PRESENTERS’ BIOGRAPHIES
GEORGE ADAMS III: George Adams has long been regarded as a leader in the Deaf community. He was born
in Columbia, South Carolina in 1944 and graduated from the South Carolina School for the Deaf in 1962
where he was introduced to the printing trade. He attended Gallaudet College for three years earning 65
credits toward a business degree. George was hired by the Government Printing office as a machine operator.
He worked at the Washington Post for year and moved the Washington Evening Star where he worked in the
composing room for 13 years. He retired in January, 1979 and relocated to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
George has led a life of advocacy for the rights of Deaf persons and has no fear of bringing their needs to
politicians at all levels. In addition to keeping a diary of his working days, George writes poetry.
DR. DOROTHY M. BAMBACH, Ed.D.: Dr. Bambach was employed by the Scranton State School for the Deaf
for 34 years as a teacher and guidance counselor. She retired as the Superintendent, a position she held for
16 years. During those years she chaired important state –wide committees such as the Vocational Rehab
Advisory Committee on Deafness and the Educational Resources for Children with Hearing Loss committee.
After relocating to North Myrtle Beach, Dr. Bambach was hired by the SC School for the Deaf and Blind to
manage their Coastal Regional Outreach Centers in Conway and Florence. Since 2010, she has been
interpreting in the Grand Strand area. She holds Masters Degrees in School Counseling and Education of the
Deaf and a Doctor of Education in Adult/continuing Education. She authored a biography about the 5 th
president of the National Association of the Deaf entitled: Jacob M. Kohler: the Courage to lead, The Story of
Pennsylvania’s First Deaf Advocate (Sept, 2005).
ASHLEY BENTON, LCSW, MSW: Ashley Benton is the Deaf-Blind Services Specialist with the Raleigh Regional
Center. She provides direct services to her 17 county catchment areas and consultation to the eastern part of
the state. Ms. Benton is Deaf-Blind with Usher Syndrome and communicates using tactile American Sign
Language. She served three years with the National Task Force on Deaf-Blind interpreting and is now serving
on the North Carolina Interpreters and Transliterators Licensing Board. Ms. Benton received her MSW with
Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind specialty certification from East Carolina University.
KELLY J. BIRMINGHAM, M.S., Ed.S.: Mrs. Birmingham serves as the Project Director for the South Carolina
Interagency Deaf-Blind Project, which serves approximately 140 children and is housed at the South Carolina
School for the Deaf and the Blind. Mrs. Birmingham is a certified Teacher of the Deaf and certified Principal,
who has worked in the field of education for children who are deaf, blind and deaf-blind for over 15 years.
She has worked in many roles, with most of her teaching and supervisory experience spent working with
students who are deaf or hard of hearing. She has served as a volunteer, Instructional Aide, Communication
Teacher, Middle School Teacher, Supervising Teacher for Kindergarten through 8th grade, and Director of
Statewide Early Intervention Services. She obtained her BS degree in Special Education and Rehabilitation
with an emphasis in Deaf Studies from the University of Arizona; her MS in Deaf Education from Idaho State
University; and her ED.S. degree in Change Leadership in Education from Gallaudet University.
DR. ALTON BRANT, Ed.D.: Since Fall 2000, Dr. Alton Brant has served as an Associate Professor and Senior
Lecturer of American Sign Language (ASL) at Clemson University. His first language is ASL having been raised
by deaf parents. Trained as an educator, Dr. Brant completed his Ed.D. in Special Education Administration in
1986 (University of South Carolina). He has served as a teacher, administrator, and advisor to numerous
institutions and agencies serving the Deaf. He has been a guest lecturer to the Czech Republic, Palestine
(Gaza) and Russia. He also established the ASL Club at Clemson University in 2001. His work experience
includes interpreting, teaching, administering a program for deaf children with behavioral/emotional
problems, and serving as the Director of the SC School for the Deaf. He has consulted with the SC Department
of Mental Health and the SC Department of Education. He has served on several boards related to the
education of deaf children and the Deaf Community at-large.
NANCY BROWN, M.Ed., CRC, CI, CT: Nancy is a nationally certified, Alabama licensed, Sign Language
Interpreter and Sign Language Instructor with more than 15 years experience working as an interpreter,
workshop presenter, mentor, and teacher of American Sign Language. She is employed as Staff Interpreter II
with the Alabama Department of Rehab Services and also works as community interpreter on a contractual
basis. Nancy earned Master Mentor Certification through Troy University and her Master’s degree in
Rehabilitation Counseling from Auburn University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business and HR
Management from Athens State University. Nancy is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor; a Sign Language
Proficiency Interview Rater and Evaluator, and an RID Certified Interpreter and Certified Transliterator.
Nancy is an active community volunteer. She currently serves on the Alabama Licensure Board for
Interpreters and Transliterators and is an active member of the Alabama Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf,
and the Alabama Association of the Deaf, as well as various other local and national professional
organizations.
CINDY CAMP, M.A., NAD IV: Cindy is the eLearning Coordinator for pepnet 2, funded through an agreement
with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. She has worked in disability
support services for 20 over years. She specializes in working with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students. She
is an interpreter, C-Print captionist, and C-Print trainer. She has designed and maintains websites for various
groups and organizations. She contracts with the Described and Captioned Media Program to enhance access
through the use of captions. She heads a group at JSU to establish accessibility standards in online learning
and is working to caption materials on our iTunes U site. She has presented at many local, state, and national
conferences on topics such as post production captioning, accommodating students in online courses, and
accessible technology.
DR. ADELE CRUDDEN, Ph.D.: Adele is a social work professor and research scientist at the NRTC on
Blindness & Low Vision at Mississippi State University. Crudden is currently chair of the Employment
Services Division of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired
(AER), serves on the Board of Mississippi Industries for the Blind, and is interested in medical and
employment issues of persons who are blind.
MATTHEW DIETZ, Esq: Matthew W. Dietz is a founding member and current Litigation Director of Disability
Independence Group. He has been practicing in the arena of civil rights litigation since 1996 and has handled
over 500 matters involving the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act and other civil rights
laws regarding the rights of Persons with Disabilities, and others seeking equal rights under the law on the
basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, familial status, and sexual orientation and gender identity. Mr.
Dietz has been a very active writer, advocate and speaker on disability rights issues. Mr. Dietz is a member of
the advisory Board of Directors of the Burton Blatt Institute, located at Syracuse University, which is the
premier organization to advance civic, economic, and social participation of persons with disabilities. He was
past chair of the Equal Opportunities in the Law Section of the Florida Bar, past chair of the Civil Rights
Section of the American Association for Justice, past-chair of the Public Interest Law Section of the Florida
Bar, and the past-chair of the Disability Committee within that section. In his work within the Florida Bar, Mr.
Dietz drafted proposed Rule of Administrative Procedure 2.540, which provided guidelines for providing
accommodations for Persons with Disabilities in Florida Courts. Mr. Dietz was also appointed to the Florida
Supreme Court standing committee on Fairness and Diversity and the accessibility workgroup of the Florida
Third District Court of Appeal, and Florida 11th Circuit Court in and for Miami Dade County. In 2004, he was
awarded the G. Kirk Haas Humanitarian Award for his work on behalf of persons with disabilities.
KIM MISENER DUNN, M.S.: Kim has been at Clemson Unviersity since 2013 with extensive teaching and
advocacy experience. Her primary research interests are sociolinguistics and performative analysis in ASL
storytelling, ASL as a content course in kindergarten through grade 12 in Deaf Education, reading/literacy
skills for deaf children and ASL-English bilingual education. She worked with Deaf advocacy organizations in
Canada for ten years before moving to the United States. She taught reading, creative writing, and ASL at SC
School for the Deaf for 15 years. Currently Misener Dunn teaches all levels of ASL, including courses on
literature, and special topics in ASL-English transliteration skills in education at Clemson University.. She is
currently enrolled at Gallaudet University: Critical Studies in Education (Ph.D), holds a M.S. from McDaniel
College (formerly known as Western Maryland College): Education (ASL-English Bilingual) and a B.A. from
Saint Mary’s University (Nova Scotia) in Political Science and International Development Studies.
JAMIE GLASS, M.S.: Jamie Glass is currently a Senior Rehabilitation Counselor for Deaf and Hard of Hearing in
Birmingham with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. He received his Masters in
Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Alabama and has over 29 years of experience in this field.
For the past 15 years he has helped coordinate the Deaf/HOH College Prep Program which is held at
Jacksonville State University each summer.
CLAUDIA GORDON- Ms. Gordon is the first deaf African American female attorney in the United States. Ms.
Gordon graduated from Howard University in 1995 with a bachelor of arts in political science. At Howard, she
was a Patricia Robert Harris Public Affairs Fellow, member of the Golden Keys National Honor Society, and
member of the Political Science Honor Society. She currently works in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of
Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Previously she held a position in the White House Office of Public
Engagement as the Public Engagement Advisor to the Disability Community.
BRETT GRAYSON, M.S.: Mr. Grayson, who has been deaf since birth, serves as a Technical Assistance
Specialist for the South Carolina Interagency Deaf-Blind Project located at the South Carolina School for the
Deaf and the Blind. He provides consultation and direct instruction to students, teachers and professionals
statewide. Mr. Grayson also oversees Trellis, the biannual newsletter, contributed by the Project. He also
works closely with Helen Keller National Center and I Can Connect in setting up Assistive Technology and
Training for our students. Mr. Grayson is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University with a BS in Mathematics
and a MS in Deaf Education from McDaniel College. He is a member of the Advisory Board for the Deaf-Blind
Project.
DR. DEB GUTHMANN, Ed.D.: Deb Guthmann has worked within the Deaf community for over 33 years in
educational (secondary and post secondary), medical and social service settings. She is the founding director
of the Minnesota Chemical Dependency Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals which opened in
1989. She has published a number of articles and book chapters as well as taught college courses for multiple
post-secondary settings (in person and on line) in the area of substance abuse, ethical considerations,
transition and mental health. Dr. Guthmann worked 17 years as the director of pupil personnel services at the
California School for the Deaf. Recently, Dr. Guthmann worked as a consultant developing self-determination
video and written materials as well as training materials outlining the role of vocational rehabilitation and
educational personnel with transition planning.
BEN HOLLINGSWORTH, M.S. CRC: Ben is a Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf and Hard
of Hearing with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. Ben has worked in the field of Deafness
for over 12 years as an advocate, case manager, mental health therapist, and rehabilitation counselor. Be
served as the President of the Alabama Association of the Deaf from 2013 – 2015; and serves on the Alabama
Licensure Board for Interpreters and Transliterators as well as the Alabama Registry of Interpreters for the
Deaf. Ben holds a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Tennessee along with
national certification in rehabilitation counseling.
MATT “THE HAMMER” HAMILL- Matt is a Deaf American amateur wrestler and MMA fighter. He was a
three-time NCAA Wrestling Division III National Champion (167 lb. class in 1997, 190 lb. class in 1998, and
197 lb. class in 1999) while attending the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. In
November 2007, Matt was inducted into the RIT Athletics Hall of Fame. Matt also participated in the
Deaflympics in 1997 (Denmark) where he won gold medals in Greco-roman style and freestyle. Then in 2001
at Rome, Italy, Matt earned a silver in Greco-roman style along with a gold medal in freestyle.
LISA HONAN, MSW, LCSW-R: Lisa received her Master of Social Work degree from Adelphi University in
Garden City, New York. She is currently the Coordinator of Mental Health at Helen Keller National Center.
Lisa has worked in the field of deaf blindness for over 25 years. Her passion for the field developed while
working as a volunteer at HKNC and it continued to evolve throughout the years. She then held many
positions within the agency ranging from an instructor in various departments to case management. Her
current position affords her the opportunity to be involved in the journey of the Deaf blind individuals with
whom she works.
DR. MAUREEN IRONS, Ed.D.: Maureen Irons has been a professional in the field of Deafness for 40 years.
During her career, Maureen has worked as a Teacher of the Deaf including in a Transition Program. Her
teaching experience has included work in public school mainstream programs as well as residential schools.
She has been a Principal, Center Director, and Director of Instruction. She currently serves as the SC
Statewide Consultant for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students, and as an independent consultant for programs
serving deaf and hard of hearing students. Maureen holds a BA in Special Education and an M Ed in DeafBlind Education both from Boston College, and an Ed D in Curriculum Studies from the University of SC.
TIA IVANKO, M.S., NIC: Tia is a staff member with pepnet2. She has worked with students who are Deaf
and hard of hearing, in a various capacities, in k-12 and postsecondary settings for over 15 years. She holds
a Master’s degree in Deaf Education from Western Maryland College, is a RID certified interpreter, and is
the current President of the NJ affiliate chapter of the Association of Higher Education and Disabilities
[AHEAD].
TERRELL JACQUES, CPSS: Terry Jacques is from South Carolina and works for the SC Department of Mental
Health for 12 years as a Certified Peer Support Specialist. Terry is also a Certified Trainer for Peer Support.
Terry was the first Deaf Certified Peer Support Specialist in SC. Prior to working for SCDMH, Terry worked
for the Disability Action Center for 3 years. Terry provides Peer Support Specialist services across the state of
South Carolina.
CLAYBORN E. JEFFCOAT, MBA: Mr. Jeffcoat serves as the Business Program Manager, Access Technology
and Project Magnify Coordinator in the South Carolina School for the deaf and the Blind Vision Outreach
Program. He manages all Outreach Services contracts. He provides consultation and direct instruction in the
use of Access Technology statewide. Mr. Jeffcoat currently consults with the South Carolina School for the
Deaf and the Blind Braille Production Center located at Leath Correctional Facility in Greenwood where he
provides training and technical assistance with the sophisticated equipment used to produce Braille. He has
taught Access Technology for Teachers of the Visually Impaired for the University of South Carolina Upstate.
He is a graduate of USC with a BS in Computer Science and an MBA. He is a member of the Computer Science
and Technology Division of the National Federation of the Blind of SC as well as chairs the Talking Book
Services Advisory Council for the South Carolina State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
THERESA JOHNSON: Theresa Johnson has worked in the field of Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services for over 30
years in educational (secondary and postsecondary), rehabilitation and social service settings. She currently
serves as the Director of Summer Programs, Principal Investigator of the DeafTEC grant for the Texas School
for the Deaf and Outreach Specialist, working closely with professionals, families and students as it relates to
the transition process. Theresa is a national presenter and trainer on topics addressing transition and the
student who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
DR. MARCIA KOLVITZ, Ph.D.: Marcia is a Program Specialist for pepnet 2, funded through an agreement with
the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. She is currently coordinating the
state capacity building initiative designed to impact services provided to students. Marcia has over 30 years
of experience addressing education and access issues for students who are deaf and hard of hearing in K-12
programs and postsecondary educational settings. She is a frequent presenter at state, regional, and national
conferences related to deafness and disability issues. Marcia completed a doctorate at the University of
Tennessee in Human Ecology (emphasis: Human Resource Development). She has a Master of Arts degree
and a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Disorders (emphasis: Counseling Individuals who are
Deaf and Hard of Hearing) from Northern Illinois University.
DR. LUCAS LANCASTER, Au.D.: Lucas is a Cuban born American, and an experienced English-Spanish
interpreter. His interpretative specialties include general healthcare, emergency medicine, rehabilitation, and
information technology. Lucas has a strong background in communication disorders, and is experienced in
interpretation for individuals with limited, disordered or dysfluent language. Lucas currently serves both as a
freelance community interpreter, and a staff interpreter for a large healthcare network in the metro
Washington, DC area. He also serves as an adjunct instructor for various courses at Gallaudet University as
well as Valencia College. Lucas' undergraduate education includes degrees in American Sign Language
Interpretation (A.A) as well as in Communication Science and Disorders (B.S.). He later earned his Master’s of
Science and is pursuing a Doctorate of Philosophy in Speech, Hearing and Language Science from Gallaudet
University.
B.J. LEJEUNE, M.Ed.: BJ is the Training Supervisor at the NRTC on Blindness & Low Vision at Mississippi State
University. With years of experience, in working with persons with Deaf-Blindness, LeJeune is particularly
interested in improving services to individuals with deaf-blindness, employment, transition, brain injury and
medical aspects of vision loss. She serves as a Subject Matter Expert for the Academy for Certification of
Rehabilitation and Education Professionals, and is on the Advisory Board of CaptionMax.
RUBEN LEON, MSW: Ruben Leon is the Deaf Services Specialist with the Greensboro Regional Center. He
provides direct services to his 10 county catchment areas. He was born in Puerto Rico and attended
mainstream school in Fort Myers, Florida. He obtained his Bachelor of Art and Master’s degree in Social Work
from Gallaudet University. Ruben has over twenty years of experiences in the field of social work with an
emphasis on community mental health for both pediatric and adults services. He served on the board of North
Carolina Association of the Deaf and Massachusetts Association of the Deaf. Ruben has taught several
workshops for agencies (ASL, Deaf Culture, DSAT) and Midstate RID. He currently holds a provisional
licensure as a Deaf Interpreter. Ruben enjoys outdoor activities which includes camping trips with his family.
HOLLY MAY, MA, NC-LPC: Holly is originally from Ohio but moved to SC in 1999 when she came to do her
internship for her master degree program in Mental Health Counseling from Gallaudet University. She is
married and has 3 children living at home. She and her husband are foster parents as well. Holly works for
the SC Department of Mental Health as the Program Manager, supervising clinical staff state wide.
TOM MAYNE, CWIC: Tom is a Nationally Certified Community Work Incentive Coordinator for the South
Carolina Pathways Toward Employment program. He has been working with beneficiaries for the last 25
years helping them manage their SSA benefits, educating them on the different work incentives that SSA has
for them, and providing long term case management support when they do go to work and need help
reporting wage information to SSA and other public benefit programs. He has also served as a Waiver Case
Manager and a TBI Advocate in the NYS Court system designing alternatives to incarceration programs for
TBI survivors who have been found guilty of a crime. He has also worked in a supported employment
program as a case manager for several years and served as the Coordinator for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
program at SCVRD for two years well. He received his Bachelors of Arts degree from SUNY Empire State in
Human Service Management and currently serves as a Client Services Specialist for SCVRD as well as the
WIPA program Manager for the South Carolina Pathways Toward Employment program, a grant funded
program through SCVRD.
DR. MICHELE MCDONNALL, Ph. D., CRC: Dr. McDonnall is a Research Professor at The National Research
and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University. Dr. McDonnall’s research in
the field of blindness has involved persons ranging from students in elementary school to older adults with a
combined hearing and vision loss. Research topics include employment outcomes, predictors of employment
for transition-age youth, and the effect of dual sensory loss on depression.
MARY MORRISON, M.A., CSC: Mary is currently the Associate Director of Personnel Development for Pepnet
2. Her thirty five years of professional experience in the field of deafness provide the foundation for her work
as with Pepnet 2. Ms. Morrison obtained her first Master’s degree in Deaf Education from the University of
Michigan and her second in Early Intervention from the University of Washington. She received her National
Certification as an Interpreter from Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf in 1978.
CINDY NEUMIRE, M.A.: Cindy Neumire comes from upstate New York originally and worked at the SC School
for the Deaf and Blind for 12 years prior to joining the SC Department of Mental Health 7 years ago. Cindy has
her master degree in counseling from Webster University. Cindy has had various responsibilities with in Deaf
Services at the Department of Mental Health such as Administrator for the group home to her present role as
a Regional Counselor.
PAUL PANUSKY, SC:L, NIC, Ed:K-12: Paul is a full time freelance interpreter, mentor, workshop presenter,
and business owner. After earning a BA from Temple University in Psychology, Paul began to learn sign
language and earned an AAS in ASL/ English Interpreting from the Community College of Philadelphia.
Currently Paul is a Georgia State University Law student. Paul works in a vast array of settings but focuses on
both legal and mental health settings. He lives in Georgia with his siamese cat Squeak. Paul enjoys everything
made by Apple and Starbucks, so between jobs you might find him at Starbucks on his iPhone, iPad, MacBook
Pro, and glancing at his Apple watch (possibly all at the same time) trying not to spill a latte on his suit.
THOM ROBERTS, CI: Thom began his involvement with the Deaf Community over 35 years ago when he
learned the language and culture from the Deaf Community where he grew up in Hillsborough, New Jersey.
His academic training took place at Liberty University and at the University of Alabama. This led him to
obtain a Superior rating on his SCPI and his RID Certificate of Interpretation. Mr. Roberts has worked as a
sign language interpreter, instructor, parent advisor, mentor, and the executive director of the Tennessee
Council for the Deaf Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing where he served for over 11 years. Currently he is the
Coordinator for the Deaf Services Program at the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center in Smyrna. This is a new
program he is developing and seeing many positive improvements to those students (VR Clients) who attend.
KATHY SCHWABELAND, M.A.: Kathy is a staff member with pepent2. She has worked in the field of
deafness for over 20 years in a variety of settings including vocational rehabilitation, community mental
health, secondary education, and post-secondary education. She holds a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation
Counseling from Gallaudet University.
ANNE STEVERSON, M.S.: Anne is a research coordinator at the NRTC on Blindness & Low Vision at
Mississippi State University. She is on the Board of the Mississippi Chapter of Association for Education and
Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (MAER). Steverson is interested in STEM, mentoring, and
employment issues of persons who are blind.
KATHRYN DERRY STOEHR, M. Ed., CI, CT, NAD V: Kathy has been an interpreter and educator for more
than 35 years. She graduated from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland with Bachelor’s and Master’s
degrees in Education for the Deaf. Kathy taught D/deaf and hard of hearing high school students at the Model
Secondary School for the Deaf. After seven years of teaching in the MSSD Residence Program, she became an
interpreter and worked in community and educational settings in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. In
1995, she relocated to Spartanburg, SC to serve as the Statewide Director of Interpreting Services at the South
Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind (SCSDB). In that capacity, Kathy recruited and mentored
interpreters while providing countless hours of interpreting. She also served as the SCSDB facilitator of the
standing committee on accessibility for staff and students, coordinated the ADA professional development
educational sessions for supervisors, and served on the state’s taskforce for communication access in the SC
Judicial System. After leaving SCSDB, Kathy worked as a contract interpreter and taught for the Interpreter
Training Program at Spartanburg Community College. She also worked for Karasch and Associates in
Philadelphia, PA, Purple Communications in Greenville, SC, and presently is employed by SC Vocational
Rehabilitation Department as their first full-time Staff Interpreter.
DR. DELLA THOMAS, Ed.D.: Della Thomas joined the pepnet 2 team in July 2014. Della received her formal
education as a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing from Gallaudet University in 1994 and a doctoral
degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University in 2010. With over 20 years of
experience in the field of Deaf Education as a teacher and administrator in the 0-21 arena as well as
numerous overlapping involvements in post-secondary education, Della is able to support the bridge for
students, families, and practitioners between secondary and postsecondary educational and vocational
training. In support of several pn2 projects, Della draws upon her diverse experiences as a statewide program
director in Delaware, classroom teacher, site administrator for center-based bilingual programs in California
and Texas, itinerant teacher and administrator in rural Arizona as well as Disability Support Service
Coordinator at the community college level in Arizona. Della’s passions are systems change leadership as well
as effective transition planning and educational development for the adult deaf learner.
JASON TOZIER: Jason “JT” Tozier has been Deaf all his life in Great Pacific Northwest. He is a Deaf Justice
advocate and a returned citizen. His passion for Deaf Justice emerged through personal struggle with
obtaining access to those things that members of the hearing community often take for granted---education
and the justice system, are just two examples. Now JT works to educate others about Audism and universal
access. He was a coordinator of the ASL lecture series, had been awarded an outstanding community service
for Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf (HEARD), Sigma Tau Delta Award (International
English Honors Society), and Academic Scholarship in ASL/Deaf Studies Graduate Program from Gallaudet
University. In his journey of Deafhood, he has been discovering two most important things in his life—
American Sign Language and state of being Deaf as his own human rights. Being Deaf has opened Jason’s
mind and heart to the world. He holds degrees in Liberal Studies with specialization in English and Sociology.
He likes to cook, to explore the outdoors, and to be into literature. JT is a community liaison for HEARD.
MARILYN TRADER, MSW: Ms. Trader possesses a Baccalaureate of Science degree in the disciplines of
Psychology and Sociology with a concentration in Political Science from Illinois State University. She has also
earned a Masters Degree in Social Work from Gallaudet University. Ms. Trader's twenty-plus years of working
with the Deaf-Blind population nationally and internationally continues to strengthen with her collaborative
efforts to spread awareness and education about successful services and best practices to others across the
nation. Ms. Trader was a Clinical Social Worker for approximately 10 years, where she provided an array of
services that included, but were not limited to: consultation, education, advocacy, assertive outreach,
program development and therapy to the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind community, their families and
other service providers. She works in collaboration with other agencies to provide support groups for the
Deaf-Blind & Hard of Hearing-Low Vision community and continues to advocate for SSP programs to be
implemented locally and nationally. As the HKNC Southeast Regional Representative serving four states this
allows Ms. Trader the ability to spread her knowledge, skills and services to others in her region, plus
continue to work with other allies in the field nationally and internationally.
CHRIS WAGNER- Chris, currently vice president of marketing for The Z™, received a bachelor's degree from
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY. Prior to assuming his current role, Chris served as a
consultant and as executive director of non-profit agencies in Florida. He has served on numerous boards,
including the Florida Association of the Deaf, Inc. (FAD) and the Governor's Americans with Disabilities Act
Working Group (ADAWG). Currently he serves on the board of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind
and the NTID Foundation Board. Chris is a recipient of several awards for his outstanding leadership and
advocacy on both state and national levels. He is involved with the NAD because he “strongly feels that in
order to achieve our goals as a community, we must contribute our skills and knowledge as a volunteer. The
NAD has given me the opportunity to give back to the community."
SHANE WESTMORELAND, M.A., NIC: Shane is a certified American Sign Language Interpreter with more
than 10 years of experience. His current specializations include medical and mental health interpretation. He
currently serves as a staff interpreter at a network of hospitals in the metro Washington, DC area. Prior to his
career in ASL interpretation, Shane worked as a Sexual Assault Victims Advocate for the State Attorney’s
Office of Florida. He later earned a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and is currently a doctoral candidate in the
field of Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in neuropsychology. His research interests include the
therapeutic alliances that form when working with an interpreter as well as the prevalence of compassion
fatigue among interpreters. Shane was trained at Neuropsychology Associates of Fairfax to administer
multiple psychological batteries and incorporate and integrate information from clinical interviews, and
behavioral observations for individuals with suspected neuropsychological impairments. Additionally, he was
a psychology extern at the River School of Washington, D.C., a leader in clinical research and training in the
area of child language and literacy as it related to hearing loss and aural rehabilitation. Currently, Shane is
receiving training in adolescent and family therapy and the Child Guidance Clinic of the DC Superior Courts.
He has presented locally and nationally on a variety of topics including mental health and medical
interpreting, interpreter ethics, Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), and Video Relay Service (VRS) interpreting.
In addition, Shane has conducted on-site program evaluations and provided advisement as to fidelity to
program standards and modifications needed to meet the unique needs of individuals who are Deaf or hard of
hearing.
SARAH WHEELER, M.Ed., NIC: ADVANCED: Sarah has experienced the dangers of a sandstorm in Kuwait, a
California earthquake, and skydiving from an airplane, and she never would have imagined that those
adrenaline rushes would match what she feels daily when she goes to work as an interpreter. Sarah holds an
associate degree in health services administration from the Community College of the Air Force and a
bachelor’s degree in business management from Mt. Olive College. She also has a certificate in non-profit
management from Duke Continuing Studies. During her time at Duke, she participated in Leadership Wayne
County. It was during this time that she strengthened her understandings of how different agencies
collaborate to provide social services. Sarah Wheeler received her M.Ed. Interpreter Pedagogy degree from
Northeastern University and is currently going back to school to obtain a Ph.D. in General Psychology with an
Emphasis in Integrating Technology, Learning, and Psychology. Growing up a coda she was immersed in Deaf
culture and to this day she continues to be humbled by how much there is to learn about ASL, Deaf culture,
and history. She is a nationally certified interpreter with a license to interpret in North Carolina. She is
teaching now as an adjunct professor at Troy University and is teaching interpreting workshops. She also has
her own blog with ASL Nerd. She seeks to share her knowledge and continue to learn and grow with others in
the field.
ROGER WILLIAMS, M.S.W., NAD V, CT: Mr. Williams is currently employed by the South Carolina
Department of Mental Health as Director for Deaf Services. He was previously the Program Manager at the
Piedmont Center for Mental Health Services and the Social Worker IV and Program Coordinator at the Deaf
Services Program at Patrick Harris Psychiatric Hospital. He received his B.S.W. from the Rochester Institute of
Technology and his M.S.W., specializing in community mental health, from the University of Illinois. In
addition, he has a private practice specializing in consulting and training related to the needs of deaf adults in
the mental health system. He also has interpreted in a wide variety of settings, including the NAD and RID
conferences and in forensic and court settings. Mr. Williams is a S.C. Licensed Master Social Worker and holds
an RID Certificate of Transliteration and an SCAD/NAD IAP Level 5 Interpreting Certificate. He is the 1989
winner of the N.C. Governor's Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities Distinguished Service Award,
the 2012 “Employee of the Year” for the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, the 1996 winner of the
“Outstanding Transition to the Community” from the South Carolina Mental Health Association and the 2001
“Interpreter of the Year” for the South Carolina Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.
SHERRY WILLIAMS, M.A.: Sherry is currently an adjunct professor in the Interpreter Training program at
Spartanburg Community College. She worked at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind for
many years as a counselor, transition coordinator, and teacher. She received her bachelor’s degree in social
work from the Rochester Institute of Technology, her Master’s in Business Administration from UNCWilmington, and will receive her Master’s in Sign Language Education from Gallaudet University in August
2015. She is active in local, state, regional, and national advocacy and social organizations, having served as
an officer in many of these organizations. Currently, Sherry serves on the SC Department of Education
Advisory Council on the Education of Students with Disabilities, on the Board of Directors for the SC
Association of the Deaf, on the Spartanburg Community College’s Interpreter Training Program Advisory
Council, and on the South Carolina state team for Pepnet 2.
DR. JOSEPHINE F. WILSON, D.D.S., Ph.D.: Dr. Wilson is the Director of the Substance Abuse Resources and
Disability Issues (SARDI) Program in the Department of Community Health at the Boonshoft School of
Medicine at Wright State University. The SARDI Program is a research and intervention development
program, with an annual budget of over $2 million, which is 100% grant funded. The author of two textbooks
in behavioral neuroscience and numerous research articles, Wilson received her Ph.D. in psychology from
Columbia University and her D.D.S. from SUNY Buffalo. To support her ongoing research interests in public
health, child abuse and neglect, obesity, and the effects of alcohol and other drugs on the brain, Wilson has
received grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Department
of Education, Department of Justice, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA), as well as several state and local grants.
SABRINA WREN, M.S.: Sabrina Wren is a Senior Rehabilitation Counselor with the Alabama Department of
Rehabilitation Services-Lakeshore Office. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor specializing in Career
Counseling. Sabrina facilitates College Prep and job readiness programs throughout the State of Alabama. She
received her Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling from Troy University and has ten years of experience
working with adolescents and adults with disabilities.
JENNIFER YOCUM, M.S.: Jennifer is the coordinator of deaf and hard of hearing services at Jacksonville State
University. She holds a Master’s degree in counseling and is a nationally certified interpreter. She has been
working as an interpreter in the postsecondary setting for 11 years.