Welcome to 2007 MDAD Conference Website
Release Notes
Nearly 300 Marylanders turned out for the 2007 Maryland Association of the Deaf Conference in Rockville from November 29-December
“This year’s conference was the first time MDAD and Potomac Chapter of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (PCRID) held a joint conference and it was a huge success!” said MDAD Conference Chair Kim Pudans-Smith. “We even received a citation from Governor O’Malley recognizing our milestone collaboration with PCRID.”
New officer elections were among numerous conference highlights. More than 100 MDAD members elected these new officers to represent MDAD for the years of 2008-2009:
- PRESIDENT: Alicia Epstein
- VICE PRESIDENT: Alfred Sonnenstrahl
- SECRETARY: Glenn Lockhart
- TREASURER: Dora Giraldo
- BOARD MEMBER-AT-LARGE: Edna Johnston
“It is an honor to be elected the new president of Maryland Association of the Deaf,” said President-elect Alicia Epstein. “The theme of the MDAD’s 40th biennial conference, ‘Together. Stronger.,’ embodies my belief that only through collaboration, inclusion and community engagement can the Maryland Deaf Community grow stronger. I look forward to working with you the next two years.”
Frederick resident Michelle Lapides was crowned Miss Deaf Maryland among the glitter at the pageant on Friday while the Saturday night entertainment was a rousing night of casino play. Saturday’s awards luncheon featured a hilarious and thought-provoking keynote by Rockville resident Anthony Mowl. Those honored with awards were:
- PRESIDENT’S AWARD: Governor O’Malley
- DISTINGUISHED SERVICE: Ethelette Ennis
- AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: Jed Barish and Joel Barish
- RECOGNITION FOR SERVICE: Miako Villanueva and Karen Sheffer-Tucker
- SPECIAL MERIT AWARD: Yaël D. Agriss
- MDAD HALL OF FAME: Alfred Sonnenthral
- YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD: Jehanne McCullough
- ALL-AROUND SENIOR CITIZEN: Willis Mann
Other conference highlights include a visit from NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins at the opening ceremony, a packed exposition featuring 35 exhibitors, and 10 workshops with topics that ranged from advocacy to consumer awareness.
Said Pudans-Smith, “The conference wouldn’t have happened if not for the conference attendees, PCRID’s committee and support, and especially the full support of the MDAD conference committee and Board members! Thank you for making YOUR conference successful!”
The MDAD Conference committee also would like to extend its gratitude to the following sponsors for their generosity: CSDVRS (www.csdvrs.com), Gallaudet Interpreting Services (www.gallaudet.edu), and Viable (www.viable.net).
About MDAD Conference: Check out the conference website at http://www.mdadconference.org/ to see the complete schedule of events and bios of the presenters.
About MDAD: Check out the MDAD website at http://www.mdad.org/ and be sure to come back often; information will be updated over time.
This year marks the first time the Maryland Association of the Deaf (MDAD) and the Potomac Chapter Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf (PCRID) will join together for their conferences in 2007. The conference will be held at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville from November 29, 2007 through December 2, 2007. This will be the MDAD’s 40th biennial conference and PCRID’s annual conference. The conference promises to be exciting, bringing a diverse community together for a good time but most importantly taking the time to shape the future for Maryland.
Behind the scenes, MDAD has been hard at work to ensure that Deaf people in Maryland are not left behind and PCRID has strived to improve the quality and professionalism of interpreters. During the last decade, for instance, Maryland has come a long way to recognize American Sign Language as a language and provide credit for secondary school students. Since the advent of the Maryland Relay Service in the early 90’s, technology has developed rapidly to allow more people than ever before to communicate with each other. With Video Relay Service (VRS) rapidly expanding during the last few years, the interpreting profession has grown and deaf people benefited from greater access.
On the night of Thursday, November 29, the conference will begin with an opening ceremony and a reception from 7-10 PM. MDAD President Lee Smith will deliver a special message to everyone.
As the theme for the conference “Together Stronger” implies, our community can only grow stronger if we build a bridge between the Deaf community and the interpreting community. Through an alliance with PCRID, MDAD hopes to position itself for a promising future.
During the conference on Friday and Saturday, MDAD will explore the Deaf identity, celebrate diversity in our community, understand how technology will impact our future, and discuss the future of the Maryland Deaf community through various workshops and meetings.
On the lighter side, the conference will bring offer a Miss MDAD Pageant on Friday evening, and an Awards Luncheon and special entertainment for everyone on Saturday. Come one, come all to have a great time!
Come visit the exhibitors on Friday and Saturday to learn about what’s new out there and to support many deaf-friendly businesses. These businesses and non-profit organizations are what keeps MDAD strong and preserves the future for all Deaf Marylanders.
Announcements
Volunteers Wanted
Please contact Kim Pudans-Smith if you are interested in volunteering for 2007 MDAD conference.
