Aural rehabilitation

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 >

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 >

Carl LeBel, Ph.D., has been the Chief Development Officer at Frequency Therapeutics since 2018. He started LeBel Consulting LLC after serving as the Chief Scientific Officer at Otonomy, Inc., from 2009...Carl LeBel, Ph.D., has been the Chief Development Officer at Frequency Therapeutics since 2018. He started LeBel Consulting LLC after serving as the Chief Scientific Officer at Otonomy, Inc., from 2009 to 2016. Before joining Otonomy, he was President and CEO of Akesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a virtual metabolic disorders company, and prior to that spent more than 14 years at Amgen as an executive director in a variety of R&D management... Read More >

Alison Butler spent the past 15 years as a speech lipreading instructor with the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association-Newfoundland and Labrador. Alison was the project lead in the development of...Alison Butler spent the past 15 years as a speech lipreading instructor with the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association-Newfoundland and Labrador. Alison was the project lead in the development of the new online learning program, “Read Our Lips.” She is passionate about supporting people on their journey to better communication.  Read More >

Two years after starting piano lessons at age 7, Wendy was diagnosed with a significant bilateral hearing loss. She is a passionate amateur musician who wears bilateral cochlear implants and...Two years after starting piano lessons at age 7, Wendy was diagnosed with a significant bilateral hearing loss. She is a passionate amateur musician who wears bilateral cochlear implants and plays viola, piano and handbells. She has also directed a handbell choir at the federal agency where she works and led handchime workshops during HLAA conventions whenever possible. Read More >

Michael is a speech-language pathologist and a certified auditory-verbal therapist. He received his BA in speech-language pathology in 1994 and an MA in 1996 from the University of North Texas....Michael is a speech-language pathologist and a certified auditory-verbal therapist. He received his BA in speech-language pathology in 1994 and an MA in 1996 from the University of North Texas. He received his certification in auditory-verbal therapy in 2002. He has focused his career on teaching children with hearing loss to listen and speak in various settings including early childhood programs, schools, hospitals, private practice, and cochlear implant centers. He... Read More >

Krista Heavner, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT, is a Cochlear Implant Consumer Specialist for Advanced Bionics, providing support and education for cochlear implant candidates, recipients and professionals in the southeast...Krista Heavner, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT, is a Cochlear Implant Consumer Specialist for Advanced Bionics, providing support and education for cochlear implant candidates, recipients and professionals in the southeast part of the U.S. Prior to this position, Krista was a consultant for children with hearing loss with the Division of Exceptional Children, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. She has experience both in the educational and clinical settings teaching... Read More >