Board Members

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Board Members

Nancy Lelewer Sonnabend

Nancy Lelewer Sonnabend first became acquainted with SHHH (now HLAA) through her parents as her mother was profoundly hard of hearing and served on the national board of trustees for nine years. This brought Nancy in contact with founder Rocky Stone and his wife Ahme, and she also attended several of the early conferences. Later Nancy became deaf in her left ear and profoundly hard of hearing in her right ear. 

Nancy graduated Sarah Lawrence College in 1957 and was a member of the Smith College exchange program in Madrid from 1955-1956. Her diverse background includes inventor; researcher at MIT and Harvard Medical School; founding director of Permobil of Americal, (today renamed USA Permobil) the world’s leading computerized wheelchair company; lecturer; writer and specialty in dyslexia and other learning differences. She currently has two books on the market: SOMETHING’S NOT RIGHT: One family’s struggle with learning disabilities and THE LELEWER LEGACY, Traditions of a Loving Family. Nancy has served on several boards and chaired two of them. 

Nancy lives in Boston, MA, has four grown children and eight grandchildren. She was appointed to the HLAA Board of Trustees in June 2010. 

Committees:  Ms. Sonnabend serves on the Fund Raising Committee.

Mark Spradley

Mark Spradley is managing director of Mazao Capital LLC, a private equity firm.  Mr. Spradley is currently in charge of developing new business opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa for Mazao Capital and its portfolio companies. His responsibilities include ensuring that portfolio companies achieve annual cost savings, revenue generation and cash acceleration goals.

Before joining Mazao Capital, Mr. Spradley was a vice president with UBS Financial Services. At UBS, he advised corporations, non-profits and ultra-high net worth individuals on asset allocation and security selection.  He previously served as a financial advisor with Legg Mason.

Mr. Spradley holds a MBA awarded to him by the University of London and a MBA from the TRIUM Program, which was jointly issued by NYU Stern School of Business, London School of Economics and H.E.C School of Management, Paris. Mr. Spradley received a M.A. from American University and he earned his B.S degree from Howard University.

In January 2012, Mr. Spradley began using the SoundBite Prosthetic Hearing Device, a non-surgical bone conduction prosthetic device that transmits sound via the teeth for the treatment of single sided deafness and conductive hearing loss.

Mr. Spradley brings to the HLAA Board of Trustees experience and expertise in finance, strategic planning, investments and development. He was elected to the HLAA Board of Trustees in March of 2012.

Valerie Stafford-Mallis

Valerie is the Business Development Manager for Alternative Communication Services (ACS) LLC.  Prior to joining ACS, she served as Health Educator Consultant for the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (FCCDHH). Valerie is an oral, late-deafened adult who uses bi-lateral cochlear implants. She also utilizes many other types of assistive technology in her activities of daily living. As a person who lost her hearing while she was still in the workforce, Valerie has experienced first-hand the struggles faced by all persons with disabilities to maintain employment, independence and full-participation in public-life. 

Valerie conducts trainings and advises and educates public and private organizations on methods that improve communication access for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and deaf-blind. She has presented widely at the national, state, and local level to conventions, professional associations, continuing education organizations, employers, healthcare providers, law enforcement and public safety organizations, and businesses. She also provided subject matter expertise by serving on a number of state councils, commissions, and task forces in Florida.

Valerie is active in the deaf and hard of hearing community. She was appointed to the  HLAA Board of Trustees in May 2013 and serves on the board of trustees of the Sarasota Chapter. She is a member of the Association of Late-Deafened Adults and chairs the Outreach Committee. She was nominated by Communication Access Inc. for its 2013 Hearing Loss Advocate of the Year. She also supports the Humane Society of Manatee County. 

Alyssa Terk, M.D.

Dr. Alyssa Terk specializes in treating infants, children and adolescents with medical and surgical diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. She has particular interest in airway disorders, otitis media, hearing loss, ear infections, voice disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, tonsillitis and sinus diseases.

Dr. Terk received her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and completed her internship and residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut where she also served as Chief Resident. Dr. Terk was then an attending otolaryngologist at Pediatric Otolaryngology, LLC.

Dr. Terk was a fellow in Pediatric Otolaryngology at A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Delaware and most recently joined the Section of Otolaryngology at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. She is board-certified in Otolaryngology and is an active member of the America Academy of Otolaryngology.

She has hereditary progressive sensorineural hearing loss and has worn bilateral hearing aids since age 18 and now has bilateral cochlear implants (the first in 2009, the second in 2011).

Dr. Terk was appointed to the HLAA Board of Trustees in November 2011.

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