Speakers – Full Bio
Myrna Orleck-Aiello
President and CEO of TCS Associates
Myrna Orleck-Aiello is the President and CEO of TCS Associates, based in Wheaton, MD. TCS, founded in 1982, has built the core of its business around providing assistive technology products & services for people with disabilities. TCS also focuses on Section 508 compliance, communications solutions, and information technology consulting. TCS’ clients include State, Local, and Federal Government, Fortune 500 companies, Educational Institutions, Non-Profits, and members of the community.
Mrs. Orleck-Aiello is the first Deaf woman to be awarded the 8(a) Certification by the Small Business Administration, and as President and CEO of TCS, she is directly responsible for the overall internal administration of the company, required to control fiscal responsibility, appropriate personnel management, and sound operational practices.
Mrs. Orleck-Aiello has been honored by a number of Deaf organizations for her work in the community and she has the distinction of being the first deaf woman named to Entrepreneur of the Year by Professional Woman’s Magazine. In 2002, Mrs. Orleck-Aiello was distinguished as one of ten successful Deaf business leaders around the nation by Merrill Lynch Foundation and Gallaudet University. She also has served as an adjunct professor at Gallaudet University for four years in the area of Business Entrepreneurship and Marketing. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Gallaudet University. She resides with her husband in Bethesda, MD.
Accolades
- In 2009 Myrna Orleck-Aiello was honored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for her work on the National Deafness & Other Communication Disorders Advisory Committee
- In 2008, TCS was names as the “Nations Top Business” by Diversity Business & Dell
- In 2004, Myrna Orleck-Aiello was awarded the Toyota’s Annual “Tribute to Working Women” Award
- Named 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year by Professional Woman’s Magazine
- In 2002, Merrill Lynch Foundation and Gallaudet University’s program, Signs of Success recognized Myrna Aiello as one of ten successful Deaf business leaders around the nation.
- Named Entrepreneur of the Year in 1998 by Venture Magazine and Arthur Young Entrepreneurial Services.
Charles Carrington
Senior Executive Director, U.S.Chamber of Commerce
Charles P. Carrington is in his 10th year of service with the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, serving as Senior Executive Director at the U.S. Chamber’s National Membership Center, a strong pro-business advocate fighting for small businesses and helping advance free enterprise values, oversees and directs fundraising operations, business development and special project initiatives. Works closely with the Political and Federation Relations division, creating grassroots support and election related activities which include Vote For Business and Friends of the U.S. Chamber, raises small business awareness on important policy issues as legal reform, healthcare, taxes, energy and significant efforts to elect or reelect pro-business candidates to Congress, received numerous awards for excellence in furthering free enterprise, and with the launch of the U.S. Chamber’s Campaign for Free Enterprise, will play a vital role in stopping the anti-business agenda hurting small business owners, workers and families.
Mr. Carrington is currently attending the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management, serves on the board for the Dallas/Fort Worth Association Executives, board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals-Greater Dallas Chapter, and on the Leadership Executive Committee for Toastmasters International’s District 25 as its Area Governor and President of DFWAE Toastmasters club. Before joining the Chamber, Carrington had a successful career working in the Hospitality Industry in both Convention Services and Sales and Marketing.
Mr. Carrington attended Texas A&M University in College Station where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication, while also enrolling in the Air Force Reserved Officer Training Corps graduating as Cadet Captain, and appointed to serve on the Governor of Texas Honor Guard for two years.
Mr. Carrington resides in Coppell, Texas with his wife, Susan, and their two daughters, Jennifer and Joelle.
Joel Kellhofer, United Kingdom
AC2.com Productions Ltd and Actual Signs (UK) Ltd
Joel Kellhofer is an experienced, award winning businessman of numerous skills and talents within the production industry. Joel’s business strengths include finance, staff management and working within budget. Joel is the founder and Director of AC2.com Productions Ltd. Founded as a one-man media business in Glasgow in 2003, AC2.com has grown into a thriving business with offices in Glasgow and London, employing six staff. Its’ productions have covered a variety of media, from video to website. In 2006, Joel also set up a sister company, Actual Signs, whose business is teaching BSL and Deaf Awareness/Equality training. Although his passion is for filming, Joel has the ability to perform any task within the company and is willing to stand in or take over at any opportunity. With already two successful businesses and a huge clientele under his belt, Joel’s immense enthusiasm is driving force within the company. Joel’s academic achievements include a BSc in Multimedia Computer Technology, and he is currently an MBA student.
Raja Kushalnagar, J.D., L.L.M.
Dr. Raja Kushalnagar received his law degree (J.D.) from Texas Southern University and L.L.M. in intellectual property from the University of Houston Law Center. He has written papers and presented on the justification for copyright exception of visual translations (i.e. ASL or closed captioning) of copyright materials for deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers.
Raja is also completing his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Houston. His dissertation work focuses on scalability and quality of multi-video streaming for simultaneous use by multiple deaf and hard-of-hearing participants.
Gary Meyer, Vice President, DHH Insurance Inc.
After graduating from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1981, Gary worked for Allstate Insurance Company in the Accounting Department. Eventually he went on to join Prudential as a Life Insurance Agent, where he stayed for 6 years. He returned to NTID where he worked and studied for his masters degree. In 1996, he got a job at SAFECO Insurance Company as a Senior Marketing Consultant. He was responsible for setting up a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program through the 1-800 call center.
In 1999, he started his own Insurance Agency in Rochester. After 4 years of growing, the agency merged with CH Insurance Brokerage to expand the Commercial Products. DHH Insurance Agency is now the primary provider for professional and general Liability insurance and Health Insurance to the RID members. Gary has been invited to speak at many National Conferences about Risk Management and Insurance. He is married to Kathleen Dollinger-Meyer and has two college-aged children. Ashley is a graduate student at RIT and Jon is at Utica College. They also have a beautiful golden doodle named Lucy.
Upon graduation from University of Houston Bauer College of Business in 1998, Howard Knight has worked in the corporate tax division at Service Corporation International and later at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 2004. In his career, Howard has developed and administered over $1 billion in annual tax reports. He is noted for his quick response to IRS tax controversy and eliminated over $3.5 million in taxes. Howard has been mentioned in the Houston Chronicle and involved in the Diversity Council with executive management. Having spent over 12 years in the corporate world, Howard leaves and started his own CPA firm. He currently resides in Houston with his wife, Tracy Rouly, and their children.
Marina Fanshteyn, MBA, Comprehensive Financial Services Inc.
Marina Fanshteyn Deaf mother of 7 years old daughter Sheyndel, speaker, consultant, business coach, serial entrepreneuer: owns health care, finance, travel, real estate, legal & marketing services.
Ms. Fanshteyn was born in Kiev, Ukraine and imigrated to United States at age 18. She graduated from Lexington School for the Deaf,attended California State University, Northridge, Northeastern University and American InterContinental University and holds B.A. Degree in Business Administration in Marketing, M.B.A. in Healthcare Management, M.B.A. in Accounting/Finance. She is a member of National Association of Professional Women. Her passion is improve the quality of life of Deaf Individuals.
Her favorite quote: “Every day, you have the chance to do or say something that will cause ripple of influence that will wash against lives” by Pat Croce.
Jason Curry, SComm
Jason Curry, CEO of sComm, who is profoundly deaf, founded and launched sComm with a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health in 2005. He brought the UbiDuo face-to-face communicator to the market in January 2007. Since then, sComm has grown to 15 employees. The UbiDuo device is available across the nation in schools, universities, government agencies, Vocational Rehabilitation and other establishments that serve deaf/hard of hearing people or have deaf/hard of hearing employees.
Andrew Metz, zteM Education Institution
Andrew “Aw” F. Metz was born and raised in Indiana and attended Indiana school for the Deaf. He excelled in mathematics and athletics and was quickly recruited by Hofstra University’s football team ranking top 10 in NCAA Division III level. He earned his BA in Public Accounting. Later, during his four year employment at Gallaudet, he received an MBA from Bowie State University.
Due to his strong ambition for higher management levels, he moved and worked for Katherine Jankowski and Frank Turk in North Carolina as Business Manager for a few years before moving back to Maryland. After promoting to Disbursement Accounting Supervisor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, his alumni high school stole him back, not as a student but, as Assistant Superintendent/CFO.
When the industry of VRS was about to be born, Ron Obray recruited him as Controller for Hands On Video Relay Services/Hands On Sign Language Services, Inc. (now Purple Communications Inc.) After a few years with Purple, Andrew saw many Deaf Professionals leaping to higher levels of management while using and working closely with professional interpreters. Andrew noticed the great opportunity he had to enhance interpreters understanding and effectiveness in empowering the Deaf Professional while working towards the mutual goal of higher professionalism. Also, he helps interpreters focusing better with their interpreting jobs by assuming their invoicing/billing tasks as well as taking new assignments. zteM Education Institution is founded and launched.
Sharon Bryant, Employment/Career Consulting Services
Our Employment and Career Consulting Services maximizes your employment opportunities and career potential by taking advantage of current market demands and friendly career environment for the deaf.
Career consulting gives you greater focus and an increased awareness of the choices you make. Also, it keeps your career healthy, improve the quality of your life and make you more effective at work through a heightened sense of self-awareness and greater clarity about your purpose and goals.
Whether a business owner or an individual on a career track, knowing your personal vision is critical to your success.
Sharoon Bryant’s Bio: Employment Specialist for over 20+ years
Vocational Evaluation – 4 years
George Washington University – Ed.S (Education Specialist/Vocational Evaluator)
McDaniel College – MS – Counseling Education
Gallaudet University – BA – Social Work
Larry Umberger, Team Leader and Trainer
Jim House, TDI Director of Public Relations
Jim House is the Director of Public Relations at TDI, a position he has held since 1999. One of his most far-reaching achievements in this position included developing presentations on consumer advocacy, coping with the digital television transition and captioning issues as well as writing successful grant proposals resulting in more than $3 million in federal funding to develop emergency preparedness training programs and other projects. He has been involved in planning for publications, conferences and workshops.. With a layman’s understanding of “how things work”, Jim has given sophistication to publications such as TDI World and TDI’s Annual Directory for People Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing – also known as the Blue Book, bringing a wealth of telecommunications and media access resources for professionals and consumers alike. He is actively involved in several consumer/industry forums and coalitions covering access issues with the captioning, emergency communications and in mobile, text and video telecommunications. Prior to TDI, Jim has been an advocate of various disability rights issues for more than 25 years on the local and state levels. In 1987, he was a key player in the establishment of the first real-time local news captioning service in Washington, DC on WJLA TV-7.
Tim Kindblade, Owner of Kindblade Construction
Tim Kindblade is the owner and sole proprietor of Kindblade Construction, a contractor that specializes in the repair, remodeling and improvements of homes and small businesses. He has been successful in running his own business for more than 20 years, worked on multitude of projects, either singly or with other contractors and fellow workers, both Deaf and hearing. Tim has worked on residential, commercial and government projects over the years and has a wealth of knowledge, tools and experience. Prior to this, Tim owned a TTY repair business, repairing a wide variety of devices for the Deaf. He has also been involved with non-profit organizations, such as NW Theatre of the Deaf, and Deaf Power Organization, a local Deaf sports and fitness group.
