RSD Board of Directors, 2011-2013

Officers:

Mr. Bernard R. Hurwitz
President
Mr. Hurwitz is the Executive Assistant to the President of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), at Rochester Institute of Technology, where he oversees NTID's government relations, human resources and institutional research. An attorney with broad experience in labor and education law, he holds an A.B. from Princeton and has studied at Cornell Law School and its School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Mr. Hurwitz, whose family has been involved with RSD for more than thirty years, joined the Board of Directors in 2001. He can be contacted at bhurwitz@rsdeaf.org.

Dr. Michael Doughty
First Vice President
Dr. Doughty was elected to the RSD Board of Directors in 2006. Currently he is Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Technology Services at Monroe #1 BOCES. He was principal of the Thornell Road Elementary School in Pittsford for eight years. He is the parent of two children at RSD. Dr. Doughty holds a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo and a master’s degree from SUNY Brockport and a doctoral degree from University of Rochester.  He can be contacted at mdoughty@rsdeaf.org.

Mr. Erwin Smith
Treasurer
Elected to the RSD Board of Directors in 2006, Mr. Smith is no stranger to the RSD community, as his son graduated from RSD. Mr. Smith earned his bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo and his master’s degree from Clarkson University. He is the Assistant Vice President of Finance and Operations at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology. He can be contacted at esmith@rsdeaf.org.

Mr. John D'Amanda
Secretary
Mr. D’Amanda is a lawyer and counsel in the Real Estate practice of the law firm of Nixon Peabody in Rochester. Mr. D’Amanda studied at Manchester College of Oxford University, graduated from Washington College in Maryland, and earned a J.D. from Whittier College School of Law in Los Angeles. A Board member since 2004, Mr. D’Amanda also serves as a board member for several organizations in Rochester and has done legal pro bono work. He can be contacted at jdamanda@rsdeaf.org.

Board Members:

Dr. Anthony Bannon
Dr. Bannon, Director of the George Eastman House, has been a member of the RSD Board of Directors since 1998. His interest in RSD stems from the fact he has a son who is deaf and is an administrator at the Texas School for the Deaf. Dr. Bannon received his Ph.D. degree from SUNY Buffalo. He can be contacted at abannon@rsdeaf.org.

Mrs. Teal Boulatnikov
Mrs. Boulatnikov, a descendent of the Perkins Family, was elected to the Board in September 2009. Mrs. Boulatnikov holds a B.A. in Political Science from Vanderbilt University. She is currently employed at Mitchell Pierson Jr. Inc. and may be contacted at tboulatnikov@rsdeaf.org.

Mrs. Jane Chapman
Mrs. Chapman has been a member of the RSD Board of Directors since 2002. Mrs. Chapman received her bachelor’s degree from William Smith College and master’s degree from Syracuse University. Mrs. Chapman has been a teacher, a tutor, and a mentor at various schools throughout her career. She can be contacted at jchapman@rsdeaf.org.

Mrs. Allis D'Amanda
A member of the RSD Board of Directors since 1984, Mrs. D’Amanda is the granddaughter of Edmund Lyon, a prominent Rochester citizen who had a deep interest in RSD during its very early years. Mrs. D’Amanda has been involved with several projects related to RSD. Currently she is a volunteer in the RSD Archive Center. She can be contacted at adamanda@rsdeaf.org.

Mr. Stewart Davis
Mr. Davis has ties to RSD since his birth, as his father is an alumnus of the School. He has served on the Board since 1978 and was the Board President from 1982 to 1984. He received his law degree from Harvard University and is a lawyer at the Harris Beach law firm. He can be contacted at sdavis@rsdeaf.org.

Fr. Thomas Erdle
Fr. Erdle has been involved with RSD and the Rochester deaf community for over 60 years. He was the chaplain at both RSD and NTID for many years up until 1985. Fr. Erdle has been a member of the RSD Board of Directors since 1979. He can be contacted at terdle@rsdeaf.org.

Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz
Currently, Dr. Hurwitz is President of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. He is past president of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology. Dr. Hurwitz has been a member of the RSD Board of Directors since 1988 and served as Board President from 1994 to 1996. He received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. Dr. Hurwitz’s daughter is a graduate of RSD. He can be contacted at ahurwitz@rsdeaf.org.

Mr. Junius R. Judson, II
Mr. Judson joined the Board of Directors in 1984 and served as the President from 1992 to 1994. A native of Rochester, Mr. Judson earned his master’s degree in Architecture from Washington University and is a senior principal at SWBR Architects and Engineers, P.C. in Rochester. He can be contacted at jjudson@rsdeaf.org.

Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar
Appointed to the Board in October 2011, Dr. Kushalnagar is an assistant professor at Rochester Institute of Technology. She specializes in research related to child and adolescent development, focused specifically on individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. Dr. Kushalnagar received her B.A. in Psychology from Gallaudet University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Developmental Psychology, respectively, from the University of Houston.  She may be contacted at pkushalnager@rsdeaf.org.

Ms. Susan Lindsay
With a BA in Business Administration from Rochester Institute of Technology and a MBA from St. John Fisher, Ms. Lindsay works for the City of Rochester as an Economic Development Manager.  She was elected to the Board of Directors in 2007. She can be contacted at slindsay@rsdeaf.org.

Dr. Michael McKee
Elected to the Board of Directors in September 2006, Dr. McKee practices family medicine at the Marion B. Folsom Health Center. He is also currently assisting the National Center for Deaf Health Research which is a Center of Disease Control funded Preventive Research Center. He earned his B.A. from Lynn University, his M.D. from the University of Florida and served his residency at the University of South Carolina. He can be contacted at mmckee@rsdeaf.org.

Mr. Gary Meyer
A graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Accounting and a M.S. in Career and Human Resources Development, Mr. Meyer works for the DHH Insurance/CH Insurance Brokerage, Inc, a company that he founded and later merged with the CH Insurance Company. He joined the RSD Board of Directors in 1998. He can be contacted at gmeyer@rsdeaf.org.

Mr. Steven M. Morse
Mr. Morse has been a member of the RSD Board of Directors since 1999 and was Board President from 2005-2007. He is employed at Rochester Institute of Technology as the Assistant Vice President of Institute Audit, Compliance, and Advisement. He holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from RIT and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He can be contacted at smorse@rsdeaf.org.

Mr. Lowell C. Patric
Mr. Patric joined the RSD Board of Directors in 1986 and served as the President from 2002 to 2004. After ending his career as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Rochester Community Savings Bank, Mr. Patric established a consulting firm, LCP Management Services, LLC, where he President. He can be contacted at lpatric@rsdeaf.org.

Mrs. Deborah L. Pearce
A member of the RSD Board of Directors since 2001 Mrs. Pearce served as Board President from 2007-2009. She is the CEO of LeaJames, Inc. and has held executive and leadership positions with Otis Elevator Corporation, United Technologies, General Electric, and IBM. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and master’s degree from Harvard University. She can be contacted at dpearce@rsdeaf.org.

Dr. Deirdre Schlehofer
Dr. Schlehofer, elected to the Board in October 2009, is a Lecturer in the ASL & Interpreter Education Department at Rochester Institute of Technology and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Dr. Schlehofer is an alumna of University of Alaska, University of Bristol, England, and University of Rochester. Her studies have included Cognitive Psychology, Philosophy, and Teaching and Curriculum. Dr. Schlehofer may be contacted at dschlehofer@rsdeaf.org.

Advisory Council:

Dr. D. Robert Frisina
Mrs. Mary Gulick
Mr. Charles F. Hertrick
Mr. Samuel T. Hubbard, Jr.
Mrs. Charlotte Landhuis
Mr. Gilman Perkins
Mr. John Thoman
Mr. Paul Wilkens