Board of Directors

Julie Miller, M. Ed. , CCC-SLP , ATP - President

She is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association ( AHSA ).

Julie earned her B.A. in Education as well as her M.Ed. at Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos. She has also earned her Assistive Technology Practitioner ( ATP ) from Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America. In the past 6 years, Julie presented at Texas Speech Language Hearing Association ( TSHA ), Assistive Technology Industry Association ( ATIA ), California State University Northridge ( CSUN ) and Region 13 Educational Service Center, Austin. She is an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Communication Disorders, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX. She has been employed as a Speech-Language Pathologist by Austin ISD for the past 24 years and has been on the District Assistive Technology Team during the last 12 years.

Nancy Baden, M.A. , CCC-SLP - Vice President, Chair of Development and Grant Writing Committee

Nancy earned her B.S. and M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and has been a speech/language pathologist for 30 years in Texas and overseas. She has worked in acute care settings, in rehab facilities, in private practices and in the public schools. In Germany, she was a charter member of the Overseas Association of Communication Sciences and served as an officer and presenter during its early years. In Texas she co-directed Camp Chit-Chat, a residential summer camp for children using augmentative/alternative communication systems.

Marilyn Rogers M.A. , CCC-SLP - Secretary/Treasurer

Marilyn graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987 with an MA in Speech and Language Disorders. Her graduate thesis became a publication entitled "A Guide to Instruction in the Use of an Artificial Larynx: A Clinician's Handbook". She continues to provide volunteer services to the New Voice Club, a laryngectomee support group, on a regular basis. In 1999, Marilyn received the Austin Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities' Chairman's Commendation for her leadership in MISAC , an advisory group of disabled persons to the Capitol Metro Transportation Authority. Her leadership skills have earned her various officer positions in the Austin Area Association of Speech-Language Pathologists, and in her neighborhood association. Marilyn has been newly appointed to an Advisory Committee at the University of Texas to oversee a grant for training of graduate students in the Department of Communication Disorders. After 20 years of experience with school age children, Marilyn has recently retired from Austin ISD , but not from life.

Teri Beck - Chair of Volunteers Committee

Teri has over 12 years experience as an administrator at a non-profit organization that delivered services including AT to people with disabilities. In addition, she has over 25 years in special event planning, volunteer management and human resources experience. She has been very active volunteer herself most of her life primarily with disability related organizations, as her youngest sister has a disability.

Donna Dubois, MPH , M. DIV , RN , C - Chair of Equipment Committee

Donna received a Master of Divinity degree from Houston Graduate School of Theology. She has a Master of Public Health degree from the University Of Texas School Of Public Health in Houston. She is a registered nurse and an ordained priest. She is owner of her own legal nurse consulting business and also works as a hospice chaplain.

Sharron Rush - Chair of PR/Marketing Committee, member of Grant Writing Committee.

Sharron is the co-founder and Executive Director of Knowbility, a nonprofit organization that grew from the first Accessibility Internet Rally ( AIR ) in Austin in 1998. Sharron leads the effort to replicate the AIR program in cities throughout the country. Because of AIR, professional Web developers from hundreds of state agencies and technology companies have learned about the benefits, tools, and techniques of accessible Web design. In addition to improving the accessibility of their own work, AIR volunteers use their accessible Web design skills to create sites for more than 500 nonprofit groups, affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals.

Sharron believes strongly in the power of technology to support the independence of people with disabilities - and in the value of dynamic, ongoing collaboration to strengthen communities. She has led Knowbility to national recognition, including appearances on the Oprah Winfrey TV show, "Best Practice" feature at the National Labor Skills Summit, and recognition for excellence and innovation by the Peter F. Drucker Foundation. In April of 2001, she was named one of the Top 25 Women of the Web and in March 2002, she received the Dewey Winburne Award for Community Service through Interactive Media. She is a ComputerWorld Laureate, an advisor to the SXSW Interactive Media Conference, was named Community Tech Champion by the Congressional Black Caucas and co-wrote the book, Maximum Accessibility which is recognized as one of the definitive accessibility resources. Sharron annually assembles the best minds in web accessibility to deliver training conferences that teach and define interactive accessibility from the basics to the bleeding edge.