Christopher D. Wagner
President
2012-2014
Chris Wagner (Florida), currently vice president of marketing for The Z(tm), 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." In the little free time he has, he enjoys traveling and spending quiet time with his family and close friends, and escaping to his summer retreat in North Carolina.
Melissa S. Draganac-Hawk
Vice-President
2012-2014
Melissa Draganac-Hawk (Pennsylvania), a first-generation American of deaf immigrant Peruvian parents, received a master’s degree in Linguistics and two bachelor’s degrees in production/performance and American Sign Language from Gallaudet University. Currently she is adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Involved in the deaf community, Melissa is president of the National Council of Hispano Deaf and Hard of Hearing, is a consultant to the Tri-State Latino Deaf Association, and is executive director of Deaf Women United. Melissa has been involved with the NAD throughout her life in various capacities. As a youth, she participated in the Junior NAD and the Youth Leadership Camp, and as an adult she directed the Miss Deaf America Finals in 2002 and 2008. She has been an NAD member since 1988, focusing on issues affecting youth and diversity because of the difference NAD has made in her life and the lives of others. In her free time, she enjoys being with her husband, Sam, and son, Etzio.
Kirsten Poston
Secretary
2012-2014
Kirsten Poston (Maryland) is a native of Philadelphia, PA. She majored in social work at the Rochester Institute of Technology and later attended Gallaudet University, where she received a bachelor's degree in communications arts. She currently works in Washington, DC, for the U.S. Department of Transportation as a Disability Policy Analyst. Kirsten has been actively involved in the coordination of many educational and outreach activities aimed towards the deaf and disability communities. She co-chaired and coordinated the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Government (DHHIG) 2008 Employment and Technology Forum and currently serves as a board member at large of the DHHIG; previously she was that organization’s vice executive director. She is a member of the National Black Deaf Advocates and an associate member of the D.C. Chapter of the National Alliance of Black Interpreters, Inc. She also is the president of an employee organization that supports deaf employees at the U.S. Department of Transportation, DEAF/DOT. Kirsten remains committed to the principles of leadership empowerment, and is a lifelong advocate of the deaf community. She and her husband live in Maryland with their three daughters and one son.
Phillippe Montalette
Treasurer
2012-2014
More information coming soon!
Regional Representatives serving on the Board are spread across four Regions- Region I, II, II and IV.
Margie A. English
Region I Representative
2010-2014
Steve Lovi
Region I Representative
2012-2016
More information coming soon!
Richard McCowin
Region II Representative
2010-2014
Richard D. McCowin graduated from Nebraska School for the Deaf (now closed) and Gallaudet University with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. For over 26 years, Richard has been employed at the U.S. Postal Service in Omaha where he has been an union steward for the Omaha Local Area of American Postal Workers Union (APWU). He has been recognized by APWU's National Deaf & Hard of Hearing Task Force for his many outstanding contributions on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing postal workers. For over 17 years, Richard has been part-time Amercian Sign Language instructor at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha where he was given award recognition for Teaching Excellence. Richard has been involved with NAD for 30 years as part of his lifelong passion for advocacy and community activity, and has held various positions in different organizations. He was the Vice President of National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA) and Midwest Athletic Assocation of the Deaf (MAAD). Now, he is President Emeritus of the Nebraska Association of the Deaf (NeAD). He strongly believes that NAD is the true organization which preserves and protects the rights and welfare of deaf and hard of hearing Americans. In his spare time, he enjoys reading books on non-fiction and documentary issues. He has an adult daughter, Megan.
Michael Berger
Region II Representative
2012-2016
Michael Berger graduated from the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and attended the Rochester Institute of Technology at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). He taught printing at NTID and was a faculty member at RIT/NTID for three years. For the past twelve years, he has been in the field of desktop publishing, working for several companies. His deaf community involvement includes serving as president of the Illinois Association of the Deaf (IAD), when he received the NAD State Association Award and the Deaf Illinois Outstanding Membership Organization Award. He is now president emeritus of IAD. He also coordinated the "Duppies" (Deaf Happy Hour) in the Chicago area. Mike is involved with the NAD to contribute his leadership skills and to encourage deaf and hard of hearing people to join NAD for leadership training and education. He strongly believes that “the NAD offers excellent benefits and resources and can assist people with whatever they need."
Larry Evans
Region III Representative
2012-2016
Larry D. Evans is a graduate of New Mexico School for the Deaf and received his Bachelor's degree in Biology from Gallaudet University. He taught high school Biology at the Texas School for the Deaf and Sam Houston High School in San Antonio for over 15 years. He received his Masters degree in educational management/supervision from Trinity University. While Executive Director of the Texas Commission for the Deaf, Larry completed his certificate in Executive Management in State Government from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. Before he retired, his other professional career was being a charter member of the team to establish Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf(SWCID) in Big Spring, Texas and was Director of West Texas Regional Programs for the Deaf for the Texas Education Agency. During the course of his career, he served as officers on regional, state, and local organizations. Larry was appointed by Texas Governors five times to be on various state commissions and boards. He was President of the Texas School for the Deaf Governing board. He also served as President of the Texas Association of the Deaf three times in thee decades. He attended the NAD and regional conferences a number of times as delegates. He resides in Austin,Texas with his wife Betty and two family dogs Mike and Hope. During their retirement, they travel in their RV and visit adult children and grand children and places to walk and sightsee. Larry hunts and fish and Betty reads.
Christopher Patterson
Region III Representative
2010-2014
Currently a doctoral student in the Elementary Education at University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, Christopher M. Patterson is passionate about his advocacy work on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing individuals, having served as president of the Georgia Association of the Deaf and now as a member of the NAD Board of Directors. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Chris became deaf at one week old. He began his career in 2002 as a Deaf Services Coordinator with Living Independence for Everyone, Inc. in Savannah, Georgia. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah and went on to work Deaf Education and Specialist degree in Teacher Leadership from Mercer University in Atlanta, he joined the faculty of the Communication Sciences and Special Education department at University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Chris currently resides in Athens, Georgia with Stephen Patterson, his husband of 15 years and their dogs, Grayson, Foxy, and Misaki.
Julie Rems-Smario
Region IV Representative
2010-2014
As the founding executive director of DeafHope, Julie passionately advocates with Deaf survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Deaf since birth, Julie started her career in 1990 with Five Arces-Deaf Program, working with at-risk families on child abuse prevention. After graduating from California State University, Northridge with an MA in Deaf Education, Julie worked at the California School for the Deaf at Fremont. After receiving her MS in Counseling, she was hired as a counselor at Ohlone College Deaf Center in Fremont. In 1998, Julie joined the first national training held by Abused Deaf Women Advocacy Services which inspired her to change her career. Her work at DeafHope has been recognized with several awards such as CNN Heroes and E-Women Network Interntional Humanitarian Award. She resides in Pleasanton, California with her Deaf spouse and three children.
David O. Reynolds
Region IV Representative
2012-2016
More information coming soon!
Appointed Members
2012-2014
The appointed members will be chosen by the Board of Directors soon and an announcement will be made at the time of selection.
Howard A. Rosenblum
Ex Officio Member
Chief Executive Officer
Howard A. Rosenblum started as the Chief Executive Officer of the NAD in April 2011 and also serves as an ex officio member of the NAD Board of Directors. He comes to the NAD after 19 years as a lawyer, focusing his practice on disability rights and special education law. For the past nine years, he was a Senior Attorney at Equip for Equality, the designated Protection & Advocacy entity for the State of Illinois. Previously, he worked ten years as an associate at Monahan & Cohen, a private law firm, and briefly as a legal counsel at Access Living, the center for independent living for the Chicago area. In 1997, he founded the Midwest Center on Law and the Deaf, to address the lack of access to the legal profession for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, and oversaw its operation as the Board Chair until 2011. In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed Mr. Rosenblum to serve on the United States Access Board, which is responsible for setting accessible design and technical criteria used to promote compliance with federal disability rights laws. Mr. Rosenblum has a bachelor of science degree in computer engineering from the University of Arizona and a juris doctor degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law. Born and raised in Chicago, Rosenblum is a diehard fan of Chicago sports teams. He also enjoys traveling the world to meet deaf people in other countries and learning their sign languages.