Board Members

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Board Members

Diana D. Bender, Ph.D. - President

Diana Bender is a graduate of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA. She received her master’s and doctorate degrees in organic chemistry at the University of Munich, Munich, Germany. In her professional career she worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Delaware, followed by 21 years as a research chemist and product manager at a Philadelphia area specialty chemicals company. She was first diagnosed with a progressive hearing loss at the age of 10 and received a cochlear implant in 2004. 

She has been a member of HLAA since 1995. She served as the chapter president of the Montgomery County, PA chapter from1997 until 2001 and has been the editor of that chapter’s newsletter since 1997. She has been a member of the HLA-PA Advisory Council since the state office originated in 2001 and has served as the state director of HLA-PA since 2004. From 2004 – 2006 she represented HLAA on the Courthouse Access Advisory Committee, a committee convened by the U.S. Access Board. She has served on several state advisory committees in Pennsylvania and is a graduate of the Gallaudet University Peer Mentoring Program. 

Committees:   Dr. Bender serves on the Executive Committee as well as the Strategy Planning Committee.

James J. DeCaro, Ph.D. - Vice President

James DeCaro is a professor at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, one of eight colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology. He is the director of NTID’s Postsecondary Education Network-International (PEN-International), a multinational collaborative network of colleges and universities serving deaf students that is funded by more than $10 million in grants from The Nippon Foundation of Japan. DeCaro is also director of the NTID Center on Access Technology, a center that focuses on the application of innovative technologies to facilitate access to educational setting for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

Prior to holding these posts he served as dean of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf for 14 academic years; two of those years as interim director and CEO. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering and a Ph.D. in instructional technology. 

DeCaro has been a Rotary International Scholar at University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (England) and a Fulbright Senior Scholar at Orebro University (Sweden). He holds an honorary professorship at Tianjin University of Technology (China). DeCaro was also awarded an honorary doctoral degree by Bauman Moscow State Technical University (Russia). In 2008 he received the FESCO award of Japan for his service to humanity. 

Roy Kulick, M.D. - Treasurer

Dr. Kulick is an MBA-trained physician with over 20 years experience in healthcare delivery and a broad range of medical-related businesses. While at Procter & Gamble and Ethicon Endo-Surgery/J&J, he led the development and execution of strategic clinical research programs and innovative clinical trial designs for a broad spectrum of pharmaceutical and medical device technologies. He is currently Owner/Principal Consultant at ConneXion LIfeSciences LLC, a consulting firm focused on assisting emerging medical technology companies.

Dr. Kulick received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his residency and fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Medicine and is a member of the associate staff at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Dr. Kulick also completed a M.S. in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis at the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. at Xavier University in Cincinnati. 

Dr. Kulick is late-deafened and has bilateral cochlear implants. He is involved in local advocacy and serves on the executive board of the Greater Cincinnati Hearing, Speech and Deaf Center. In addition, Dr. Kulick is a member of MED-EL's patient support team.

Dr. Kulick was nominated to the HLAA Board of Trustees in November 2011.

Zachary S. La Fratta - Secretary

Zac La Fratta is clinical doctorate student at Gallaudet University’s audiology program. Zac has a bachelor’s degree in Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems from George Mason University, and completed post-baccalaureate coursework in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is currently an instructor for the Gallaudet University Peer Mentoring Certificate Program. 

Zac has been a member of HLAA since 2007 and formerly served as Vice-President for the HLAA-Boulder Chapter. He is the currently President of the HLA-DC Chapter. He serves on the Executive Committee for HearingLossNation, an online community for young adults with hearing loss. He has a severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss acquired from exposure to bacterial meningitis at eight months of age. 

As a young adult serving on the board of trustees, Zac represents the voice for young adults with hearing loss. Zac was appointed to the HLAA board in June 2010. 

Committees:  Mr. La Fratta serves on the Membership Committee. 

Michael H. Stone - Stone Family Representative

Michael H. Stone is employed by Donatelli Development. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Wheeling Jesuit, a master’s degree in International and Strategic Affairs from Georgetown University, a law degree from Antioch, and a L.L.M. in Securities Regulation from Georgetown University. He started his career on Capitol Hill as the legislative director to Representative James L. Oberstar (D-MN). He later became a Washington lobbyist representing Fortune 500 companies. He has worked as Deputy Counsel for the Federal Asset Disposition Association (renamed the Resolution Trust Corporation) which is a part of the administrative branch of government. In 1990 he entered private practice and co-founded Mobile Communications Holdings, Inc., which received a license to provide satellite-based telecommunications service. In 1995 he co-founded Eagle Eye, Inc., a company which provides satellite-based tracking services. He has also taught history at a private school and served as an advisor to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. 

Mr. Stone has written numerous book reviews for Best Sellers magazine, has been an adjunct professor of law at George Mason University and has served on numerous corporate boards of directors. As the Rocky Stone family representative to the Board he brings a unique historical perspective of the organization’s history and a passion for people with hearing loss to the board. In addition he also brings legal experience and problem-solving skills. 

He served on the first Board of the organization, then called Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH). He has served his current term since 2005. 

Committees:  As Treasurer, Mr. Stone serves as chair of the Finance Committee, and serves on the Executive, Strategy Planning, Nominating, and Rocky Stone Scholarship Committees.

Pete C. Fackler - Past President

Pete Fackler is a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst). He has an A.B. in economics from Duke University and a M.B.A. from the University of Michigan’s Graduate School of Business. Pete’s career spanned nearly 30 years in higher education where he mixed classroom teaching with administrative assignments in virtually all of the operating areas of the academic enterprise. Retiring in 2003, he is now a private investor with an emerging interest in options trading. 

Pete received a cochlear implant in 2004 and about the same time discovered the Hearing Loss Association of America. He is active with the HLAA Rochester chapter and, in 2009, co-chaired the Walk4Hearing committee and is chair of the theater committee which has successfully worked to bring captioned live theater to Rochester. He is a founding member of the finance (investment) committee of the Maine Health Access Foundation. Pete brings to the HLAA board of trustees experience and expertise in finance, strategic planning, and marketing and development. He was appointed to the HLAA Board of Trustees in March of 2007 and elected to a seat in June of 2007. 

Committees:  Mr. Fackler chairs the Executive Committee and serves as an ex officio member of the Finance, Nominating, Strategy Planning, Membership and Fund Raising committees.

Toni Iacolucci

Toni Iacolucci currently works part-time in donor services at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. She worked for several years as a social work administrator, supervising adolescent group facilities in New York City. As a second career, Ms. Iacolucci produced and managed non-profit dance companies and was a founding partner of Orbis Design Group, an event design company based in Manhattan. 

Toni joined the HLAA-Manhattan Chapter after becoming profoundly deaf in 2006. She has served on the Manhattan Chapter Planning and Advocacy Committees and was recently appointed NY Downstate Chapter Coordinator. She co-chaired the NYC Walk4Hearing for two years, and has served as team coordinator since the first NYC Walk in 2008. Toni has worked to bring CART to city agencies and captioning to outdoor film festivals in New York City.

Toni holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Adelphi University and a master’s degree in social work from Hunter College. She is also a graduate of the Gallaudet University Peer Mentoring program. 

She was elected to the HLAA Board of Trustees in March of 2012.

Jeannette E. Kanter

Jeannette E. Kanter has an M.S.S.S. from Boston University School of Social Work and has worked as a social worker and a marriage and family therapist. She coordinated a graduate program in Community Services at the University of Rochester supervising the field work component. In addition she served as coordinator for Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She is an active member of the HLA Rochester Chapter, having served on many committees and as secretary, vice president and president. Most recently she has organized and facilitated an HLAA Cochlear Implant Group which is a sub-group of the Rochester Chapter. She brings skills in the areas of advocacy, mental and physical health, education and cochlear implants to the board. 

For over 30 years, Ms. Kanter wore hearing aids, but in 2000 she received a cochlear implant which “gave me back my life.” She can now use the telephone, hear music, listen to the radio, but most importantly, she can hear her grandchildren and the birds. She still delights in hearing new sounds and considers the cochlear implant her most important miracle in recent years. She has been on the HLAA Board of Trustees since 2005. 

Committees:  Ms. Kanter serves on the Membership and Fund Raising Committees. 

Patricia Kricos, Ph.D.

Patricia Kricos, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus in the field of audiology at the University of Florida. She graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with her bachelor degree, and obtained her master’s and Ph.D. degrees at Ohio State University. Her major clinical and research interests are in audiologic rehabilitation, especially for adults. Dr. Kricos taught at the University of Florida (UF) for 31 years and continues to conduct research and to oversee Living with Hearing Loss programs at UF. During her tenure as a professor of audiology at UF, she served for five years as the Director of the UF Center for Gerontological Studies. Prior to moving to Florida, she taught for five years at the University of Akron, and two years as an educational audiologist in Sarasota, Florida.

Dr. Kricos is past-president of the American Academy of Audiology and past-president of the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, and she served as Chair of the American Board of Audiology Board of Governors. She serves on the Advisory Council of the Better Hearing Institute and the Ida Institute, and as professional advisor for the Hearing Loss Association of Florida Board of Trustees.

Paul Lurie

Paul Lurie is an equity partner in the Chicago office of the law firm of Schiff Hardin LLP. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and its law school. He specializes in arbitration and mediation for the construction industry. He is involved in many local not-for-profit companies involved in the arts and has served roles such as general counsel and chair of capital campaign committees. He is past chair and current member of the Executive Committee of The Family Institute at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, a clinical and research institution specializing in issues of mental health of individuals in families. He is a trustee of the Foundation for Hearing and Speech Research in Chicago, an organization that supports pediatric cochlear implants. He is a long-time member of the Cochlear Corporation’s Consumer Advocate Panel. 

Mr. Lurie was responsible for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance of the FBI Washington, D.C., tour facility for people with communication disabilities, for landline telephone compliance of the Amtrak station in Springfield, IL, and for an assistive listening system in a local major performing arts facility. He brings to the board experience in advocacy, cochlear implants, hearing assistive technology, mental health and legal issues. He has been on the board since 2006. 

Committees:  Mr. Lurie serves as chair of the Fund Raising Committee as well as the Strategy Planning and Nominating Committees.

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