DSA Board Accomplishments 2017-2019

* * * Special Issue * * *
DSA Northwest Daily News 
Summary of DSA Board Members’ Activities:  2017 - 2019

Nancy Rarus, President

·        Ran monthly DSA meetings plus several special meetings via Zoom.

·        Wrote President’s message, “Nuts and Bolts” in our quarterly magazine, New Horizons.

·       Represented DSA at NAD Conference in Hartford, CT and presented at the Senior Citizen luncheon. Received award for volunteer dedication on behalf of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Seniors at time when the needs of Deaf Seniors was one of the top five issues. 

·       At NAD 2019, met some 30 State Directors/Commissioners of the Deaf and other members of NASADHH in attendance. Encouraged them to be more visible and proactive regarding Deaf Senior issues.

·        Assisted with updating our Senior Resource list as well as pushing for more E-blasts. 

·        Served as committee member on the NAD-DSA Taskforce on Aging (TFA) currently meeting twice a month.

Vision: That in as short a possible time, as many Deaf Seniors as possible will be aware of and exercising their rights to have MORE if not FULL accessibility to health care, including assistive living or nursing care (either at home or in nursing facilities). Hopefully the great strides made by TFA will make a very large impact quickly.

Special Thanks: I want to thank the DSA Board for staying the course! I especially want to acknowledge my appreciation to two people who volunteered above and beyond the call of duty: Andrew Lange, Chair of the Bylaws Committee who will serve as our Parliamentarian at our Business Meeting, and Timothy (Tim) Jaech, who helped me with my quarterly reports and assisted the New Horizons editor, Susan Sien.

Also, I want to thank and recognize all the members the NAD-DSA Taskforce on Aging, including: DSA members – June McMahon, Mary Lynn Lally, and Donalda Ammons; Dr. Poorna Kugalnashar, Director of the Deaf Health Communication and Quality of Life Research Lab at Gallaudet; Gloria Pagano from People of Color; Kim Bianco-Majeri, NAD State State Legislative Affairs Coordinator; Martin Price, NAD Board Member, Region 4,  and Melissa Draganac Hawk, NAD President.

Alfred Sonnenstrahl, Vice-President

·       Represented DSA at the following:

o   Federal Communications Commission’s Disability Advisory Council

§  Text 911 Regulations

§  VRS Regulations

o   Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service Funding Council

§  Federal funding of various relay services

o   DHH Consumer Advocacy Network (DHHCAN)

o   2018 NAD Conference

§  Assisted in creating NAD/DSA Aging Task Force

§  Assisted in creating Outreach Program between DSA and State Agencies

·       Coordinated with NAD in developing Health-Related VRI Guidelines

·       Upgraded DSA website (www.deafseniors.us)

·       Vision:

o   DSA to develop partnership with AARP

o   DSA website as a resource center for all Deaf Seniors

§  Deaf Health Care

§  Residences (Homes for Deaf Seniors)

§  Deaf History (Deaf Archives)

§  National Directory of Deaf Seniors clubs

§  Financial Consultations

§  Deaf Travel

§  Care Givers

June McMahon, Secretary

·       Took minutes of all monthly and special meetings.

·    Volunteered many hours in the Palm Beach and Boynton Beach areas finding assistive living placements for Deaf Seniors.

·    Represented DSA at NAD 2019 Conference in Hartford, Connecticut

·   Participant on the NAD-DSA Task force on Aging.

·   Located a Deaf person who has a CNA (Certified Nurse’s Assistant) degree.

Michael Lockhart, Treasurer (Term expires 2021)

·       Maintained corporate filing with State of Florida for banking purposes; updated corporate filing with State of Texas.

·       Prepared treasury reports on quarterly basis and published audited reports on semi-annual basis in New Horizons.

·       Tracked expenditures for two years (2017-2019) within a $50,000 budget.

·       Filed timely electronic income tax reports with IRS on annual basis.

·       Maintained membership mailing list for New Horizons.

·       Sent out membership renewal notices to 600+ members by mail and email.

·       Went on a site visit in Pittsburgh for DSA 2021 with Lance Fischer.

·       Collaborated with Renwick Dayton to compile and distribute Board Member Handbook.

·       Collaborated with web developers to enable receipt of credit card payments for dues and donations on DSA’s website. 

Lance Fischer, Board Member

·       Worked closely with Don Hahn (Houston 2017 chair) and Larry Butler (President of Houston Deaf Senior Citizens Love Fund, Inc.) prior to and during the DSA 2017 Houston conference to ensure the Houston conference went well.  

·       Visited the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh as prospective site of DSA 2021 Conference. Met with Jeffrey Janaszek (Pittsburgh 2021 chair) at Pittsburgh Association of the Deaf clubhouse.

·       Consulted from time to time with Ellen Scheppach (Seattle 2019 chair) and Jeffrey Janaszek (Pittsburgh 2021 chair) regarding conference planning.

·       Contacted prospective conference hosts for 2023 conference.  Spoke with representatives from Southern California and New York City. They decided not to submit a bid to host the DSA Conference in 2023.  

·       Continued to update conference handbook, MOU for conference hosts, archival photos, DSA history and related DSA documents to ensure they are current.

Raymond Kilthau, Board Member (Term expires 2021)

·       Involved as Committee Member

o   DSA Bylaws Committee

·       Coordinated the DSA Nomination Committee

·       Coordinated DSA E-Blast Announcements

Renwick Dayton, Board Member (Term expires 2023)

·       Donated $2K worth of conference displays, including:  2 – 6 foot tablecloths imprinted with “Welcome” and “Deaf Seniors of America;” 3 X 4 foot DSA banner, 2 – 8 foot retractable banners stands imprinted with “Where the Elders Meet” and “What DSA Represents;” one metal flag pole (telescoping up to 8-feet high); one flagpole stand, 12 X 18 inch handmade lectern, and Traveling Show case with wheels.

·       Delegate to 2018 NAD Conference and also manned DSA exhibition booth sharing with WSDSC.

·       Manned DSA exhibition booth all-day at Deafopia program at Washington School for the Deaf in Vancouver, WA. Distributed over 200 DSA membership applications forms. Manned DSA booth all-day at the Deafest in Portland, OR.

·       Attended WSDSC 2-day retreat in Ocean Park, WA in March 2017 to observe their planning for the DSA 2019 Seattle Conference. With Sonny as my guest, attended DSA planning meeting in Lacey, WA in May 2019.

·       Attended Zoom meeting with the DSA Board every month. Served on Law Committee.

Phil Aiello, Appointed Board Member at Large

·       Chaired DSA Restructuring Committee, recommending infrastructure organizational and bylaws changes.
·        Worked on Bylaws Committee, revising bylaws changes published in New Horizon spring edition. 
·        Created eBlast 3 Vlogs with Andy Lange to explain the Restructuring Committee's organizational recommendations and the By-Laws Committee’s revisions.
·       Implemented agreement with DSA 2019 Seattle Committee to allow DSA conduct its own Live and Silent Auctions along with the host's Live and Silent Auctions. 
·       Sent out donation letters to donors for Live and Silent Auction items to be auctioned during the conference. 
·       Instrumental in creating a working partnership between DSA and Poorna Kushainagar at the Gallaudet Research Institute on Senior Citizen-related grants.

·       Vision:

o   Restructure DSA into a viable and marketable organization.

o   Develop partnership with businesses to give DSA members discount benefits.

o   Create an affiliation program with local Senior Citizen organizations.

o   Future conferences starting with 2023 be hosted by DSA.