Washington, District of Columbia, July 1, 2019 – The Section on Women’s Health (SoWH), an affiliated and independent arm of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), has announced the appointment of Aika Barzhaxynova, the SoWH’s Director of Marketing and Business Development, as Interim Executive Director following the departure of Tamela Blalock from SoWH’s management company, Interel. Tamela has served the association for the past two years and contributed to the development of the SoWH’s new strategic plan.

Aika has served Section on Women’s Health for the last five years in a variety of roles: Program Manager, Education and Technology Manager and the Director of Marketing and Business Development. As Program Manager and Education and Technology Manager, Aika has overhauled  operational processes and executed a calendar of 60+ courses and events. She’s worn multiple hats including administration, event management, marketing, strategic planning, staff training and collaboration with 10+ committees and the Board of Directors. Aika brings a mix of four years of hospitality industry and five years in association management experience.

Carrie Pagliano, President, commented, “The Board has full confidence in Aika Barzhaxynova to continue to build on the successes of the SoWH at such a critical time.”

In the last five years, I have seen the Section evolve and grow in membership and program size. As we prepare to relaunch SoWH as Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy in early 2020, I am grateful for the opportunity to play a bigger role in implementing an action plan that re-establishes focus on strengthening the Section inside-out, refining its operations to drive better performance and working to fulfill the goals and objectives of the strategic plan developed by the Board of Directors.

Aika will begin her tenure as Interim Executive Director effective immediately.

About SoWH

Established in 1977, the SoWH is, one of 25 professional and trade organizations managed by the Washington, D.C. and Brussels-based Interel. The SoWH consists of 3,400+ members composed of licensed physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students sharing a common interest in the problems and concerns of women, men, transgender, elderly and children to meet, confer, and promote these interests. Among other services, the Section develops educational resources, and practice and education standards for addressing pelvic health issues. The section also provides training and fosters research: www.womenshealthapta.org.

About Interel

Interel is dedicated to staffing and managing nonprofits of all types, and to provide government relations and public affairs to clients served. It provides unsurpassed management expertise to empower organizations to meet their objectives and achieve success. With offices in the major world capitals, Interel is the leading Washington, D.C.-based Association Management Company (AMC), and is accredited by the Association Management Company Institute (AMCI). This prestigious accreditation indicates highest-quality management practices and procedures, as well as optimal delivery of services to AMG client organizations. Click here to learn more about Interel.