Kylie Sharp- Director

Hi, my name is Kylie Sharp. I'm the mother of two deaf daughters. My oldest is twelve and my youngest is seven and we live in Oakland County. I have been on the Board of Michigan Hands & Voices since 2006. I work part time for the Early Hearing Detection & Intervention program in Lansing and am the parent coordinator for the Guide-By-Your-Side program. My two children are as different and unique as the families and members that represent Michigan Hands & Voices! I honor and respect family and individual choice and would encourage you to become a part of our organization!

Shelley Cates- Co-Director

Becky Mucha- Co-Director

Hi, I'm Becky.  I am excited to now be representing Southwest Michigan in the H&V organization!  I am from the Kalamazoo area and currently pursuing a degree in Social Work.   I have one daughter, she is 4.  She has bilateral sensoneural hearing loss.  She is in the Hearing Impaired Program in the Kalamazoo School District and currently attends Total Communication Preschool

Amy is the mother of three girls, one with a sensorineural hearing loss. She was diagnosed at six months of age, and fit with hearing aids at eight months. She currently is integrated within the mainstream classroom. Professionally, Amy is a Special Education teacher. Currently Amy is the secretary of MiHV where she has been involved with since the conception.

Kristy Medes- Treasurer

Hi, I am Kristy Medes.  I am a parent of three children, our oldest daughter is Hard of Hearing .  I have been with Michigan Hands and Voices since May, 2006.  I love being involved and planning events that bring all our members from Michigan together.  I am currently a preschool teacher and I am completing my Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. 

Melissa Alford

Melissa Alford lives with her husband Bryce and two children -- Austin (8) and Alexandra (4).  Austin was diagnosed with a moderate to profound hearing loss at age 2 1/2, which progressed to a severe to profound level by age 7.  In December of 2004, Austin received a cochlear implant at the University of Michigan .  Professionally, Melissa is a human resources director and actively involved in the community.  She serves as a Guide-By-Your-Side mentor and is passionate about making a difference in the lives of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Sonya Adams

My name is Sonya Adams and I have two sons. Ethan (2002) is hearing, and Ryan (2003) has profound Auditory Neuropathy and/or Auditory Dys-synchrony. I have been an active member of MHV since 2004. I am a stay-at-home-mom and a Parent Mentor in the Guide-By-Your-Side Program for the State of Michigan’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program. I live with my family in western Wayne County.

Linda Wright

A private practice Audiologist in DeWitt, MI who also handles Educational Audiology for intermediate school districts in two counties. Areas of interests are: diagnostic hearing testing, hearing aids, FM systems, Auditory Processing Disorder, newborn hearing screenings, and education to patients/families regarding hearing loss concerns. She holds a doctorate in Audiology. Dr Wight oganizes the membership databases, emails announcements, and mails the newspaper/newsletter.

Vicky Hovinen

Vicky Hovinen has a BA in Deaf Education from Michigan State University. She has been Deaf since birth. She is a founding member of Michigan Hands & Voices. Vicky is an active member of Michigan American Sign Language Teachers Association. She has taught ASL to Michigan State University students and hearing parents/siblings of deaf children. She is also a substitute teacher in the D/HH program and Michigan School for the Deaf since 1994. Vicky has a deaf husband and a hearing son (2000).

Jill Elfenbein

Jill Elfenbein is an Associate Professor in the Department of Audiology and Speech Sciences at Michigan State University . She holds clinical certification in both Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Dr. Elfenbein teaches courses on topics related to the assessment and treatment of hearing loss, maintains a small, pediatric caseload, and conducts research on the genetics of hearing loss.

Ellen Milne

Ellen Milne earned her BA in Deaf Education from Mighigan State University and a MA in School Guidance and Counseling for the Deaf from Gallaudet University .  She has worked for the Lansing School Disctrict for the last 16 years working with hearing impaired children as a teacher, counselor and sign language interpreter at the elementaly, middle and high school levels.  She has also taught American Sign Language to hearing students at the high school and college levels.  Ellen is a founding board member and active in Hands and Voices.  She and her family volunteer as foster puppy raisers for Paws with a Cause, an organization that provides service dogs for people with hearing impairments, mobility challenges and seizure disorders.

Lindsay Potter