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President-Elect: |
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Christine Throm, Au.D.
Dr. Throm has been an active member of California Academy of Audiology (CAA) since 2002. For several years she served on the conference committee and chaired the silent auction. For the last two years she has served on the board as Conference Committee Co-chair and for two years before that as Northern California representative. Dr. Throm purchased a private practice in 2013 and is the owner of Los Gatos Audiology and Hearing Aid Center. Prior to that, Dr. Throm worked in an Ear, Nose and Throat practice for 13 years. She prides herself in keeping in contact with her peers and will work on your behalf to see CAA continue to be a strong organization for California audiologists. Please vote for Dr. Christine Throm to represent you and audiologists across the state. You can count on her to provide you with experience, energy and a thoughtful approach to the issues that matter to you most. |
Treasurer: |
Karen Pak, Au.D. Dr. Pak has been an active member within the professional community, volunteering at a past AAA conference as a committee member of the ABA Meet & Greet, hosting educational seminars in her community, and earning the AAA Scholar Award. Dr. Pak is currently serving as the California Academy of Audiology (CAA) Treasurer since 2014. In the past, Dr. Pak has also served as the Treasurer for the Gallaudet University chapter of National Association of Future Doctors of Audiology (NAFDA). In her spare time, Dr. Pak enjoys kayaking, pottery, saponification, planting and pruning urban forestry, and gardening. |
Membership Chair: |
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Shahrzad Cohen, Au.D.,M.S.,FAAA |
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Salisha (Sally) Elder-Christensen, Au.D.
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Academic Program Liaison: |
Jacque Georgeson, Au.D.
Jacque Georgeson is currently the Director of Clinical Education and Training at the University of the Pacific AuD Program in San Francisco and is responsible for coordinating clinical rotations in the Bay Area and national externship placements. Prior to her current position, she was the Audiology Clinic Director/Director of Clinical Training for the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Audiology. Mentoring students and collaborating with clinical preceptors to enhance clinical training experiences for both students and sites is passion in the profession of Audiology.
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Christopher Focht, Au.D.
Dr. Chris Focht has been a clinical and dispensing audiologist since 1989. He currently serves as a senior audiologist at the Hearing and Speech Center of Northern California. In addition to providing client services, Dr. Focht is the preceptor and advisor for the Center’s clinical externs. He serves as a SME on the ABA Preceptor Training Advisory Committee and is a lecturer at San Francisco State University, teaching Audiology, Audiometry, and Aural Rehabilitation. Dr. Focht also serves as a practical examiner on the State of California Hearing Aid Dispenser’s Licensing Board. |
Charles Sanders, Au.D.
I grew up in the Sacramento area, and it means a lot to me to give back to the community where I had such a wonderful childhood. I work as a full time Audiologist at Whisper Hearing Center and as Part Time Faculty at Sac State. I live in Elk Grove, CA and am married with three children, Ashley, Devon, and Zachary. I have been witness to the changes in Audiology over the last decade, in terms of our degree designate. I want to help move our profession forward and be useful in any way I can in helping the CSU system offer the Doctor of Audiology Degree. |
Central CA Representative: |
Robert Hanyak, Au.D.
Robert Hanyak, Au.D., has been a faculty member in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA since 1985. He currently serves as the Chair of the Department and is an Associate Professor. He served as Assistant Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences from 1999 – 2005. Dr. Hanyak is the founder of Doctor of Audiology program at Pacific’s San Francisco campus, which enrolled the first class of students in August, 2015. He has 35 years of clinical audiology experience, and his areas of clinical interest are in cochlear implant rehabilitation, amplification and pediatric diagnostic audiology. Dr. Hanyak is honored to serve on the CAA Board if elected. |
Cheri Taylor, Au.D., CCC-A
I am excited to run for a position on the Board of Directors for the California Academy of Audiology as a representative for central California. I completed my undergraduate education at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. Prior to entering the field of audiology, I taught elementary school. Although not directly related to the field of audiology, this opportunity allowed me to develop a strong skillset to help me clinically when working with children. I received my doctoral degree in audiology from Montclair State University in 2014 and completed my audiology residency training at Columbia University Medical Center. I currently work in the Salinas/Monterey areas where I do a wide range of diagnostic testing. During my graduate school education, I had the opportunity to supervise and work in the auditory electrophysiology laboratory. Studies overseen were on event related potential recordings of speech perception in difficult listening situations involving young, middle-aged, and older adults. My doctoral research focused on decreasing environmental noise in otoacoustic emission testing through using a portable noise barrier. Research during my audiology residency training focused on music perception as it relates to the hearing aid user population. I was also involved in a multi-center research study that focused on the efficacy of short-term aural rehabilitation for adult cochlear implant users. During my graduate school education, I also had the opportunity to hold several leadership positions. I was the president of my university’s Student Academy of Audiology chapter, coordinated volunteers for The Special Olympics Healthy Hearing program in the State of New Jersey, and was the student director in the auditory electrophysiology laboratory. I know of the importance of and have previously demonstrated being involved in my professional organizations and hope to continue this by holding a position on the California Academy of Audiology Board of Directors.
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Northern CA Representative: |
Leigh Kjeldsen, Au.D.
I have been practicing Audiology since 2000. I graduated with my undergraduate degree from Claremont McKenna College and received my M.S. from San Francisco State University in 2000. I completed my Doctor of Audiology degree at Salus University in 2004. I joined my mother, who is an audiologist, in practice at Valley Audiology (Concord and Walnut Creek) in 2000 and I continue to work there today. I see primarily adult patients for diagnostic hearing testing and hearing aid fitting. I live in Oakland with my husband, two children and three cats. |
Marni Novick, Au.D.
Dr. Marni Novick decided to pursue a career in the field of Audiology due to her own personal experience with childhood hearing loss. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology, Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Masters of Arts in Audiology from The University of Iowa and her Doctorate of Audiology from Salus University. Dr. Novick is a licensed dispensing audiologist and a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology and the Academy of Doctors of Audiology. She is also Board-Certified by the American Board of Audiology. Dr. Novick has previously taught for the University of Florida long-distance Au.D. program in Audiology. She enjoys participating in various community outreach activities and has given numerous lectures on topics ranging from hearing loss, amplification options, auditory aging, balance disorders and evaluation and management of tinnitus. She has experience in pediatric and adult diagnostic evaluations and rehabilitation, including hearing aids, tinnitus counseling and auditory rehabilitation. Dr. Novick currently owns Silicon Valley Hearing, Inc. a private practice in Los Gatos. |
Andrea Rafii, Au.D.
My name is Andrea Rafii and I am running for the position of Northern California representative for the 2017 CAA Board of Directors. I completed my Doctor of Audiology degree from The Ohio State University. I have been working as a Clinical Audiologist at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco since 2009. From 2012 through 2015, I served as Secretary for the CAA Board of Directors. During this time, I was a member of the conference committee and served as the Ethics Panel Coordinator. I am interested in continuing my service on the Board of Directors, representing the needs and interests of our Northern California members. |
Southern CA Representative: |
Nola Aronson, Au.D.
My name is Nola Aronson. I have been an audiologist in Southern Ca. in private practice for 35 years. For the last year and a half I have been the southern Ca. representative for CAA. As an audiologist for so many years I want to be the voice for southern Ca audiologists and make sure that we have support in our state to grow and have support. It takes at least a year to get to understand this post and by serving on the board I finally understand what is needed and wanted and I am here willing to serve again for the next 2 years. Many years ago I was on the board for CASHA. I have a great understanding for this profession with all my years of experience. Times are changing with all the managed care, big box stores, PSAP's online accessibility and I want to help so that the audiology profession remains strong and all our needs are met. |
Dr. Christine Throm would like your support for President-Elect. 
Dr. Karen Pak is a clinical audiologist currently working at Woodland Healthcare, a member of the Dignity Health Medical Foundation. Her audiological interests include vestibular assessments, electrophysiology, amplification, and pediatric audiology. Dr. Pak is Board Certified by the American Board of Audiology (ABA) and is also a fellow member of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA).
Dr. Cohen holds a masters degree from CSUN and has been a licensed audiologist in Ca since 2001. She earned her doctorate degree from UFL in 2013. She has a multidisciplinary private practice "Auditory Processing Centers- APC" in Sherman Oaks. She has been a passionate and active board member of CSHA district 7 for about 4 years. She currently is serving on two CSHA committees; magazine editorial and scholarship. She has been a member of CAA for the past 3 years. Last year she helped CAA by joining the conference committee and the newly formed scholarship committee. She strongly believes that by following CSHA as a model, CAA could increase membership numbers and involvements. 
Salisha (Sally) Elder-Christensen, Au.D. is a diagnostic audiologist at Sonus Hearing Care Professionals since 2014 and serves as co-Director of Audiology beginning in January 2016. She earned her BS degree in Physiology and Neurobiology and her clinical doctorate degree both at the University of Connecticut. After completing her 4th clinical year at University Hospital Case Western Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio she began her career at a large ENT practice in Connecticut where she introduced and developed protocols in electrophysiological testing and trained support staff to conduct such testing. In 2010, she moved to Virginia and specialized in adult and pediatric hearing aid fittings at a private practice. While in Virginia she served on the Health Advisory Board of Chesapeake Public Schools for 2 years. She holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-A) through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Sally along with her spouse and son moved to California in 2014.
