In honor of National Deaf Awareness Week, Hamilton Relay is pleased to recognize Lorrie Boyce-Shank and Glenda Haefner as the 2009 Deaf/Hard of Hearing co-leaders for the State of Kansas.
Lorrie Boyce-Shank is actively involved in supporting the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities where her leadership has benefited individuals in her local community of Olathe as well as throughout the Midwest.
Lorrie has been involved with the Olathe Club of the Deaf (OCD) for many years and has held a variety of positions including President, Treasurer, Board Member at Large, Webmaster and Newsletter Editor. She is vigilant in keeping community members updated with area events and news and has also been involved with the women's softball and basketball teams as a player and a coach.
Throughout the Midwest, Lorrie has held several positions for the Midwest Association for the Deaf (MAAD). Her involvement with MAAD includes Vice President, Treasurer, Hall of Fame Director, member of the Bylaws Committee, Chairperson for the 2002 MAAD Basketball Tournament, and scorekeeper for MAAD basketball and softball tournaments.
Currently, Lorrie is the newly elected Treasurer for the Kansas Association for the Deaf (KAD). She was the Miss Deaf Kansas Pageant Director for KAD.
Lorrie is well regarded by her peers, and with her business knowledge of accounting and bylaws, together with her knowledge of available resources within the Deaf community, she is able to share her talents and insight with individuals as well as the organizations in which she serves.
We are pleased to recognize Lorrie for her contributions in support of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities and for her willingness to volunteer her time in serving others.
It is a pleasure to also acknowledge Glenda Haefner this year. Glenda was raised in a small town and is recognized as a "Multi-Community Leader".
For many years, Glenda has been actively involved in the Deaf communities in Manhattan and Topeka and is well known throughout the state. Glenda started the Sunflower's Flyhands News, an e-news publication which has gained readership throughout the state of Kansas as well as nationwide. Glenda also previously published weekly articles, "About You, Not Only for Deaf" in the Westmoreland Recorder, and has written articles that have been published in several local newspapers to help educate individuals in the Hearing communities about deafness.
Glenda is an alumnus of the Kansas School for the Deaf. She has been an active member of the Midwest Lutheran Deaf Association and has served as President for eight years. Glenda has also been a member of the Kansas Association of the Deaf (KAD) and has served as the Deaf Membership Coordinator since 2003.
Among the above mentioned accomplishments, Glenda performs her own duties as a homemaker and works on her farm and tends to her family. She has generously volunteered her time to the community for many years and is an unsung leader deserving of this award.
This leadership recognition has been brought to you by Hamilton Relay.
About Hamilton Relay
Hamilton Relay offers a variety of services including Telecommunications Relay Service, Captioned Telephone and Internet Relay services. Hamilton provides Telecommunications Relay and/or Captioned Telephone services to 16 states, the District of Columbia, the Island of Saipan and the Virgin Islands. More information is available at hamiltonrelay.com.