HIA Elects '11 Leaders

At its 2011 Annual Meeting earlier this month, HIA elected Todd Murray, GN ReSound, to a full, two-year term as Chair of the HIA Board. Murray, previously HIA Vice Chair, had moved into that position at the start of the year following the resignation of his predecessor. Leaders elected at the meeting and joining Murray on the Executive Committee are HIA Vice Chair Michael Orscheln, Phonak and Secretary Treasurer Robert Tong, ON Semiconductor;Jerry Ruzicka, Starkey continues as Immediate Past Chair and Carole Rogin completes the Executive Committee as Executive Director. Directors re-elected to HIA's Board include Peer Lauritsen, Oticon and Robert Tong, ON Semiconductor.

The meeting opened with a presentation by Heather Rosecrans, Medical Device Manufacturers Association. Previously, Rosecrans was the director of FDA's 510(k) Program;currently a focus of the Agency's restructuring initiatives and the process through which new hearing aids are cleared. She gave those present a clear picture of the Agency's structure and processes, a perspective that will be of value to all hearing aid manufacturers.

Lucille Beck, PhD, provided her comprehensive annual update on the Veterans Administration priorities and the VA's Hearing Aid Program, outlining the continued growth and expansion of that program and highlighting some of the procedural enhancements being made to the VA's dispensing protocol. Other important sessions featured HIA FCC Special Counsel Peter Tannenwald, Fletcher Heald, and HLAA's Lise Hamlin on hearing aid/cell phone compatibility, Michele Fusco, Amplifon, on the newly-organized National Hearing Industry Alliance (NHIA), and the annual updates from the Better Hearing Institute and each of the allied organizational partners present at the meeting. Copies of the presentations are available in the member's section of www.hearing.org and may be used for reference and informational purposes only, and not reproduced for use by any entity other than the presenter.

The HIA Board met prior to the meeting and approved the 2011 HIA Annual Budget with the second year, 5% dues increase approved in 2010 and expenses that will not exceed the prior year. The Board also engaged in a strategic planning process for both HIA and BHI about which member will hear more as it moves along. A copy of the Budget, as approved, may be reviewed in the Member's section of www.hearing.org (under "Governance").