The Mission of AFASLP

To porvide a forum for Federal Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists to discuss professional issues, provide support for legislative actions, and liasion with ASHA, AAA, and other professional bodies.

The Academy serves as a non-profit umbrella organization that includes the Association of VA Audiologists (AVAA), the Association of VA Speech-Language Pathologists (AVASLP) and the Military Audiology Association (MAA).  The Academy represents the interests of professionals in these disciplines who may be employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense or in other government agencies including the Public Health Service, both within the United States and abroad.  As the umbrella organization for the three government employee associations, it is one of the largest organizations of its type in the world.

The Academy seeks to bolster inter–agency cooperation within the Federal Government and to promote the membership’s interests to private and commercial concerns in the hearing and communications industry, as well as to professional associations like the American Speech-Language & Hearing Association (ASHA) and the American Academy of Audiology (AAA).  The Academy creates or reviews consensus statements on major issues of interest to its membership, and promotes those interests.  It provides active support of a mission that includes clinical service, education and research.

The opinions expressed in this web site are those of the Academy, its constituent organizations and their members. They do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Military Services or the U.S. Public Health Service.

The Academy of Federal Audiologists and Speech–Language Pathologists is governed by its Executive Committee.  The Presidency of the Academy rotates through the past-presidents of its constituent organizations. 

 

Members of the Executive Committee for Fiscal Year 2009

President:  Janet  Sells

President-Elect:  Michael Valerio

Past-President:  Sally Walsh

Secretary/Treasurer:  Harvey Abrams

Ex-Officio Members of the Executive Committee

Officers of Constituent Organizations

MAA:
President:  MAJ Virginia Hays
Vice President: LTC Vickie Tuten
Past President: Janet Sells
Secretary/Treasurer: LT Kirsten Vesey

AVASLP:
President:  Joe Langhans
President-Elect: Kathleen Wilson-Vazquez
Past President: Sally Walsh
Secretary/Treasurer: Gerardo (Gerry) Gutierrez

AVAA:
President:  Michael Valerio
President-Elect: Laura Jacobs
Past President: Colleen Noe
Secretary/Treasurer: Karen K. Stewart

National VA Program Director & DOD Service Consultants

Lucille Beck, PhD, Director of the VA National Program in Audiology and Speech Pathology and Chief Consultant to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the Rehabilitation Strategic Health Group

LT COL Kathy Gates,  US Army, Director, US Army Audiology, WRAMC, Washington, DC

CDR Leslie Sims, Navy Audiology Specialty Leader, Current Duty Station, Italy

Lt COL Martha Stokes, US Air Force, Program Manager, E&T, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, DC

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Updated 18 Mar 2009