Joanne Spoto Decker
President

JoAnne Spoto Decker is the current President of the HLAA-NYS Board. She became a member of the board in 2008, and is the immediate past Vice President. JoAnne was diagnosed with hearing loss in 1988. At the age of 33, she began wearing hearing aids. Her first purchase was made after a hearing test was done in the kitchen of her home.

Hearing loss has not affected JoAnne’s professional career. She is Director of Community Service Programs for the Onondaga County Department of Aging and Youth in Syracuse, NY.   She has been with County Government for more than two decades, and has prior experience in non-profits and private industry.   JoAnne holds a M.A. in Social Policy, from the State University of New York. She holds a Certificate in Gerontology bestowed by Syracuse University and has been certified as a New York State Ombudsman.

In addition to her work with HLAA NYS, JoAnne currently serves on many community boards.   She was Treasurer of the Auburn Cayuga NAACP, where she was an executive board member for almost two decades. She also served on the board of Community Wide Dialogue to End Racism, a signature program of Interfaith Works in Syracuse.

JoAnne is the recipient of numerous professional and personal awards, including the YWCA Diversity Achiever Award, The Onondaga County Martin Luther King, Jr. Employee Recognition Award, the Auburn Cayuga NAACP Millennium Award, the Auburn Cayuga NAACP Special Recognition Award and a Special Recognition Award bestowed by Vera House, Inc. for work in Elder Abuse prevention. Professional awards include recognition for her work in Emergency Preparedness for Seniors, and an Aging Innovations Award bestowed by National Association for Area Agencies on Aging for implementation of a neighborhood demonstration program known as NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community).

JoAnne and her husband, Robert (Bob), live in Elbridge, NY.   They have been married for 31 years. They are allowed to reside in the home of their rescue cat, Tyler.   JoAnne and Bob were one of the first “Couples for Kids” mentors in their local Big Brother/Big Sister Program. The relationship began in 1985. Today, they are happy to be “Big Relatives” to their “little’s” children. JoAnne has many community connections and is often called upon for advice and advocacy on a variety of issues.

Melanie Brand
Vice President

Melanie Brand’s parents found out that she had a hearing loss when she was three and half. Melanie was then fitted with two body aids back in 1959. She attended School for the Deaf 47 in Manhattan for three years, and then was mainstreamed.

Melanie joined Self Help for the Hard of Hearing, now called Hearing Loss Association of America, both National and Westchester Chapter in 1990. When she attended her first chapter meeting, she had never met so many people that were hard of hearing like her. Melanie fitted right in and started to climb up the ladder.

At her first National Convention in Little Rock, AR she really had a blast meeting over 1,000 people like her. She became an officer and ran the chapter with the help of many people. Melanie also joined the New York State Association, and started to climb that ladder too. Melanie has served as just about every officer on the local and the state level. She also co-chaired a New York State Conference and volunteers on the Walk4Hearing committee. In 2004 Melanie lost more hearing, and went for a cochlear implant.

For the last five years, Melanie has been working for a large accounting firm in Manhattan. She does a lot of bookkeeping for clients and many quarterly taxes. It’s a good job and can be difficult at times with the new changes in taxes and health insurance. Melanie has recently been elected Vice-President of HLAA-NYS and uses her accounting skills to prepare the state budget.

Suzanne Jeffery
Treasurer

Suzanne Jeffery has a hereditary hearing loss, caused by otosclerosis. Her father also was hard of hearing, and she has a niece who was born deaf.

At age 40 she had a stapedectomy, a surgical procedure intended to improve hearing, which unfortunately destroyed the auditory nerve and balance.

Suzanne wears bi-cross aids, an Oticon receiver and a Phonak transmitter.

In the 1980’s, Suzanne joined her local HLAA chapter in Corning, NY. She has held numerous positions in the chapter, including newsletter editor and president.  At the state level, Suzanne is currently treasurer of HLAA-NYS and a past secretary. At the national level, Suzanne has served as upstate chapter coordinator.

Suzanne has been a widow for 14 years, is the mother for 4 sons, and has 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. She lives in Corning, NY.

Vivien Maisey
Secretary

Vivien Maisey is an Englishwoman who emigrated to the USA in 1979. She has now spent half her life in America! Her hearing loss was first detected at age 22, when she was teaching French, German and English in a London high school. Since then it has run the course from mild to profound, and she wears two hearing aids. Her constant companion is Duncan, her service dog.

Vivien has a Bachelor’s degree in Modern Languages, a Master’s in Education and a Master’s in Library Science. She works fulltime as a librarian in a large public library in Rockland County. Previous volunteer work includes church and PTA.

She is now vice president of the Westchester chapter, and also serves as the chapter’s program coordinator. She is serving her second term as secretary of HLAA-NYS and was editor of the Reporter newsletter. She has attended one state conference (White Plains, NY in 2004), one regional conference (Harrisburg, PA in 2007) and 3 national conventions (Washington, DC in 2005, Orlando, FL in 2006 and Nashville, TN in 2009) so far. HLAA has been an invaluable source of support, information and good fellowship; Vivien looks forward to becoming more active in the organization, and to sharing ideas and ways of becoming a more effective ambassador for all of us with hearing loss.

Pamela Foody
Immediate Past President

Pam Foody is the immediate past president of HLAA-NYS Board of Directors. A long- term resident of Orange County, NY who is moving to Rockland County, Pam has been a member of the NYS Board since 2005, and served as secretary for 2006 and 2007, VP in 2008 then President in 2009 and 2010. For more than 10 years, she has been treasurer of the Mid-Hudson Chapter. She has been involved with the Walk4Hearing movement since the original walk, Co-Chairing for two years and more recently serving as Chair of the Mid-Hudson Walk4Hearing. Since 1991 Pam has been a member of HLAA, and has attended 16 national conventions.

Pam has not allowed her hearing loss, which was caused by mumps at age 4, to impede her education or career, although it has increased from mild to profound. After working for 31 years as a registered nurse, she completed her BSN degree with the help of an FM system. Pam received a cochlear implant in 1994 and credits HLAA with supplying her with essential information about the assistive technology that got her through college, the ADA to defend her against workplace discrimination, and the cochlear implant which has restored her independence. HLAA has given Pam so much support that she wants to work with the organization to help others to accept and surmount their hearing loss.

Florence Butler
Board Member

Florence Butler was born with bilateral hearing loss, and reluctantly began using hearing aids in High School. She is a registered nurse, and has a degree in audiology.

She is a member of the NYS Hearing Aid Advisory Board, and recently joined the board of the Postsecondary Education Programs Network Advisory (PepNet).

Florence joined HLAA in 1984, and served as a national board member from 1990 to 1999. She has been active in HLAA-NYS, and is a past president of the state association. She is a member of the Mid-Hudson chapter, and currently serves on the Walk4Hearing committee.

She has attended many national conventions and state conferences. Florence is a tireless advocate for people with hearing loss.The mother of 2 grown children and with one grandchild, Florence lives with her husband, 4 horses, and a goat in Ulster County.

 Suzanne D’Amico
Board Member

Suzanne D’Amico found HLAA through the NYC Walk4Hearing and has co-chaired the Walk since 2009. She is a member of HLAA National and the Manhattan Chapter. Now serving on the HLAA-NYS board, Suzanne has been instrumental in the creation of a new, updated web page for the state association. Suzanne is the mother of two wonderful little girls – Anna Bella, aged 9 and Scarlett, aged 6. Anna Bella was born with a bilateral, moderately severe, genetic hearing loss.

For the last three years, Suzanne has been the Upfront Producer for Lifetime TV. Recently, she was the Assistant Director for the show Skaraoke at Kings Dominion in Richmond, VA. Suzanne musical-directed all of the major shows at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ during the 2005 season. She was also the musical director and Associate Producer for the award winning show “Heatwave” at Casino Magic Biloxi. Her other musical directing credits include “The GI Girls” at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, NJ and the “Big E” award winning theme park show “Heatwave” in Memphis, TN.

For four years Suzanne cast, managed and coordinated the entertainment for Spirit Cruises in New York and New Jersey, before becoming National Entertainment Manager. Prior to her cruise ship experience, she was the catering manager and events coordinator for the Millennium Hilton in Lower Manhattan. Suzanne received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. She lives with her husband John and two daughters in Staten Island, NY.

 Jeanne Kelley
Board Member

Jeanne Kelley considers herself to be a late-deafened adult.  Although she was born without hearing in one ear, it never seemed the slightest problem for her growing up.  It wasn’t until the age of 35, when her other ear acquired a hearing loss, that she needed a hearing aid.  

Jeanne sought help at the time when SHHH was in its infancy.  She became a charter member of the Albany, NY chapter, which was started by Dr. Donna Wayner as their professional advisor in 1983.  Jeanne has been President, Vice President, Secretary and chair of various committees.  

Jeanne went back to school, with her hearing loss, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Services, graduating in 1993.  After working for 25 years, she recently retired from the Town of Colonie as an administrative aide. Jeanne is still an active member of the Albany, NY HLAA chapter, and is also active in church and community work, teaching English to recent immigrants to America.  Jeanne is married, has three children, 7 grandchildren, and enjoys golf, pickleball and spending several winter weeks in Florida.

Susan Miller
Board member

Susan Miller has been married to her college sweetheart for almost 50 years, has three grown sons who are all married and has many grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a fourth is on its way in April!

She has been involved with several health-related community organizations, but the one nearest and dearest to her heart is HLAA. Sue has served on the national board, co-chaired the third national convention when it was held in Rochester, served on the state association board since its inception and president for two of those years, and more recently was treasurer.

Sue helped to found the Rochester Chapter in 1983, and has been an active participant ever since, serving as the first president, and is a member of several chapter committees (actually too many to mention!) She has been particularly active on behalf of the Rochester Walk4Hearing and is taking another turn as chair this year.

Karen Ratner
Board Member

Since joining HLAA in 2001, Karen Ratner has been an active member of both Westchester Chapter and the New York State board. She participated in the SHHH Leadership seminar in Bethesda, MD in 2001 and was a member of the local organizing committee for the National Convention at Cherry Hill. Karen has co- chaired the state conference held at the Renaissance Hotel in White Plains in 2004 and was a member of the planning committee for the 2007 Regional Conference in Harrisburg, PA. She has served a Vice President and President on both the chapter and state boards. She has been involved with the Walk4Hearing since its inception in 2005.

Karen’s hearing loss was diagnosed when she was 2 years old. A long time hearing aid user, she had a cochlear implant in 1999 after losing more hearing. Having the implant changed her life in many ways. She was able to continue working as a registered Dental Hygienist, a profession she has practiced for over 50 years, and to attend continuing education courses required for licensing. Karen is grateful to HLAA for showing the need for people to be educated about hearing loss.

Karen and Howie have 2 married children and 4 granddaughters. All live in Staten Island.