| Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Board Majority
DHCC is a non-profit organization and is managed by a Board of Directors.
The Board designates day-to-day management and authority to the Executive
Director who in turn designates responsibilities to staff. DHCC is governed
by a set of bylaws and one of the most important is to maintain a Deaf
and hard of hearing consumer majority. Lillian Hoshauer, a Deaf woman,
founded DHCC and it is important to us to have direction from and be
accountable to the people we serve.
As part of our DHCC Bylaws
Bylaw 4.4: The Board shall have representation of citizens from the
Deaf, hard of hearing and hearing communities with the intent that the
Deaf and hard of hearing membership on the Board constitute a 51% majority.
The Board may include professionals in the field of deafness, persons
with skills and experience of value and citizens from the communities
who will commit to active participation through attendance at Board
and committee meetings. Every effort shall be made to maintain a 51%
Deaf and hard of hearing majority.
Board Recruitment
DHCC is looking for new Board members with vision and a passion to
serve. Since our founding in 1972, the Deaf-Hearing Communication Centre
(DHCC) has been recognized as the most effective organization in promoting
communication accessibility and cultural awareness for Deaf, hard of
hearing and hearing people in the Philadelphia region. The Board, with
a majority of Deaf and hard of hearing members, and staff guide us
in our accomplishments.
DHCC is most interested in finding individuals to serve on our board
who share our passion to improve communication access. The applicant
should have some volunteer experience and prior Board experience is
an asset. We have a need of someone who would be able to advise us
on legal matters as they arise during board meetings and in the office.
We also have a need of individuals with skills in marketing, human
resources, technology, and/or fundraising.
As mentioned previously, DHCC has a by-law that mandates us to have
a majority of Deaf and hard of hearing Board members. We encourage
individuals with a hearing loss to apply. Other individuals that make
good Board members are those with a family member with a hearing loss.
Please review information about us throughout the website and the short
description of Board member duties and expectations. If
you are interested, complete
the application form and submit.
Marcia Finisdore –
Chairperson
Marcia has been an advocate for people who are Deaf and hard of hearing for more
than 25 years. She used hearing aids for more than 40 years and had a cochlear
implant in 2000. She advocated for her hard of hearing children’s rights
in the local school system and in post-secondary schools. She served on the
National Board of The Hearing Loss Association Of America (HLA- formerly Self
Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc) and was president of the Board from 1998
to 2000. She established the PA state office of HLA serving as its first State
Director. Marcia was instrumental in establishing the Hearing Discovery Center
in Delaware County. She has been appointed to many national, state and local
advisory committees such as Access Board Sub Committee on Access to Courthouses;
Chair of the Advisory Committee for ODHH; Advisory Committee for the RRTC for
Persons who are Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened in San Diego; Advisory Committee
for the RRTC at Mississippi State University evaluating the needs of persons
who are visually iImpaired and have a hearing Loss. Professionally Marcia is
a psychiatric nurse. As a nurse she held faculty positions and ended her career
as a Case Manager for People with HIV/AIDs with the Aids Care Group in Chester,
PA.
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April Nelson –
Vice Chairperson
April is a long-time supporter of DHCC, serving on the Board since its
inception in 1972. Working with Lillian Hoshauer, she helped establish
DHCC’s sign language program and interpreter referral service.
She is a dedicated and hard-working member of the Pennsylvania Society
for the Advancement of the Deaf (PSAD) and has held many positions.
She planned many of PSAD’s conferences and is currently their
vice president. As a Deaf advocate she participated on many boards and
committees throughout the years such as the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation
Council from 1992 to 2004. In addition to DHCC, she now serves as a
member of the Pennsylvania Protection and Advocacy Board and Elwyn Board.
She recently retired from Rosemont College where she was a Technical
Services Librarian and is now a Professor Emeriti.
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Fred Nielsen –
Treasurer
Fred is a hard of hearing businessman with years of experience in the
private sector. He has served on DHCC’s Board for many years.
Fred was responsible for encouraging DHCC to establish its fee for service
structure for sign language interpreting enabling DHCC to earn income
to sustain its programs. After leaving the Board for a few years, he
returned to take on the treasurer’s role and has been helpful
in balancing our budget and managing our investments.
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Marilyn Devine – Secretary
Marilyn has a BA in English, Michigan State University and has over 25 years
of work experience as a creative director, specializing in writing marketing
campaigns. She is currently self-employed as a marketing consultant and writer.
Marilyn considers herself deaf and has a cochlear implant. She is a member
of HLA. Marilyn is interested in helping DHCC promote our worthy causes through
more publicity. Her areas of expertise are advertising, marketing and writing
communication materials.
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Iris Boshes –
Executive Director
Iris is DHCC’s Executive Director, a position she accepted in
1999. She has a BA in Psychology from Brooklyn College and a certificate
in Mental Health and Deafness from the Center on Deafness at the University
of California, San Francisco. Iris has worked in the field of deafness
for over 30 years including 21 years for The Canadian Hearing Society
(CHS) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She held several management positions
and advocated for the improvement of services for Deaf and hard of hearing
people. She was involved in establishing new services in Ontario including
Sign Language Interpreting Services, Mental Health Services and Literacy
and Life Skills Services. Since joining DHCC, Iris has succeeded in
increasing grant funding and operating efficiencies. Iris serves as
a non-voting member of the DHCC Board and holds the position of Secretary.
She continues her advocacy efforts in Pennsylvania and is a member of
the Advisory Council for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Mayor’s Commission
Advisory Committee for Disabilities and Police Relations, and has served
six years on the Advisory Committee for Persons who are Deaf and Hard
of Hearing.
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Larry Brick
Larry retired from the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD) in 1997
where he held many important positions such as Assistant Dean of Students,
Teacher of the Deaf, Supervising Teacher, School Psychologist, and Principal.
He remains very active in the Deaf community serving on many boards
and committees in addition to the DHCC Board, representing the interests
of Deaf and hard of hearing people. Some of these are PA Relay Advisory
Board; ERCHL (Educational Resource for Children with Hearing Loss);
FCC's NECA TRS Council; NAD Technology Committee; and Board Member of
NAD and PSAD. Larry has a special interest in technology. His favorite
recreational activities are skiing and scuba diving.
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Gail Harris
Gail is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) and has worked to improve communication
access in the community for Deaf adults. Her parents are Lillian and
Glenn Hoshauer, both leaders in the Deaf community. Gail is employed
as a computer programmer.
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Joy Harris
Joy, who has a BA in Communication Sciences from Temple University and an AAS
in Interpreting from Community College of Philadelphia, is a certified legal/court
interpreter for DHCC. She has her RID Certificate of Interpreting (CI) and
RID Certificate of Transliterating (CT). She is committed to improving her
skills and attends workshops regularly. She joined the ISAC in 2007 and has
been an active member, bringing issues and concerns to our attention. Joy has
an interest in helping DHCC maintain its excellent reputation and succeed in
fulfilling our goals for our future.
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Mary Ellen Harris
Mary Ellen has a Masters of Education in Organizational Development
from Pennsylvania State University. She is an experienced human resources
professional and currently holds the position of Director of Human
Resources for Kreischer Miller, an accounting firm. Mary Ellen first
came in contact with DHCC many years ago when she participated in
sign language classes offered in the church basement. About 5 years
ago, Mary Ellen volunteered for DHCC by reviewing some employee policies
and providing support to the Executive Director on specific human
resource issues. Mary Ellen believes in our mission and feels that
by assisting DHCC she is making a difference in people’s lives.
Her areas of expertise are human resources, strategic thinking and
advocacy.
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Nancy Harter
Nancy Harter has an M.S. in Counseling and Guidance from Loyola College.
She has worked as a disability specialist for more than 30 years and
specializes in providing vocational rehabilitation services for people
with disabilities and in providing employment analysis, labor market
research, and expert testimony for employers and individuals. Nancy
has a Deaf sister and this gives her a valuable perspective on issues
and needs. Nancy appreciates DHCC’s commitment to Deaf and hard
of hearing people.
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Lillian Hoshauer
Lillian is the founder and past Executive Director of DHCC. She has
been a member of the Board since its inception in 1972. She is a long-time
advocate for people with hearing loss and has personally helped Deaf
and hard of hearing individuals obtain the services they need. She is
an excellent teacher and taught American Sign Language classes for DHCC
in adult education programs and at various workplaces. She has also
provided sensitivity training to the hearing community. She has been
on the Board of the Pennsylvania Society for the Advancement of the
Deaf (PSAD) and many state and local committees. Lillian has always
advocated for standards in teaching sign language and in providing sign
language interpreting services. She worked with DHCC and PSAD to promote
the original bill to the PA legislature to use only certified sign language
interpreters in the Commonwealth. Lillian is an experienced Deaf interpreter
and serves on the DHCC Interpreter Services Advisory Board (ISAC).
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Alan Kutner
Alan is a retired attorney who can provide support to the Board and management by reviewing legal contracts, comment on legislative proposals, and give legal advice as needed. Furthermore, Alan, who is hard of hearing himself, has always been interested in establishing equal access for deaf and hard of hearing people. He believes more can be done to affect change at the legislative level and broaden powers of the ADA for deaf and hard of hearing people. Alan is also an actor with many plays to his credit. He is a member of Actor’s Equity. He has served on Boards and committees of several different organizations including the Philadelphia Bar Association.
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Rosanna Suppa
Rosanna Suppa, an audiologist, is the Director of the Audiology Department
at Elwyn in Media. She returned to the DHCC Board after several years
of absence. In the past, she held many important positions such as Board
chair. Rosanna works closely with DHCC and we refer hard of hearing
consumers to her. She also supports HLA-PA.
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