Advocates

My name is Kevin Gifford, I have been working at Cochlear now for a little over 2 years. My first year I worked in the orders and insurance department. It...My name is Kevin Gifford, I have been working at Cochlear now for a little over 2 years. My first year I worked in the orders and insurance department. It was a great way to learn the ins and outs of insurance and to learn about Cochlear products. For the past year I have been a part of the Cochlear Recipient Solutions team. My job within the Cochlear Recipient solutions team is to... Read More >

Shari shares her skills, along with her own personal experiences, throughout different aspects of the Heroes With Hearing Loss program. Her passion for working with veterans and their families comes...Shari shares her skills, along with her own personal experiences, throughout different aspects of the Heroes With Hearing Loss program. Her passion for working with veterans and their families comes quite naturally as she is the daughter, wife and daughter-in-law of Marine veterans. Having grown up with a great understanding of the very real challenges veterans and their families encounter, Shari is driven by a desire to find healthy solutions... Read More >

Mitchell has been with Hamilton Relay since February 2005. He previously served as an Outreach/Account Manager for Hamilton before advancing to his current position as Hamilton CapTel Product Manager, where...Mitchell has been with Hamilton Relay since February 2005. He previously served as an Outreach/Account Manager for Hamilton before advancing to his current position as Hamilton CapTel Product Manager, where he focuses on translating consumer input into innovative service offerings for Hamilton CapTel products and services. Mitchell is currently based in Madison, Wisconsin. Shari Penner is the National Program Manager for Heroes With Hearing Loss, a program within Hamilton CapTel,... Read More >

Dr. Chad Ruffin is an ENT Doctor, Cochlear Implant Surgeon and advocate for adults and kids. Born with severe hearing loss, he is uniquely equipped with the skills and experience...Dr. Chad Ruffin is an ENT Doctor, Cochlear Implant Surgeon and advocate for adults and kids. Born with severe hearing loss, he is uniquely equipped with the skills and experience necessary to improve the lives of hard of hearing patients. Dr. Ruffin completed surgical training at Indiana University, one of the most rigorous otolaryngology residency programs. He also completed advanced training in ear surgery and cochlear implant research as a... Read More >

As a teacher of the Deaf and Early Interventionist, Colleen Kinsella spent five years working alongside children and their families, providing support and resources to ensure success in the classroom...As a teacher of the Deaf and Early Interventionist, Colleen Kinsella spent five years working alongside children and their families, providing support and resources to ensure success in the classroom and beyond. She continues to use those skills serving as a resource to help people explore Cochlear as a hearing solution. Cochlear has provided more than 650,000 implantable hearing devices, helping people of all ages to hear and connect with... Read More >

Nagish is a tech company at the intersection of accessibility, natural language processing, and telecommunication. Prior to pursuing his life mission of making communication more accessible, Tomer worked as a software...Nagish is a tech company at the intersection of accessibility, natural language processing, and telecommunication. Prior to pursuing his life mission of making communication more accessible, Tomer worked as a software engineer at Bloomberg L.P., a research assistant at Columbia University, and an Intelligence Analyst in the IDF. Tomer holds a degree in Computer Science (Magna Cum Laude) from Columbia University and has co-authored and published academic papers in Natural Language Processing... Read More >

Thomas A. Powers, Ph.D., provides management consulting to the hearing health industry. Dr. Powers serves as an expert audiology consultant and strategic adviser for the Hearing Industries Association, and limited...Thomas A. Powers, Ph.D., provides management consulting to the hearing health industry. Dr. Powers serves as an expert audiology consultant and strategic adviser for the Hearing Industries Association, and limited partner in RemotEar, LLC. Dr. Powers received his B.S. from the State University of New York at Geneseo, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in audiology from Ohio University. He began his career as a partner in an audiology private practice... Read More >

Shana Lucius is a speech language pathologist and certified auditory verbal therapist (LSLS Cert. AVT). She has specialized in hearing loss and cochlear implants her entire career. She graduated with...Shana Lucius is a speech language pathologist and certified auditory verbal therapist (LSLS Cert. AVT). She has specialized in hearing loss and cochlear implants her entire career. She graduated with her master’s in speech pathology from Ohio State University in 2008 then went on to train at the University of Michigan Cochlear Implant Program and Hearing Rehabilitation Center. From 2011 to 2022 she led the speech pathology team at the... Read More >

Nolan Johnson received his bachelor’s degree in habilitation of the deaf and hard of hearing from Texas Christian University and his master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Fontbonne University. Prior...Nolan Johnson received his bachelor’s degree in habilitation of the deaf and hard of hearing from Texas Christian University and his master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Fontbonne University. Prior to joining MED-EL in January 2022, he worked at Cochlear where he provided technology and rehabilitation support to cochlear implant recipients, and researched ways to improve the overall experience for cochlear implant candidates and recipients. Read More >

John Kinstler is the Outreach Marketing Manager and Braille Services Product Manager for CapTel Inc. With more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, he is on the...John Kinstler is the Outreach Marketing Manager and Braille Services Product Manager for CapTel Inc. With more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, he is on the Board of Directors with the Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI), a national consumer advocacy group. He also served as president of the HLAA – Madison Chapter. John travels throughout the U.S. educating consumers, businesses, and support... Read More >