Division for Professional Affairs

Division for Professional Affairs

Lynne Cameron - Vice President

 DEI Committee

 Ethics Education Committee

 Evidence-Based Practice Committee

 Multicultural Topics Committee

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Committee

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The mission of the DE&I Committee is to help build an organization that fosters diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging to all Illinois speech-language pathology professionals, students, and other stakeholders and promotes deep knowledge of cultural diversity, humility, responsiveness and respect in all areas of practice for the communities we serve.

  • Nicole Bing, Co-Chair

  • Angela Riccelli, Co-Chair

  • Katie Gore

  • David Frazier

  • Valerie Brosius

  • Sharon Rzyski

  • Sayida Baste

  • Brenda Gorman

  • Kelly McCormick

  • Amy Rajsky

  • Camille O'Quin

  • Sabina Walker

  • Juhi Kidwai

Goals:

  • Amplify the voices of the minorities within our profession, while bringing attention to inclusivity.

  • Create safe spaces to discuss issues pertaining to DEI in the workplace, classroom, and clinics. 

Indicators of Success:

  • Continue DEI Office Hours. 

  • Partner with other committees, events within ISHA/ASHA/other State Speech and Hearing Associations

  • Provide resources and support to ISHA Executive Board and other Committees as requested, expecially for ongoing programs (e.g., Ethics contest) that wnt to include a DEI Component. 

  • Provide regular content for the ISHA Voice, educating members about DEI issues related to the professions, and maintaining DEI as a front-and-center focus area. 

Ethics Education Committee

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The Ethics Education Committee of ISHA strives to educate members regarding issues that support ethical practice in speech-language pathology and audiology and serves to inform members of proposed and/or approved modifications to the ASHA Code of Ethics and the impact on professional practice.

  • Amy Burke, Co-Chair

  • Christina Panzl, Co-Chair

  • Michelle Zemsky Dineen

  • Judith Ball

  • Danielle Osmelak

  • Kristen Chmela

  • Kyle Pelkey

  • Laura A. Wilber

  • Kimberly Hoffer

  • Elaine Rau

  • Elissa Larkin

Goals:

  • Focus area - Professional Development/Continuing Education: Provide resources to professionals practicing within the fields of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology to aid in understanding, avoiding, or resolving ethical issues and/or expanding members’ understanding of ethics in professional practice. 

  • Focus area - Support/Service: Provide community support by acting as a resource to the local and state-wide communities in which we serve regarding ethical questions and or concerns in the practice within the fields of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

  • Focus area - Awareness: Promote awareness of ethics for current and future professionals via student day, speaker suggestions, and submitted sessions as appropriate; explore avenues for recognizing/promoting attendees who ask ethics related questions in non-ethics sessions.

  • Focus area - Collaboration: Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with NSSLHA and other committees via publications and/ or projects to facilitate education and infusion of ethical content within a broader context.

Indicators of Success:

  • Maintain and increase membership of active participants on the committee

  • Establish a stronger social media presence to provide education and facilitate discussion

  • Provide ethics-related newsletter content at least quarterly

  • Present an engaging and interactive session at the 2026 ISHA Convention

  • Respond to 100% of ethical inquiries

Evidence-Based Practice Committee

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The Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) committee of ISHA acts to inform and educate members and the public on Evidence-Based Practice.  This includes evolving views on EBP, skills and resources for overcoming barriers to effective implementation, and practical ideas for incorporating all elements of EBP in clinical decision-making.

  • Thomas Giza, Co- Chair
  • Valerie Heneghan, Co-Chair
  • Mary Bacon
  • Victoria Reynolds
  • Allison Bouma
  • Maria Yakos
  • Sandra Shigetomi-Toyama
  • Eileen M. Brann
  • Lisa LaGorio
  • Laurel Teller
  • Katie Gurklis
  • Anna Manilla

  • The EBP will provide article reviews every 3 months for dissemination via ISHA social media. Each review will address evidence-based practice. 

  • The EBP Committee will propose at least one seminar for the 2026 ISHA Convention. Ideas include using AI for research navigation as well as feeding therapy in the NICU. These topics were suggested by ISHA members during the 2025 ISHA Convention

  • The EBP Committee will continue to endeavor to answer ISHA members’ questions relating to evidence-based practice

  • The EBP will create a space for an ISHA student representative to join our ISHA annual in-person meeting at the next conference in 2026

  • The EBP Committee will develop a journal club that would meet every 3 months. ISHA Membership would have access this for potential CE credit.

Multicultural Topics Committee

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The goal of the ISHA Multicultural Topics Committee is to promote best practice principles while assessing and treating multicultural and multilingual populations throughout the state of Illinois.

  • Sharon Rzyski, Co-Chair

  • Justine King, Co-Chair

  • Mari Bliss

  • Agata Guzek

  • Valerie Brosius

  • Camille Byrd O'Quin

  • Heather Driscoll

  • Maria Yakos

  • Maria Claudia Franca

  • Paula Stone

  • Juhi Kidwai

  • Becky Dressendorfer
  • Christina Horde
  • Kelly Nichele
  • Nicole Bing
  • Angela Riccelli
  • Sabina Walker

  • Gather and disseminate information from Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD) for ensuring multicultural topics in undergraduate and graduate curriculum.

  • Gather and disseminate information from ASHA and state legislation for providing multicultural services to our client population.

  • Collaborate with DEI committee to set up informational sessions. We can start by planning 3 events, 45 minutes each, marketed on Facebook and Instagram, that talk about:

    • Current curriculum info and how well it is being implemented

    • Current policy info and how well it is implemented in Illinois.

    • Current multicultural practices in school, hospital, and university clinics in Illinois.

    • Convert these presentations as ISHA voice article and publish them.