history

IN THE BEGINNING: OCTOBER, 1977
ADA began in Colorado Springs, CO with the belief that there was a need for a national organization for audiologists who were dispensing or planned to dispense hearing aids. The founding fathers (sorry no females, yet) were John Maher, John Balko, Norman Carmel, Leo Doerfler, Chauncey Hewitt, Mike Pollack, Roy Rowland and Anthony Tsappis. Charter membership would cost an unheard of $50 per year--that is, if Norman Carmel accepted your unbounced check!

The first formal ADA meeting was held in San Francisco November 20, 1978. The attendance was over 200. The theme was "Business Aspects of Hearing Aid Dispensing." We haven't traveled far from that theme in twenty-five years.

REFLECTIONS FROM ADA PRESIDENTS

LEO DOERFLER: 1978-1979
My partner and I carried all ADA expenses during my presidency, including putting out and mailing a periodic newsletter. Toward the end of my term I conducted a mailing to all members obtaining nominations for the presidency and a mailing for voting. My secretary counted the ballots which were returned and informed me that there was a tie between Marlene Bevan and someone else whose name escapes me. I decided that I was not going to spend about $100 more to conduct another election so I arbitrarily changed my vote and Marlene was elected. This turns out to have been a smart move, since her opponent left the field shortly and went into podiatry.

I received a number of interesting letters from hearing aid dealers including one which informed me that he was certainly not going to join an association of communist liberals. I have since pitched all ADA correspondence from this period, but I recall he was from Mississippi.

Most of my early memories revolve around the major roles played by Chauncey Hewitt and Steve Walsh in assisting in the creation of the ADA. Chauncey was President of Vicon Hearing Aids at the time, and contributed the facilities of Vicon and paid our living expenses while the group of us was in Colorado Springs. Steve played a major role in guiding us in forming the new organization. Chauncy has since died, nd Steve is doing some advertising work in Illinois.

My academic friends did not support the concept of the ADA and let me know at ASHA conventions and through the mail. Most of them now are dispensing, although none has ever admitted being wrong. Many of them have joined the AAA and have continued their efforts to block any attempts to work out a compromise on allowing practitioners to achieve the Au.D. without returning to academia and being "taught" by academics who have never been exposed to private practice.

MICHAEL POLLACK: 1980-1982
It is hard to describe what it was like being President from 1980 to 1982. Having been one of the founding members and the first Vice-President (before there was a President-elect) allowed me to be intimately involved in the birth pains and early childhood development issues. In those days there were relatively few dispensing audiologists, so our membership was very low, maybe 40-50. However, there was much interest about ADA among audiologists. This was demonstrated during the 1978 ASHA convention in CA. We rented a meeting room in a nearby hotel and advertised (quietly) the first ever meeting of ADA. We expected and planned for 50 people. Over 200 showed up, and we were off and running. This was also a hectic time. It seemed that we were constantly putting out brush fires with ASHA, NHAS, AAOO, etc. At that time, those professional relationships were not good.

An amusing (now) anecdote: Our first national conference was in 1979 in Cape Cod and was a complete success. The next year we met at the north shore of Lake Tahoe, and it was a disaster. The attendance was so low that we actually had more exhibitors than attendees. We got snowed on during an outing to a show in Reno. Nothing seemed to go right.

I'd say that the most important issue during my tenure was our relationship with the traditional hearing aid dispensers and with NHAS. Needless to say they were not pleased that ADA had come into existence.

Today's professional issues do not concern survival and relationships with other professional organizations, at least in terms of the way they were 16 years ago. Today, audiologists comprise a significant percentage, if not a majority, of hearing aid dispensers.

Organizations like NHAS (now IHAS) have finally actively welcomed and recruited audiologists. ASHA no longer actively opposes audiologists dispensing. The climate is such that we can focus on professional growth, industry growth, and better serving the public, rather than on our very survival and having to constantly justify ourselves, even to our professional peer!

MARLENE BEVAN: 1983-1984
I joined the ADA during the first ever clandestine meeting during an ASHA meeting in San Francisco. I volunteered to organize the first ever ADA conference at Cape Cod in Massachusetts. We were all quite angry because of the ASHA ruling that audiologists should/could not dispense hearing aids for profit. There had already been several expulsions from ASHA for this offense and audiologists organized into one strong voice to protest. We were successful at this conference, I think almost 200 people attended. If you can remember history, ASHA recanted and the policy against dispensing was withdrawn.

However, this precipitated a crisis for the ADA. ADA was organized to represent audiologists who wanted to dispense. Now that there was no problem, there did not appear to be a need for this group. Even our esteemed leadership seemed uncertain about the need for this Academy.

The second conference was held in Reno, Nevada. It was extremely difficult to get there and only a handful of members made the effort. I believe that less than 60 individuals attended and the majority were manufacturer's representatives. It was a disappointing weekend and the Board performed significant soul searching. It was not necessary to organize yet another organization and yet several of us, including myself, felt there was a role for ADA.

After debate and discussion, ADA reorganized and focused on representing the practitioners in the field. We had the expertise and the experience and there definitely was a need. No one understood the business of hearing health, and the ADA provided the first forum. We taught ourselves and taught others. And we acknowledged that the best services and products could be provided at profit with pride. I believe that the strength of ADA continues in its ability to represent and respect the practitioners.

TOM ZACHMAN: 1985-1986
Anything I write about my tenure as president is subject to the frailty of my memory. I was the fourth president of ADA and did not have to search for things I wanted to accomplish as they were already in place. The most obvious was too little money and too much red ink. We increased the dues from $30 to $50 per year amid much grousing. We called in many favors when it came time to get speakers for the annual meeting. The policy of paying member speakers came to a rapid halt and we even convinced nonmember speakers to donate their time. I do believe the Academy began to see some black ink during this time.

Anyone who has planned a convention from the ground up knows that it is no easy task. Just when all seems ready, you find out that the person making the arrangements at the hotel is no longer with the property and no one there knows anything about the ADA convention. Back to square one. My budget was $400 a year so you don't have to be an accountant to figure where the money to do all this came from. We hired a management firm that was based almost totally on how cheap they were.

ADA published a position paper stating that the audiologist was the only person adequately trained to deal with hearing loss. NHAS almost had a stroke over that one. Both boards met at NHAS's convention in Chicago and hammered out an agreement which said more or less, that we would not interfere with one another and would try to work on things that were of mutual interest.

Are the problems facing ADA today the same as when I was president? They are but come from different directions. I see the biggest problem as the Au.D. I imagine that our friends in the medical community are practically having convulsions from laughing at us as we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot. As long as we have people in elected positions making decisions for those who elected them without obtaining some sort of mandate from the electorate, the division within the audiology community will continue.

HERB MCCULLOM, JR.: 1987-1988
These is always a risk in asking someone to recall events of more than a decade ago. Time frames may be misplaced. The then immediate importance of something could become of little consequence with the passage of time. It is with that caution that I begin to recall the major events of the Academy of 1986 and 1987.

The Keynote Address of the ADA Convention held in May 1986 at Lake of the Ozarks was a plea for the three hearing aid providing camps - audiologists, hearing aid dealers, and physicians - to give up more than a decade of verbal and printed warfare and cooperate for the benefit of the hearing impaired. The ADA reasoned that the public must be confused with competing messages telling them that this group is the good guys while another message says, no, they are really the bad guys. It was a move that did not win the Nobel Peace prize, but did propel the Academy to the role of leadership in the delivery of hearing health care.

During 1986 - 1987, our membership increased from about 320 to more than 500 members. Our first long-range planning meeting was held in Chicago in 1986. We shared the podium with ASHA in Baltimore on a conference about Amplification 1986: Evaluation, Dispensing, Devices. It was our first joint venture with ASHA as we came of age. Hot issues of the time included debates about whether non-profits should sell hearing aids and continuing our efforts for recognition as part of the hearing health team. For example, in 1986, when interested public phoned BHI for help in getting amplification, they were given the names of members of the (then) National Hearing Aid Society with no mention of the ADA.

DAVID CITRON III, Ph.D.: 1989-1990
My term as President of the Academy began with a loud bang. Early in 1988, I was among a group of audiologists who met in Houston, Texas to discuss the formation of a new organization of, by and for audiologists. It would be an understatement to say that the atmosphere was emotionally-charged. Some felt that this change was long overdue; others stated that we should present a list of "concrete changes" to ASHA, with a timetable for their response. An overwhelming majority of those in attendance voted to form a new organization which became known as the American Academy of Audiology. At the Spring, 1988 ADA conference in Orlando, James Jerger presented the keynote address which outlined the basic structure and mission of the AAA. Excitement and fear filled the air. Academy members wondered whether this new organization would have a proportional representation of audiology practitioners on their board of directors and be receptive to the needs and views of dispensing audiologists.

Twenty five ADA members met in Chicago in October, 1988 to lay out the blueprint for what would become the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) program. This marked the first time that a group composed primarily of practitioners met to plan the future of audiology education. The Academy remains proactive in supporting the development of Au.D. programs, as well as advocating mechanisms for existing practitioners to achieve Au.D. status.

Early in 1988, the Academy had grown to the size that necessitated a change in its management. The ADA Board voted to hire J. Edgar Eubanks Associates in Columbia, S.C. to manage the Academy's operations. One of the first steps in that process was the upgrading of the Academy's publications. The creative leadership of Susan Whichard and the help of Nancy Cooper served to transform Feedback from a small newsletter into its present magazine format. In early 1990, our management team also assisted Carol Killingsworth and her staff of contributors in the development of the Academy's marketing handbook. The success of the ADA's conferences and activities could not occur without the outstanding work of the entire staff at Eubanks and Associates.

DAVID CIELICZKA, Ph.D: 1991-1992
The following is a brief outline of the many projects and activities completed during the two busiest of my 10 years working for our profession.

The "Vermont Issue" surfaced which was the state of Vermont's investigation of hearing aid dispensing practices and the precursor of the most recent FDA investigation into the hearing aid industry. The ADA took a very active role responding to "Vermont" and the FDA regarding the provision of hearing care by audiologists.

ADA offered the first of a series of cerumen management seminars advocating for CM as an appropriate component of and audiologists scope of practice. Now, CM is a viable component of many audiologists' practice.

The first of several collaborative marketing conferences was held in Chicago bringing together hearing aid manufacturers, organizations representing the three components of the dispensing community and hearing care advocacy groups. This rather tentative beginning led to the now well known Collaborative Marketing Campaign.

In response to many requests by members, the ADA applied for and received a registered trademark recognizing us and our members as having the exclusive right to use our name in interstate and foreign commerce, and have the right to prohibit others from using identical or confusingly similar marks.

Following the development of the Au.D. concept during David Citrons tenure as president, the ADA continued to aggressively support the Au.D. concept, and the AFA on the march to create the Au.D. as the terminal degree for all audiologists. Today, there are two Au.D. Academic programs and more slated for implementation.

There were two publications the ADA provided to its' membership. The ADA Marketing Handbook, "Directions in Marketing Audiology" edited by Ms. Carol Killingsworth and "Assistive Devices: Doorways to Independence" a book/video package written by Ms. Cindy Compton.

Most importantly the ADA continued to follow its mission of advocating for practitioner concerns in its professional/political activities.

SUSAN WHICHARD: 1993-1994
As I approach my final months as Past President of ADA I reflect upon my experiences as the President of ADA. As most of you know the ADA Presidency is a six year commitment: 2 years as President-elect (Convention Chair), 2 years as President and 2 years as Past President (Bylaws. Nominations, Advisor). During my Presidency a change in the annual meeting date extended my time in office to 6 1/2 busy years.

I remember the conventions: Tucson, Bal Harbour, Clearwater, Palm Springs, and Myrtle Beach. ADA members crowded in the hot tub, attending educational sessions, dancing in the rain, visiting the exhibits, closing down the bar, engaging in passionate debates on issues effecting our profession, dancing till dawn and my farewell "masquerade" tribute in Palm Springs.

I remember the FDA. Warning letters were sent to manufacturers, a visit to Dr. Kessler's office with other association and industry Presidents, the Senate Committee on Aging Hearing in September of 1993 and the FDA Hearings in December of 1993. Working with all Audiology Associations to submit our unified comments to the FDA and now still waiting for a response!

I remember implementation of important initiatives for our profession and for our industry. Many exciting and challenging Au.D. conferences, the formation of the CMC. Better Hearing and Speech Month with Jim Ryun, Audiology Awareness, Hear PO, and HIA's recent Hearing on the Hill in Washington, DC.

I remember working with other association and industry leaders, many of whom have become dear friends. The commitment and energy along with the caring and compassion of these people sustained and encouraged me throughout the years.

I remember conference calls, faxes, voice mail, phone tag and countless evenings working together with dedicated board members who made the time in their busy lives to work on behalf of the ADA. They believe as I do that ADA members make things happen with their "can do" spirits. These super board members led the charge to make important differences for dispensing audiologists and the patients they serve.

As I embark upon life without an ADA office, I feel proud, happy, content, hopeful and thankful. Proud you allowed me to serve as President of dispensing audiologists dedicated to providing the highest quality of hearing care. Happy to have been so enriched by the experience, places, people and events of the past 6 years. Content that I gave my best. Hopeful that over the next five years our efforts will assure audiologists a position as the primary provider of hearing care products and services in America. Most of all, I am incredibly thankful to have been given this opportunity to serve. I have grown as a person and as a professional. I thank each of you for believing in me, trusting my leadership and supporting the association.

KEN SMITH: 1995-1996
Being President of ADA is a unique experience, to put it mildly. It is a major time demand, a major stress producer and probably one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. I agreed to run because I was under the illusion that this was a real opportunity to make a difference in the future of the dispensing audiologist. To some extent, I think we might have made some progress.

This was not, in my view, a position to be held or run by one person. It has clearly been a group effort, with close cooperation between the President, President-elect, Past President and the ADA board. This relationship is critical because of the need to delegate responsibility, and any real accomplishments we made during the past two years were a result of that relationship. Without a great board, and great management company, the President is 'hamstrung'. Considering our size and complexity of the issues, one person simply can't do it all.

Since things have been rather intense at times, we tried to plan "little things" to liven up our meetings. The first things to come to mind are the massages we provided for all board members (during the meeting) in Myrtle Beach and the mountain top board meeting in Salt Lake that culminated in a snow ball fight. As a group, we work hard AND play hard — a combination that works.

One of the most difficult parts of the job, for me, is keeping your mouth shut at the right time and keep a good sense of humor at all times. This has become somewhat easier for me as time has gone by, because I've been able to see more and more of the big picture. This is especially true toward the end of your term, when you are about to become past history! It can be very difficult to practice Audiology and be President at the same time. I'm enjoying the new "firebrand" board members who are just as on fire as I was (still am), and who are not afraid to let it show.

Important issues during my term were:

1. Converting the operation of ADA into a business. Making this conversion has allowed us to generate the funds to provide member services that are so important.
2. Audiology Awareness Campaign: we have made a major commitment to this program (pushing where we needed to) since this is vital to the future of Audiology.
3. The Au.D. has been a primary concern of mine during the past two years. Our goals have centered around keeping the different elements talking, and not reaching premature conclusions or positions before we have a detailed plan. Our role has also been to persuade the players to "maintain the high road" while pursuing the clearly stated wishes of our membership.
4. Hear Po and the Managed Care Manual. During this term, one of our biggest accomplishments was the formation of Hear Po and joint publication of the Managed Care Manual with AAA.
5. Directory: One of the projects I'm happiest about is the ADA Directory. We managed to create a useful referral tool for members all across the country, and more and more members are participating as time goes by.

There are other issues we have been involved in (ADA MasterCard, etc.) but these are the ones that stick out in my mind at this time. By the time convention rolls around, there will be several other new ADA developments that could have a profound effect on our members and the future of our profession. The board is hard at work as always.

MARY CACCAVO: 1997-1998
I assumed the presidency of ADA right after the academy's 20th anniversary convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our mission statement set the tone of my presidency for the next two years: "The ADA is dedicated to leadership in advancing practitioner excellence, high ethical standards, professional autonomy, hearing technology, and sound business practices in the provision of quality audiological care." The academy remained committed to the Au.D. We supported the AFA's efforts to develop and encourage distance-learning opportunities for our members. We established Au.D. student mentoring programs, matching an Academy member with an Au.D. student at the convention, as well as sponsorships for Au.D. students.

The Audiology Awareness Campaign (AAC) was another ADA sponsored effort which entered into its' own foundation in 1997 with the mission to heighten the public awareness of our profession and to make audiology a household word. The academy then joined this effort to unite the audiology community and to launch unified initiatives.

The academy also entered into cyberspace by developing our website: www.audiologists.org. We provided members with historical and current information such as: 1) The Au.D. and the ADA-ten years in review; 2) convention sites and dates; 3) information on our long range plans as well as a mechanism to e-mail the board. For the first time we handled many board activities though the internet and e-mail. Other business accomplishments included professional liability insurance, and the REAP or Recognition for Excellence of Audiologist Practice. The academy remained active with the coalition of professional efforts such as the Joint Audiology Commission (JAC), Collaborative Marketing Campaign (CMC) and the development of the Au.D. degree.

The collaborative efforts between ADA, Oticon and the National Cued Speech Association resulted in "Project Inform" a long overdue endeavor whose purpose was to provide complete and unbiased information on communication, education and socialization options available to families of young children with hearing impairments. The title of the booklet was "Open Doors: Options in Communication and Education for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing".

The best part of being the president of ADA was the feeling of being part of a group that appreciated your efforts — a real community of professionals whose commitment to the Au.D. was strong enough to support the efforts with their time and especially their money. ADA has proven time and again that they can move mountains.

JIM MCDONALD: 1999-2000
During my presidency I had several goals that I felt the Academy needed to focus on. First there was the need to continue the work of my predecessors to do what I could to facilitate the transition of our profession to a Doctoring profession. It was during my presidency that the first Au.D. programs in professional schools begin accepting distance-learning students as well as be a part of an accredited institution offering a four-year professional degree in audiology. In addition, hundreds of practitioners returned to school to earn the Au.D degree from several colleges and universities that were able to offer this education through the extensive use of the Internet.

Another goal that I set out to accomplish was to improve relations with the American Academy of Audiology. Our two academies had several disputes in recent years but it was in the best interest of all audiologists to see to it that we worked together to accomplish our mutual goals with greater efficiency and with a single voice. It was and is my clear belief that these two academies need to work closely together to the benefit of all audiologists’ as well as the patients we serve. To his end we have had several projects that we have worked together on. We have developed a relationship with the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). HCFA is now aware that Audiology is transitioning to a doctoring profession. We have seen to it that there is no need for physician supervision on anything that we do within our scope of practice. We also continue improve HCFA's understanding of our scope of practice. We have worked together to achieve direct access to audiologist for all federal employees. We have presented a single voice for the profession and we have said that we speak for ourselves.

As with previous administrations I wanted to continue the excellent reputation of our annual conference. We consistently get high grades for the type of practical education that we provide the membership. I wanted however to expand the offerings to include more of the latest in diagnostic procedures. Our last long-range plan was a mandate to become the home of the practitioner. As such we needed to provide continuing education for all practitioners that would meet the needs of all of the membership and that would include programs that covered the full range of our scope of practice. While these goals were accomplished during my "watch" It is important to note that these accomplishments were the direct result of a lot of our colleagues doing a lot of work on our behalf. I will always be grateful to Carol Davis and the management firm for all of their hard work. Our Board of Directors has always in my experience been the most dedicated and hard working group of people I have ever had the pleasure to work with. It was truly my great fortune and it was the highlight of my professional career to serve my profession as the president of the Academy of Dispensing Audiologist’s. I would close by advocating that all of us look for ways to serve our profession and get involved.

ROBERT MANNING: 2001-2002
It has been my privilege to serve on the Board of the Academy since 1992. Initially I was a non-voting member, serving as chairman of the Cerumen Management Training Team. In 1994 and 1996 I was elected Treasurer, followed by President-elect in 1998. Over that period of time, I developed an appreciation for continuity and coordination of effort. What has been achieved by this Academy has been by virtue of the accomplishments of many. Working together, the Board of Directors and the membership have built this organization into one of the most powerful and influential forces in our profession.

The transition of our profession to the doctor of audiology was mapped out in the late 1980’s. The Academy continues to accept the challenge of keeping progress regarding this initiative on track. The Academy adopted a by-laws change effective January 2001, which specified the Au.D. as the credential for new members. We were the first Audiology organization to take this position. Many interpreted it as controversial at the time. We continue to support the Au.D. program in a variety of ways. We developed a student mentoring program which is only available to Au.D. candidates in residential training programs. We provide financial support to the AFA scholarship fund for Au.D. candidates. We continue to offer a basic tract of instruction at our conventions focused primarily on the entry level Au.D. candidate who is interested in private practice.

The Academy continues to assume the position of guardian of our mission and our member’s best interests. When ASHA and the AAO (American Academy of Otolaryngology) attempted to develop America’s Hearing Health Care Team, our Academy vocally opposed this initiative as a guarded attempt by the AAO to gain control over the dispensing network. If this initiative would have become reality, AAO could have theoretically used this rhetoric to persuade Congress to deny our profession direct access to third party billing, and eventually denied Medicare access. In hindsight, our opposition to this initiative served to bring our members closer together. Following an ADA alert, our members spoke in mass to ASHA by resigning their membership and refusing to continue to pay for their CCC certificate.

On the legislative front, our Academy gained direct access billing for Federal employees through Blue Cross and Blue Shield. We also gained direct access to the National Mail Carriers Insurance policy. We attended fundraisers, contributed to legislative efforts, and met with many influential members of Congress over the past few years. Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health, Jim Scully, director of Medicaid, Senator Tom Daeschel, Congressman Ed Whitfield, and many others have been a very important part of our past success and will be even more important to our future.

Our cooperative efforts with the AAA have resulted in many favorable gains, both at the national and at the state level. We worked with AAA to better define ethical issues to keep our members abreast of changing federal policies and laws. We are working on an ongoing basis with AAA to establish outcome based standards by which to define the new AuD training programs. It is anticipated that most of the new training programs will embrace this new standard, both for its efficiency and its practicality. They, like us, assess that it is time for Audiology to be recognized as an autonomous profession and more than just a necessary part of a speech therapy training curriculum. The board of directors of the Academy feel strongly that this cooperative effort is a very important part of our success to date, and is integral to our advancement into the future.

The Academy has over 15 active committees. We are involved in the planning of at least four BOD meetings, AAA convention and our own convention. We are updating our web site daily. We must coordinate member concerns on a daily basis, log, bill and collect commitments to the Academy on a daily basis, and we must maintain lines of communication with manufacturers, our members, prospective members, students, and consumers. As you can understand, this commitment is now well beyond the capabilities of a volunteer staff of elected officers. Consequently, the Board of Directors approved the hiring of an Administrative Audiologist, Susan Flory. It will be the responsibility of the Administrative Audiologist to work under the direction of the President. This person will coordinate and monitor programs on a daily basis.

Over the past two years, the Academy has been active in developing a buying group for our members. This buying group will be administered by AudNet, Inc., a company founded and operated by David Smriga. It is the goal of the buying group to provide our members with good pricing and practice related services including advertising which will brand the Doctor of Audiology to the general public, equipment financing, employment services, retirement planning, etc.. Considering the buying power of our membership, this business model has great potential for building the resources necessary to promote our professional identity.

Finally, it is the commitment of the Academy to again become active at the state level and consider offering a state chapter network. State level involvement is necessary to prevent unwanted regulation and redefinition of the Au.D. by standards below reasonable expectation by the profession. Licensure laws must be rewritten and promoted and licensure boards must be educated regarding professional expectation of Au.D. standards. Membership recruiting must go to the roots of our profession, and networks of communication must be set up to be more efficient and effective as we proceed through the legal tangle of reassessing and building a new doctoral level profession.

I want to thank you, the members of this great Academy, for giving me the opportunity to serve as your President. I feel very strongly that this has been the highlight of my career and I will cherish the friends and colleagues that I have made during my tenure. I encourage you, as members, to get involved and stay involved with your Academy. ADA is known for the ability to push the envelope and occasionally, draws criticism as a result. However, our continual and undaunted desire to improve is why we have been so successful in the past, and why we will continue to take the lead in the future. Before you criticize any actions of your Academy or your Board of Directors, pick up the telephone and call any one of the members listed in the front of your membership directory. It is only through our combined efforts that we have come this far, and only through your continued participation and communication that we will take the profession to the next level.

CINDY ELLISON : 2003-2004
Unfortunately, space simply doesn't permit a full review of the numerous projects that took place during my Presidency from 2002-2004. So here is a brief overview of those two whirlwind years. I have highlighted many of the issues that were tackled by the ADA Board of Directors that ultimately had broad implications for our members as well as the profession.

Work continued on the framework and guidelines for educational standards for Au.D. training programs. ADA's input to the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE) has had a tremendous practical effect on this effort in that our members were able to help the curriculum guidelines focus not only on scientific, but on practical and business aspects of the profession as well. ADA also generously contributed financially to help get the project off the ground.

At the 2002 ADA Convention keynote speaker Frank Bucaro challenged the attendees to work ethically even when the competition doesn't. After the convention, an exhaustive review of federal guidelines on this topic, conversations with our members and the AAA Board, and the ADA Board's deliberations resulted in the landmark document “Ethical Practice Guidelines on Financial Incentives from Hearing Instrument Manufacturers” which was issued jointly by ADA and AAA.

In 2003, two citizen's petitions were filed with the Food and Drug Administration. Two major implications of these petitions would have been to remove the professional component in hearing aid fittings and to allow hearing aids to be purchased through OTC retail, Internet and mail distribution where possible by state law. Based on member input and the Board's hard work, ADA submitted a response which, I believe, had a tremendous impact on the deliberations of the FDA. Several months later both citizen's petitions were denied.

It also became apparent that our website was fast becoming the go-to place for our members to obtain information on the organization, chat with other members and communicate with the Board. Thanks to our Webmaster, Lori Fitzsimmons, and our website committee we developed a beautiful and workable website that will serve us for the foreseeable future.

In January 2004, ADA was represented at the 4 th Year AuD Student Training Experience Consensus Conference. Not only were the views of our members represented, but ADA and its mission were introduced to an entire population of educators.

A strong presence of eager students was felt at both of the conferences I had the privilege of presiding over. The Student Outreach Program was supported by both ADA and AFA in order to educate a new generation of audiologists on the organization. It was thrilling to hear the glowing comments of the students about the meeting as well as to experience the enthusiasm that both the “old-timers” and “newbies” shared.

Numerous hours were put into a model licensure bill in a joint venture by ADA , AAA and AFA. While the bill was not completed in my term, it had a solid start and will provide a good foundation for any State looking to update or revise its current licensure requirements.

Finally, the buzzword “Branding” began finding its way into the ADA member lexicon. The funding provided by member participation in AuDNet enabled the first day-ahead session to take place at the Tucson convention which investigated the process of branding audiology and the Au.D. to the public.

I want to thank the membership for allowing me to serve as President of an organization that had both provided me with valuable networking and informational experiences as well as numerous friends and lots of fun along the way.