California Team

We are proud to have an extremely talented and experienced staff, who each have specialized training in cochlear implants and the development of listening and spoken language. Our distinguished presenters are some of the leading experts in the field.

Administrators

    • 2024-Headshot-1
    • Julie Cooper, MS, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT
    • Executive Director
    • Julie Cooper is the executive director of the Baker Institute for Children with Hearing Loss. She founded the Listen to Me! Conference at Stanford in 2009 and is honored to be supporting the expansion of this program to Hawaii, Kenya, and virtually to Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Julie also directs the Baker Scholars Tele-intervention Program. She previously served as the speech-language pathologist on the cochlear implant team at Stanford from 2008 to 2013. Additionally, Julie has provided LSL therapy at the Weingarten Children's Center since 2007. Her education includes a BA from Calvin College, an MS in speech-language pathology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a listening and spoken language specialist certification in auditory verbal therapy. Julie’s favorite part about leading the Baker Institute programs is empowering families and witnessing the beautiful results—well-spoken children who go on to lead inspiring lives.
    • Kayla-Kolhede
    • Kayla Kolhede, MA, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT
    • Facilitator of Parent Learning
    • Kayla is the facilitator of parent learning for Listen to Me!. She is a speech-language pathologist and certified listening and spoken language specialist. She studied Linguistics at UCLA and earned her master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology at San Jose State University. Kayla is currently the pediatric speech-language pathologist/auditory verbal therapist at the Children’s Communication Center, University of California San Francisco. Her previous work settings include the Stanford Ear Institute, Weingarten Children’s Center, and the BabyTalk program. Aside from direct therapy work, Kayla designed parent education seminars at WCC and consulted with local schools to support their students with hearing loss. Kayla specializes in fostering listening and spoken language development in children with hearing loss with an emphasis on parent coaching. Having worked with many successful Listen to Me! graduates and their families, she was eager to join the LTM staff.
    • Eryn-McHan
    • Eryn McHan, MA, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT
    • Facilitator of Professional Learning
    • Eryn McHan is the Facilitator of Professional Learning for Listen to Me!. She is a speech- language pathologist and certified auditory verbal therapist; she also works for Weingarten Children's Center (virtually) in Redwood City, CA and Tucker Maxon School in Portland, Oregon. Eryn is specialized in parent coaching centered early intervention and developing listening and spoken language skills for children who are deaf and hard of hearing in partnership with their families. She has provided deaf and hard of hearing consultation and services for school districts and has taught a variety of classes for students with hearing loss, including social skills and music classes. Beyond direct therapy services, she has served as a clinical supervisor for speech pathology graduate students and has worked as a practicum mentor for Professional Preparation in Cochlear Implants, which was a national training program for audiology and education professionals seeking specialization in working with children with cochlear implants. She truly loves what she does and is excited to learn and share with all of you at the Listen to Me! Conference.

Presenters

    • Nikolas-Blevins
    • Nikolas Blevins, MD
    • LTM Presenter
    • Dr. Blevins is the Malcolmson Professor of Otolaryngology at Stanford and is Chief of the Division of Otology/ Neurotology. He has been the director of the Stanford Cochlear Implant Center since 2003. He received his bachelor's degree from Stanford University in biology before traveling to Boston to complete his medical training at Harvard. He then completed his residency in Otolaryngology at the University of California at San Francisco, and he remained at UCSF for additional fellowship training in otology/neurotology. Dr. Blevins joined the Otolaryngology Department at Tufts University in Boston as Chief of the Division of Otology and Neurotology. In 2003, he returned to California to join the Stanford Department of Otolaryngology. He specializes in disorders of the middle ear, inner ear, facial nerve, and skull base, and he is dedicated to the application of the most advanced technology to hearing restoration. Dr. Blevins has an active research interest in innovative surgical methods and the application of computer technology to surgical education and preoperative planning.
    • Dylan-Chan
    • Dylan Chan, MD, PhD
    • LTM Presenter
    • Dr. Chan is a pediatric otolaryngologist at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. He graduated summa cum laude from Yale University with degrees in Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics, and in Music. Dr. Chan then completed his medical training at the Will Medical College of Cornell University, as well as a PhD in auditory physiology with Dr. A. James Hudspeth at the Rockefeller University. His post-graduate training has included a residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Stanford University as well as a fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and presented his research on cochlear physiology and the genetics of hearing and deafness, especially congenital and acquired hearing loss, chronic ear disease and cochlear implantation. In addition to his clinical practice, he runs a basic-science laboratory devoted to studying how genetic abnormalities lead to hearing loss and developing ways to treat deafness using gene therapy.
    • Matthew-Fitzgerald
    • Matthew Fitzgerald, PhD, CCC-A
    • LTM Presenter
    • Dr. Fitzgerald is the Chief of Audiology at Stanford & LPCH, previously from the Department of Otolaryngology, NYU School of Medicine. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders & Sciences from Wichita State University, followed by a Masters in Audiology from Vanderbilt University. He is a certified audiologist, having completed his clinical fellowship year at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. He then obtained his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 2005. In late 2010, he joined the faculty at NYU School of Medicine. Dr. Fitzgerald became Chief of Audiology at Stanford in 2015. His research interests are focused on how individuals adapt to altered sensory input, and what can be done to facilitate that process of adaptation. He is particularly interested in developing new tools for mapping recipients of cochlear implants and the development of auditory training programs for individuals with hearing loss.
    • Jannine-Larky
    • Jannine Larky, AuD, CCC-A
    • LTM Presenter
    • Jan Larky has specialized in cochlear implants since 1989, when she graduated from the University of Iowa with her Master of Art desire in Audiology and joined the House Ear Institute. There she was introduces to the world of cochlear implants in children and never looked back. During her tenure at both UC San Francisco and Stanford she has served as co-investigator in numerous FDA approved cochlear implant trials. Jan received her Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Hearing Sciences from UCSB, her Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa and her AuD, professional doctorate in Audiology from AT Still University. Today Jan works in both the Pediatric Audiology Clinic at the Stanford Ear Institute where she provides the full range of services to cochlear implant candidates and recipients. She has expertise in programming all manufacturers of cochlear implants that are available.
    • Anna-Meyer
    • Anna Meyer, MD
    • LTM Presenter
    • Dr. Meyer is an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. She treats a variety of head and neck conditions in children, including children with airway disease; chronic ear disease and hearing loss; choanal atresia; velopharyngeal insufficiency; acquired and congenital head and neck masses; and craniofacial syndromes. Dr. Meyer's key research interests are in cochlear implantation and hearing loss, health disparities and medical education. She completed medical school at UCSF in 2002 and a residency in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at the University of Michigan in 2007. In 2008, she completed a fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Meyer is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology and a specialty fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She received the prestigious Paparella Otologic Research Award during her residency.
    • Angelica-Aguilar
    • Angelica Aguilar, BA
    • LTM Presenter & Spanish Interpreter
    • Angelica Aguilar is an early childhood teacher at Weingarten Children Center. She began working at Weingarten Children Center in 1994 as a teacher’s assistant and earned a certificate as an early childhood teacher in 2010. She went on to earn her BA in Human Development with a concentration in Early Childhood Development in 2021. Angelica has attended workshops for Writing Without Tears, Executive Functioning and has experience with behavior management. She has also helped interpret for the Let Them Hear program since 2012, and is experienced in interpreting for IEP’s, conferences and parent meetings. In addition, Angelica has been happily married for 27 years and is a proud mother of a son and daughter. Her daughter was diagnosed with a profound hearing loss at six months of age and received a cochlear implant at five years of age. She was mainstreamed into her home school in the second grade. Angelica’s daughter graduated from Long Beach State University with a 4.0 GPA and received an academic award, honor roll award and community excellence award and completed one semester abroad in London. As a mother who has a daughter coping with hearing loss, Angelica understands the emotional toll that having a deaf child can place upon parents. It is her passion to help parents and children alike with the stress and emotions that hearing loss can bring.
    • Iram-Ahmad
    • Iram N. Ahmad, MD, MME
    • LTM Presenter
    • Dr. Ahmad is a pediatric otolaryngologist and an assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. She completed her medical education at the University of Michigan Medical School in 2009, her master’s in medical education at the University of Iowa in 2012, and her board certification, residency, and fellowship at the University of Iowa Dept of Otolaryngology in 2017. Her clinical focuses include pediatric hearing loss, cholesteatoma, pediatric cochlear implants, and vascular anomalies of the head and neck.
    • Amy-Henderson-Brown
    • Amy Henderson Brown, JD
    • LTM Presenter
    • Amy Brown began her career as an investment banker serving high technology companies. She transitioned to non-profit advocacy for individuals with hearing loss at the Let Them Hear Foundation. At LTHF, Amy and her colleagues appealed private, public and military health insurance denials nationwide resulting in people with hearing loss receiving over $35,000,000 in services. These wins ultimately resulted in insurance companies providing access to bilateral cochlear implantation for most medically qualified individuals. Amy and the Advocacy Program then focused on improving access to special education services for children with hearing loss. Amy continues to support special education advocacy work by serving families pro bono and by teaching at the Listen to Me! Conference and other organizations.
    • Sarah-Coulthurst
    • Sarah Coulthurst, MS
    • LTM Audiology Group Leader
    • Sarah Coulthurst, pediatric audiologist, is the Cochlear Implant Program Director at Children’s Hospital Oakland (CHO). She has been a member of the cochlear implant team at CHO for over 17 years and has the privilege of working with and learning from a diverse population. The multidisciplinary team consists of many members including audiologists, surgeons, social workers, a speech-language pathologist, team coordinator, psychologist and a deaf and hard-of-hearing specialist. They are a family-based center serving hundreds of cochlear implant recipients and their communities, working closely with providers and educational services to ensure that each child reaches their potential.
    • Michael-Douglas
    • Michael Douglas, MA, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT
    • LTM Presenter
    • Michael is a speech-language pathologist and a certified auditory-verbal therapist. He received his BA in speech-language pathology in 1994 and an MA in 1996 from the University of North Texas. He received his certification in auditory-verbal therapy in 2002. He has focused his career on teaching children with hearing loss to listen and speak in various settings including early childhood programs, schools, hospitals, private practice, and cochlear implant centers. He is the recipient of the Cochlear Americas Clinical Fellow Award and the Helen Beebe Scholarship. Michael served as the Director of the Speech Clinic and Director of Intervention Services at the Center for Hearing and Speech in Houston, TX from 2005 to 2012. There he managed the speech-language pathology clinic, an auditory-oral preschool and the family services department. He was an adjunct instructor at the University of Houston from 2010 to 2012. He served as the Principal of the Mama Lere Hearing School in the Bill Wilkerson Center at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN between 2012 and 2016. Currently he is an employee of MED-EL as a Consumer Engagement Program Manager for (re)habilitation, lectures worldwide and has contributed to several peer review publications. He is the author of Dual-Language Learning for Children with Hearing Loss.
    • LaTrice-Dowtin
    • LaTrice Dowtin, PhD
    • LTM Parent Support Group Leader
    • Dr. Dowtin is a native of the DC/Maryland area who believes in the ongoing pursuit of cultural humility. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor and school psychologist who specializes in perinatal, trauma, and infant mental health for culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse families. She is proficient in both English and American Sign Language and is currently an adjunct assistant professor at Gallaudet University in the Infant, Toddler, and Families graduate program. Given her background, Dr. Dowtin is passionate about serving marginalized populations, disrupting the generational transmission of trauma, and facilitating healthy social-emotional development from conception through adulthood. She is the owner and director of PlayfulLeigh Psyched, which focuses on mental health development from a culturally-informed and trauma-based framework.
    • Kelly-Ewing
    • Kelly Ewing, AuD, CCC-A
    • LTM Audiology Group Leader
    • Kelly Ewing, AuD, earned her master’s degree (MA) from California State University, San Diego and her Doctorate of Audiology (AuD) through Salus University, George S. Osborne College of Audiology in Pennsylvania. Kelly has worked in many capacities here in the local Bay Area. She began her career in 2004 at the California Ear Institute where she obtained a diverse experience in both clinical and rehabilitative audiology with all patient populations, including cochlear implant recipients. In 2014 she joined another private practice, EARS, Inc in San Jose with Dr. Jennifer Maw, before joining the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Audiology team in 2017. Currently at Kaiser Permanente Oakland, Kelly works with both pediatrics and adults and specializes in cochlear implants, diagnostic hearing evaluations, bone conduction devices, and traditional hearing devices.
    • Kurt-Kramer
    • Kurt Kramer, AuD
    • LTM Audiology Group Leader
    • Kurt Kramer, AuD, has been an audiologist at UCSF since 2010 after completing his education at the University of Wisconsin and grad work at Arizona State University. Dr. Kramer’s clinical experience includes (please note the exclusionary list of cochlear implant experience) extensive cochlear implant programming with all three manufacturers, objective techniques (ESRT, NRI, NRT, ART), subjective techniques (loudness scaling, conditioned play, visual reinforcement), complete through cochlear implant evaluations to determine candidacy using FDA and Medicare qualifying criteria, assessment of speech perception abilities in the unilateral, bilateral or bimodal cochlear implant configurations using the appropriate test batter for specific demographics. Dr. Kramer specializes in both the Pediatric and Adult cochlear implant population.
    • Lisa-Tonokawa-Marcacci
    • Lisa Tonokawa Marcacci, MS, CCC-A
    • LTM Presenter
    • Lisa Tonokawa Marcacci started working with cochlear implants for children and adults since 1983. She started with single channel cochlear implants at House Ear Institute in LA. Lisa was at House Ear Institute for 10 years, working as the Director of the Children’s Program before moving to the Bay Area. She joined California Ear Institute/Let Them Hear Foundation to develop their children’s cochlear implant program. During Lisa’s time at the House Ear Institute and California Ear Institute, she enjoyed working with patients as well as helping with the clinical trials for several of the developing cochlear implants systems. Since 2010, she has worked part time at the Weingarten Children’s Center as the educational audiologist.
    • June-McCullough
    • June McCullough, PhD
    • LTM Presenter
    • Dr. June McCullough is a native of Los Angeles, California, and has lived in San Jose since 1986. She is currently a faculty member in the new Doctor of Audiology program at SJSU that began in the Fall of 2020. June is the past President of the California Academy of Audiology (2012). She is the co-owner of Hearing Solutions, a private audiology practice serving adults and children in San Jose. Her research agenda involves using computers to assess the word recognition performance of multi-lingual patients. In 2011, June was awarded an Office of Special Education (OSEP) Personnel Preparation Grant ($1.25 million dollars) to support speech-language pathology graduate students who specialize in providing services to children with cochlear implants.
    • Colleen-Polite
    • Colleen Polite, AuD
    • LTM Audiology Group Leader
    • Colleen Polite is a senior audiologist at the UCSF Douglas Grant Cochlear Implant Center. She is experienced in the assessment and rehabilitation of children and adults with hearing loss and in assistive technologies for the deaf. Polite also participates in the center's clinical trials to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new cochlear implant technologies. Polite earned a master's degree in audiology at San Francisco State University and a doctorate in audiology from Salus University.
    • Peter-Santa-Maria
    • Peter Santa Maria, MD, PhD
    • LTM Presenter
    • Dr. Santa Maria is a surgeon scientist from Perth, Australia with a subspecialty interest in Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery. He attended medical school at The University of Western Australia before undertaking his residency in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. He joined Stanford faculty in 2017. Clinically, Dr. Santa Maria specializes in adult and pediatric surgery for hearing, balance and facial nerve disorders. He has a special interest in the management of cholesteatoma, chronic otitis media, ear drum perforations and hearing reconstruction, otosclerosis and stapes surgery, eustachian tube surgery, tumors of the ear and skull base including acoustic neuroma, schwannoma, meningioma, glomus
      tumors, cholesterol granuloma and squamous cell cancer of the ear as well as hearing implants, including cochlear implants, bone anchored hearing aids. Dr. Santa Maria has authored book chapters and published papers and continues his clinical research in these areas, particularly with a focus on hearing preservation in cochlear implant surgery and outcomes of vestibular schwannoma management.
    • Sally-Tannenbaum
    • Sally Tannenbaum, MEd, CED, LSLS Cert AVT
    • LTM Presenter
    • Sally Tannenbaum is a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Certified Auditory Verbal Therapist and has been working with the deaf and hard of hearing for over 35 years. Sally received the Helen Beebe Award for Outstanding Therapist. She is currently a Consumer Engagement Manager for MED-EL, USA. Before joining the MED-EL team, she was the Director of the Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implant Program at the University of Chicago Hospital and participated in Project ASPIRE, a parent-directed intervention for low socio-economic status children with hearing loss. She is a consultant with the Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss and is a past board member of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance. She has contributed to several books on hearing loss and has lectured world-wide.
    • Melissa-Tribble
    • Melissa Tribble, AuD
    • LTM Presenter
    • Melissa Tribble is an experienced and passionate pediatric audiologist with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital and health care industry. She is highly skilled in performing diagnostic auditory assessments, clinical research, hearing aid fitting and dispensing, cochlear implant evaluations and mapping. She has additional skills in practice management, educational outreach, and clinical education for audiology graduate students.
    • Allison-Warner
    • Allison Warner, MS, CCC-SLP
    • LTM Presenter
    • Allison Warner is a knowledgeable and dedicated Early Start Service Coordinator for the Mission Valley SELPA where she serves deaf and hard of hearing infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families. In addition, she is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with a Master of Science in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. She is highly skilled in the evaluation and assessment of children birth through age five, along with the development and implementation of Individualized Family Service Plans and Individualized Education Programs.
    • Katie-Wolff
    • Katie Wolff
    • LTM Presenter
    • Katie Wolff is an educator and mother of a child with hearing loss. She lives with her husband, Mike, and two children, Samantha (age 12) and Ella (age 9), in San Mateo, CA. Her family's hearing loss journey commenced when Samantha was born. At first, they were scared about the unknown of raising a child with hearing loss, however, were grateful for how the combination of technology, education, and their community has put Samantha in a position to pursue her dreams. She looks forward to sharing with you some experiences on helping your child transition to mainstream school as well as sharing some tips she has learned to help teachers support children with hearing loss.

Therapists & Teachers

    • Amber-Alazzawi
    • Amber Alazzawi, MS, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT
    • LTM Therapist
    • Amber Alazzawi is a speech-language pathologist and certified Auditory Verbal Therapist, specializing in listening and spoken language therapy services for children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families. Amber received her Master’s in Speech Pathology from California State University East Bay and has since served in both, Auditory Verbal and Total Communication educational settings. She is fluent in both ASL and SEE sign languages. Amber is excited to be part of the Listen to Me! team and looks forward to meeting all of you.
    • Trish-Alba
    • Trish Alba, MS, CCC-SLP
    • LTM Assessment Coordinator
    • Trish Alba received her Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees in Communication Disorders from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She currently is a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist working in her private practice in Redding, CA. It is here and through contracts with several school districts where she serves children from birth to teenagers who have challenges in the areas of feeding/eating, articulation, language and social pragmatic skills. Since becoming involved with the Listen to Me! Conference and the Baker Scholars Program in 2010, Trish’s desire and dedication to provide assistance to children and their families who face the many challenges that deafness and hearing impairments can create was kindled and continues to grow.
    • Jan-Christensen
    • Janet Christensen, MA
    • LTM Teacher
    • Jan received her teaching credential and Master’s Degree in Special Education with a focus on Deaf/Hard of Hearing from San Francisco State University. She has been teaching in special day classrooms for infants and toddlers with cochlear implants and/or hearing aids since 1999. Additionally, Jan has been a school program director, worked in mainstream classrooms as an itinerant teacher of the deaf, and provided individual aural rehabilitation for children and adults with cochlear implants. She has been a presenter on topics related to hearing loss for parents and professionals, and is a certified trainer for the Program for Infant Toddler Care through West Ed and the California Department of Education. Jan began her journey into deaf education over thirty years ago when her oldest son was diagnosed with profound hearing loss; he is currently a high school vice principal and recently earned a doctorate in education. Her experiences raising him to become successful using listening and spoken language inspires her commitment in providing training to parents and professionals, to ensure educational success for children with hearing loss. Jan taught a toddler class at Weingarten Children's Center for several years, and she currently provides parent coaching through the BabyTalk teletherapy program.
    • Karen-Erickson
    • Karen Erickson, DHHS
    • LTM Teacher
    • Karen Erickson is a deaf/hard of hearing specialist who has been in the field for over 35 years. Karen did her studies at Fontbonne College in St. Louis, MO and taught her first year at Sunshine Cottage for the Deaf. Since then she has called Weingarten Children's Center her second home. Karen is the director of the music program at Weingarten and has provided workshops throughout the country on music with deaf children. She assisted in developing Rhythmic Phonetics, which is a system to produce speech production using full body movements, and has had the opportunity to give workshops to professionals, school districts, parents and universities. Karen has been an LTM teacher for several years, and she hopes that you enjoy it as much she does.
    • Shalane-Gargan
    • Shalane Gargan, BA
    • LTM Environment Coordinator & Sibling Camp Coordinator
    • Shalane is an Education and Behavior Specialist living in Stockton, CA. She studied Special Education at San Francisco State University with a focus in Moderate-Severe Disabilities and Deaf Studies. Her interest in deafness started after volunteering at Weingarten Children’s Center in college. For the past 3 years she has been a Director and teacher at an inclusive preschool in San Francisco, working with children who are typically developing and children who have differing abilities and their families. She has been a part of the Listen to Me! family since it began in 2009.
    • Patricia-Gomez
    • Patricia Gomez, MS, CCC-SLP
    • LTM Therapist
    • Patricia Gomez is a bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist who is passionate about her field, especially the area of listening and spoken language. She is trained in Hanen, It Takes Two to Talk program and PROMPT. She taught a graduate level aural rehabilitation seminar at San Francisco State University and has presented on Tele-therapy at San Francisco State University’s National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association conference.
    • Jenny-Ignacio
    • Jenny Ignacio, MS Ed LSLS Cert AVEd
    • LTM Teacher
    • Jenny Ignacio has been a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist since 1994, and she has been a LSL Certified Educator for several years. She received her Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Southern California and her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in Child Development from San Diego State University. In addition, she holds Regular and Special Education Teaching credentials. Jenny worked at Echo Horizon School in Culver City, CA for 10 years working with kindergarten through 5th graders as a Resource Specialist. She worked at the Weingarten Children’s Center teaching young children to use listening and spoken language for 11 years. She is currently Program Director at Listen & Talk in Seattle.
    • Nicole-Mayo
    • Nicole Mayo, BA
    • LTM Sibling Camp Coordinator
    • Nicole Mayo received her undergraduate degree from CSU Stanislaus, majoring in sociology with a concentration in human services. She attended Alliant International University to attain her mild/moderate teaching credential and is finishing up her Master's in Education along with an administrative credential. She is currently an Education Specialist working in Hughson, California. She got her start working with special education in 2006 and has had the opportunity to work with individuals of varying abilities ranging from 18 months to 60 years old. She has been part of the LTM! family since 2016 and loves it!
    • Joanie-McLaughlin
    • Joanie McLaughlin, MAT
    • LTM Teacher
    • Joanie McLaughlin is an Education Specialist who specializes in teaching listening and spoken language to children with hearing loss. She earned her teaching credential from San Jose State University and her Master’s in Teaching with a Specialization in Special Education from National University. Since 2006, Joanie has taught at Weingarten Children’s Center (WCC), which is an option school for children with hearing loss in Redwood City, CA. Since beginning her work at WCC, Joanie has worked as the Pre-k and Kindergarten teacher, mentored new teachers, acted as an itinerant teacher of the deaf for transitioning alumni students, and helped develop the school’s social skills program, where children with hearing loss are taught pragmatics skills needed for mainstream success. Joanie is proud to have worked for the Listen to Me! Conference since it began in 2009!
    • Bibiana-Oseguera
    • Bibiana Oseguera
    • LTM Baby Class Teacher
    • Bibiana Oseguera has worked in the field of early childhood education with children ranging in ages 2 months to 5 years since 2001. She is a fluent Spanish speaker, has an AS in Early Childhood Education, and earned a Master Teacher Permit with a specialization in working with children with special needs. She loves working with young children and has volunteered at LTM! since 2015, working as one of the Baby Class teachers since 2018. In previous years she has volunteered at LTM in various settings such as the Auditory Oral Class, the Baby Class, and family registration. She is very much looking forward to another great LTM!
    • Lexi-Terndrup
    • Lexi Terndrup, MA, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT
    • LTM Therapist
    • Lexi received a master’s degree from San Jose State University in Communicative Disorders and a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is currently a certified listening and spoken language specialist at Weingarten Children’s Center. Although she has worked primarily with children who are deaf or hard of hearing who wish to utilize listening and spoken language, she also has experience with children on the autism spectrum, phonological processes, expressive and receptive language delays, and apraxia of speech. She loves being a part of the LTM team and looks forward to meeting you!

Support Team

    • Daniel-Jun
    • Daniel Jun
    • LTM AV Technology Coordinator
    • Daniel is a graduate student at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. He has enjoyed volunteering with Listen to Me! for several years, and he now fulfills the position of AV Coordinator. Daniel is always willing to help out in any way he can, and he hopes that every family has a good experience during the program.
    • Jessica-Oseguera
    • Jessica Oseguera, MA, CCC-SLP
    • LTM Volunteer Coordinator
    • Jessica Oseguera has been involved with LTM! since 2015. She started out as a volunteer then took on the role of Volunteer Coordinator in 2018. She is a Speech-Language Pathologist and has worked in the San Mateo-Foster City School District since 2016, serving children grades Kindergarten through 8th. She earned a MA in Speech-Language Pathology from San José State University, where she was a scholar on the Aural Impact Grant. This grant trained a select group of graduate students to have a specialization in working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. Jessica’s graduate externship placement was at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, participating on the Stanford Cochlear Implant Team. She also currently holds the board position of Recording Secretary on the Santa Clara County Speech-Language Hearing Association (SCCSHA), a non-profit organization of speech-language and hearing professionals. Jessica is excited to help make this another great year!
    • Alicia-Sepulveda
    • Alicia Sepulveda
    • LTM Spanish Interpreter & Classroom Assistant
    • Alicia has been working with children with hearing loss since the early 90’s when she raised her daughter who has hearing loss. This experience sparked a desire to want to help other children with hearing loss, so Alicia began working as a teacher’s aide at Weingarten Children’s Center in 1997 (where her daughter was enrolled) and eventually with Listen to Me! in 2009. She is passionate and enthusiastic about working with children, and she enjoys helping and watching the children learn and develop the necessary skills to communicate. Alicia’s bilingual abilities allow her to assist any Spanish speaking families in any way she can. She enjoys the incredibly rewarding experience of being able to help children with hearing loss develop their auditory and speaking skills.