage therapy.
In the past, she has presided as dean of academic affairs and campus president, and managed multidisciplinary education departments in health care, business and technology. As an independent self-regulator/evaluator, she served as a national accreditation evaluator for degree programs. In addition, she has been an active member of the American Massage Therapy Association, which she presided as national president in 2007-2008.
As a driving force in the massage industry, Guptha’s personal mission has been to facilitate the integration of complementary alternative therapies into primary health care settings. As an incoming chair of NCBTMB, and with the help of board of directors, our dedicated volunteers and staff, she aims to carry the torch for the profession advancing educational standards in massage therapy, promoting the value of board certification, securing quality continued education providers and classes, which universally supports education, training and the practice of massage therapy and bodywork.
About NCBTMB
The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) is an independent, private, nonprofit organization founded in 1992 to establish a certification program that would uphold a national standard of excellence in the field. Today, there are nearly 80,000 nationally certified massage therapists and bodyworkers safely and responsibly serving millions of Americans each year.