 | alaska speech-language hearing association |
2024 AKSHA Award Winners!
Thank you everyone for your nominations for AKSHA Awards! We are thrilled to recognize our amazing SLPs and Audiologists in Alaska!
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Senator David Wilson
AKSHA CHINOOK:
This award honors a Professional Advocate for Speech, Language, and Hearing in Alaska. This person is not an SLP or Audiologist.
This certificate is given to Senator David Wilson. The Chinook Salmon, otherwise known as the King Salmon, is the largest and most valuable species of salmon in Alaska. This award honors our personal “chinook” who has contributed to the advancement of the professions. In 2024, Senator Wilson sponsored the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (ASLP-IC) bill; this was signed into law 8/30/2024!
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Nancy Lovering
PRESIDENT'S AWARD:
This award recognizes an executive board member, committee chair, or member of the association who provided exemplary service to the association.
Nancy has been involved with AKSHA since the early 1990s. Nancy has served in a variety of roles with AKSHA and ASHA. Nancy has served as the AKSHA president TWICE, she has been the advocacy chair, and currently, serves as the STAR for the state. Nancy is an ASHA fellow. Over the past few years, Nancy has worked tirelessly with our non-profit consultant to support the interstate compact bill, which was finally passed and signed this year. I know I did not fully realize the time and energy required for a literal act of congress. We are so thankful to Nancy for her years of service with AKSHA and most recently for her work on the interstate compact. Thank you, Nancy!
Nancy is a speech-language pathologist practicing for 33 years, the owner of Speech Language Therapy Services, LLC. and a member of the Ability Group.
She received her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Northern Arizona University and began working for Children's Rehabilitation Clinic (CRC) in Tucson, Arizona. At CRC Nancy worked directly with physicians and other professionals by providing therapy and consultations during specialty clinics serving children from across Arizona and Mexico. In addition, she traveled to the Navajo and the Tohono O'odham reservations to provide both assessment and treatment to children. After moving to Alaska in 1989 she worked for the Anchorage School District for 4 years before deciding to open her practice.
She specializes in working with infants and children with feeding and swallowing disorders including children with limited diets. She works with children of all ages with speech and language delays and disorders including apraxia of speech, neurological-based communication disorders, and cleft lip and palate. Nancy contracts with Kids Corps Head Start to provide preschool-based speech and language services for over 25 years. She is active in her national and state professional organizations and is a member of several committees that address professional issues.
When not working she absolutely loves spending time with her grandchildren and family, cooking, traveling, and enjoying Alaska
Nomination by Shea Kohman, AKSHA President
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Winner of the Helen Beirne Scholarship is:
Kristina Dick
AKSHA is proud to present this year’s Helen Dittman Beirne Scholarship to Kristina Dick. Congratulations, Kristina!
Please consider nominating someone today for our upcoming 2025 AKSHA Convention!