Who We Are

Project Coordinator, Director of Outreach and Technical Assistance: Annette Leonard, M.A.

Annette holds a B.S. in American Sign Language/English Interpretation and an M.A. in Conflict Resolution. An RID certified sign language interpreter, Annette has previously worked on a federally funded research project focusing on the transition skills of Deaf adolescents and young adults, and served as the Director of Disability Services at Western Oregon University. Currently she works as the Coordinator of the WROCC Outreach Site at WOU. This satellite program of PEPNet works to increase the enrollment, retention, and graduation rates of students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing by providing technical support and training to institutions seeking to improve their support services.

Regional Resource Center on Deafness Director: Cheryl Davis, Ph.D.

Dr. Cheryl Davis, obtained a Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling: Deafness from the University of Arkansas (through the Research and Training Center on Deafness) and received her Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in 1992 focusing on the issues of school-to-community transition for students with disabilities. Prior to her work as the RRCD Director, she was the coordinator of WROCC at WOU. Dr. Davis provides training locally and nationally to service providers in Vocational Rehabilitation and higher education about the range of accommodation options for individuals with hearing loss. She has presented at the national conferences of AHEAD, SHHH, and PEPNet on the topic of assistive technology and has published articles in Hearing Loss (the journal of SHHH), ADVANCE for Audiologists, and Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, and was a guest panelist on the topic in three national educational satellite telecasts.

 

Advisory Board:

Martha R. Smith, M.A.

Martha currently serves as the Director of the Office for Student Access at Oregon Health & Science University. Ms. Smith additionally serves as the Project Coordinator for the Accessing Healthcare and Human Services Occupations Project, which is a grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. Prior to this Ms. Smith served as the Project Coordinator for the Health Sciences Faculty Education Project that was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education. She has also served as the Director of the Office of Disability Services at Western Oregon University, a freelance Sign Language interpreter, a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, an ESL teacher, as well as an assistant teacher. Ms. Smith has presented at local, state, regional and national conferences. She has been a keynote speaker and has presented all day workshops. Topics and audiences have varied and include k-12 teachers and administrators, postsecondary faculty, administrators and student services personal, employers, faculty specifically from nursing, medical, dental and allied health programs, non-profit community organizations working on disability related issues. Ms. Smith has also taught as an adjunct professor at the graduate level. Areas of expertise include Disability Services, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Universal Design in educational settings, Disability as Diversity, Working with students with disabilities in health sciences programs, working with employees with disabilities in healthcare professions. Ms. Smith is a trained mediator and has done some training and work related to cross cultural understanding.

Ann Flannery, M.A.

Ann is currently working as the Coordinator of Student Disability Services at the College of Southern Idaho providing supports to college students with disabilities, resettled in Idaho in 1994. Her professional work has included teaching, administration and counseling at the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind, Washington School for the Deaf, Children’s Center of Vancouver, WA and The Family Education and Counseling Center of Seattle, WA. Sandwiched in between these positions, she maintained a full-time practice as a freelance interpreter for four years. Ann’s professional beginnings happened during her graduate work at the University of Cincinnati in 1975 where she first began her sojourn among the Deaf community in Cincinnati. She loves travel to places with new people, practices and culture and is a fan of the performing arts, the outdoors and photography.

John Evans, M.S.

John is a Statewide Program Administrator for Corporate Relations with Washington State Department Social & Health Services - Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Mr. Evans graduated from Washington State School for the Deaf, attended Gallaudet University and graduated from Seattle University in Public Administration and Human Resource Development. A former beneficiary of vocational rehabilitation services, Mr. Evans has 20 years of public service in fields of vocational rehabilitation and human resource management. He has held positions as a VR Counselor and Business Relations Specialist with Washington DVR. He also has experience as an HR Manager and ADA Specialist with the Washington State Department of Personnel. John has provided over 700 training sessions to private/public organizations and consumer groups focused on hiring and retention of individuals with disabilities in the workplace.

Sheila Hitchen, M.A., C.R.C.

Sheila works with the Oregon Department of Human Services' Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (OVRS) as the Statewide Field Services Technician. In that role, she initiates and administers multiple projects and programs that support OVRS field staff and Branch Managers in providing VR services to Oregonians with Disabilities. She also serves as OVRS' State Coordinator for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, represents OVRS and DHS on several Deafness- and Diversity-related advisory committees and acts as OVRS' Internship Coordinator. Prior to this position, she worked in the field as a VR Counselor for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People, a Branch Manager and as the statewide VR Counselor Specialist for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services. She has worked with OVRS since 1990. Sheila has presented training on a variety of Deafness- and Disability-related topics at the local, national and international levels and has nearly 20 years of experience in developing and providing training programs. Sheila has served as an adjunct faculty member with Western Oregon University's Regional Resource Center on Deafness since the early 1990's, teaching twice a year in the Rehabilitation Counselor Education Program and providing additional training support to other RRCD programs as needed. Sheila earned a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Oregon and an M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Gallaudet University. Outside her professional role, Sheila is enjoys performing choral music, traveling and sharing time with her family, her two dogs and her two horses.


Cindie Beaulaurier

Daisy Cartwright

Paula Mason

Trevor Storrs

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