Child’s Voice works in partnership with the Board of Directors. This committed group of community volunteers leads the organization in the oversight of policy, financial, governance and strategic planning. Child’s Voice strives for a diverse governing board, comprised of individuals who not only have a passion for our mission, but bring specific areas of expertise to the board and to the organization.
For more information regarding the Board of Directors, please email Executive Director Wendy Deters.
Dan Stratis
Dan’s involvement with Child’s Voice began in 2007. His oldest child was diagnosed with profound hearing loss in both ears and was enrolled in the Early Intervention program at the age of 18 months. His family has been supportive of Child’s Voice ever since.
Dan Stratis
Dan’s involvement with Child’s Voice began in 2007. His oldest child was diagnosed with profound hearing loss in both ears and was enrolled in the Early Intervention program at the age of 18 months. His family has been supportive of Child’s Voice ever since. Dan states that Child’s Voice changed the future for his son Danny, and his family remains involved with our Programs to ensure that other children with hearing loss can achieve success as well.
Dan is the Vice President and Managing Broker at @properties Commercial. His role involves managing the commercial real estate brokerage division of the company, including its commercial brokers that handle the sales and leasing of commercial and investment real estate. The company is based in Chicago and has 40 offices located within the city, suburbs, and neighboring states.
The Stratis family lives in the western suburbs. Dan has been married to Julie since 2003 and together they have three children: Danny (Child’s Voice graduate), Ellie, and Charlie. In his free time, Dan enjoys coaching all his kids’ sports teams, including soccer, baseball, basketball, and floor hockey. He also enjoys playing basketball as well as relaxing with his wife and kids. Dan is an avid Chicago sports fan, especially the Bears, Blackhawks, and White Sox.
Dan is honored to be on the Child’s Voice Board of Directors. He looks forward to using his perspective as an alumni parent to further the Program’s success and continued growth. Dan is excited to ensure Child’s Voice remains a strong and supportive resource for children with hearing loss.
Thank you Dan and the Stratis family for your continued support of Child’s Voice!
Cathleen Jareczek
Child’s Voice means the world to the Jareczek family. Cathleen and her husband Jim first learned of Child’s Voice in 2001 when their son Luke was an infant and diagnosed with hearing loss.
Cathleen Jareczek
Child’s Voice means the world to the Jareczek family. Cathleen and her husband Jim first learned of Child’s Voice in 2001 when their son Luke was an infant and diagnosed with hearing loss. At a time full of questions and uncertainty, Child’s Voice provided hope, answers, and a clear plan. Luke joined the Early Intervention Program at Child’s Voice in 2003 and graduated from the School Program in 2007. Luke mainstreamed in first grade with his siblings, Mark and Jessica, and all three have been thriving ever since.
Cathleen is an attorney who began her career in private practice specializing in surety and general litigation matters. Cathleen is In-House Counsel for Dome Construction Corporation, a leader in construction in California. Cathleen is thankful to Dome Construction and the Dome Construction Foundation for its consistent and generous support of Child’s Voice.
Cathleen and Jim are so grateful to Child’s Voice for helping Luke develop strong listening, speaking, and self-advocacy skills. “Child’s Voice provides a remarkable learning environment where students, in addition to learning reading, writing and arithmetic, also learn self-reliance and develop confidence,“ shared Cathleen. “In a short period of time, Child’s Voice leaves an indelible mark on its students and their families.”
Cathleen is honored to serve on the Child’s Voice Board of Directors. She will work to ensure that Child’s Voice continues to thrive and that children with hearing loss are afforded the opportunity to attend Child’s Voice and to develop to their fullest potential.
Dan McMahon
Dan McMahon is a Financial Analyst at Wells Fargo Rail and a 1999 graduate of Child’s Voice. In the last fifteen years, he has been an alumni speaker for two winter galas and a golf outing and has served on the golf outing planning committee for the last seven years.
Dan McMahon
Dan McMahon is a Financial Analyst at Wells Fargo Rail and a 1999 graduate of Child’s Voice. In the last fifteen years, he has been an alumni speaker for two winter galas and a golf outing and has served on the golf outing planning committee for the last seven years.
“Child’s Voice didn’t simply develop my speech skills or train my listening skills -- it also made up for my lost years of childhood social and emotional development. I learned how to interact with my peers and the surrounding environment. When I transitioned to the mainstream in kindergarten, I felt that my social skills— in addition to reading and speech—surpassed my new peers,” said McMahon.
“The organization has experienced a tremendous transformation since I was a student 25 years ago. It would be a privilege to help further the magic of Child’s Voice for students and families for years to come,” he said.
Jennifer Polston
Child’s Voice is thrilled to welcome back Jennifer, a former staff member, as a member of the Board of Directors. Jennifer joins Child’s Voice, excited to get involved again. She worked at Child’s Voice 2002 – 2004 as the Early Intervention Coordinator.
Jennifer Polston
Child’s Voice is thrilled to welcome back Jennifer, a former staff member, as a member of the Board of Directors. Jennifer joins Child’s Voice, excited to get involved again. She worked at Child’s Voice 2002 – 2004 as the Early Intervention Coordinator. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from St. Louis University and a Master’s Degree from the Central Institute for the Deaf at Washington University in St. Louis in Audiology.
Jennifer and her family relocated to Paris, France with her husband’s position and has recently moved back to the States. Jennifer now volunteers for her local parish, parish school, and even works on the Alumni and Auction Committees, including helping students produce art work for the event.
“From the time I entered graduate school at Central Institute for the Deaf at Washington University in St. Louis, I knew I wanted to work with children who are deaf and hard of hearing and who choose to use their devices to learn to speak and listen. I enjoyed working with families and helping them from diagnosis through mainstream,” Jennifer shared. “Now that we are settled back in the US , I am ready again to work with an organization I am passionate about and that aligns with my degree in Audiology. I am so excited to again be a part of Child’s Voice!”
We’re excited too Jennifer! Thank you for your continued commitment to Child’s Voice students and families!
Jennifer and her husband Rob live in the suburbs of Chicago with their five children.
Jeff Belden
Jeff Belden is the Vice President of Finance and Administration at DQS, Inc., where he oversees the management of the finance, accounting, IT, and process improvements departments. His primary responsibilities at DQS are to coach and develop managers, oversee the budget and forecast process, and assist in evaluating strategic investments and opportunities.
Jeff Belden
Jeff Belden is the Vice President of Finance and Administration at DQS, Inc., where he oversees the management of the finance, accounting, IT, and process improvements departments. His primary responsibilities at DQS are to coach and develop managers, oversee the budget and forecast process, and assist in evaluating strategic investments and opportunities.
A Naperville resident, Belden was introduced to Child’s Voice through a Taproot Foundation speed consulting event in 2017. He has continued his involvement by serving on our sustainability committee since 2018. His goal on the board is to “ensure continued long term success and viability of the organization so that children and families get the solutions they need early in life to be successful for future challenges.”
Meg McSherry Breslin
Meg McSherry Breslin has more than 30 years’ experience as a writer and communicator, including 10 years as a staff writer for the Chicago Tribune. At the Tribune, she covered children and family health topics, education, and child welfare, among many other general interest and magazine stories.
Meg McSherry Breslin
Meg McSherry Breslin has more than 30 years’ experience as a writer and communicator, including 10 years as a staff writer for the Chicago Tribune. At the Tribune, she covered children and family health topics, education, and child welfare, among many other general interest and magazine stories.
Meg is currently a freelance journalist and a consultant for The Grossman Group, a Chicago-based corporate communications agency that specializes in strategic storytelling and internal employee communications. Meg works with leaders to support communications efforts and to tell compelling stories that engage and motivate employees. Her client experience includes work for many pharmaceutical and health care companies, among others.
Meg also worked for several years as a freelance writer for Crain’s Chicago Business, the New York Times, the University of Chicago Alumni Magazine and Northwestern University publications. As a strategic communications consultant to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Chicago area nonprofits and universities, she wrote and edited numerous corporate annual reports, employee magazines, and presentations and speeches for top-level executives slovenska-lekaren.com. In her various roles for newspapers, non-profits, universities, and corporations, she has interviewed hundreds of C-suite executives and senior leaders.
Meg holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts/journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a graduate degree in journalism from Ohio State University. At Ohio State, she was selected as a Kiplinger Fellow in Investigative Reporting and served as a graduate teaching fellow. Meg has also been a lecturer in journalism at Columbia College Chicago and has received numerous writing awards for her journalistic work from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Education Writers Association.
Meg is married to Matt Breslin and has four children. She lives in the western suburbs.
Catherine Cappuzzello
Catherine Cappuzzello is the Vice President, Tax - Region North America with Fresenius Kabi. As a leader of the US tax department, she implements tax strategies and participates in Global Tax matters.
Angela Chaudhari, M.D.
Dr. Angela Chaudhari is an OB-GYN with Northwestern Hospital. Her son, Aryan Patel, attended Child's Voice from 2011-2016, first starting in early intervention, and then attending the school program.
Angela Chaudhari M.D.
Dr. Angela Chaudhari is an OB-GYN with Northwestern Hospital. Her son, Aryan Patel, attended Child's Voice from 2011-2016, first starting in early intervention, and then attending the school program.
Dr. Chaudhari talks about her involvement with Child's Voice:
"My son's journey at the school was not easy or straight-forward. He didn’t begin to speak until the age of 6 due to mapping difficulties and the need for a re-implant on one side, and there was discussion that he may need to leave the school to begin his education utilizing ASL (American Sign Language) instead of LASL (Listening and Spoken Language).
In those discussions, the teachers at Child's Voice were his primary advocates. They recognized his intellect and desire to learn, despite his inability to hear and progress in his speech. With the help of those teachers and our ability to improve his hearing via audiology and ENT services at the University of Michigan, Aryan is now a spunky, sarcastic, and overly articulate teenager excelling in his mainstream school, the Latin School of Chicago. We owe his continued academic and personal success to the base of knowledge and confidence he obtained while at Child's Voice.
As a surgeon, I have the opportunity to care for patients and see improvements occur in their lives every day. In this role, I have the opportunity to advocate for my patients and see both successes and failures in their care based on their personal needs and the system at large. As a Board Member at Childs Voice, I will bring a wealth of knowledge about the healthcare system that sometimes fails my patients and how the larger education system can sometimes also fail our children.
In my role on the Board, I will be an advocate and ambassador for Child's Voice, recognizing the limitations within the system that we work. I hope that I can play a role in the strategic mission: in expansion of summer services to reach more kids, in expansion of services to older mainstreamed children, in expansion of services in the city of Chicago, where I live and work, and see kids that are being failed by the educational system. I know, too, that I can bring in the voice of a worried parent of a child with hearing loss to better develop how our adolescent children, not only enter the mainstream and succeed in schools, but mainstream into both listening and deaf culture and succeed in those communities."
Shannon Deamer
Shannon Deamer is the founder and chief executive officer of The Deamer Group, a national talent acquisition solution serving hiring leaders in various industries. As a service-oriented leader, Shannon directs The Deamer Group on developing the most effective hiring practices for employers and improved job search strategies for job seekers.
Shannon Deamer
Shannon Deamer is the founder and chief executive officer of The Deamer Group, a national talent acquisition solution serving hiring leaders in various industries. As a service-oriented leader, Shannon directs The Deamer Group on developing the most effective hiring practices for employers and improved job search strategies for job seekers.
According to Shannon, “I first learned about Child’s Voice when I met Kate Bousum while working for a nonprofit search firm in Chicago and instantly, I was drawn to the mission of supporting children with hearing loss and their families https://cz-lekarna.com. While I am not personally impacted by hearing loss, nor within my immediate family, I grew up in a home focused on education and serving children with special needs. My mother, now retired, worked as a teacher’s aide in special education with young children (ages 4 – 6) who were impacted by various disabilities. What I learned from her is that each child deserved an opportunity to thrive, no matter what difficult cards they had been dealt.
I have carried those lessons with me throughout life and have sought opportunities to continue serving including through work at my church, Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, LA and my former employment with the State of Louisiana as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor as well as with Jobs for Youth Chicago as a Program Director.”
A resident of Baton Rouge, LA, Shannon earned both her BS in Psychology and BA in Sociology from University of New Orleans, and an MA in Industrial/Organization Psychology from Louisiana Tech University. Most recently, she has completed her coursework toward a Doctorate in Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Shannon is a Certified Staffing Professional as well as a Certified Search Consultant with the American Staffing Association. She is also a dynamic presenter and speaker, having led numerous workshops for various organizations. She continues to oversee company operations while appearing as a speaker at events across the U.S. Using her mastery and leadership abilities, Shannon is invariably passionate about her goal to positively impact the lives of others.
Ted Imbery
Ted Imbery is an Otologist/Neurotologist whose practice focuses on adults and children with hearing problems. His passion is cochlear implantation. Ted is excited to bring his medical expertise to help Child's Voice continue to succeed.
Ted Imbery
As an otologist/neurotologist, Ted's clinical practice focuses solely on caring for adults and children with hearing problems. His primary clinical passion is cochlear implantation, and it drew him to otolaryngology. Cochlear implantation makes up about 50% of his surgical practice.
Ted has witnessed firsthand the services that Child's Voice provides. He is excited to bring his medical expertise regarding hearing loss and cochlear implantation to the board of directors to help Child's Voice continue to succeed.
Julie Lynk
Child's Voice is very close to Julie's heart. Julie's daughter Clara attended Child's Voice School Program after first learning about it when Clara was two years old. For Julie's family, the school and the teachers were unmatched by any other option available for oral communication.
Julie Lynk
Business Development Consultant
Child’s Voice is very close to Julie’s heart. Julie’s daughter Clara attended Child’s Voice School Program after first learning about it when Clara was two years old. For Julie’s family, the school and the teachers were unmatched by any other option available for oral communication. Julie and her husband, Mike, quickly recognized that the nurturing program was unique and truly special. She was active as a parent volunteer during the years at Child’s Voice, working with the Parents and Alumni Association as an alumni parent, and continues to support the school through special events and sponsorships.
For twelve years, Julie was with Automatic Data Processing as a District Manager with increasing responsibilities to Sales Executive. She was a Business Development Manager with Arthur Andersen for four years and with Deloitte for two and a half years. She has also done some independent business development consulting with non-profits.
Now, most of Julie’s time is spent raising three children and managing schedules, logistics, and finances for all home affairs. She is currently coordinating a wide spectrum of volunteer programs in her local community and offers developmental direction to her parish school. This includes several parish service outreach programs, including a monthly soup kitchen, and serving on a committee for a recent transformation/strategic plan. She also directs fundraising for several non-for-profits in her community.
Julie and her husband live in the northern suburbs with their family. Julie says that Clara is doing great in her new mainstream school environment, thanks to the skills and opportunities she had at Child’s Voice. In her spare time, Julie enjoys tennis and golf with friends and family, spending time in Minnesota with family, and attending her children’s sporting or school events.
Julie’s commitment to the Board comes from when Clara was first diagnosed with hearing loss. She and her husband didn’t know where to turn but quickly learned that Child’s Voice was their best option. The family loves how knowledgeable the staff is and is grateful for the network of parents all facing similar situations. The Lynk family is truly thankful for the ongoing support from Child’s Voice.
Thank you to Julie and the entire Lynk family for their continued support of and dedication to Child’s Voice!
Zornitsa Titova-Petrova
Zornitsa Titova-Petrova is the Senior Vice President of Commercial Real Estate for Wintrust/Schaumburg Bank & Trust and has been with the company since 2008.
Zornitsa Titova-Petrova
Zornitsa Titova-Petrova is the Senior Vice President of Commercial Real Estate for Wintrust/Schaumburg Bank & Trust and has been with the company since 2008. She also has a passion for children’s services as a mother of two daughters Milla (10) and Joanna (6).
Titova-Petrova has attended Child’s Voice golf outings and galas in the past as a guest through Wintrust but she is looking forward to getting more involved with committees and the organization.
Wendy Deters
Wendy is the Executive Director of Child’s Voice. She started her career as a Speech Language Pathologist as has 2 decades of experience working with children with hearing loss and their families. Wendy joined the team at Child’s Voice in 2006 and became the Executive Director in 2022.
Wendy Deters
Wendy serves as the leader and visionary voice for Child's Voice. She provides support for all the students, families, and staff. Wendy came to Child’s Voice in 2006 as an Early Intervention Specialist, providing evaluation and therapy services. Prior to becoming Executive Director in 2022, Wendy served as the EI/ School Professional Development Coordinator, which included supporting the EI Staff, coordinating the Toddler Program, and facilitating professional development in the school. Wendy is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist and Listening and Spoken Language Therapist.
