WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) will honor 3 recipients of the Ralph R. “Ronney” Snell Legislative Advocacy Award: Rick Riley; Teri Kuffel, Esq.; and Charles Kuffel, MSM, CPO, FAAOP. This award is presented to individuals in the field who have made valuable contributions toward advancing the legislative and regulatory goals of the O&P community by motivating members of Congress, state legislators and other decision makers to make sure the needs of patients and providers in our field are accommodated.
AOPA President, Charles H. Dankmeyer, Jr., CPO, praised the 2015 honorees stating “Rick, Charles and Teri are O&P industry champions who consistently and unselfishly invest their personal time to inform and educate legislators, regulators, and other professionals, with considerable impact. Their voluntary efforts reap benefits for all O&P businesses. AOPA salutes their advocacy.”
Rick Riley is the CEO at Townsend Design, where he started in 1995 as Vice President of Marketing. Rick has consistently attended AOPA’s annual Policy Forum, of which Townsend Design is a long time sponsor, to educate senators and congressional representatives, and has met with current majority leader for the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy. Rick encourages practitioners and suppliers to participate in the Policy Forum and other advocacy activities.
Charles Kuffel is the President and Clinical Director, and Teri is the Vice President at Arise Orthotics & Prosthetics, Inc. Both have been active in the Minnesota Society of Orthotists, Prosthetists and Pedorthists and both teach for the Master’s program in Prosthetics & Orthotics (MPO) at Concordia University in St. Paul, MN, in addition to their continued involvement with patient help organizations (humanitarian organizations) such as Minnesota’s Wiggle Your Toes. Charles and Teri have attended the AOPA Policy Forum for the past six years and each year have sponsored an amputee to join them. Both have worked with state legislators on behalf of MSOPP on licensure and insurance fairness issues. Teri serves on the MSOPP Board as well as being an AOPA state representative. Charlie has been president of the Northern Plains Chapter of AAOP and currently serves as vice chair of the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education.
The honorees will be presented with the Legislative Advocacy Awards at the 2015 AOPA National Assembly in San Antonio, TX, at the General Session and AOPA Annual Business Meeting on Friday, October 9 at 7:30 am.
Questions? Please contact Lauren Anderson, AOPA’s Manager of Communications, Policy, and Strategic Initiatives at 571/431-0843 or landerson@aopanet.org.