Welcome to DSA Seattle 2019

DSA Northwest Daily News
Welcomes You to Seattle 2019!

Welcome   

     Welcome to Seattle, Washington and the 15th Biennial Deaf Seniors of America Conference! We hope you have a wonderful week enjoying all the many conference activities and events we have planned.  From valuable and practical workshops, to great entertainment, to the exhibit hall of vendors and crafts, to a variety of exciting off-site excursions, there is definitely something for everyone. You can take in a Seattle Mariners baseball game, visit nearby Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, enjoy a scenic dinner cruise on Puget Sound, or visit popular Seattle landmarks like the Pike Place Market. You will have the chance to meet Donna DiMarco, laugh at the antics of  the famous actor-mime Max Formitchev, and find treasures to bid on at our live and silent auctions. And don't forget the Sports Luncheon with a former Seattle Seahawk player, Seago Game Night, the Red Hat Society Luncheon, and our Gala Banquet featuring the stand-up comedy of Angela Stratiy!
     This daily blog, the DSA Northwest Daily News, will keep you up-to-date with DSA Conference events, program changes, and announcements. We will feature photos, articles, interviews, and information about fun and interesting activities happening all week long. Check us out every day at:  https://dsaseattle2019.blogspot.com. 

Please Check This Blog Every Day -- Starting Monday, September 2nd 
     Each day at the DSA Conference we will post important announcements, schedule changes, and Conference highlights. We will also post photos of events, workshops, and participants -- so you can have fun looking for yourself and your friends! Short videos featuring ASL interviews with special guests, presenters, DSA Board members, and others will also be posted regularly. You won't want to miss those!

Interested in Attending for Just One Day? Or Just the Gala Banquet?
     No problem! You can attend a luncheon, workshops, exhibits, and the evening entertainment all for $100/day for your choice of Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday (September 4, 5, or 6). Order your Day Pass from the website: http://dsa2019seattle.org/daly-pass-and-gala-banquet-forms/. Add on an additional $20 DSA membership fee (one-time) for admission to the Conference and receive a 2-year subscription to the quarterly New Horizons magazine.
     To attend just the Gala Banquet on Saturday, September 7th (5:30 - 11:45 PM), the cost is $150 plus the one-time $20 DSA membership fee. Order your Gala Banquet Pass at the same link as above.

Saturday is FREE!
     Everyone is welcome to attend the DSA Conference on Saturday, September 7 from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. The exhibit hall will be open to all and there will be a 2:00 PM free showing of the movie Moonlight Sonata by Irene Brodsky.

Interpreters Provided in Sheraton Hotel Front Desk for Checking-In/Checking-Out and also at Starbucks Coffee in the Lobby!

     Each day of the Conference there will be ASL interpreter coverage in the Sheraton Lobby for your convenience.  Most mornings from 7:00 - 9:00 AM there will also be an interpreter on call at the Starbucks Coffee in the hotel lobby. 
Here is the schedule:

• Monday, September 2          12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Lobby Check-in & Starbucks Coffee
• Tuesday, September 3          9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Lobby & Starbucks 7:00 - 9:00 AM
• Wednesday, September 4    9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Lobby & Starbucks 7:00 - 9:00 AM
• Thursday, September 5        9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Lobby & Starbucks 7:00 - 9:00 AM
• Friday, September 6             9:00 AM - 5:00  PM Lobby & Starbucks 7:00 - 9:00 AM
• Saturday, September 7         8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Lobby
• Sunday, September 8            8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Lobby Check-Out 

Your Meet Your DSA 2019 Management Team

Ellen Sheppach -- Conference Chair
     I hail from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where I taught Deaf children for 32 years at my own alma mater, the Jericho Hill School and British Columbia Program for the Deaf.
     I have two children and four grandchildren all of whom still in Canada. For 11 years I’ve been married to Van Scheppach (see Van’s bio below). We live in “the other Vancouver” – Vancouver, Washington near Portland, Oregon. Together Van and I share an 8-year-old old Dachshund named “Chelsea.”

Connie Gough - Conference Vice Chair

     I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, but spent most of my childhood in Cleveland. I have been retired twice! First, I retired in 1995 after working 21 years at Louisiana School for the Deaf in Baton Rouge where I taught high school math and later computer literacy. And the second time was in 2010 after spending 11 years working at two Deaf programs in Santa Rosa, California and then at two schools in the rural towns of Newcastle and Loomis near Sacramento. 

     I have four wonderful stepchildren and 10 grandchildren. As a widow, I live in Ferndale, Washington with my loyal companion dog “Cami.”

Van Sheppach - Conference Treasurer/Business Manager

     I was born in New Haven, Connecticut where I attended the American School for the Deaf (ASD).  Early in my career, I taught at several schools for the Deaf. Later I worked as an administrator for several different state programs for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Finally, I worked for 15 years as a communications manager for Sprint, largely based in Denver. Since 2009 I’ve been happily retired and enjoying my home life with my wife Ellen (DSA Conference Chair) and our dog, “Chelsea.”  I have two children and four grandchildren. 

Karen Atwood - Conference Administrative Officer & Public Relations Chair

     I’m a native of Seattle, a mother of two, and a grandmother of four. I discovered my Deaf world after I graduated from an oral school and entered Seattle Central Community College. I retired after a long career with the US Postal Service in 2009. I’m a Deaf activist who is involved with many organizations, including the Washington State Association of the Deaf (WSAD) of which I am President.

Where to Find Us - Your Northwest Daily News Staff

     During the DSA Conference, the  Northwest Daily News will be located in the Ballard Room on the 3nd floor of the Sheraton Hotel in the Pike Street Tower. When the Conference begins, we will post our office hours. Please feel free to drop by during those hours if you have important announcements you want us to share with the whole Conference. If you have photos you would like us to post on the blog, please email them to sarageballe@gmail.com. 

We Want Your Conference Photos!
     As mentioned above, if you take DSA Conference photos you would like to share, please email them to sarageballe@gmail.com.  These should be of events and people at the DSA Conference and at locations both in the Sheraton Hotel and also at the off-site activities -- like the day trip to Mt. Rainier, the winery tour, or the dinner cruise. The DSA Northwest Daily News staff will try our best to include a few of your photos in an upcoming blog post, if possible. Please be sure to include the names of any people shown, and a caption for each of your photos! Please understand we will not have space to include all photos.

Your National DSA Board

Officers

      President, Nancy Rarus

      Vice President, Alfred Sonnenstrahl

      Secretary, June McMahon

      Treasurer, Michael Lockhart

Your DSA Seattle 2019 Team Has Been Busy Getting Ready!

     Ever since winning the bid to host the DSA Conference in Seattle back in 2015, your DSA Seattle 2019 Team has been hard at work planning for every aspect of a successful week-long conference we hope you will enjoy and remember always.
     DSA Seattle 2019 Conference Chair Ellen Scheppach and Vice Chair Connie Gough attended the DSA 2015 Conference in Asheville, NC, to make their bid for Washington State Deaf Senior Citizens, Inc. (WSDSC) to host this year's DSA Conference. As soon as WSDSC  was named as the 2019 host organization, planning began in earnest and DSA 2019's Conference Management Team was set up.
    Here are a few photos from our DSA  2019 Team Retreat held in Ocean Park, WA in March 2017.

Your DSA Seattle 2019 Management Team & Committee Chairs

Conference Chair, Ellen Scheppach

Vice Chair, Connie Gough (also Red Hat Society) 

Treasurer, Van Scheppach

Registration Chair, Kellie Shapard

Public Relations Chair, Karen Atwood

Fundraising Chair, Sally Taylor

Workshops Chair, Gerrianne Healy

Security Chair,  E.J. Hunter

Program Book Chair, Nikke Ekle

Newsletter/Blog Chair, Sara Geballe

Technical Advisor & A/V Coordinating Chair, James House

Hospitality Chair, Susan Izak

Golf Tournament/World Deaf Poker Chair, Larry Farovitch

Accessibility Chair, Angela Theriault 

Interpreting Chair, Dave Morrison

Events Chair, Rusty Wales
Exhibits Chairs, Craig & Nancy Opheikens   

Your DSA Northwest Daily News Staff

Sara Geballe, Editor, sarageballe@gmail.com 

Contributors:  Rosemary DiSiervi, RaeVern DuMond, Nikki Ekle, Lisa Hastings, Cindy McNeely, Linda Reaves, Van Scheppach, John Taft, and Sally Taylor.
                   See You In September!