NAD Selects Kelby Nathan Brick to Lead New Law and Advocacy Center

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is pleased to announce that Kelby Nathan Brick has been selected as the new Associate Executive Director of Law and Advocacy, effective October 1, 2002. The new division will build upon the strengths of the Law Center, Education Center, and Government Affairs departments.

“I envision that the new Law and Advocacy division will play an even more prominent role in advancing the rights of deaf and hard of hearing individuals,” said Nancy J. Bloch, NAD executive director. “Kelby Brick is uniquely qualified to take on this particular leadership challenge, given his dual experience in the areas of litigation and advocacy. I am truly excited about his return to the NAD and the possibilities that he brings with him. ”

Brick has been an attorney in private practice in Laurel, Maryland, and he is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association. Previously he was legislative consultant for the Consumer Action Network and the Maryland Association of the Deaf, and legal counsel for Government Affairs at the NAD. A 1997 Juris Doctor graduate of Temple University, Brick received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Government at Gallaudet University in 1994. He is associated with several professional and advocacy organizations on the local, state and national level. In addition, he has written articles for various deaf-related publications and provided numerous workshops and presentations on a wide range of issues related to law and advocacy.

The new Law and Advocacy division encompasses the work of three key NAD departments. The Law Center (formerly the Legal Defense Fund) has a rich 25-year history of accomplishments in representing deaf and hard of hearing people on a broad range of discrimination issues. The Government Affairs department, formed in 1995, focuses heavily on public policy issues at the federal level. The Education Center, formed in 1999, focuses on education public policy and program issues, and works closely with the Government Affairs department.

”I look forward with great excitement to shaping and expanding upon the historic role of the NAD as champion for the basic civil rights of all deaf and hard of hearing people,” said Kelby Brick. “I am committed to a Law and Advocacy division that will become even more responsive to the needs of members and nonmembers alike, with provision of a wide array of tools and information for economic, social, and community empowerment.”