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Twila Latini, MA
Twila has served as a Sound Start Specialist and LAP-DHH professional for the Kansas School for the Deaf since 2017. A Nationally Certified ASL Assessor and Trainer, she is also the President-Elect for the Kansas Division for Early Childhood. Through her side business, TwilaSIGNS, she provides expert workshops and training for families and professionals. Outside her career, Twila is an outdoor enthusiast who balances professional excellence with a deep passion for nature.
Julie Rems-Smario, Ed.D.
Dr. Rems-Smario co-coordinates California's Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program, called LEAD-K Family Services. She advocates for early language acquisition milestones laws for deaf infants and young children, and co-founded CoFusion Group to address educational inequities through abolitionist work. She was honored by CNN Heroes and E-Women Network for DeafHope, which supports Deaf survivors of abuse. She and her spouse enjoy time with their grandchildren and chihuahuas in California.
Bobbie Jo Kite, Ph.D.
Dr. Bobbie Jo Kite is a Full Professor in the Department of Education at Gallaudet University. Her research centers on Family Language Planning & Policy and Multilingual Education, with a focus on supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families through inclusive language practices. A second-generation Deaf scholar, she is deeply committed to fostering equitable, accessible opportunities for all children.
Razi M. Zarchy, SLPD, CCC-SLP
Razi Zarchy (he/him) is an ASL-fluent speech-language pathologist (SLP) who lives and works in California. He worked directly with deaf and hard of hearing children and their families for 12 years, particularly in early intervention and preschool, and now teaches future SLPs and audiologists at the university level. Razi is a co-author of ASL at Home, a family-centered ASL curriculum.
Malibu Barron, Ph.D. Candidate
Malibu (she/her) is a Multiracial Deaf woman completing her PhD in Educational and Community Leadership at Texas State University. She is a proud mother of three Deaf children: Jack, Avanti, and Gemera. Malibu works at the National Deaf Center and co-owns The Barron Keller Impact (consultation and training) and has served on the ASDC Board since 2021. She believes that change starts with herself and that education, early intervention, language acquisition, mental health, and systemic oppression shape lived experience and opportunities for Deaf children.
Dr. Petra M. Horn-Marsh
Petra M. Horn-Marsh, PhD is a professor of practice in ASL and Deaf Studies at the University of Kansas Edwards Campus (KUEC). On the community level, she is a Coordinator of ASL Curriculum Instruction and Assessment (ASL CIA), of National American Sign Language Education of Heritage Language Learners (NASLEHL). Petra has served on the SB 323 Advisory Committee to develop a statewide Language Assessment Program for deaf and hard-of-hearing children ages 0-8. Petra and Kester co-wrote a chapter “ASL Immersion I and II” in the recent publication “58-In-Mind”. She holds a BA in Secondary Education and History from Gallaudet University, an MA in History and PhD in Sociology from Utah State University, an MA in Educational Leadership from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and a Deaf Education certificate from the University of Kansas.
Matt Hall
Dr. Matt Hall (he/him) is an Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences & Disorders at Temple University, where he directs the First Language Foundations Lab. He applies knowledge from cognitive/developmental psychology, linguistics, speech-language pathology, and public health to questions that concern DHH children. He is committed to increasing the quality of the empirical evidence so that clinicians and families can make better-informed decisions toward the shared goal of promoting the long-term and holistic well-being of DHH children.
Danelle Gournaris, M.A., M.S.
Danelle Gournaris is an experienced advocate and leader in deaf education and services. As the Collaborative Plan Program Director with the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing, she leads a statewide initiative to improve educational and career outcomes for students from birth to age 22. Danelle previously managed Lifetrack’s Deaf Mentor Family Program for 10 years, expanding services statewide, supervising 30 Deaf Mentors, and supporting over 325 families. She has over 20 years of experience partnering with families, educators, and agencies to advance equitable outcomes for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students.
Melissa Malzkuhn
Melissa Malzkuhn is a Deaf creative strategist, social innovator, artist and leader with over two decades of experience reimagining education, media, and technology through a bilingual, equity-centered lens. As Founder and Director of Motion Light Lab and Co-Director of the Visual Language and Visual Learning Center at Gallaudet University, she has led globally recognized projects that drive change, build Deaf representation and amplify sign language access, immersive learning, and inclusive design. She is an Obama Fellow, an Ashoka Fellow, a 2024 Elevate Prize winner, and was recognized in Forbes’ inaugural Accessibility 100 list.
Claire Bugen
Claire Bugen is the Interim Executive Director of the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD), a national professional organization that advocates for excellence in education for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. In 2023, she retired after a 49-year career at the Texas School for the Deaf, including 25 years as Superintendent/CEO, a tenure that garnered her numerous accolades, including the Outstanding Woman in Texas Government Award and the Robert R. Davila Award of Merit. Claire served as Vice-Chair of the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees and was recently honored with the title of Trustee Emeritus.
Leslie Manjarrez
Leslie(she/her) is a trilingual hearing professional using English, Spanish and ASL from California. Leslie has experience in Deaf Ed spanning infant to adult within a variety of environments including home, school and online. She has worked as a Teacher of the Deaf, Early Interventionist, Child Life Specialist, Interpreter and Co-Director of a Camp for Deaf Children. Leslie believes that children are as diverse as the cities we each live in and strives to continue to learn skills with a lens on equity and justice.
Lynette Mattiacci
Lynette Mattiacci (she/her) is an Early Intervention Project Manager at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University. She holds a master's in Special Education from Arcadia University and a bachelor's in Early Childhood Education from Gallaudet, along with an Early Intervention Studies graduate certificate. With two decades of experience in Deaf Education, she has worked as an early intervention provider and program coordinator, providing birth to three services to families with deaf and hard of hearing children. Lynette has served on local and state advisory groups and her greatest passion is empowering families to be their deaf and hard of hearing child's most powerful advocates. As a product of early intervention herself, Lynette credits it with playing a vital role in laying the foundation for her language development and success.
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