2019 IAD Conference Presenters

Jason is third generation Deaf from Wisconsin and currently serves as the Legislative Chair for the Illinois Association of the Deaf. Jason currently serves as the Director of Harper College’s Access and Disability Services, serving more than 1,200 students with disabilities. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Welfare from University of Wisconsin-Madison and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. During his free time, Jason can be found spending his time with his family and friends, cheering for his beloved Green Bay Packers, or advocating for social justice and for the Deaf community. Jason received the Meritorious Service Award in 2005 from the Wisconsin Association for the Deaf and the President’s Award in 2017 from the Illinois Association for the Deaf.

Presentation Titles: “Understanding and Navigating the Politics and Legislative Process” and “Deaf Power: Making Your Legislator Work for You”

Current Illinois Association of the Deaf President Corey Axelrod is fourth generation Deaf, a passionate social justice advocate and social entrepreneur. In his role as founder and CEO of 2axend, he helps organizations create inclusive and accessible environments for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals.

Presentation Title: “Make an Impact with Social Media”

Jenny Buechner hails from Madison, Wisconsin. She graduated from the Wisconsin School for the Deaf in 1998 and from Gallaudet University in 2002 with a degree in Social Work. Jenny is a Consultant and Deaf Interpreter. In her work she consults with various groups in understanding how to work with deaf people, the culture, and the community. Jenny served as the president of the Wisconsin Association of the Deaf (WAD) from 2009 through 2013. She also served as president of Deaf Unity, the only agency serving deaf people who experience domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes from 2015 to 2017, when she became the executive director until 2018. Jenny currently serves on the National Association of the Deaf board of directors since 2013, first as its regional board member for two and a half years, and now as its secretary. Jenny is actively involved in her community through various capacities.

Presentation Title: “The Power of You in the Community”

Darnall is the founder of Darnall Consulting LLC to work with various entities in education, advocacy, historical preservation, and training. He is committed to developing training tools in leadership development by giving workshops across the nation. Darnall has served on various local, state-level boards and is currently serving on the NAD board. He also co-founded the Nebraska Deaf Heritage Museum and Cultural Center. He is very involved with the Deaf youth and his work was featured in the Omaha World-Herald. He has been the Jr. NAD Nebowa chapter advisor since 2005. He directed the film “The Book of Job” and is involved in upcoming film projects. Darnall received The James Sowell Appreciation Award from Nebraska Association of the Deaf, The Spirit of NAD Award from the National Association of the Deaf, and the Admiralship of The Great Navy of the State of Nebraska from the Governor. He is currently living in Omaha, Nebraska.

Presentation Titles: “Empowering Yourself By Understanding Yourself as a Pathway for Change” and “Reframing Advocacy and Activism”

Erin Esposito is the Director of Strategic Partnership & Systems Change with IGNITE in Rochester, New York. Erin is also a Senior Lecturer at NTID/RIT, teaching Writing and Humanities.

Presentation Title: “Transformative Justice: You, Community, System – Time to Change it all!”

Donald Moore has served on the IAD Media committee since 2015. He holds a BS from Gallaudet, and an MBA from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC). He is currently employed with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago within the IT Department. He has served in various roles – Analyst, web master/developer, business analyst, and most recently as Senior IT Asset Management Analyst. Whenever possible he advocates for accessible technologies, and writes blogs for IAD and other channels. He helps to manage and create content for our website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn channels. Donald is currently living in the Western Chicago suburbs.

Presentation Title: “Make an Impact with Social Media”

Katy Schmidt, a former graduate of the Illinois School of the Deaf and Rochester Institute of Technology, where the tigers calls their home. Katy relocated back home in Wisconsin, where the best NCAA, NFL and MLB teams are located, after obtaining her degree in Social Work.

Katy is an advocate with more than a decade of experience. When she is not in her office, she can be found either running meetings as a president of the Wisconsin Association of the Deaf and as a chair of the Wisconsin Governor Council of deaf and hard of hearing or meeting stakeholders. When she is not in the meetings, she can be found in her office playing on the floor with kids in therapy as a licensed psychotherapist. (Katy also does therapy with adults as well).

Katy was also a recipent of several awards including NAD Golden Hand Award, and WAD Meritorious Service Award.

When she’s not working, you can find her cuddled up on a couch watching sports with her dog, and her partner.

Presentation Titles: “Understanding and Navigating the Politics and Legislative Process” and “Deaf Power: Making Your Legislator Work for You”