Annual Report 2014-2015 75 1940–2015 Proudly serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities Fière de servir les communautés des sourds et malentendants 75 Canadian Hearing Society Canadian Hearing Society As of March 31, 2015 As of March 31, 2015 1940–2015 Proudly serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities Fière de servir les communautés des sourds et malentendants SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Interim President and CEO: Stephanus Greeff Chair: Timothy Andrade Chief Operating Officer:Katherine Hum-Antonopoulos Vice-Chair: Mary-Lu Brennan Vice-Chair: David Hass Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer:Stephanus Greeff MISSION Treasurer: Janice Taylor Karen McDonald Vice-President, Programs and Services: Secretary: Stephanus Greeff CHS is the leading provider of services, Vice-President, Fundraising and Strategic Communications: Susan Main products and information that: Linda Campbell Special Advisor to the President, Public Affairs: Gary Malkowski Roger Carver • remove barriers to communication Vice-President, Human Resources: Deborah Pikula Diane Gregoris • advance hearing health Arista Haas • promote equity for people who are culturally REGIONAL DIRECTORS Gerard Kennedy Deaf, oral deaf, deafened and Kingston: Brian McKenzie Catherine MacKinnon hard of hearing London: Marilyn Reid Ethan Poskanzer Ottawa: Michel David Rohan Smith Peterborough and York: Maggie Doherty-Gilbert Mark Wafer VISION Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury: Silvy Coutu A society where people are respected, have Thunder Bay: Nancy Patterson full access to communication, and are able Toronto: Stephanie Ozorio to participate without social, economic or Waterloo, Peel and Hamilton: Victoria Baby emotional barriers. Windsor: David Kerr PROGRAM DIRECTORS On the cover: Founder and Communication Devices Program & Accessibility Consulting Services: Jo-Ann Bentley brand ambassador of snkrbox Counselling Services (CONNECT, General Support Services, Hearing Care Counselling Program): Jason Burke and family during Rebecca Grundy a recent trip to the Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibit at the Art Gallery Employment Services: Gord Ryall of Ontario in Toronto. With the Hearing Healthcare: Rex Banks help of CHS Employment Services, Jason Information Technology: Jim Hardman received technology to help make workplace Marketing and Communications: Kara-Ann Miel meetings accessible. For more on Jason’s story, read the Spring-Summer 2015 issue of Vibes Ontario Interpreting Services and CART: Cheryl Wilson at chs.ca/vibes. Photo credit: Georgia Esporlas. Charitable Registration Number 10684 6926 RR0001 2 | ANNUAL REPORT 2014-2015 CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY ANNUAL REPORT 2014-2015 | 3 Report from the Chair Report from Interim President and CEO Laying the foundation for the years ahead Building a firm future CHS is celebrating 75 years enthusiastically to remarkable dollars. Government funding service. The framework includes in 2015, and as such, it is outcomes on so many levels. I and fundraising dollars have the formation of a Quality appropriate to reflect on wish to congratulate and thank traditionally been the two main Leadership Team, made up and celebrate the amazing the Chairs and the Directors of funding sources for non-profits. of CHS staff from across the accomplishments of the past. these groups. In today’s environment, we need organization who will work to We cannot, however, rest on to make our third revenue identify and address areas where our laurels. In order to not In addition to regular board source – earned revenue – service quality can improve. We Timothy Andrade merely “survive,” but thrive, we business, the search for a Stephanus Greeff stronger. have also implemented an agency- must continue to evolve, adapt new President and CEO has Interim President and CEO wide accreditation process. Chair, CHS Board of Directors The organization has made a lot and build. been the focus of the Search of changes to reduce expenses. Committee this year. We so This commitment to quality As we move through change But the reality is that we can no programs and services is What an honour for me to look forward to completing this CHS is celebrating 75 years and transitions, we experience longer simply reduce expenses; indicative of our commitment to work with CHS as Chair complex and thorough search serving Deaf and hard of hearing both challenges and we need to innovate and our consumers. In the following over the past year, with such in order to announce our next communities in 2015. While the opportunities. Like the leaders implement new projects. pages, you will meet some of a dedicated, talented and “captain.” We extend a sincere year will include a celebration of of many non-profits, the CHS our consumers and learn about passionate group of directors. “thank you” to Stephanus and reflection on CHS’s past, This year, we looked at new Board and management face their stories. They are the reason We remain committed to Greeff, Interim CEO, who, the senior management team ways to increase efficiency a daunting reality: funding we strive to be our best. We will ensuring that CHS continues to with his senior management and Board remain focused on and revenue generation, remains flat for the foreseeable continue to work with and be successful, thereby enabling team, has navigated admirably building a firm future for the including changing the way future, yet costs to deliver advocate for them in the year it to identify and remove barriers during this challenging time of organization. we deliver services and services and programs continue ahead. to communication, advance transition. introducing new services like to increase. This, simply put, is At CHS, it is our goal to serve hearing health, and promote our tinnitus consultations. We It was my pleasure to serve this not sustainable. Consequently, Thank you to the Board, consumers, to meet their needs, equity for those citizens and also introduced a business year as the interim CEO while much time and effort is being CEO, management, staff, to broaden and strengthen communities we serve. development role. This person the search for a permanent CEO invested to create winning funders, donors, volunteers society’s understanding of is working with Marketing and is underway. It is anticipated conditions for a brighter future. and members who have all accessibility, and to strive daily Communications and a number that a new leader will be contributed to CHS this past to live and breathe our mission of our programs to strengthen appointed in 2015. The working committees of the year, and for your upcoming and vision: removing barriers. earned revenue and program Board (Executive, Finance, support in the year ahead. The I am proud to be part of CHS and We are in the same position as sustainability. Fundraising, and Governance) journey continues – and we proud to be part of a great team many non-profits across have been incredibly busy offer only our very best to build To ensure the best outcomes serving the community. Thank Canada, with mounting and focused. Directors have an even better future. and experiences for consumers, you to everyone – our donors, pressures facing private and contributed positively and CHS hired a Director, Quality our funders, consumers, public funders who support and Accreditation and introduced volunteers, and especially our social service and health a “Quality Improvement staff – for all your work and agencies, and increased Framework” to guide us as we support throughout this past year. competition for fundraising pursue our vision for quality 4 | ANNUAL REPORT 2014-2015 CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY CANADIAN HEARING SOCIETY ANNUAL REPORT 2014-2015 | 5 Employment Services BUILDING A FIRM FUTURE Music to his ears When his hearing began to decline suddenly, Ian found interacting with clients, co-workers and friends was next to impossible. But with CHS’s help, Ian has taken control of his future. Budding businessman and After a trip to the audiologist, That’s when he turned to musician Ian Morrison was he was outfitted with a hearing CHS. With the help of a CHS living in downtown Toronto at aid for his left ear. A year employment consultant, Ian age 21 when it started: His later, after further tests, he received hearing aids from He also received counselling to and continue to pursue music Employment Services at CHS hearing had begun to decline received a second aid for CHS’s hearing healthcare help him come to terms with his by playing in a jazz band. helps culturally Deaf, oral deaf, suddenly and unexpectedly. his right ear. But despite this program, assistive listening hearing loss for the first time. deafened and hard of hearing When his cell phone rang, it new technology, Ian was still devices from CHS’s “Throughout this process, the individuals like Ian find a job, sounded more like “clicks” and struggling to hear properly. Communication Devices Morrison is now successfully Canadian Hearing Society has and works with employees “pops” than a proper ring. To He was trying to grow his Program and communication self-employed, developing been unbelievably supportive, and employers to put the right compound matters, his tinnitus business, but interacting with strategies from CHS websites and managing social providing every tool imaginable supports in place to help both – a ringing in his ears he’d had clients, co-workers and even Counselling Services – all media for his company. He has to help me accept and deal succeed. since age 13 – was worse than friends had become almost used to help Ian maintain his also been able to take French with my condition,” he says. ever before. impossible. business clients. as a second language courses, A taste of Deaf culture Good Work! In 2014, CHS helped support the creation of dozens of jobs for Deaf consumers – and the creation of a social hub which In the past year, CHS placed 252 people in jobs, educates the public on Deaf culture – through its work with which saved the Province of Ontario several SIGNS Restaurant and Bar in Toronto.