NINE JOIN CID BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ST. LOUIS, January 2008 – CID - Central Institute for the Deaf has named Bonnie Bell, Richard Chole, Kwamé Curtis, Shimmy Gray-Miller, Paul Mendelson, James W. Seeser, William M. Shaner and James R. von der Heydt  to its board of directors. Robin M. Feder, MS, CFRE, executive director of CID, announced that each member was voted in by the full board at its winter meeting. In addition, the board named Beth Evans a member and staff representative in August.

Bonnie Bell, who previously served on the CID board of directors, manages Nike’s Midwest Retail Division. In addition to competing in the Senior Olympics, Bell volunteers with the St. Charles Workforce Development Board and the Red Hat Society.

Richard A. Chole, MD, PhD, is the Lindburg Professor and chair of the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine and director of the American Board of Otolaryngology. He assumed the honorary CID board of directors position vacated by Dr. Larry Shapiro.

Capt. Kwamé Curtis is chief of audiology services at Scott Air Force Base. He received his bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology and his master’s degree in audiology from Illinois State University and is working on a doctor of audiology degree at the University of Florida.

Shimmy Gray-Miller was named head coach of the Saint Louis University women’s basketball program in April of 2005. A native of Flint, MI, Gray-Miller graduated from the University of Michigan in 1994 with a degree in sociology.

Paul Mendelson is a retired businessman. He and his wife, Betty, started a tennis program at CID. Betty serves on the CID Ultimate Picnic Committee.

James W. Seeser is a former (retired) vice president-technology at Optical Coating Laboratory Inc. (OCLI), a division of JDS Uniphase. The son of deaf parents, he volunteers for the St. Louis Public Schools and generously supports CID.

William M. Shaner was named president and chief executive officer of Save-A-Lot in May of 2006, after the company’s founder, Bill Moran, announced his retirement. As CEO, William leads a highly successful food retailing enterprise with more than 1,150 stores nationwide.

James R. von der Heydt joined Clayton Capital Partners after a successful 21-year career at Ralston Purina Company and three years as a consultant and director of two early stage companies. He serves on the screening committee of the St. Louis Arch Angels and as an advisor to St. Louis BioGenerator. He has served on several community boards, including the Humane Society of Missouri and the St. Louis Zoo.

Beth Evans has been a teacher/parent counselor at CID since August 2004. She holds a bachelor’s degree in deaf education and a master’s degree in early intervention from Fontbonne University.  

CID board of managers officers for 2008 are: Theodore M. Armstrong, president; Robert G. Clark, Thomas R. Jayne, Richard C. Jensen, Ralph W. Kalish, Jr., Joanne P. Knight, Timothy Koehl, Hugh Scott, III, William B. Sheldon, James M. Snowden, Jr., W. Bruce Springer and John D. Weil, vice presidents; Barbara B. Morriss, secretary; Amy R. Tighe and Robin M. Feder, assistant secretaries; C. Baker Cunningham, treasurer, and Tina L. Klocke, assistant treasurer. 

CID’s mission is to teach children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen, talk, read and succeed. We partner with families and collaborate with universities, educators and  other professionals worldwide to help children communicate to achieve their fullest potential.