Connect With A Mentor
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Cindy Gordon
I have been a Rehabilitation Practitioner for 35+ years working with a multitude of disabilities. The past 30 years I have focused on hearing loss, advocacy and seminars. I am presently the executive Director for The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association-Edmonton Branch and is a Speech Reading Instructor.
I have been profoundly hard of hearing since youth. She has won several city, provincial and national awards for her involvement in this field.
Personally I wear a cochlear implant for 9 years and a hearing aid in the other ear for 45 years.
Married with 4 children, 3 daughters’ in laws, 1 son in law to be, 2 granddaughters, 3 grand-puppies and a dog herself; her life is full of beautiful sounds!!
Adrienne Miller
Adrienne Miller has been employed at RBC where she has worked for over 10 years in a multitude of roles. In addition to the day-to-day, she volunteers with a number of employee-led committees including one that aims to support persons with disabilities.
Adrienne was born with profound bilateral hearing loss and has been wearing hearing aids since a young age.
Don Halpert
My career has been as a Human Resources Professional in the Hospital Industry. I retired in 2013.
I bought my first hearing aids when I was 40 years old. Over the years my hearing loss has been “progressive”. In the HR field, hearing is very important. I went through several generations of hearing aids until 2002 when I had the surgery for my Cochlear Implant. I understand the challenges of work and home when you have difficulty hearing.
For several years I was on the AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) Advisory Council for Ontario. We advised on setting the standards to assure that people with disabilities have access to the benefits of society. I am currently on the Customer Service Committee reviewing those standards to assure they are current.
I have been a member of CHHA for over 30 years. I was on the Board of Governors and the National Treasurer for several years.
I’m a trained Speechreading Instructor. Having offered several courses here in North Bay, I know firsthand the challenges of progressive hearing loss. During my classes, I have been asked for advice on a myriad of issues related to hearing loss.
When I started losing my hearing, I understood little about hearing loss. But I educated myself quickly and was able to complete a successful career in HR.
I volunteered to be a mentor for CHHA because I have a wealth of experience about the challenges associated with hearing loss at home, at work and socially.
Leona Fields
I am a proud member of the deaf and hard of hearing community, eager to support others through the advocacy and empowerment that CHHA offers. Being deaf with a cochlear implant in my left ear and a hearing aid in my right, I’ve navigated personal hearing challenges for over 35 years due to a virus and Meniere’s disease.
In my professional life, I bring over 20 years of experience in finance, managing pension fund investments at York University in Toronto. My role encompasses budgeting, expense monitoring, and serving as Secretary for the Board of Trustees. I’ve also been an active volunteer and former board member at the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, where I contributed significantly to fundraising efforts, helping to raise over $120,000.
Andrea Lepore
I am a certified teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, accessibility professional, and inclusion advocate in Montreal, Quebec. I currently work as an itinerant educational specialist, supporting mainstream students with hearing loss in elementary and high school. I have also worked as an elementary classroom teacher during my 17+ career in the field of deaf education.
At 10 years of age, I was diagnosed with a progressive sensorineural hearing loss and fitted with bilateral hearing aids. I now use cochlear implants to help me listen and communicate. These experiences have no doubt influenced my passion for information and communication access, advocacy, and inclusive design, as well as my desire to mentor others on their hearing loss journeys.
I believe in the power of connection through story sharing, and its positive impact on helping those with hearing loss feel that they are heard, their experiences validated, and their lives valued as equal members of society. I live by the term ‘Deaf Gain’, which alludes to the myriad ways d/Deaf and hard of hearing people have thrived and contributed to the world, not in spite of their deafness or hearing loss, but because of it.
Tony Bohemier
I’m a 43-year-old associate at a major retail company where I’ve been fortunate to advocate for better workplace support and accessibility. Let me share a bit about my journey:
- Married and a Parent: Balancing work and family life is essential to me. As a proud parent of one child, I understand the importance of creating an inclusive environment for everyone.
- Hard of Hearing: My personal experience with hearing challenges has fuelled my passion for advocating for accessibility. I believe that workplaces should accommodate diverse needs, ensuring that everyone can thrive.
- Championing Workplace Support: Over the years, I’ve actively campaigned for better workplace policies. I’m proud to say that my employer now supports American Sign Language (ASL) courses, which empowers employees like me to communicate effectively.
- Project Involvement: I’ve been part of two impactful projects:
- Employment Access Framework: Collaborating with colleagues, we’ve worked to break down barriers and create equal opportunities for all.
- Accessible Navigation to Employment: Navigating the job market can be challenging, especially for those with unique needs. I’ve contributed to making employment pathways more accessible.
- ASL Journey: I’ve completed ASL 1 and 2, and I’m eagerly looking forward to enrolling in ASL 3 this May. Learning ASL has not only improved my communication but also deepened my understanding of inclusivity.
As I continue my educational journey, I remain committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels valued and heard. Let’s build a more accessible world together!
Deb Maloon
I graduated as an audiologist from the University of Cape Town in 1981 and moved to Canada in 1989, where I continued my career working almost exclusively with adults until retiring in 2018. In 2011, my husband and I took a six-month sabbatical to return to South Africa on a volunteer basis to give back to the country where we received our education. During this time, I worked on a project dedicated to developing a solar-powered hearing aid battery charger.
Upon returning to Canada, I helped initiate the Hear4U Foundation, which redistributes used, functioning hearing aids to those in need who cannot afford them. I experience mild to moderately severe high-frequency hearing loss myself. Since 2019, I have been a board member of CHHA and am enthusiastic about my role as a mentor, eager to support and guide others in the community.
Cathy Olynyk
I was born and raised in Toronto and diagnosed with sensory-neural hearing loss in both ears at 30 months old, starting to wear body hearing aids shortly after. My educational journey began at age 4 in an oral deaf school, progressing to a regular public school by grades 3 and 4, and fully integrating into the public school system from grade 5.
After high school, I pursued nursing at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, later completing my B.Sc.N. at Laurentian University. For 35 years, I specialized in mental health and psychiatry, working across Toronto, Victoria, Nunavut, and The Pas, MB, where I now live with my four cats and one dog. Though retired for over seven years, I’m currently taking online courses to return to nursing practice.
I’ve been actively involved with CHHA since its early days, attending its first major conference in 1983, and have held a board position with the Victoria branch in the 1990s. My involvement continues in Manitoba, where Zoom meetings have enhanced our ability to connect and participate.
Debbie Quinn
Debbie has had a hearing loss in both ears since her early 20’s and was diagnosed with a severe/profound hearing loss in her early 30’s. Over the years she has worn hearing aids, received her first CI in March 2003 and her second CI in March 2021. Debbie has been a Mentor for over 20 years and has shared her hearing journey with other CI candidates and recipients during this time and was recently promoted to the position of Community Coordinator in Canada with her CI Company. She is also a member of the CI Support Group in Ottawa. Debbie enjoys spreading awareness about hearing loss technology and encouraging others to a new world of hearing.
Debbie worked for the City of Ottawa, OC Transpo, for 38 years prior to her retirement in 2018. She worked in various Management roles including HR, LR, Transit Operations and Maintenance. Since retirement, she moved into the role of Office Manager for her husband’s Landscaping and Forestry Company.
She has been happily married for 35+ years and is very fortunate to have her family of two children and three young grandchildren live close by.
