| Meet our Georgia Hands & Voices Board of Directors |
Terri Patterson: Parent
Chapter Support Coordinator Hands & Voices
Executive Director Georgia Hands & Voices
terri@gahandsandvoices.org
Terri and her husband have two children, a 15-year-old daughter, Molly, and an 13 year old son, Riley,
who was diagnosed with bilateral profound hearing loss at 2 months. They live in Acworth, GA. Terri
has worked as a Parent Educator for Babies Can’t Wait and has coordinated several family events
and workshops for her district’s early intervention program. She is also involved in both local and state
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) task forces and is often asked to provide the parent’s
perspective as a speaker for regional and national conferences. She is a member of the AAHBEI
(American Association for Home-Based Early Interventionists) Governing Board, as a parent
representative. She is also a parent representative on the GA/FL (SOTAC) PEPNet Board. She is also
acting as a Chapter Support Coordinator for Hands & Voices at the headquarter's level.
Carianne Muse, MPH: Parent
Board Chairperson
muse_carianne@bah.com
In 2009, her infant daughter was diagnosed with a binaural, profound hearing loss and has received
one cochlear implant in May of 2010. Carianne is a Lead Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton who has
over 11 years of experience in public health research and consulting. Since August 2003, she has
been working closely with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) centers and offices as a strategic
planner, management analyst and public health analyst. Several of her early consulting projects
involved working as a contractor with the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities, and specifically the Division of Developmental Disabilities where the Early Hearing
Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program lies within the federal government. Carianne has been
serving on several children’s health-related boards for the past 6 years, including serving as the
Camp Twin Lakes Strategic Planning Committee Lead from 2007-2008. She also participates on the
Georgia 2020 committee and on the National Joint Commission on Infant Hearing.
Deshonda Washington: Parent
Individual/Family Advocacy Lead
dwashington@doe.k12.ga.us
Deshonda Washington is the Parent Mentor for Atlanta Area School for the Deaf (AASD). She is a
certified Corporate Trainer and Instructional Designer, with several years of experience. Deshonda is
married with three children and her youngest daughter, Lauren age 14, is hard of hearing. As a strong
advocate for Lauren’s needs, Deshonda has become passionate about supporting the families of
AASD and the Parent Mentor Partnership of Georgia. Her ultimate goal is to empower parents of
children with disabilities, encourage leadership among students and to educate on the importance of
community involvement.
Laura Sarsfield: Parent
Georgia DHHS Liason
lsarsfield@earthlink.net
Laura and her husband, Mike, are the parents of three children, Parker, 16, Anna Blair, 13, and Adam,
6. Anna Blair was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at age 15 months, and Adam's
hearing loss was diagnosed at birth through the UNHSI program. Both now hear with bilateral
cochlear implants. Laura received her bachelor's degree in Genetics from UGA, and worked as a
maternal-infant nurse after receiving her bachelor's degree in Nursing from Brenau. She has
remained committed to issues surrounding hearing loss since her daughter's initial diagnosis in
2000, instructing many parents on advocacy and educational issues. Laura was appointed by
Governor Purdue and has served on the Georgia Commission on Hearing Impaired and Deaf
Persons since 2009. She is the chairperson for the state committee to "Loop Georgia," educating,
promoting, and advocating for the use of induction loops across our state. She is a member of the
Georgia Core Team for NICHQ (National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality) for IHSIS
(Improving Hearing Screening & Intervention Systems) and is a member of the Georgia UNHSI
Stakeholders Committee. She also serves as a mentor for the BEA (Bionic Ear Association) for
Advanced Bionics. Laura's goal is to ensure that all parents of newly diagnosed children receive
complete and accurate information to help them make the best informed decisions for their child and
family.
Kelly Jenkins: Parent
Let Georgia Hear Co-Founder
kellymcjenkins@gmail.com
Kelly and her husband, Simms, are the parents of three children, Sam (8), Cal (6) and Sloane (3).
Kelly has progressive bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (currently moderate to moderate/severe).
She attended mainstream schools and used lip reading and closed captioning to aid in her
communication when needed. Her daughter, Sloane was diagnosed with the same type of loss at 14
months of age at which time their family realized that the hearing loss was a genetic trait. Sloane
wears bilateral hearing aids and the two have a unique bond because of their shared hearing loss.
Upon learning of her daughter's loss, Kelly became more interested and involved in learning more
about the Deaf/HOH community and advocating for children with hearing loss. She was particularly
concerned over the lack of insurance coverage for children's hearing aids and co-founded the parent-
led organization Let Georgia Hear in 2011, which is an initiative working towards passing legislation
in Georgia which would require insurance companies to cover the cost of children's hearing aids for
all children/families who may benefit from this technology. Kelly is currently a stay at home mother, but
before having children worked in Marketing and Information Technology for BellSouth with a
specialization in Internet Marketing Strategy. She received her undergraduate degree in English from
Davidson College and her Master’s in Business Administration from Emory University. She also
serves on the Atlanta Speech School's Guild Board.
Cindy Dunn-Kearly, MA/Deaf Education
Membership Committee Lead
CDunnKearly@aol.com
Cindy lives in Augusta with her husband, Don and her stepson, William. She is a Teacher of the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing for Columbia County Public Schools. Cindy also serves as a Parent Advisor for
Georgia PINES. Cindy has worked in the field of Special Education for 20 years, and has been a
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing since obtaining her Master’s degree from Gallaudet
University in 2003.
“I feel it is important to inform, empower and support families so each and every child who is deaf or
hard of hearing has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.
Elaine Thagard, Ed.D.
ethagard@doe.k12.ga.us
Elaine received her doctoral degree in education from Samford University. Her dissertation topic was
Pragmatic Language in Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: A Search for Correlation with
Success in the General Education Environment. She received her master’s degree in educational
audiology from Emory University and her bachelors in speech and communications from the
University of GA. She was a classroom teacher of students who are deaf and hard of hearing for 20
years at both the Atlanta Speech School and in the Cobb County School District. She was a Supervisor
of Special Education for the Cobb County, Georgia School District for fifteen years supervising the
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program, the Visually Impaired Program, Community Based Vocational Skills
Training Program, Audiology Services, and the Adapted Physical Education Program. She is currently
a Program Specialist in the Division for Exceptional Students at the Georgia Department of Education
Ellen Rolader, MA/Deaf Education
erolader@gmail.com
Ellen and her husband, Rob, live in Marietta with 1 daughter, Mariellen, 15. Their other 2 children,
Jenna, 25, lives in Oklahoma and Kyle, 27, is married and lives nearby in Atlanta. Ellen was born
profoundly deaf and raised orally in Atlanta. She attended private schools with after school
auditory/oral training at the Atlanta Speech School. She graduated from the Lovett School and
completed her BA degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Georgia. Upon graduation,
she attended Gallaudet University where she began learning sign language and obtained a Masters
in Deaf Education. For the last 30 years, Ellen has worked with deaf/hard of hearing children ages
birth to high school in various educational settings with experience using all communication
methodologies. She has taught children in mainstreaming programs using the aural/oral, total
communication, and cued speech communication methodologies, as well as in schools for the deaf
using ASL in bilingual-bicultural programs. Her strongest focus has been in Early Intervention,
working with parents of young deaf and hard of hearing infants/toddlers who use any communication
methodology to be actively involved in their child’s education, particularly in their child’s language and
literacy development. She is currently the Outreach Coordinator for the State of Georgia’s Relay
service that provides free and accessible telecommunication services to people who are deaf, deaf-
blind, hard of hearing, late-deafened and/or speech disabled.
Dr. Kenney Moore
kemoore@doe.k12.ga.us
Dr. Kenney Moore is the Director for the Division of State Schools at the Georgia Department of
Education (GaDOE). At the GaDOE, he provides state level supervision of the Atlanta Area School for
the Deaf (AASD), the Georgia Academy for the Blind (GAB), the Georgia School for the Deaf (GSD), and
the Georgia Parent Infant Network for Educational Services (GaPINES). Prior to his current role, Dr.
Moore served as a school level leader at the AASD, GAB, and GSD. He has been a policy analyst,
program specialist, and research and evaluation specialist at the GaDOE. Before joining the GaDOE
in 2001, Dr. Moore was a middle school teacher in Georgia and Florida. He is the co-chair of the
Georgia Pathway to Language and Literacy initiative. Dr. Moore holds a bachelor’s degree from the
University of West Florida in Language Arts/Social Studies, a master’s degree from the University of
West Florida in Educational Leadership, and PhD in Policy Studies and Educational Leadership from
Georgia State University. Dr. Moore’s dissertation research focused on improving the literacy of deaf
students through the use of computer-based learning.
Clare Sullivan, MEd.
ADVISOR
clare7982@gmail.com
Clare is recently retired from her position as the Education Program Manager of Georgia Parent Infant
Network for Educational Services (Georgia PINES) via the Department of Education. She is now a
Part-Time Instructor for Georgia State University and a Georgia PINES Parent Advisor She has many
years of experience working with deaf and hard-of-hearing children and families including state
residential programs, state day school programs, local education programs and Georgia's Universal
Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Program. Helping families realize their child's potential
is her passion. Her favorite past-time is hiking in the mountains or any National Park.
Dr. Frank Nesbit, Ed: K-12
ADVISOR
FNesbit@doe.k12.ga.us
Frank Nesbit is the Georgia Department of Education’s consultant for programs for students who are
Deaf and Hard of Hearing. He has worked with deaf students in schools since 1987, with experience
that includes employment at Gallaudet University, Atlanta Area School for the Deaf, and as a teacher
and administrator within local school systems. He holds professional certification as a Teacher of the
Deaf, as an Educational Interpreter, and as a Director of Special Education with a Master’s degree in
Deaf Education and a Doctorate in Management of Programs for Children and Youth. His federally
supported professional learning projects focus on improving the achievement of all students who are
deaf and hard of hearing.
Chapter Support Coordinator Hands & Voices
Executive Director Georgia Hands & Voices
terri@gahandsandvoices.org
Terri and her husband have two children, a 15-year-old daughter, Molly, and an 13 year old son, Riley,
who was diagnosed with bilateral profound hearing loss at 2 months. They live in Acworth, GA. Terri
has worked as a Parent Educator for Babies Can’t Wait and has coordinated several family events
and workshops for her district’s early intervention program. She is also involved in both local and state
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) task forces and is often asked to provide the parent’s
perspective as a speaker for regional and national conferences. She is a member of the AAHBEI
(American Association for Home-Based Early Interventionists) Governing Board, as a parent
representative. She is also a parent representative on the GA/FL (SOTAC) PEPNet Board. She is also
acting as a Chapter Support Coordinator for Hands & Voices at the headquarter's level.
Carianne Muse, MPH: Parent
Board Chairperson
muse_carianne@bah.com
In 2009, her infant daughter was diagnosed with a binaural, profound hearing loss and has received
one cochlear implant in May of 2010. Carianne is a Lead Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton who has
over 11 years of experience in public health research and consulting. Since August 2003, she has
been working closely with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) centers and offices as a strategic
planner, management analyst and public health analyst. Several of her early consulting projects
involved working as a contractor with the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities, and specifically the Division of Developmental Disabilities where the Early Hearing
Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program lies within the federal government. Carianne has been
serving on several children’s health-related boards for the past 6 years, including serving as the
Camp Twin Lakes Strategic Planning Committee Lead from 2007-2008. She also participates on the
Georgia 2020 committee and on the National Joint Commission on Infant Hearing.
Deshonda Washington: Parent
Individual/Family Advocacy Lead
dwashington@doe.k12.ga.us
Deshonda Washington is the Parent Mentor for Atlanta Area School for the Deaf (AASD). She is a
certified Corporate Trainer and Instructional Designer, with several years of experience. Deshonda is
married with three children and her youngest daughter, Lauren age 14, is hard of hearing. As a strong
advocate for Lauren’s needs, Deshonda has become passionate about supporting the families of
AASD and the Parent Mentor Partnership of Georgia. Her ultimate goal is to empower parents of
children with disabilities, encourage leadership among students and to educate on the importance of
community involvement.
Laura Sarsfield: Parent
Georgia DHHS Liason
lsarsfield@earthlink.net
Laura and her husband, Mike, are the parents of three children, Parker, 16, Anna Blair, 13, and Adam,
6. Anna Blair was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at age 15 months, and Adam's
hearing loss was diagnosed at birth through the UNHSI program. Both now hear with bilateral
cochlear implants. Laura received her bachelor's degree in Genetics from UGA, and worked as a
maternal-infant nurse after receiving her bachelor's degree in Nursing from Brenau. She has
remained committed to issues surrounding hearing loss since her daughter's initial diagnosis in
2000, instructing many parents on advocacy and educational issues. Laura was appointed by
Governor Purdue and has served on the Georgia Commission on Hearing Impaired and Deaf
Persons since 2009. She is the chairperson for the state committee to "Loop Georgia," educating,
promoting, and advocating for the use of induction loops across our state. She is a member of the
Georgia Core Team for NICHQ (National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality) for IHSIS
(Improving Hearing Screening & Intervention Systems) and is a member of the Georgia UNHSI
Stakeholders Committee. She also serves as a mentor for the BEA (Bionic Ear Association) for
Advanced Bionics. Laura's goal is to ensure that all parents of newly diagnosed children receive
complete and accurate information to help them make the best informed decisions for their child and
family.
Kelly Jenkins: Parent
Let Georgia Hear Co-Founder
kellymcjenkins@gmail.com
Kelly and her husband, Simms, are the parents of three children, Sam (8), Cal (6) and Sloane (3).
Kelly has progressive bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (currently moderate to moderate/severe).
She attended mainstream schools and used lip reading and closed captioning to aid in her
communication when needed. Her daughter, Sloane was diagnosed with the same type of loss at 14
months of age at which time their family realized that the hearing loss was a genetic trait. Sloane
wears bilateral hearing aids and the two have a unique bond because of their shared hearing loss.
Upon learning of her daughter's loss, Kelly became more interested and involved in learning more
about the Deaf/HOH community and advocating for children with hearing loss. She was particularly
concerned over the lack of insurance coverage for children's hearing aids and co-founded the parent-
led organization Let Georgia Hear in 2011, which is an initiative working towards passing legislation
in Georgia which would require insurance companies to cover the cost of children's hearing aids for
all children/families who may benefit from this technology. Kelly is currently a stay at home mother, but
before having children worked in Marketing and Information Technology for BellSouth with a
specialization in Internet Marketing Strategy. She received her undergraduate degree in English from
Davidson College and her Master’s in Business Administration from Emory University. She also
serves on the Atlanta Speech School's Guild Board.
Cindy Dunn-Kearly, MA/Deaf Education
Membership Committee Lead
CDunnKearly@aol.com
Cindy lives in Augusta with her husband, Don and her stepson, William. She is a Teacher of the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing for Columbia County Public Schools. Cindy also serves as a Parent Advisor for
Georgia PINES. Cindy has worked in the field of Special Education for 20 years, and has been a
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing since obtaining her Master’s degree from Gallaudet
University in 2003.
“I feel it is important to inform, empower and support families so each and every child who is deaf or
hard of hearing has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.
Elaine Thagard, Ed.D.
ethagard@doe.k12.ga.us
Elaine received her doctoral degree in education from Samford University. Her dissertation topic was
Pragmatic Language in Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: A Search for Correlation with
Success in the General Education Environment. She received her master’s degree in educational
audiology from Emory University and her bachelors in speech and communications from the
University of GA. She was a classroom teacher of students who are deaf and hard of hearing for 20
years at both the Atlanta Speech School and in the Cobb County School District. She was a Supervisor
of Special Education for the Cobb County, Georgia School District for fifteen years supervising the
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program, the Visually Impaired Program, Community Based Vocational Skills
Training Program, Audiology Services, and the Adapted Physical Education Program. She is currently
a Program Specialist in the Division for Exceptional Students at the Georgia Department of Education
Ellen Rolader, MA/Deaf Education
erolader@gmail.com
Ellen and her husband, Rob, live in Marietta with 1 daughter, Mariellen, 15. Their other 2 children,
Jenna, 25, lives in Oklahoma and Kyle, 27, is married and lives nearby in Atlanta. Ellen was born
profoundly deaf and raised orally in Atlanta. She attended private schools with after school
auditory/oral training at the Atlanta Speech School. She graduated from the Lovett School and
completed her BA degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Georgia. Upon graduation,
she attended Gallaudet University where she began learning sign language and obtained a Masters
in Deaf Education. For the last 30 years, Ellen has worked with deaf/hard of hearing children ages
birth to high school in various educational settings with experience using all communication
methodologies. She has taught children in mainstreaming programs using the aural/oral, total
communication, and cued speech communication methodologies, as well as in schools for the deaf
using ASL in bilingual-bicultural programs. Her strongest focus has been in Early Intervention,
working with parents of young deaf and hard of hearing infants/toddlers who use any communication
methodology to be actively involved in their child’s education, particularly in their child’s language and
literacy development. She is currently the Outreach Coordinator for the State of Georgia’s Relay
service that provides free and accessible telecommunication services to people who are deaf, deaf-
blind, hard of hearing, late-deafened and/or speech disabled.
Dr. Kenney Moore
kemoore@doe.k12.ga.us
Dr. Kenney Moore is the Director for the Division of State Schools at the Georgia Department of
Education (GaDOE). At the GaDOE, he provides state level supervision of the Atlanta Area School for
the Deaf (AASD), the Georgia Academy for the Blind (GAB), the Georgia School for the Deaf (GSD), and
the Georgia Parent Infant Network for Educational Services (GaPINES). Prior to his current role, Dr.
Moore served as a school level leader at the AASD, GAB, and GSD. He has been a policy analyst,
program specialist, and research and evaluation specialist at the GaDOE. Before joining the GaDOE
in 2001, Dr. Moore was a middle school teacher in Georgia and Florida. He is the co-chair of the
Georgia Pathway to Language and Literacy initiative. Dr. Moore holds a bachelor’s degree from the
University of West Florida in Language Arts/Social Studies, a master’s degree from the University of
West Florida in Educational Leadership, and PhD in Policy Studies and Educational Leadership from
Georgia State University. Dr. Moore’s dissertation research focused on improving the literacy of deaf
students through the use of computer-based learning.
Clare Sullivan, MEd.
ADVISOR
clare7982@gmail.com
Clare is recently retired from her position as the Education Program Manager of Georgia Parent Infant
Network for Educational Services (Georgia PINES) via the Department of Education. She is now a
Part-Time Instructor for Georgia State University and a Georgia PINES Parent Advisor She has many
years of experience working with deaf and hard-of-hearing children and families including state
residential programs, state day school programs, local education programs and Georgia's Universal
Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Program. Helping families realize their child's potential
is her passion. Her favorite past-time is hiking in the mountains or any National Park.
Dr. Frank Nesbit, Ed: K-12
ADVISOR
FNesbit@doe.k12.ga.us
Frank Nesbit is the Georgia Department of Education’s consultant for programs for students who are
Deaf and Hard of Hearing. He has worked with deaf students in schools since 1987, with experience
that includes employment at Gallaudet University, Atlanta Area School for the Deaf, and as a teacher
and administrator within local school systems. He holds professional certification as a Teacher of the
Deaf, as an Educational Interpreter, and as a Director of Special Education with a Master’s degree in
Deaf Education and a Doctorate in Management of Programs for Children and Youth. His federally
supported professional learning projects focus on improving the achievement of all students who are
deaf and hard of hearing.
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What works for your child is what makes the choice right.
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