The Board of Directors of the American Cochlear Implant (ACI) Alliance is pleased to announce the appointment of Donna L. Sorkin as Executive Director effective November 13, 2012. After an extensive national search, Dr. John K. Niparko, Chairman of the Board of Directors, noted “Ms. Sorkin brings an unrivaled personal commitment to the mission of ACI Alliance; to advance access to the gift of hearing provided by cochlear implantation through research, advocacy and awareness, and a wealth of experience in impassioned advocacy related to the needs of children and adults with hearing loss. We view the needs of the Alliance aligning with Ms. Sorkin’s strengths in strategic advocacy and look forward to her leadership and impact”.
Ms. Sorkin brings a wealth of experience from her work in the non-profit arena having served as Executive Director of two of the premier hearing health associations, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (now known as Hearing Loss Association of America). She has worked with patients, families, health professionals, educators, federal, state and local officials; researchers and others to increase understanding of key hearing loss issues impacting both children and adults. As a cochlear implant recipient herself, Ms. Sorkin has often spoken of her experiencing “first-hand the extraordinary power of the evolving technology“
Working with volunteer boards has been a mainstay of Ms. Sorkin’s professional career, first in the urban and governmental affairs realm and later in the field of hearing loss. A graduate of Harvard University where she received her Master of City Planning and Public Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School she worked with public officials and volunteers from the business, university, and non-profit sectors to carry out strategic initiatives, borrowing from corporate strategic planning approaches.
As the immediate past Vice President, Consumer Affairs for Cochlear Americas, Ms. Sorkin developed legislative and advocacy programs to expand reimbursement of cochlear implantation via private and governmental insurance programs. She also created the unique and highly regarded HOPE program to provide support to professionals who work with children in educational or therapeutic settings and to improve their knowledge and skills in working with children with cochlear implants. The HOPE program is now utilized by many graduate programs in audiology, speech language pathology, deaf education and early childhood education around the world.
She has served on numerous boards and councils including Gallaudet University Advisory Board, Hearing Loss Association of America, U.S. Access Board (as an appointee of President Clinton), Council of Organizational Representatives, WGBH Center for Accessible Media, National Institute on Deafness Advisory Council, Knowles Center, Northwestern University and the Colorado Neurological Institute, Center for Hearing.
Ms. Sorkin has written and contributed to articles appearing in major publications as well as speaking throughout the country at symposiums, conferences and seminars focused on hearing loss and cochlear implants.
Based in Washington, D.C. Ms. Sorkin is the first Executive Director of the newly established ACI Alliance, a non-profit organization focused on eliminating barriers to cochlear implantation through research, advocacy and awareness for people of all ages throughout the U.S. For further information on the work of ACI Alliance and its mission please visit www.acialliance.org.
