Being in her 36th year of practice, Dr. Schmitz is a seasoned occupational therapist having practiced with all ages across settings ranging from the acute care hospital and outpatient to inpatient rehabilitation, home health, school-based, private practice, and virtual environments.  She has also taught future occupational therapy practitioners at the post-secondary graduate level. Championing for emerging niches for occupational therapy practice, Mary is an active member of the Arizona Occupational Therapy Association (ArizOTA) by serving on the conference planning & legislative committees, as well as co-chairing the Home Modification Special Interest Section, and founding, as well as chairing, the Telehealth Special Interest Section.  As the chair of this section, she secures speakers for each month’s virtual training.  Recent appointments include Advisory Board Member for both the Telehealth Certification Institute and the Phoenix Brookline College Occupational Therapy Associate (OTA) Program.

Mary remains active in her community by advancing emergency and disaster management activities as secretary of her local Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.).  She has not only presented regionally and nationally to advance the role of Occupational Therapy in all phases of emergency management, but has also had a poster presentation accepted for the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) International Congress and Exhibition in August, 2022.