Lena Dubensky Masri

I am a speech-language pathologist clinical fellow. I received my MBA from the University of Denver and my M.S., CSD from New York University. Before pursuing high education, I worked in collegiate and professional sports, in sales, corporate partnerships, and business analytics. Now, I am merging my career with my education by focusing on executive dysfunction and cognitive-communication disorders as a speech-language pathologist. I am thrilled to be a part of Head to Speech, an organization that speaks directly to my passions.

 Head to Speech Ambassador, January 2023-present PATH Certified Therapeutic Horseback Riding Instructor, November 2006-present Keynote Speaker at Head to Speech Summit in April 2023 Committee Member, PATH Intl DEI Committee, July 2020-present

I was previously the Director of Corporate Relations for an AHL hockey team in Syracuse, NY where I managed over 100 accounts and a budget of $1.5M. I have been involved with non-profits in the equine therapy world since the age of 18 and have held various volunteer positions over the last 15 years, including event organizing, development coordinator, and volunteer manager.

I believe a director needs to be empathetic, understanding, encouraging, and self-motivating. As a therapeutic horseback riding instructor, I am able to quickly put individuals at ease in new, unnerving situations. As a speech-language pathologist, I have learned how to counsel individuals in highly emotional states. I am forward-thinking and believe in looking at a one year, five year, and ten year plan for organizations to ensure longevity.

Athletes are taking a more holistic approach to their health these days, and that includes brain health. This is a positive change for the sports industry and Head to Speech is perfectly positioned to address this need. The challenge is that athletes are unaware of available services and that SLPs can work on cognition.

I serve on the DEI Committee for PATH Intl. and we often discuss ways to broaden the diversity and inclusion across the board. It is imperative to hear from a variety of voices, especially in fields that typically look a certain way, like speech pathology. By including people on the board from different generations, different backgrounds, and unique points of view, the board of directors can enhance Head to Speech's diversity. 

Dana Monique Bryant

Speech Language Pathologist

The Neuro SLP (Parker Bryant Consulting, LLC)

MedBridge Education Affiliate, Amazon Affiliate

Dana M. Bryant is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist with 10+ years of experience working with individuals with neurological disorders. She currently works in an Outpatient Clinic in Northern Virginia serving military men and women with Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI) or history of stroke(s). There, she is part of an interdisciplinary team using evidence based practices to treat patients in both individual and group sessions. Specific expertise areas include Cognitive Communication Intervention, Motivational Interviewing, FUNctional and Person Centered Care, Return to School/Return to Work, and topics specific to Mild TBI.

ASHA Certification & Membership, NBASLH Membership; Brain Injury Association of America Membership; VA/DoD SLP Working Group Member; VA/DoD Working Group on Auditory Processing Member, ASHA Convention 2024 Acquired Cognitive Communication Disorders Committee Member; NBASLH Medical SLP Committee; ASHA Special Interest Group (SIG) 2: Neurogenic Communication Disorders Member; Brain Injury Association of Virginia Member; Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Diversity Committee Co-Chair

SPECIALITY AREAS: I specialize in Cognitive Communication Disorders including the promotion of person centered assessment and treatment of such. I create digital products that host webinars that help other SLPs deliver the best care for those who have neurological changes, including motivational interviewing, collaborative goal setting, and identification of functional and person centered therapy activities. LICENSURE/MEMBERSHIP: I am licensed by the state of Virginia as well as by ASHA. I have previous licensure to administer Lee Silverman Voice Therapy to those who need it. I have sat on several committees at my job (see details above) and I also currently hold membership on committees within NBASLH and within ASHA (see above). MENTORSHIP/LEADERSHIP: I have served as an ASHA S.T.E.P Mentor for 2 years and I have 2+ years experience in graduate level clinician supervision (Vanderbilt University Dept of Communication Sciences & Disorders). Please see above for all the leadership positions I currently hold. PRESENTATIONS/PUBLICATIONS: I have been a guest lecturer for several conferences, graduate level courses, and student led organization meetings. Most recently, I was selected has the Brain Injury Association of America Fall 2023 Carolyn Rocchio Caregiver Series' Guest Speaker where I presented on "Collaborative Goal Setting". I have co-authored a publication in Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine entitled "Unilateral Forced Nostril Breathing and Aphasia--Exploring Unilateral Forced Nostril Breathing as an Adjunct To Aphasia Treatment: A Case Series” and I have contributed to a recent paper in Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research entitled "Central Auditory Processing Dysfunction in Service Members and Veterans: Treatment Considerations and Strategies". FINANCE: As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, I served as Treasurer for the Nu Delta Chapter in 2010, managing funds and helping to identify profit increasing activities.

I believe the most important leadership competencies is open-mindedness, resourcefulness, and collaboration. It is impossible to reach any goals without these three things. No one person can do everything on their own. It takes a good leader to listen attentively to others, be open-minded about solutions to problems, tap into different resources, and collaborate for the greater good. I have been able to do that with the leadership positions I have held (see above) and I hope to continue to do that if selected for a Board of Directors position at Head To Speech.

In 3-5 years, Head to Speech can continue to promote brain health through community events, continue to teach young athletes about concussion early on through guest lectures at sports camps and sports practices, and equip more professionals to know the signs and symptoms of concussion and next steps through a bigger online presence.

I am an African American woman from the South who is very familiar with sports, particularly football due to the huge college football presence in Alabama. I know about health literacy and know how to market information to target populations. Being a Black woman helps me as does my experience on the DEI Committee at my job.

Rev. Cedric Alexnader, EA, NTPI Fellow®

I help Head to Speech fulfill its mission by contributing financially to the task, goals, and objectives and provide my wise counsel gained through over 30 years of academic achievement and professional experience.

I have also raised budgets and met every obligation as both Pastor and Presiding Elder over the last 17 or so years, using various methods common to religious nonprofit organizations.

I’m passionate about leveraging my expertise to educate students in financial planning as an Adjunct Professor. Having built a successful clergy tax practice and served as an Episcopal District accountant in a major denominational church, I’m especially adept at teaching all aspects of clergy tax management and traditional financial planning.

Seeing Dr. Pope's dreams and visions come to fruition through the fulfillment of Head to Speech's mission, goals, and objectives motivate me to invest my time, talent, and treasury as an active member of its Board of Directors to make them a reality.

Kassandra Ramsey, ESQ

I am a business, sports and entertainment attorney in the Washington, D.C. metro area. I am the Founder of The Law Office of Kassandra Ramsey, P.L.L.C. where I assist entrepreneurs, athletes, entertainers, and creatives with creating, running, and protecting their businesses. I  have assisted clients with drafting and reviewing contracts and with federally registering their trademarks and copyrights. Additionally, I am a writer and advocate for college athletes’ rights and have written extensively on the subject. I have authored two e-books aimed at assisting current and prospective college athletes with understanding name, image, and likeness (NIL) and obtaining NIL opportunities. I host a local television show, “Court-2-Court with The Esquire Coach” where I dive deep into NIL and the latest in college sports news. I also runs a website, NIL with The Esquire Coach, that serves as a resource for all things NIL. Additionally, I am the President-Elect of The Drake Group’s Board of Directors. I also serves as the Sports Law Chair for the Washington, D.C. Bar’s Arts, Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law Community where I organize and moderate panels on various sports law topics. I was recently named the community’s Lawyer of the Year. I currently serve on the Head to Speech Board of Directors.

Dr. Deborah A. Finley

Partnerships for Health and Education Inc.

American Speech, Language and Hearing Association

Dr. Deborah A. Finley is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is an ASHA certified and licensed practicing speech-language pathologist. She resides in Miami, Florida and is the Founder and Executive Director of Partnerships for Health and education Inc, Interactive Communication LLC and Meridian A - Global Intellectual Knowledge LLC (a publishing company). Her community engagement activities include being on the board of several nonprofit organizations in the Miami, Florida area.and is a past participant of LEADERSHIP MONTGOMERY (MD) and a current member/facilitator of LEADERSHIP MIAMI (MIAMI, FL)).

As a long term member of ASHA (Life Member-more than 25 years), I have been a certified and licensed SLP (in 3 states) as well as the owner of a private practice, Interactive Communication, Throughout these years I have developed a wealth of experience as a practicing SLP and an adjunct professor. I have also had the experience of providing services in Nassau, Bahamas on a pro bono basis. The majority of my career has been in hospitals, rehabilitation centers and nursing homes - with a focus on swallowing disorders/dysphagia, cognitive and neurologically-related speech and language disorders.

My related educational experience has been obtaining an educational Leadership certificate during the time I served as the ESE District-wide Instructional Supervisor at Miami-Dade County Public Schools (Miami, FL) for 4 ESE programs: Speech and Language, Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, Visually Impaired and Deaf Blind for 8 years. I am presently on the board of the Center for Family and Child Enrichment (CFCE), the Miami-Dade County Health Services Advisory Committee (responsible for the Early Head Start and Head Start programs) and the Overtown Youth Center Parent Advisory Committee.

My competencies include a decades long experience in the CSD field. It includes my pursuit of expanding my educational, research and business skill in a variety of professional environments. This includes teaching, as an adjunct at several colleges/universities such as Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland Graduate School, Temple University and Florida International University (FIU). My tenure at FIU was under the tenure of Dr. Noma Anderson and Dr. Lemmietta McNeilly (ASHA's Chief Staff Officer). My teaching experiences at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Graduate School focused on courses in Graphic and Imaging Systems, Artificial Intelligence (computer simulation), and Expert Systems. These courses of study were directly related to my doctoral dissertation focused on the relationship between SLP clinical training and computer simulation testing. Finally, I am the founder of Partnerships for Health and Education Inc, a nonprofit focused on health literacy, patients right's and advocacy for quality healthcare policies at the Federal, State and local levels.

Overall, and consistent with the strategic priorities are first and formats "quality, ethical, and research-based services to consumers. As a practicing SLP and a clinical private practitioner, my sense of strategic planning includes attention to professional development on a consistent basis. This PD should include the major areas of clinical practice: knowledge of speech/language/hearing disorders, research advancements, marketing, ethical practices, business management, and consumer rights.

Acknowledgement of the balance required when factoring in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is essential. To best reflect diversity it would be my hope that HEAD TO SPEECH would realize the need to match the diversity of the consumers and professionals it serves. This attention tends to require participation with organizations and networks which also highlight DEIB.Overall, this should allow the utilization of "Best Practices" as the organization maintains its fiduciary responsibilities and professional service delivery.

Aaron Crawford, MBA 

I am a dual graduate from the University of North Carolina with a double major in Economics and Management & Society and a Master of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School. While in Chapel Hill, I was a four-year starter, elected as Team Captain, and a member of the team’s Leadership Council. I was awarded All ACC Honorable Mention, UNC Football Comeback Player of the Year, and was graded as Pro Football Focus’ best-run defender among all Power 5 interior Defensive Lineman. I am also a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Professionally, I signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent and spent three years in the NFL between the Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers. Since retiring from football, my aim has been to assist all athletes and educate them on the significance of taking care of both their body and mind. I do so in part through my work at Head To Speech and by coaching the football players at Oakton High School.

Kristina Biscoe

Youth sports league, sorority committees, and alumni association

Hello! I am Kristina Biscoe, a seasoned professional with over 20 years of valuable experience in IT and public relations, specializing in strategically positioning Corporate, Private, and Federal organizations. I have a unique blend of Public Affairs, Communications, Human Resource, and Information Technology experience, which I utilize to communicate and initiate business goals and practices effectively. In my current role as a ServiceNow Software Development Ops Representative, I lead efforts in implementing ServiceNow and other applications, replacing existing IT System solutions for large corporations and organizations. I take pride in my ability to define the scope of projects, manage communications budgets, and lead client-facing meetings to present agile stages to executive stakeholders. My role also involves strategically planning, managing, approving, and editing IT communications. Parallel to my professional roles, I also engage in freelance public relations and social media management. I am skilled in establishing strategic plans promoting special events, managing fundraising campaigns, and developing strategic alliances that generate new businesses. I have successfully directed and produced televised Public Service Announcements and integrated communications products. Academically, I hold a Certificate in Women’s Entrepreneurship from Cornell University, a Master of Communications from Trinity University, and a Bachelor of Communication from Morgan State University. As a community leader, my volunteer experience in various sectors has equipped me with the necessary skills to engage with different audiences. My history of involvement with sports teams, schools, churches, and sororities showcases my dedication to community service, strong communication and marketing skills. I have a deep understanding of sports culture developed through extensive athleticism and volunteer work with sports teams. My volunteer work also includes organizing events, planning, and executing events such as sports clinics, camps, and leagues. In my previous role as a National Community Lead, I was responsible for volunteer initiatives for over 1,000 people. I also held various HR roles, including Recruitment & Retention Lead, Policy Manager, and Consultant. I believe in the importance of interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, decision-making, and effective communication in fulfilling the role of a director. As such, I have enhanced these skills over the years and I am ready to apply them to a Board of Directors position centered around community engagement/partnership and merchandising. In terms of strategic priorities, I consider awareness and education, recruitment and training, and partnerships as the most important issues that should be considered over the next three to five years. In conclusion, I am committed to enhancing diversity and inclusion goals within the board and facilitating them within the broader community. I look forward to bringing my skills, experiences, and passion to your team.

1. Community Engagement: My experience as a community leader and volunteer in various sectors has equipped me with the necessary skills to engage with different types of audiences. I am well-versed in connecting with people, understanding their needs, and rallying support for a common cause.

2. Marketing and Communication Skills: My history of involvement with sports teams, schools, churches, and sorority provides leverage to my strong communication skills. These skills have assisted with developing and executing marketing strategies for organizations.

I can assist with developing and implementing marketing strategies that raise awareness about the organization and the importance of speech-language in sports concussion management.

I can assist with merchandise management for creation and distribution of any branded merchandise. This can assist with fundraising and increasing the visibility of Head-to-Speech.

3. Understanding of Sports Culture: My extensive athleticism and volunteer work with sports teams offers a deep understanding of the sports culture, which is vital for creating effective partnerships and marketing strategies within the athletics community.

4. Interpersonal Skills: My volunteer work has developed strong interpersonal skills, necessary for building and maintaining partnerships.

5. Event Planning and Coordination: My volunteer work includes organizing events, planning and executing events such as sports clinics, camps, and leagues.

-I can be advocate for the inclusion of speech-language pathologists and audiologists in sports concussion protocols, using my marketing and partnership roles to influence decision makers possibly in sports and healthcare sectors.

Previous National (US & specific countries) Community Lead responsible for volunteer initiatives for over 1,000 people Nominations Committee Member HR: Recruitment & Retention Lead, Policy Manager, Consultant

I consider the following leadership competencies to be important in fulfilling a role of a director: 1. Interpersonal skills, which I accomplished by developing strong interpersonal skills and building/maintaining partnerships. 2. Strategic Thinking to understand a business, measure improvements, identify areas for growth, and make informed decisions 3. Having the ability to make tough decisions while in a tense environment. I have experience with analyzing information, considering the potential impacts, and then confidently choosing a course of action. 4. Having effective communication is also important in fulfilling the role of a director. I’ve learned to effectively listen, articulate ideas, expectations, and accept/provide feedback.

In consideration to the strategic priorities, I consider the below to be the most important issues, opportunities and or challenges that should be considered over the next three-five years: 1. Awareness and Education: Despite the growing recognition of concussion-related issues, many athletes, coaches, and parents remain unaware of the connections between concussions and speech-language disorders. There is a need for continuous education and awareness campaigns and consideration/partnership with schools (secondary/collegiate levels) to include displaying videos at the beginning of the sport season, recruiting events, camps, and any major events that has the attention of athletes. 2. Recruitment and Training: As the understanding of the link between concussions and speech-language disorders grows, there will be an increased demand for trained professionals in this field. Efforts should be made to recruit and educate more speech-language pathologists and audiologists, with a focus on sports concussion management. 3. This leads to - Partnerships: Building partnerships with sports leagues, schools, and other organizations will be crucial. These partnerships can open up more opportunities for early intervention, regular screenings, and more comprehensive care for athletes. This also includes corporate partnerships.

Head to Speech board directors can enhance diversity and inclusion goals within the board and facilitate them within the broader Head to Speech community by: Visibility and Representation: The board can ensure that the organization's marketing and communication materials reflect the diversity of the Head to Speech community. This includes showcasing stories and perspectives from diverse individuals. Continue Community Outreach: The board can support community outreach initiatives that engage diverse communities. This can involve partnering with local schools, community organizations, and sports leagues, serving diverse populations. Continue to Present Diversity at the Board Level: Head to Speech can continue to ensure that its own composition reflects the diversity that the organization seeks. This includes recruiting board members of different ages, races, genders, ethnicities, geographical locations, and industry sectors.

Glenn E. Hames

Founder, My Field Goals

Throughout my career, I have been driven by the belief that education is the primary tool to foster positive change within communities. Being such an advocate for community building and leading transformative initiatives has made me a Chief Value Officer within the higher education industry and is one of the reasons why I founded the My Field Goals platform. One of my core strengths is my ability to make authentic connections and create strategic partnerships that offer value for both parties. It is my superpower that has successfully helped me throughout my professional journey. I have been fortunate to work in a career that has allowed me to nurture environments that values public programs, volunteerism, and community partnerships with private sector corporations, civic, and community foundations. I have a servant leadership management philosophy. When I am tasked to lead, I view myself as a steward of the organization who is responsible for guiding the team toward the achievement of our shared goals. This philosophy involves listening attentively, providing mentorship and guidance when needed, and creating an environment and culture that encourages personal growth and empowerment for each team member. Success often starts from the top so I’ve made a point to adopt this way of thinking from previous leaders that I’ve worked with that has led successful teams and organizations. To me, having a democratic leadership philosophy aligns with my personal beliefs that everyone involved in the mission should participate in the process. I firmly believe that when your team members feel engaged and appreciated, productivity increases and goals are achieved. I look forward to being a Head to Speech board member and will ensure that values and mission of the organization are implemented throughout the athletic community.

I am the Founder of the My Field Goals brand and host of the Field Goals for the Focused Driven Athlete podcast and our (future) learning and informational platforms and engagements. The mission behind MFG is to equip elite athletes (in HS/College) with tools and knowledge to overcome challenges and achieve remarkable success throughout their athletic journey, both on- and off-the-field or court. We fulfill our mission by partnering with industry experts, coaches, and former professional athletes to discuss tips and strategies that will set them up for success and provide an edge over their competition.

Professionally, I've worked with a couple of non-profit organizations. I was the Director of Strategic Partnerships for UNCF and a consultant for the MSRDC STEM Consortium. I understand how to fundraise and the importance to build a BOD that has the best interest of the organization and will work to fulfill the mission.

The leadership competencies that I consider to be most important are work ethic, strong communication skills, and having a democratic way of thinking and leading, As a leader, you should provide fresh ideas and offer different perspectives that will help move the organization forward to achieve their goals and mission. As Director of Strategic Partnerships for UNCF, I was able to conceptualize new ideas and create partnerships with the outlying community to raise capital, forge new partnerships that increased business and revenue, and market effectively for our organization to be viewed as an industry leader. For an example, I conceptualized our annual UNCF Knowledge Forum and Networking Reception, which became our staple event. We galvanized over 300 thought leaders that represented private industry, higher education, and federal government to sit at the table, network, and discuss areas of importance to bring about change in the HBCU/Minority Serving Institution research community. Most recently, I was appointed as a Board member for our company's Black Initiative Group (BIG) at my former company, SAS Institute. BIG's mission revolves around empowering Black employees to bring their full potential to the workplace, promoting their contributions, and inspiring the next generation of Black talent to pursue STEM careers. I was instrumental in collaborating with HR and SAS leadership to promote a more inclusive work environment and developing and strengthening relationships between SAS and Black professional networks and university associations. My approach to management and leadership centers on fostering an environment where diverse perspectives, talents, and backgrounds come together to create innovative solutions. Great achievements are rarely the work of a single individual so by breaking down silos, encouraging open dialogue, and embracing different viewpoints, as a manager, I can leverage collective intelligence from all, to develop strategies that empower the team and drive sustainable growth.

There are a lot of Head to Speech programs that invest in the well-being, personal advancement, and professional development of the student athlete. All of the issues and service offerings are important to support the student-athlete throughout their athletic journey but what stands out the most to me is investing in the HBCU student-athlete. Unfortunately, too many of these schools - including the big programs - don't have the resources to invest in their black athletes both on- and off-the-field or court the same as the majority institutions. Both programs have similar critical health related issues and mentorship opportunities that occur which will benefit the athletes. One thing that H2S has to be mindful of is that even though minority athletes play at different programs and in different divisions, often times these same athletes come from the same neighborhoods and have similar social economic statuses and background as their contemporaries. So it's important for H2S to offer professional services that will support all athletes both on- and off-the-field and court but it will be advantageous to the organization to focus on the HBCU/MSI programs. There are plenty of potential BOD members that are gateways to these programs that have professional relationships with Athletic Directors, Coaches, league/conference Commissioners and even Presidents/Chancellors. The BOD will have to use our collective resources to break through the barriers of entry to help push our agenda and educate these players. A potential strategy for HTS to consider is to develop strategic partnerships with other organizations that may currently have a footprint into these schools. Partnerships can make it easier to gain entry and push the mission. Using social media marketers, influencers, bloggers, etc. are all strategic ways to engage and build community collectives.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB):
Based upon my perspective, I believe that H2S Board Directors will be committed to driving impactful change through Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives. Drawing from my own professional background, I hold a genuine belief in the power of diversity to bring about positive transformation within the board and throughout the entire Head to Speech community because I support the advancement for all student-athletes. Within the board, I am not merely interested in theoretical discussions but in actively implementing change and I believe others do too. I view H2S Board Directors as Ambassadors that will seek opportunities to enhance diversity across various factors because sports is a diverse industry and head injuries don't discriminate. It's my aim to bring in fresh perspectives that authentically reflect the diversity within our community and the athlete. Moreover, fostering an inclusive board culture is a personal priority. I am committed to creating an environment where every board member feels valued, heard, and encouraged to contribute their unique perspective. Open communication channels will be a cornerstone, ensuring that inclusivity is not just a goal but a lived experience within the boardroom. The Board must be willing to seek feedback from our community. This approach goes beyond a one-size-fits-all model, recognizing the unique needs and perspectives that make up our community. In essence, my commitment to diversity and inclusion is not a promise but a personal conviction. Joining the Head to Speech board means actively contributing to an authentic culture that celebrates diversity and ensures a sense of belonging for everyone involved.