West Lafayette, IN - Ken Lowder, Au.D. was elected to the chair position of the Audiology Foundation of America (AFA) at the Board meeting held May 20th in Chicago. Dr. Lowder is the first Au.D. degree holder to lead a national audiology organization. Dr. Lowder has a private practice in Iowa City and has been the AFA Vice Chair for the past two years. He was granted the Au.D. degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Outgoing Chair, George Osborne, Ph.D., will remain a director, but will step off the Executive Committee. This will allow him more time to devote to his duties as Dean at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry's School of Audiology. The AFA Board expressed appreciation for his leadership over the past several years. Dr. Osborne was a charter Director of the Foundation and has been instrumental in its success.
AFA's new Vice Chair is Leslie Neal, Ph.D., who practices in Ft. Myers, Florida. She has previously been a professor in the Au.D. program at Ball State University and has practiced in the Chicago and Miami areas. Tabitha C. Parent, Au.D. also stepped off the Executive Committee to devote more time to her duties as Chair of the Au.D. degree program at the Arizona School of Health Sciences. Replacing Dr. Parent as treasurer is Rich Burba, MBA. He is partner and manager of his wife's multi-office audiology practice in suburban Chicago. Formerly, he was Vice President of Finance and Operations for a $60 million division of a Fortune 500 company.
Larry Engelmann of Oklahoma City continues in his role as AFA's secretary. Director Peggy Sheets of New Hampshire recently stepped from the Board to the AFA Advisory Committee after more than six years of excellent service.
Outgoing chair, Dr. Osborne expressed appreciation to all the AFA Directors for their hard work and dedication to the Au.D. movement at the Board meeting. He presented a wooden plaque to each director as a small memento of appreciation. (See photo)
Contact:
Susan Paarlberg
Executive Director
Audiology Foundation of America
Phone: 765-743-6283
Fax: 765-743-9283
Web site: www.audfound.org
