The Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center announced additions to the organization.
• Dr. Elana Schrader joined the board. She has more than 13 years of experience at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida. Before Blue Cross Blue Shield, she was the medical director for Columbia/HCA Memorial Hospital and also had a private practice in internal medicine in Ponte Vedra Beach.
• Melanie Messer has joined as director of development. She has more than 10 years of nonprofit experience, most recently as director of community and donor relations with Cathedral Arts Project.
• Patty Heard has become development associate. She has experience in event planning, grant writing and resource development.
• Audiologist Leslie Creager Newmeyer has joined the new clinical staff. She recently relocated from Atlanta, where she completed her master’s degree in Audiology from the University of Georgia.
• Laura Stagliano has joined the new clinical staff as a speech and language pathologist. Through support from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, Stagliano is working toward screening 1,000 disadvantaged children within the year through community centers and social service agencies. She has a master’s degree from the University of Florida in Speech Correction Science.
• Micaela Robinson also has joined the center’s new clinical staff as a speech and language pathologist. She works within Jacksonville’s charter schools, serving KIPP Middle School, the Tiger Academy and Wayman Academy of the Arts. She received a master’s degree from the University of South Florida in Speech Language Pathology.
The Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center was founded by the Junior League of Jacksonville in 1949 as the only speech and hearing center to serve children in Northeast Florida. For the past 62 years, the center has provided audiology and speech and language services to thousands of children and adults regardless of the ability to pay.
The center serves about 4,000 children, adults and seniors annually. It is funded by United Way of Northeast Florida, the City of Jacksonville, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, and private and public support.