Frank Gainer - Dean's Advisory Board

Frank E. Gainer, MHS, OTR/L, FAOTA, CMP, CAE retired in 2024 after a 50-year career in occupational therapy. He is a 1980 graduate of the entry-level occupational therapy program at Western Michigan University. He retired as a US Army Lieutenant Colonel in 2003, after serving for 24 years in various States, West Germany and the Republic of Panama. He was director of rehabilitation services for a large healthcare system in the District of Columbia, and spent the last 22 years at the American Occupational Therapy Association. During the course of his career he worked with many different patient populations to include adult rehabilitation, inpatient mental health and home health. He was an adjunct instructor at Howard University for 19 years and served as a surveyor for CARF - the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission for 30 years. Throughout his career, he has served in many volunteer roles. He has endowed 5 scholarships for veterans and/or members of the LGBTQ+ communities who are studying occupational therapy. He and his husband have retired to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware where he is continuing his volunteer work and fully embracing the joys of retirement.