Mr. Billock has 36 years of experience in the profession and is currently in private practice as the Clinical and Executive Director of the Orthotics and Prosthetics Rehabilitation Engineering Centre, Inc., in Warren, Ohio, which he founded in December 1974. He received his specialized education and training in prosthetics and orthotics at the Northwestern University Medical School Prosthetic/Orthotic Education Center and Chicago City College. He subsequently achieved Practitioner Certification as a Certified Prosthetist (CP) in 1970, and as a Certified Prosthetist/Orthotist (CPO) in 1972, from the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC).

Prior to entering private practice in late 1974, he held faculty and staff positions at the Northwestern University Prosthetic Research Laboratory and Prosthetic/Orthotic Education Center, after joining the staff in 1969 as an instructor and research prosthetist/orthotist. Although his primary activities involved orthotic and prosthetic research at Northwestern University, he also held several faculty and staff positions during his tenure. Besides his final position as the Chief Research Prosthetist/Orthotist, Mr. Billock also was appointed as an Instructor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and held positions as the Director of Prosthetic Clinical Services and Coordinator of Prosthetics Research, Education and Evaluation.

His research efforts focused on the advancement of a variety of orthotic and prosthetic concepts and principles. These ranged from the design, development and fitting concepts associated with the use of thermoplastic materials in lower limb orthotics and prosthetics to the application of myoelectrically controlled electric powered upper limb prostheses.

His most noted accomplishments while at Northwestern University were his research efforts that led to the development of the first totally self-contained and self-suspended myoelectrically controlled below and above elbow prosthesis. He also developed and taught many of the early clinical and diagnostic procedures associated with the application and use of myoelectrically controlled upper limb prostheses.

Since entering private practice and founding the Orthotic and Prosthetic Rehabilitation Engineering Centre in Warren, Ohio, Mr. Billock and his staff have gained national and international recognition for its clinical and technical excellence. Most notably has been their expertise in the area of hybridly-designed and controlled, electrically powered upper limb prostheses.

Although Mr. Billock's ongoing clinical research has led to advancements in both orthotics and prosthetics, the developments in upper limb prosthetics have kept the Centre on the leading edge of significant advancements in the management of both adults and children with congenital or acquired upper limb absences. Most notably, these include the development of EMG myoelectric control systems and techniques for single and multi-function electric powered upper limb prostheses.

Mr. Billock is further credited with fitting the first hybridly-designed above elbow prosthesis combining both myoelectric control and bowden cable control in 1973 and the first child in the US with a myoelectrically controlled hand prosthesis in 1975. Additionally, he is credited with the development of a variety of widely accepted self-containment and self-suspension fitting techniques associated with the design and development of upper limb prostheses at all levels of limb absence or amputation.

Mr. Billock is also highly regarded by his colleagues for the active role he has played in the professional growth and development of the orthotics and prosthetics profession, both at the state and national levels over the past 30 years. He is noted and respected for numerous contributions through his volunteer efforts to a variety of state and national organizations representing both orthotic and prosthetic practitioners and consumers.

Most notably, he is a Charter Member of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (The Academy), a professional society representing ABC credentialed practitioners, which was founded in 1970. Since its founding, he has held numerous committee, council and task force appointments, as well as having served two terms on its Board of Directors. He is the only individual to have been elected to the Academy's Board of Directors and served as its President on two occasions, once in the 1985/86 year and again in the 1995/96 year. Additionally, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Academy's Midwest Chapter and as its President (1972-1973).

His contributions to the profession led to him being recognized and presented with the Academy's highest level of professional recognition, the "Titus/Ferguson Award". This was presented to him at the Academy's Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium in 2000, where he was graciously identified as "Mr. Academy".

At the national level, he served as a member of the Editorial Board of "Clinical Prosthetics & Orthotics" from 1985 to 1988 and is credited with initiating the Academy's newsletter, "The Academician". This publication eventually became a part of another publication, the "O&P Almanac" and was again revived as the Academy's official newsletter during his second term as the Academy President in 1995/96.

He has served as a Trustee and the Secretary/Treasurer of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists College Fund, Inc., and eventually as its Chairman from 1988 to 1991. Presently he is again serving as a Trustee to the College Fund, which is dedicated to promoting advanced degree education in orthotics and prosthetics.

During his first term on the Academy Board of Directors from 1980 to 1987, he is credited with bringing the need for continuing education to the forefront of the Academy's activities with the formal development of regional Continuing Education Conferences (CEC). To initiate this concept, he previously developed and lectured in the first-ever national CEC, which was dedicated solely to the subject of Electric Powered Upper/Limb Prosthetics in 1979. This concept of offering continuing education through CECs has since become a primary cornerstone of the Academy's efforts to meet its purpose and the needs of its members. Additionally, it has provided a means of generating income for the continuation of the Academy's varied educational initiatives for its members and more importantly, to the benefit of the consumers of orthotic and prosthetic healthcare.

During his second term on the Board of Directors, 1993 to 1997, he is credited with bringing to the forefront the need for the Academy to become more actively involved in addressing national professional issues of concern affecting the delivery of quality-oriented care by its members. This initially led to the development of a Professional Issues Committee and then to the Professional Issues Council (PIC), both of which he Chaired up to 1997. In that capacity, he oversaw and coordinated the five sub-committees of the PIC which deal with professional issues facing practitioners that are related to credentialing issues, licensure issues, legislative issues, healthcare issues and inter-professional relations issues. Additionally, he initiated and coordinated the first-ever attempt to document and collect the historical, educational and credentialing achievements of the profession and the ABC credentialed practitioner through the development and publication of the "O&P Historical, Educational and Credentialing Compendium". He also initiated and coordinated the development of the first-ever attempt to market ABC credentialed practitioners and facilities through the Academy's Grassroots Marketing Initiative and CEC program. Along with this, he initiated and coordinated the development of a document titled the "Pathways to Competency and Scope of Practice of an ABC O&P Credentialed Practitioner" as part of the Academy's nationwide marketing initiatives.

Mr. Billock has actively encouraged and supported the legislative enactment of consumer-protection-oriented State Licensure Programs and Bills through his own personal efforts and those of the Academy's Professional Issues Council. These efforts, along with the efforts of several other colleagues, have led to licensure in 5 states throughout the US, including his own state of Ohio, which came to pass in 2000.

Also during his tenure with the Academy, Mr. Billock served two 3-year terms as the Academy's National Liaison and Representative to the Board of Trustees for the Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). CARF is the most widely recognized credentialing organization in the US which accredits a variety of programs and services providing care to people with disabilities and especially those requiring comprehensive medical rehabilitation services.

Mr. Billock has also been active in state and national healthcare reform initiatives, representing both providers and consumers, on all aspects related to the delivery and quality of orthotic and prosthetic services. He served as the Co-Chairman of the Health Care Reform Committee of the former American State-Of-The-Art Prosthetic Association (ASOTAPA). In that capacity, he also worked diligently to help insure the needs and concerns of orthotic/prosthetic practitioners and consumers were understood and would be a part of the basic benefits package in President Clinton's National Health Care Reform Plan. This involved grassroots lobbying and testifying before a congressional healthcare sub-committee in Washington, DC.

Mr. Billock was instrumental in the transformation of ASOTAPA into the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) and its expanded efforts to address both orthotic and prosthetic legislative issues. He currently serves as a Trustee on the NAAOP Board of Directors and as the Co-Chairman of its Legislative Committee.

Mr. Billock has also served as a member of the ABC's Facility Accreditation Committee (FAC) from 1992 to 1996, which was responsible for the development of the comprehensive facility and practice management standards for orthotic and prosthetic facilities that are in place today. During that time, he served as the Chairperson of the FAC's Subcommittee on Practice Standards.

At the local level, Mr. Billock has also been active in the affairs of his state orthotic and prosthetic organizations. As a member of the Ohio Orthotics and Prosthetics Association (OOPA) since 1975, he served on the Board of Directors and eventually served as its President during 1983/84. Mr. Billock has also been a member of the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists since 1975.

Additionally during his career, Mr. Billock has authored and/or co-authored numerous technical and professional scientific papers related to his research and clinical activities in such journals as: The Orthotics and Prosthetics Journal, Artificial Limbs, Bulletin of Prosthetic Research, Clinical Prosthetics & Orthotics, Journal on Prosthetics & Orthotics, and Inter-Clinic Information Bulletin. He has also written a chapter titled: "Prosthetic Management of Complete Hand and Arm Deficiencies", for an instructional text book, Rehabilitation of the Hand: Surgery and Therapy, 3rd Edition, C.V. Mosby, 1990.

Along with the technical and scientific papers he has written and contributed to numerous professional articles in such publications as: The O&P Almanac, The Academician, O&P Business News, O&P Business World, In Motion, and the Orthopedic Review. Also since 1970, he has presented numerous invited scientific and educational lectures, both nationally and internationally on his work. He has also organized and/or lectured in a variety of formalized instructional courses on orthotics and prosthetics for practitioners and students, physicians and physician residents, rehabilitation counselors and nurses, as well as occupational and physical therapists.