Kent Kennedy Elected NAD President

Kent Kennedy of Austin, Texas was elected to a two-year term as President of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) on July 7, 2002 during the 46th Biennial NAD Conference, held in Washington, DC.

Prior to his election as president, Kennedy served two terms as vice president of the Association. His principal duties during the two terms included the development of the NAD State Association Handbook, oversight of the NAD Policy Manual, and participation in the development of NAD Strategic Goals. Kennedy also served two terms as president of the Texas Association of the Deaf (TAD) and chaired the 1992-93 Symposium on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Texans.

Beginning in 1998, Kennedy played a prominent role in defining biennial NAD conference symposium forums, modeled after symposiums held by TAD. The NAD symposium is designed to review regional bills and new ones introduced by membership, which are, in turn, prioritized by conference delegates from across the country.

"I am humbled that conference delegates have chosen to honor me with one of the highest offices in the NAD," Kennedy said, "and I plan to give it the same high level of energy and attention I have given to past activities."

Marilyn Smith (Washington State) was elected as Vice President; Dan Brubaker (Maryland), Secretary; and Tom Dillon (New Mexico), Treasurer. The group developed a platform listing numerous issues that were presented at the conference. Joining these officers on the NAD Board of Directors are Region I Representatives Yvonne Dunkle (Massachusetts) and Charlie Reisinger (Connecticut); Region II Representatives Claudia Bergquist (Ohio) and Jack Cooper (Kansas); Region III Representatives Andrew Lange (Georgia) and Ernest Northup (Arkansas); and Region IV Representatives G. Leon Curtis (Washington) and Norma Lea Chrismon (Nevada).

Kennedy said that he is committed to carrying out as much of the platform as possible, as well as his own priorities. He also looks to work with State Associations to devise ways to support and bolster them, push for improvements in the quality of educational programming for deaf children throughout the country, and advocating for the enforcement of ADA regulations, among the many issue areas on which the NAD focuses.