The CHHA National Conference is an annual conference which brings together all the branches of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association. Every year at the national conference awards are given out to deserving individuals who have shown themselves to be exemplary in furthering the goals and values of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association.
This year at the national conference two of our own, Noreen Brazil and Leanna Rowe received recognition for their achievements.
Noreen Brazil was the recipient of The Marilyn Dahl Award of Merit.
The Marilyn Dahl Award of Merit recognizes a hard of hearing member of CHHA who has contributed outstanding service to the work of the association at the National, Chapter (provincial/territorial) or Branch level.
Noreen has been a long standing member of CHHA & CHHA-NL for many years, and has been an active and important volunteer for the Association. She served for six years on the CHHA-NL Board of Directors from 2007-2013. She has been a member of the CI Implant Resource Group and has been the Chair since 2007. She worked diligently on the development of a Cochlear Implant education & resource manual titled, Hearing with Cochlear Implant Technology: A handbook for Potential Users in Newfoundland and Labrador. More recently, since her term on the board ended, she has been a member of the CHHA-NL Advocacy Working Group which is working to develop Position Papers for CHHA-NL on a number of important issues. She has drafted a paper on CI issues that will soon be published on the CHHA-NL website and sent to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador with a request for action.
Leanna Rowe was the recipient of The Young Adult Award of Excellence.
The purpose of the Young Adult Award of Excellence is to recognize an individual who demonstrates outstanding personal, community, and/or professional activities in the area of hearing loss. CHHA acknowledges that excellent achievement can take many forms such as overcoming personal barriers, advocating for the rights of persons who are hard of hearing, and volunteering in the community and not-for-profit organizations.
Leanna has been a part of the CHHA-NL Youth Group and has been an inspirational and enthusiastic leader for the group. Her enthusiasm in advocating for and providing support to hard of hearing youth across Newfoundland and Labrador has been tremendous. She has also been an outstanding volunteer and supporter of the Association and has been on the CHHA-NL Board of Directors for the past four years. This past year she became part of the Executive when she took on her new role as Secretary.