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President - Christine Seymour, Puyallup, WA
"My ability to roll with the tide determines how I will arrive on the shore"
Christine Seymour, Silent Inspirations
Christine Seymour is a Communication Advocate for hard of hearing and late deafened people at Hearing Speech and Deafness Center - Tacoma. Before that she worked for Deaf Counseling Advocacy and Referral Agency (DCARA) as Client Support Specialist for Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened People, then Regional Emergency Preparedness Specialist for the Western US and Hawaii for the Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN); a project of Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc (TDI) and the Department of Homeland Security, She has served as managing editor of the ALDA News, has served on the board of ALDA East Bay in San Leandro, California and co-founded ALDA San Jose before returning home to the Pacific Northwest where she is currently group leader of ALDA Puget Sound.
She had a progressive hearing loss that began at age 10 and culminated in profound deafness in January 1997. She lived in complete silence for 9 years before having cochlear implant surgery in October 2005.
Contact: president@alda.org
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President-Elect Kathy Schlueter, Dakota, Illinois
"Lift Your Wings and Soar!"
Kathy Schlueter, motto
Kathy Schlueter is a volunteer advocate for hard of hearing and late-deafened people at the Center for Sight & Hearing in Rockford, Illinois and serves on its Board of Directors. She was previously a client of the center and was able to move forward in her life as a deafened person because of the support she received from the staff. This led her to ALDA, where she now serves as Chapter/Group Coordinator, Advertising Director, Exhibit Chair for ALDAcon 2008 and chapter president for ALDA-Rock in Rockford, Illinois as well as President-Elect of ALDA for 2008. She is a recipient of ALDA's Bob Hawley Fearless Leader award, the President's Special Recognition Award, and the prestigious I. King Jordan Award. She was also recognized by Quota International as Deaf Woman of the Year District 22, Lions International with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Lions International President, Voices, Women of Excellence Award and becoming the first late-deafened woman president of the Dakota Lions Club in their 50 years of existence. She continues to promote deaf awareness in her surrounding communities with presentations about late-deafness, her life, and ALDA. She is currently Secretary for the Dakota Lions Club and Public Relations Chair for the Center for Sight & Hearing. She has a profound hereditary hearing loss and uses two Phonak behind the ear hearing aids with an attached FM wireless system.
Contact: president.elect@alda.org
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Past President - Edgar "Bernie" Palmer, Washington, DC
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed"
Booker T. Washington
Edgar "Bernie" Palmer is currently associate dean for the Center for Academic Programs and Student Services at Gallaudet University where he is also works part-time as an adjunct professor with the History Department.
Mr. Palmer earned a BA in history from Gallaudet (1977), an MA in deaf education, Western Maryland College - now William McDaniel College - (1980), and an MS in special education administration, Gallaudet (2003). Mr. Palmer completed all coursework and examinations (ABD) toward a PhD in special education administration at Gallaudet in 2000.
Beginning as coordinator of Gallaudet University's Honors Program, Mr. Palmer has worked in a number of positions at Gallaudet over the years including, director of the Office for Students with Disabilities, director of the university's Tutorial Center and as Director of the English Language Institute.
In addition to employment in higher education, Mr. Palmer's professional background includes experience working at state residential schools for the deaf and the public service agencies sector, where he was employed with the Maryland State Department of Education in Baltimore as Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor from 1982-1988. Originally, from Hartford, Connecticut, Mr. Palmer was born to Jamaican parents who were originally employed as migrant farm workers
Contact: past.president@alda.org
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Secretary - Lois Maroney, Seminole, FL
"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be: for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."
Martha Washington (1732-1802)
Lois N. Maroney, LMHC has a Masters in Education and a Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling. Before becoming deaf, she was a high school Russian and French teacher in up state New York. She is now a licensed mental health counselor and sign language teacher at Deaf and Hearing Connection for Tampa Bay. Lois was founding President of ALDA-Suncoast of Florida and President of ALDA, Inc in 2004.
Contact: secretary@alda.org
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Treasurer - Gloria Popp, Freeport, Illinois
"I have not locked eyes with someone who does not matter to God"
Unknown
Gloria Popp is currently retired and completing a volunteer position as Financial Secretary for her church. She is also the treasurer for her local ALDA-Rock chapter.
Her activities with ALDA began with ALDAcon '95 and she is now a Lifetime member. During that time she has worked on many convention committees including business manager for ALDAcon '98, handled the ALDA Inc. membership database, and served on the Board previously as ALDA Inc. Secretary for two years.
She has been married to Gary for 34 years and they have two sons and two grandsons. She has a love of numbers and worked in the accounting field before retiring. The accounting work complimented her fascination with computers. She loves to knit, quilt, read, and do number puzzles which help her ignore the tinnitus she deals with. Her progressive hearing loss, due to hereditary nerve deafness, began in sixth grade. She is grateful for the advancements in assistive technology and is presently working very hard at learning to sign.
Contact: treasurer@alda.org
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Jane Schlau - Director, Region I, West Hanford, CT
"If you only walk on sunny days you will never reach your destination."
Unknown
Dr. Jane Schlau is the Director of the PACES Program, a residential treatment program for deaf children with severe emotional disturbance, at the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, Connecticut. She earned her Doctoral Degree in Education in 2004 from Hofstra University as she became deafened. She also has a Professional Diploma in School Administration, a Certificate in Deafness Rehabilitation, a Master's Degree in Special Education, and a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology.
Jane is an advocate for people with hearing loss, and has been involved with ALDA since 2000. In 2004 she became a Board member in the three year role of President. Jane was Planning Chair of ALDAcon 2007, and has served on many committees for ALDA and other hearing loss organizations. She recently served on the Health and Human Services Working Group on Infants and Young Children with Hearing Loss, and is currently a member of The Surgeon General's Publication Committee on Hearing Loss in Children.
Jane is married to husband Larry for more than 30 years. They have two children, one grandchild and another on the way. Jane is also partnered with her hearing dog, Remick since 2005, who is her constant companion!
Contact: rd1@alda.org
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Director, Region II - Kim Mettache, Dyer, IN
"Life is a daring adventure or nothing!"
Helen Keller
Kim Mettache is a graduate of the Indiana Governor's Council for Disabilities Partners in Policymaking Academy. She learned how to be a better advocate for those with hearing loss. Kim founded ALDA-Northwest Indiana, in November 2006 and serves as it's president. Kim is also a member of ALDA-Chicago since 2006. Kim will Chair the Silent Auction at this year's ALDAcon to be held in Chicago. Kim is married to Tahar, and mother to four children, ages 20, 15, 13 and 11. Kim has a profound hearing loss since she was a baby and received her cochlear implant in December 2005. Kim is looking forward to serving ALDA as its newest Region II Director!
Contact: rd2@alda.org
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Director, Region III - Mary Lou Mistretta, Plantation, FL
"If the grass is greener on the other side, maybe it's time to water yours"
Mary Lou Mistretta has been Region Director III for the past 5 yrs and loves helping people and advocating anywhere she can. She became involved with the United Hearing & Deaf Service in 1987 which is now the League for the Hard of Hearing and she is currently on their advisory board.
She has always been involved in helping others and says that long ago, she had a dog that was like the hearing dogs today before dogs were trained for that purpose.
She was born hard of hearing and didn't wear her first hearing aid till she was 12 and received her Cochlear Implant at the young age of 57 1/2.
Mary Lou has 5 children, 11 grandchildren, 1 step grandchild, 1 great grandchild and another great grandbaby coming soon.
Contact: rd3@alda.org
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Director, Region IV - Linda Drattell, Pleasanton, CA
"Don't look for the next opportunity. The one you have in hand is the opportunity."
Paul Arden
Linda Drattell holds an MBA from American University, and a Bachelors Degree in Social Work from the Hebrew University in Israel. She served as Mentor Coordinator and Deaf Community Liaison for the Learning Alliance for Bioscience (LAB) at Ohlone College in Fremont, CA where she is also an ASL student. She is a volunteer and the California School for the Deaf Fremont.
She currently serves on the ALDA Website Development Committee, Nomination Committee and International Committee.
She has moderate-severe hearing loss, which was diagnosed 8 years ago, but probably began long before that.
Contact: rd4@alda.org
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