Karen Sheffer Averett
What are the nominee’s experiences?
My professional background for over 30 years included working with deaf and hearing people with various non-profit organizations in the areas of human services, public awareness, marketing, strategic planning, program development, fundraising and college recruitment. My passion has been to advocate deaf/hard of hearing people for better quality of life.
What are the nominee’s activities in the deaf community?
I served many different roles in the deaf community for the past 20 years as a conference planner for some organizations (MDAD, Deaf Women United, and Greek sorority), organized fundraisers at some events, and served as an advocate on several issues (i.e. LEAD-K language deprivation for deaf children, Deaf President Now movement). I retired in August 2019 and now I have time with PSDAA board.
What does the nominee volunteer in the deaf community?
My civic responsibilities were as follows:
- Board President for two years and one year as Vice President (1995-1998) for a non-profit organization at Deaf Access Services, Inc in Frederick, MD.
- Board member for three years at Deafpride, Inc. (1987-1990) in Washington D.C. with emphasis on program development for the agency.
- Gallaudet University Board member (2008-2012) in D.C.
What are the nominee’s goals to improve PSDAA?
Community Outreach and Alumni Giving play a critical role in maintaining the vibrancy of the school (PSD). With alumni support, we can do more for the school. One of our goals is to obtain 501c status in hopes to increase the number of donors. Another important task is to stay on the same page by communicating between the alumni and the Head of the School (Peter Bailey) in meeting the goals for our children’s education and programs.