Governor Greg Abbott has announced the appointment of Erin Smith, O.T.D., and Lynn Wilde, along with the reappointment of Eddie Jessie, to the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners. Their terms will run until February 1, 2031. The board is responsible for licensing and regulating occupational therapy services in Texas.
Erin Smith, O.T.D., from Dallas, works as an occupational therapist and hand therapist at OrthoTexas. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Hand Therapy Academy. Smith has previously been part of the Texas Occupational Therapy Association and the American Society of Hand Therapists. She volunteers with Lake Highlands Church and Feed Lake Highlands. Her educational background includes a Master of Occupational Therapy from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and a Doctor of Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University.
Lynn Wilde, based in Houston, serves as a certified occupational therapy assistant with the Harris County Department of Education. She sits on the Lone Star College Advisory Committee for the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program and was formerly involved with TOTA. Wilde holds an Associate of Applied Sciences in Occupational Therapy Assistant from LSC – Tomball.
Eddie Jessie, also from Houston, is an aftercare housing coordinator at The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD Services. He previously co-chaired the Houston Mayor’s Commission on Disabilities and serves on advisory boards for both the Texas A&M University Center on Disability and Development and Volunteers of America. Jessie earned his Bachelor of Science in social work and criminal justice as well as a Master of Arts in sociology and counseling from Prairie View A&M University.
The Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott operates out of Austin at the State Insurance Building https://gov.texas.gov/ and delivers statewide services across Texas https://gov.texas.gov/. Since his election in 2014 https://gov.texas.gov/, Governor Abbott has focused on job creation, economic opportunities, education enhancement, protection of individual liberties, parental empowerment in education, and southern border security https://gov.texas.gov/. Under his leadership, Texas has seen growth in jobs and record employment levels https://gov.texas.gov/. In 2024, he was named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People https://gov.texas.gov/.
