The Board of Directors of the Deaf-Hearing Communication Centre, Inc. (DHCC) is delighted to announce that they have appointed Neil McDevitt as the next Executive Director for DHCC effective January 7, 2013.
Neil is from Montgomery Township, PA and is familiar with DHCC and the region we serve. Neil was raised orally and attended Gallaudet University for his college education where he became fluent in sign language and learned more about Deaf culture. Upon graduation, he entered the business world as a systems analyst for Prudential Insurance Company. In 2006, Neil accepted the position of Program Director for the Community Emergency Preparedness Network (CEPIN) at TDI. He was responsible for developing and implementing training programs for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals to learn about emergency preparedness, and for emergency responders to understand how to assist Deaf and hard of hearing people during emergencies. He has presented many workshops across the country, and as a Deaf professional has been as an excellent role model for participants. In 2011, Neil became the Disability Integration Communication Specialist for FEMA in Washington D.C. and improved the agency’s outreach to the disability community including the Deaf and hard of hearing communities. He missed being at home with his family in Montgomery Township, decided to leave FEMA and accepted the position as a leadership instructor for a consulting company. Throughout the hiring process, Neil shared his experiences, ideas and sense of humor and demonstrated the skill and enthusiasm needed to lead DHCC. From his references we learned that Neil is a consensus builder admired by his mentors and those with whom he has worked. As many of you know, Iris Boshes, our Executive Director for the past 13 years is retiring. The Board is extremely grateful to Iris for her leadership and commitment to DHCC. Iris will remain full time as Executive Director during Neil’s first 30 days in order to assist in a smooth and orderly transition. Effective February 4th, Neil will be the full time Executive Director and take over all the responsibilities of the position. Iris has agreed to remain as a consultant for DHCC and will work part time for the next 30 days, after which she will be available to consult as needed. We welcome Neil and look forward to working with him as he maintains and grows DHCC in the years ahead. We consider this change as the passing of the torch to an exuberant, intelligent, self-starter who will bring excellence to DHCC.
Click below to view an introduction to Neil McDevitt!
