Mission & Activities:

The Foundation of the Tennessee Association of Audiologists & Speech-Language Pathologists is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of children and adults with communication disorders in the State of Tennessee. The Foundation will raise funds from individuals, corporations, foundations, other organizations, and through special events. Proceeds will be used for the following purposes:
• To improve the quality of services by providing practitioners with professional education experiences designed to enhance their clinical skills and service provisions to individuals with communication disorders.
• To publish and disseminate information to the public to advance their knowledge about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing, speech, and language disorders.
• To provide financial assistance to promising students at the graduate level in the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology.
• To financially support research and development in the discipline of communication sciences and disorders and the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology.
• To prudently manage and invest available funds to achieve the above purposes.
• To partner with other state or national foundations and organizations to support the mission of the Foundation.

Sources of Financial Support:

• Membership Drive: All audiologists and speech-language pathologists are given the opportunity to support the Foundation through levels of membership.
• Special Events: TAASLP sponsors silent auctions, golf tournaments, food functions, and other fund raising events for the Foundation so that it may achieve its purposes.
• Corporate Sponsors: Suppliers of products and services to audiologists and speech-language pathologists are given an opportunity to support the Foundation through levels of giving.
• Foundation: Other state and national foundations with similar purposes are asked to support the purposes of the Foundation.
• Deferred Gifts: Individuals who have a special interest in audiology and speech-language pathology are asked to include the Foundation in their estate planning.
• Other appropriate activities designed to support the purposes of the Foundation.

TAASLP Foundation Board of Directors

 Officers:

Board Members:

Standing Committees

Nominating Committee
Chair: Pat Chase, Immediate Past Chair
Members: Helen Duhon, Marion Hammett

Strategic Planning Committee
Chair: Ralph Leverett, Chair Elect of the BOD
Members: Helen Duhon, Melanie Gunn, Mark Hedrick, Lee Ann Golper, Mendy Richards, Sharon Roehrig

Finance Committee
Chair: Mark Hedrick, Treasurer
Members Melanie Gunn, Carol Sheridan, Jane Ferrell

Fundraising Committee
Chair: Melanie Gunn
Members: Wanda Webb, Marion Hammett, Fred Bess, Valerie Matlock, Jane Ferrell

Grants and Scholarship Committee
Chair: Mendy Richards
Members: Ralph Leverett, Mark Hedrick, Sharon Roehrig, Jeannie Luckey

Levels of Giving:

• The Golden Millennium Group: Members of this group contribute $1,000 or more annually to the Foundation.
• The Silver Millennium Group: Members of this group contribute $500 to $999 annually to the Foundation.
• The Millennium Group: Members of this club contribute $100 to 499 annually to the Foundation.
• Contributors: Members of this club contribute $99 or less annually to the Foundation.
 

Named Donor Societies:

Contributions in any amount may be made in honor of any of the following named societies:

The Freeman E. McConnell Society – Dr. McConnell came to the Bill Wilkerson Hearing and Speech Center in 1951 to develop a new graduate training program at Vanderbilt and a community hearing and speech center for the middle Tennessee area. He was a founder of the Tennessee Speech and Hearing Association (now TAASLP).

The Harold Luper Society – Dr. Luper served as Head of the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville for over 30 years. During that period, the Department produced 1004 M.A. graduates and 55 doctoral students.

The Betty Webster Society – During her 17-year tenure on the faculty of the MSU Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Dr. Webster pioneered the parent counseling program and Interpersonal Communication course which is still an integral part of the curriculum.

The Jay Sanders Society – Dr. Sanders came to Vanderbilt in 1964. His own and directed research in the areas of masking, impedance audiometry, and evoked response made major contributions to the knowledge base in diagnostic audiology. He set up and organized the state Board of Examiners for the two professions.

The John Irwin Society – Known affectionately as “Red John”, Dr. Irwin served as Director of the Memphis State Health Center for 16 years. He is a past President of TAASLP and received the Honors of the Association in 1973.

The Wanda Moody Society – Ms. Moody served as a classroom teacher in the Knoxville School System for 30 years. She was the first woman to serve on the Superin-tendent’s staff and was appointed to the first State Board of Examiners for Speech Pathology and Audiology.

Special Donor Societies -- Contributions may also be made in honor of or in memory of a colleague, friend, or family member.
 

Dear Colleague:

Most of us have enjoyed working in the field of audiology and speech-language pathology for a long time, yet we remember our student days when we were struggling to find the money to stay in school. Now the struggle is even more challenging, yet funding sources remain scarce. Your donation to the TAASLP Foundation will help ensure the future of our profession.

Not only will it help promising students continue their education at the graduate level, it will give us the resources to both inform the general public about the prevention and treatment of communication disorders and enable credible research projects.

We welcome you to use traditional methods of giving by making a contribution through one of the following groups:

• Golden Millennium Group: Members of this group contribute $1,000 or more annually to the Foundation.
• Silver Millennium Group: Members of this group contribute $500 to $999 annually to the Foundation.
• Millennium Group: Members of this club contribute $100 to 499 annually to the Foundation.
• Contributors: Members of this club contribute $99 or less annually to the Foundation.

We also encourage you to consider other possible ways of giving, as follows:

• Make a contribution to one of our Named Donor Societies (see enclosure)
• Recognize a colleague, friend, or family member with a gift in their honor or in their memory.
• Specify that a percent of your estate go toward a named, endowed scholarship or research grant administered through the TAASLP Foundation.
• Think of the TAASLP Foundation when special occasion gifts are given.
• Donate stocks, bonds or real estate instead of monetary gifts.
• Give a whole life insurance policy with the TAASLP Foundation as owner and beneficiary.
Whatever you decide to do, you may be assured that your gift will be put to good use. As the TAASLP Foundation is a 501©3 tax-exempt organization, all gifts are tax deductible as charitable contributions.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the TAASLP Foundation Office
 

Sincerely,

Helen Duhon
Chair, Board of Directors

Click here for Acrobat format Foundation Donor Form
(Adobe Acrobat Reader required.)