Arlene Gillis CP, LPO, M.Ed. earned a bachelor’s degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics from Florida International University 1994. Gillis completed a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, University of South Florida 2010.
 

 Mrs. Gillis owned and operated a successful private practice in the Tampa Bay area for several years before accepting a faculty position at SPC. She has been very involved in the Florida Orthotics and Prosthetics communities since entering the field in 1994. She was appointed to the Florida Department of Health Board for Orthotics and Prosthetics in 2001 and served two consecutive terms. She currently serves the Board on the Probable Cause Committee and the AOPA Committee for Educational Initiatives.
 

Gillis was appointed to two consecutive terms for NCOPE (National Committee of Orthotics and Prosthetics Education) whose primary mission is to ensure educational and residency programs meet the minimum standards of quality to prepare individuals to enter the Orthotic and Prosthetic profession.  She serves on several committees including Standards, Masters Curriculum Development and the Executive Committee.

She has worked for the College as a faculty, the Instructor-in-Charge/Clinical Coordinator of the Orthotic and Prosthetic Program and serves as the liaison for the college with the Orthotic and Prosthetic sister organizations.   

Arlene Gillis, now the O&P Program Director, was recently inducted as a “Fellow to the Academy” as presented by the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists( AAOP). The designation, Fellow of the Academy, is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an Academy Active member. In 2013 she was also awarded Outstanding Educator of the Year award from AAOP.

She has also been appointed as an incoming chair for the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE) as well as Secretary for the Florida Association of Orthotists and Prosthetists 2013 (FAOP).

The J.E. Hanger College of O&P has also partnered with the Combat Wounded Veterans Challenge to help promote the orthotic and prosthetic care of combat wounded veterans.  Recent graduates, along with Director Gillis, have already completed case study missions with the CWVC on Mount Kilimanjaro, Denali, the Grand Canyon, and the Florida Keys.