Alexandria, Va. (January 12, 2006)--The Better Hearing Institute (BHI) elected Brian Kinnerk, President of Unitron Hearing US, to a one-year term as President. The election was held December 5th in New York City, NY. Kinnerk has served on BHI's Board as Vice President for one year and worked in the hearing industry for 17 years. In accepting this position, Mr. Kinnerk stated, "I have tremendous optimism about the future of the Better Hearing Institute and its ability to influence people with hearing loss to seek a solution for their hearing loss earlier in life. Thanks to the tireless efforts of past president Mikael Worning (Oticon) along with Executive Director Sergei Kochkin the BHI has been rebuilt and rebranded. Over the past 3 years we quantified that its physician program results in more referrals to hearing health professionals. During this same period, BHI consumer literature and its website have been completely redesigned and BHI is now getting increasing recognition from academia, the government, the media, the medical community and the general public. It is a valuable source of information on hearing loss, hearing solutions and prevention and a key player in the hearing health field."
In addition to electing Kinnerk as President, the Board re-elected Jeff Taylor, President of Sonion, as Secretary/Treasurer. Cathy Jones, President of Phonak, Inc. was re-elected to a seat on the BHI Board and Jerry Ruzicka, President of Starkey Laboratories, Inc. continues as a BHI director.
The BHI Board of Directors additionally elected three new Board members who will expand the Board's representation of the hearing industry. Paul Erickson of Amplifon was elected as the Corporate representative , Ray Jones of Jones Audiology & Hearing Aid Centers as the Dispenser Representative, and William Luxford, MD of the House Ear Clinic as the Medical representative. All will serve three-year terms.
Mr. Paul Erickson is currently serving as Senior Vice President of Franchise Operations for Amplifon USA, and is responsible for 1,500 Miracle-Ear and Amplifon Hearing Aid Centers. A 1981 graduate of the University of Minnesota, Paul has held senior management positions in the hearing aid industry since 1982 including Assistant Managing Director, Starkey France; Managing Director, Starkey Italy; Managing Director Siemens Hearing Instruments LTD, Australia; and President and CEO, Siemens Hearing Instruments Inc. USA.
Mr. Ray Jones, BC-HIS, ACA, is president and practice administrator of Jones Audiology & Hearing Aid Centers. Jones has been fitting and dispensing hearing instruments since 1967. The practice, started by Jones' father in 1959, has grown from one office located near downtown Fort Worth to over 36 hearing aid offices across Texas and New Mexico. Jones is Board Certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences and is a Certified Audioprosthologist. He holds an Executive MBA Certificate from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. William Luxford completed an otolaryngology residency at the Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center in 1980, and was certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology later that year. He completed a clinical fellowship in neurotology at the House Clinic/House Ear Institute in 1981, and became an associate of the House Clinic at the completion of his fellowship year. Dr. Luxford's research activities include cochlear implants and hearing rehabilitation. He is a world-renowned expert on the subject of cochlear implants as well as Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) and has written or coauthored more than 80 articles and papers for publications in academic journals including the American Journal of Otology, the American Journal of Otolaryngology and the American Journal of Neuroradiology.
Commenting on BHI's elected Board of Directors for the future, Executive Director Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D. stated, "With our building blocks in place it is now time to expand our educational programs to both the medical communities and the general public. Our effectiveness is integrally tied to our ability to translate our national research and media messaging down into America's 35,000 communities. Thus a stronger relationship between the BHI and hearing health professionals will be necessary for optimal effectiveness. I am certain the leadership of the 2007 officers and directors will have a positive impact on achieving our goal of influencing people with hearing loss to Discover a World of Better Hearing."
Founded in 1973, the Better Hearing Institute is a not-for-profit educational organization whose mission is to educate the public about hearing loss, its treatment and prevention. To receive a free copy of BHI's 28 page booklet "Your Guide to Better Hearing," visit its website at www.betterhearing.org or call the Better Hearing Institute hotline at 1-800-EAR-WELL.
