Caroline Selby is responsible for HLAA’s branding and design of communications assets such as Hearing Life magazine, social media, email and digital graphics. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design and visual communication from Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, where she served as lead graphic designer and editor of the school’s literary magazine for three years.
Santi Chua manages accounts payable for HLAA, liaising with vendors and ensuring that vendor and staff payments are accurate, on time and processed correctly. Previously, she served as a staff accountant for a Washington, D.C.-based travel insurance company. Santi holds a master’s in business administration from George Washington University.
Emily Bell provides cross-departmental support, collaborating with HLAA’s finance and development teams to maintain smooth operations. She manages the donor database, data and reports, coordinates financial logistics for Walk4Hearing events and assists with communications and donor relations. Previously, Emily worked on the administrative and instructional side for nonprofits and higher education institutions. She holds a Ph.D. in music history and literature from the University of Florida.
Sianita Suwito joined the HLAA team in December 2024, providing essential administrative support. She manages general inquiries, maintains inventory stock and coordinates shipments to the annual HLAA Convention, Walk4Hearing locations and other events. Previously, Sianita worked as a flight attendant and in part-time roles with HLAA. She holds a bachelor’s of business administration in accounting from the University of Tarumanagara in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Melanie Kavka manages the logistics for HLAA’s national Walk4Hearing events across the United States—coordinating event operations, working closely with volunteers to ensure successful execution and supporting participants to reach their fundraising goals. She also serves as a key point of contact for corporate partners to reach event goals and optimize engagement. Melanie previously worked in marketing and event production, and has two bachelor’s degrees in mass communications and film from Towson University.
Since 2022, Stephanie Edlinski has managed HLAA’s accounts payable, accounts receivable and monthly closing processes, and assisted with the annual external audit. Prior to joining HLAA, she was controller for a private school in Bethesda, Maryland senior accountant for Fox Television in Washington, DC, and staff accountant at the Hearst Corporation in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stephanie holds a bachelor’s degree of business administration in accounting from Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
In his position on the HLAA Communications team, Tim Browning handles everything from website management to application development to graphic design. Prior to joining the HLAA staff in 2020, he worked in the private sector with a focus on digital and information technology. Since 2014, Tim has been a chapter leader and steering committee member of the HLAA Los Angeles Chapter; his work developing a new website was recognized with an award at the HLAA 2018 Convention in Minneapolis. More recently, his volunteer participation has expanded to roles with the HLAA California Chapter Leaders committee and the HLAA California State Association Board of Trustees.
Teri Breier joined HLAA in 2023, where she develops content for a range of channels, including the website, Hearing Life magazine and social media, to engage and educate people with hearing loss. Previously, Teri worked with a leading digital accessibility firm and an assistive communication technology company. She has an extensive 30-year career as an award-winning copywriter for health care, education, tech, financial, governmental and non-profit clients and has worked for international marketing firms Ketchum Advertising in Pittsburgh and DraftWorldwide (now FCB Global) in Chicago, and a regional agency in Thousand Oaks, California, where she led the health care division. Born with genetic bilateral hearing loss, Teri holds a bachelor’s degree in professional writing from Carnegie Mellon University and a master’s in applied psychology from University of Santa Monica.
Robin Gardiner joined the HLAA staff in January 2025 to oversee logistics of our annual convention and help manage chapter engagement. She has more than 25 years of event planning and member engagement experience on both the nonprofit and corporate sides. Most recently, she managed a 300-agency network for a New Jersey-based food bank. Previously, Robin was a trade show and education manager for a professional beauty industry association and a private corporation, organizing events and workshops around the world. She has a bachelor of science in business management from Kean University.
Ann Rancourt is at the heart of HLAA’s fundraising efforts, connecting with supporters who are passionate about our mission and growing HLAA’s philanthropy. She develops and executes annual fundraising appeals, donor cultivation and stewardship strategies and inspiring outreach initiatives to maximize impact. Ann started at HLAA in 2016 as a Walk4Hearing manager, where she managed local Walk events and played a key role in the program’s annual peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Her strategic approach to communications, marketing and digital strategies helped drive awareness, engagement and fundraising. She holds an MBA from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Utica University.
Melissa Kruse joined our staff after organizing the HLAA 2023 Convention in New Orleans. With more than 20 years of event planning, government relations, community outreach and business administration experience, she previously served as director of external operations for the local organizing committee of the NCAA 2018 Women’s Final Four in Columbus, Ohio. As deputy director of transportation for the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC) Committee in Philadelphia, Melissa planned a fully integrated, accessible system that moved 45,000+ convention participants daily. She had spent two years prior supporting outreach and strategic planning efforts in Columbus’s bid to host the DNC. Earlier in her career, Melissa served as a special advisor to the President of the United States and as director of outreach for the Office of the Special Envoy for the Americas during the Clinton administration. She has a bachelor’s in journalism and political science from Baylor University and studied public policy at Georgetown University.
Neil Snyder joined HLAA as director of public policy in February 2024. His background spans a decade of experience on Capitol Hill and nearly two decades as director of federal advocacy with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Diagnosed with hearing loss as a child, Neil is dedicated to advocating on behalf of all Americans who live with this condition, moving important accessibility issues forward and inspiring more people to get involved in HLAA. He earned a master’s in public administration from the University of Southern California (USC), completed the senior managers in government executive program at Harvard Kennedy School and has a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Guilford College.