State Education Advocacy Leaders (SEALs) are appointed by ASHA recognized state speech-language hearing associations to advocate on education issues. These issues may include caseload/workload, salary supplements, and maintenance of personnel standards in school settings. SEALs can be speech-language pathologists or audiologists. The State Education Advocacy Leaders were established in 1999 under ASHA's Priorities. The mission of the SEALs network is to enhance and perpetuate the advocacy, leadership, and clinical management skills of school-based ASHA members at the state and local levels to influence administrative and public policy decisions that affect the delivery of speech-language pathology and audiology services in school settings.
Do you have an education issue in your state that needs to be addressed? Find your state's SEAL below and e-mail them your concerns.
For more information on SEALs activities in states contact Eileen Crowe, ASHA's Director for State Association Relations, by email at ECrowe@asha.org or by phone at 800-498-2071, ext. 4221.
ASHA 2008 State Education Advocacy Leaders Contact Information
Alabama
Judy Cutchen
jcutchen@homewood.k12.al.us
Alaska
Belinda Burns
burnsb45@hotmail.com
Arizona
Amy Heck
amy@teamed.net
Arkansas
Kay Hall
KMHALL03@sbcglobal.net
California
Kathryn Kinslow
kathryn_kinslow@hotmail.com
Colorado
Lisa J. Gessini
Lisa_Gessini@dpsk12.org
Connecticut
Vernice Jury
vjury@earthlink.net
Delaware
Janet Cates
cates@cavtel.net
Natalie Bentz
nsbentz@yahoo.com
District of Columbia
Teresita Foster
Incanato@earthlink.net
Florida
Michael Baugher
MBaugher1@aol.com
Georgia
Jill Shedd
Jill.Shedd@henry.k12.ga.us
Hawaii
Ana Gamble
ana_a_gamble@notes.k12.hi.us
Idaho
Peggy Sawyer
SAWYERBP@aol.com
Illinois
Sharon Foster
sfoster@d230.org
Indiana
Bonnie Hertzog
bonnieh@rcs.k12.in.us
Iowa
Sandy Bennett
Sb-slp@mchsi.com
Kansas
Karen Hubbard
KHubbard@usd259.net
Kentucky
Douglas Keefe
Douglas.keefe@jefferson.kyschools.us
Louisiana
Susan Faucheux
suzfauch@cox.net
Maine
Sabrina Jellison
sjellison@sad58.k12.me.us
Maryland
Nancy Brandenburger
nancynboh@atlanticbb.net
Massachusetts
Kristin Keegan
krankyk@excite.com
Michigan
Karen Graham
kay-coke@sbcglobal.net
Minnesota
Lisa Knudsen Porte
leporte@mm.com
Mississippi
Georgene Falcone-Johnson
gfjmsseal@yahoo.com
Missouri
Brenda Martien
bmartien@centurytel.net
Montana
Janice Nugent
MtNugents@aol.com
Nebraska
Kebbie Himmelberg
khimmel@lps.org
Nevada
Catherine Unger
CECU89014@aol.com
New Hampshire
Barbara Jobin
bjobi@csd.k12.nh.us
New Jersey
Carol Amato
camaslp@optonline.net
New Mexico
Maria Jaramillo
mljaramillo@msn.com
New York
Karen McCrossen
Karen.Mccrossen@greece.k12.ny.us
North Carolina
Sherry L. Sutton Curtiss
spcurtiss@aol.com
North Dakota
Linda Hoag
linda_hoag@educ8.org
Ohio
Ann Slone
ann.slone@hcesc.org
Gloria Roth
groth@sheffield.k12.oh.us
Oklahoma
Kathy Wheat
kwheat@lps.org
Oregon
Janet Wagner
jwagnerslp@hotmail.com
Pennsylvania
Ellen Estomin
eestomin1@verizon.net
Rhode Island
Patricia Iafrate Bellini
RIDE4993@ride.ri.net
South Carolina
Peggy Neel
pneel@greenville.k12.sc.us
South Dakota
Jamie Griffith
Jamie.Griffith@k12.sd.us
Tennessee
Daphne Sweeney
dbaker5931@yahoo.com
Texas
JoAnn Wiechmann
jawiechmann@yahoo.com
jwiechmann@pasadenaisd.org
Utah
Marilyn Price-Larsen
mkpslc@hotmail.com
Vermont
Susan Kimmerly
SKimmerly@9East.net
Virginia
Lissa Power-deFur
powerdefuea@longwood.edu
Washington
Leslie Power
power@wsu.edu
West Virginia
Constance Breza
cbreza@gmail.com
Wisconsin
Dawn Merth-Johnson
dmerth@riverdate.k12.wi.us
Wyoming
Ann Morris-Wambeke
wambeke@wavecom.net
Emily Trujillo
Emily_Trujillo@ncsd.k12.wy.us
ASHA Advocacy | State Advocacy