Fond Farewells…. and Warm Welcomes
ATA’s Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) are rotating groups of volunteers, representing a cross- section of ATA supporters. Each year, as some service terms end, we find ourselves saying goodbye to some wonderful people who have become a close-knit part of our lives.
This year we bid a fond farewell to Gary P. Reul, Ed.D., whose Board ser- vice began in 2004, including terms as Vice Chair, Chair
and even CEO of ATA. Gary’s contributions to ATA have been invaluable. His ability to see things from both the staff and Board perspective and professional experience as an educator and administrator greatly helped us put ATA on a path for growth. Gary’s experience of having both tinnitus and hyperacusis definitely aided in connecting the ATA Board with the patient perspective as well. And, during his time as CEO, he often spoke directly to those contacting ATA for help and saw to it that they left the conversation with a better outlook on tinnitus. We will miss Gary and hope that he will continue to remain involved with ATA as we continue our pursuit of a cure.
We also say goodbye to Neil Cherian, M.D., whose profession as a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic brought unique
perspectives and fresh ideas to the ATA Board of Directors since 2006. Dr. Cherian also has a per- sonal love of music and all things audio. His combined professional and personal experiences were incredible assets and his contribu- tions will be missed. His expertise in treating musicians with tinnitus,
6 Tinnitus Today | Summer 2012
also added immense value to his volunteer time on the Board. We wish Neil the best in the future and know that he will continue to be an ambassador for the cure, while treating tinnitus patients who need help now.
Anthony T. Cacace, Ph.D., has provided invaluable exper- tise as Chair of our Scientific Advisory Committee for the past four years and
served as a member since 2001. Dr. Cacace was instrumental in the creation of ATA’s Roadmap to a Cure, and efficiently led committee discussions of grant evaluations. While closely participating in Board meetings, his insight guided the Board to select some of the most innovative tinnitus research studies ATA has ever funded. His experience in human electrophysi- ology, electroacoustics, central auditory processing disorders, and magnetic resonance imaging is showcased in over 60 publications, two books, and 12 book chapters.
Presently he is working on a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Defense (DoD) to study blast- and concussion-induced tinnitus. At the recent Tinnitus Research Initiative Conference, he presented a novel technique using nanopar- ticles that could not only identify tinnitus-related neural activity in the brain, but could also be used to deliver drugs to specific brain areas. We know that he will remain a close ally of ATA’s in the fight to silence tinnitus, and will be an integral part of its eventual cure.
With all the goodbyes on the Board, we also extend a big “hello” to Jeff De Cagna FRSA FASAE, who joins the ATA Board. Jeff is chief strate-
gist and founder of Principled Innovation LLC, located in Reston, Virginia. Jeff is a Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and in 2010, he retired from the ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership Board of Directors after serving a three-year term. In addition to serving on ATA’s Board, Jeff is also a member of American Mensa, BoardSource and the World Future Society, and in 2009, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK). He serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for RedRover, a national organization that focuses on bringing animals out of crisis and strengthening the bond between people and animals. We look forward to Jeff sharing his association experience and expertise with ATA.
ATA welcomes Susan E. Shore, Ph.D., as the new Scientific Advisory Committee Chair. Dr. Shore was nominated by a
majority of votes by SAC and was confirmed by the ATA Board at their June meeting. Dr. Shore has been a key part of SAC since 2006 adding her expertise of the soma- tosensory system and work at the Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan. With over 50 publications, 95 abstracts, including 11 book chapters, Dr. Shore has received grants from ATA, DoD, Deafness Research Foundation, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Tinnitus Research Consortium, and Tinnitus Research Initiative. Her most recent work demonstrated that in animals with tinnitus, the major change in the cochlear nucleus was an increase in excitation from the somatosen- sory system.
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