President - Bob Herbst (2009-2012)

My name is Bob Herbst, I was born in Schenectady New York on May 1st 1950. My family moved to Cheshire Ct in 1957. I am the eldest of seven children.

I started smoking before my teens, stealing cigarettes from my parents and smoking with friends. I went through the Cheshire school system and College in Waterbury Ct. The entire time growing up I increased my cigarette intake until I was smoking at least three packs a day.

I have a son, Adam born in 1977 and am married to my wife Lesley. I entered the manufacturing world at an early age. My father was an electrical engineer, and he recruited my brother and I to work with him for an International Steel Mill manufacturer. We worked together at that facility for several years.

In 1973 we started our own company I2S or Intergrated Industrial Systems, upgrading and fixing steel mill equipment, that no one else could or wanted to do. There were only four of us in the company (mother ,father myself and younger brother.) We worked long hard and often dirty hours, through Holiday’s, birthday’s anniversary’s etc. for at least a decade.

While the company was growing I continued to chain smoke and drink, when it was "Miller time". We went from four people to over 200 in 35 years. I was manager of manufacturing for a dozen years and then spent the last 22 years as Vice President of Operations.

By the late 1990’s my voice was hardly a whisper. As many of us I was misdiagnosed and spent 6 months being treated for GERD. My wife a nurse in New Haven Ct. referred me to her sister, also a nurse at Mass General. I received an appointment with the chief of Head and neck surgery at Mass Eye and Ear. He scoped me and the monitor clearly showed T4 squamous cell carcinoma. I had a total Laryngectomy onMarch 20 th 1998 with a right side radical neck dissection. In 3 to 4 days I was proficient with a Servox , using the inter oral device. I then under took 7 weeks of Radiation in Boston, commuting every day from Ct. or Cape Cod.

After hearing a tape by Edmund Lauder speaking Esophagealy ,I was shocked and impressed enough to start speaking his way. I started off with the words Scotch and Cupcake and voila I was off and running. I got some tutoring from a wonderful woman and SLP. Karen Urioste. Then I was informed that our local University SCSU, had a department of communication disorders. I attended several semesters of perfecting esophageal speech , working with student SLP’S,. they helped me and I helped them.

For my 50 th Birthday my wife came up with the idea of starting the Robert and Lesley Lee Herbst Endowed Scholarship for young SLP’s. We have since given out 6 scholarships to Post Grad SLP’s who maintained a high GPA and needed the funding to finish their SLP majors. I have spoken to many thousand students about the dangers of smoking. I am a certified contractor in the State of Florida. I was asked to be in a film with Kim Winter of the American Lung Association and a young man from Fargo ND who contracted Buergers Disease from smoking.

The Film No Ifs ands or Butts has been seen in thousands of American School systems in the last 5 or 6 years. I have done hundreds of Pre and Post hospital visits. And I was honored to be chosen to carry the Torch for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. I am the President of the Lost Cord Club of Greater New Haven, and a member of 3 other clubs in Mass and Florida.

 

Vice President - Wade Hampton (2009-2010)

 

I was born in Washington, D.C. and have lived in North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, and Alabama.  I spent the majority of the time in North Carolina.  I am a Vietnam Veteran having served in the Air Force from 1968 to 1972, finishing with an honorable discharge.  After my military service, I received a BA in Business in 1973 and spent the next 25 years working in textile management, running dyeing and finishing plans in the southeast.  I also worked for a dye manufacturer for five years as a technical service representative, trouble shooting and doing color formulation work.

I am married to Katherine and have three kids at home, one grown daughter and two grandchildren.

I am President of the Metrolina Laryngectomee Support Group.  I have pre-op and post-op contact with new laryngectomees and their families.  I have volunteered with American Cancer Society for "Relay for Life" and advocacy efforts and served as a delegate for the "Celebration on the Hill" event.  I also served as the president of North Carolina Group to Aleviate Smoking Pollution (NC GASP) from 2002 through 2005.

I am also a member of Survivors and Victims of Tobacco Empowerment (SAVE).  I travel throughout the state of North Carolina to inform kids and adults about the dangers of tobacco.  My story and appearance get attention and has an effect.  My family and tobacco prevention work provide full days, but I do enjoy playing golf, working outside and travel.

Wade has the endorsement from his club.

Secretary - Terrie Linn Hall (2007-2011)

I was born in Mt. Clemmons, MI and then moved to North Carolina in 1973. I have a 26 year old daughter, Dana and "the light of my life," my 5 year old grandson, Jeffrey!

I have survived nine previous cancer diagnoses and under-gone 33 radiation treatments for cancer before and after becoming a laryngectomee in January of 2002. Most recently I have undergone surgery for what is my 10th cancer diagnosis since age 30.

I currently serve as Secretary with the Western Piedmont Speak Easy Club of Winston-Salem, NC. I do pre- and post-op visitations at local hospitals and in the homes of new laryngectomee patients. For the past five years I have worked with the American Cancer Society as the Team Captain for the Relay for Life, and last year I had the privilege of representing my legislative district as a Legislative Ambassador at "Celebration on the Hill" in Washington, DC.

I am a member of SAVE (Survivors and Victims of Tobacco Empowerment); I travel throughout the state of North Carolina speaking about tobacco education and advocate anti-tobacco issues. I tell my story to students and teens, and lend a first-hand experience as to how tobacco-use has affected my life, and how it can affect theirs.

In December 2005 I was honored by Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue when I received the Distinguished Service Award in the preventive health area for sharing my story and for my advocacy. Because of this award, I am featured in four commercials shown on NC statewide TV networks for TRU (Tobacco Reality Unfiltered).

Currently I am into my second 2-year term on the Board of Directors for the IAL and have recently been voted in as Secretary. I also served on the Executive Committee. I am the Chair of the Nominating Committee and also the Vice-Chair on the Rehabilitation & Medical Affairs Committee. I am a member of the Annual Meeting Committee and the Prohaska Fund Committee. I have also enjoyed serving as the vendor ad contact person for the IAL News. In addition I am serving as the Interim President for the IAL Auxiliary.

My hobbies include working on the computer, (trouble-shooting, typing etc.). I enjoy bowling, reading Danielle Steele books (when time allows), spending precious time with my grandson and I love to people watch. Finally, I enjoy helping out with my family owned car repair and sales business.

 

Treasurer - Joe Marasco (2008-2010)

I was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Virginia in 1965 with the US Navy. I began smoking at age 15 and continued until diagnosed with cancer and undergoing a total Laryngectomy in 1979 at the age of 32. 

After retiring from the US Navy in 1980 I began my volunteer career with the American Cancer Society and the Tidewater Lost Chord Club. I have served in many capacities with the ACS including President of the Norfolk Board of Directors as well as a member of the State Board of Directors. I have been actively involved with the Tobacco Control Program and enjoy delivering anti-smoking lectures within the school systems and to various local youth groups such as scouts. I have also participated in an international effort to control tobacco distribution among our youth. 

I have been a member of the International Association of Laryngectomees since 1981where I proudly served on the Board of Directors from 1985 - 1998. I served as Treasurer from 1990 – 1994; Vice President from 1994 – 1996; and President from 1996 – 1998. To date, I have attended 20 IAL meetings. 

I have been interviewed on the 700 Club with the CBN network and have done numerous local and national television commercials delivering my anti-smoking message (just say no with SmokelessJoe). 

I received a BA in Criminal Justice from St. Leo’s College and a Masters of Public Administration in the field of Justice from Golden Gate University. 

I married my high school sweetheart Ellie and we have been married for 44 years; have four (4) children and eight (8) grandchildren. I currently make my home in Norfolk, VA and can be reached on the Internet at SmokelessJoe@Cox.Net 

I have the endorsement of the Tidewater Lost Chord Club.

Sapp Funderburk (2009-2010)

Sapp Funderburk was born and raised in Greenville, SC. In 1965 he graduated from The Garland School in Chester NJ. He attended Furman University one year and then enlisted and spent four years in the U.S. Air Force, serving in the Panama Canal Zone and at Phu Cat Air Base in Vietnam. After the service he returned to Furman University, and went on to receive his BA at The University of South Carolina.

After seventeen years in business in Greenville he moved to Marietta, GA in 1991, and was transferred to Jacksonville, FL in 1995. In December of 2001 he was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer and was fortunate to have the tremendous care of the staff at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fl where his lary was performed in January of ’02. The following year he moved back home to Greenville, SC. He attended the Voice Institute at The IAL Convention in Boston in 2005. 

During most of his adult life he has been active in community and civic affairs. He held various offices including president of his Lions Club, Sergeant at Arms of the American Legion Post, soccer coach, and Greenville Project Director for the Viet Nam Veterans Leadership Program.

Recently he remarried and is enjoying an active life style. He speaks to local high school classes regarding the danger of smoking, and cancer awareness. Currently he is president of his Townhome Owners Association, and the Greater Greenville Lary Club. He is also active in his local political party. 

Sapp and his wife Kathryn have one dog, six children, four grand children and seven grand dogs with another (dog) on the way. The youngest child is getting married this fall. They enjoy traveling, DIY projects around the house, visiting grand children, attending musical events, reading, gardening, and life in general.

 

David Blevins (2008-2010)

I became a laryngectomee in 1998 after radiation failed to cure my larynx cancer which had been diagnosed a year earlier. I began my working life after college as a high school teacher, and had spent the last 20 years as a college professor before I retired. In between those professions I was a public school supervisor at the local and state levels. My bachelors degree is from James Madison University, and both graduate degrees are from the University of Virginia. I was born in Tennessee, raised in Washington, D.C., and have spent more of my life in Virginia than anywhere else, although I spent nearly 20 years split between Indiana and Alabama before retiring and returning to Virginia.

I thought I could use my experience as a teacher to "teach" and inspire via my local club newsletter. That lead to my becoming editor of the WebWhispers monthly publication, and then editor of the "IAL News." It was my great pleasure to be given the opportunity of improving those two publications. I currently edit the newsletters of two local laryngectomee support groups, and am a major contributor to the "IAL News." 

I am the current president of my local laryngectomee support club in Virginia and have served in several other offices in it and in my previous club in Alabama. I have been my club's Delegate to Annual Meetings for at least five years. I currently serve on the IAL’s Board of Directors. I also previously served in this capacity and have served on the IAL’s Public Affairs, Executive Director and Voice Institute Director Search, Finance and Bylaws Committees. . 

Acquiring TEP voice took me more than a year and I finally got voice at the IAL Voice Institute in Reno in 1999. And I know of several others who obtained the "miracle" of speech at IAL Voice Institutes and believe in their importance to us all. 

I am the father of two grown daughters and have become, at a late point in life, something of a physical fitness fanatic. In addition to working out every day, I am also a volunteer certified coach at my local public recreation center.

 

Dr. Philip Doyle, SLP (2009-2011)

Philip Doyle was born in 1954 in Fresno, California. After graduating from Fresno High School in 1972, a college education was deferred for several years in order to make an informed career choice. He returned to school in 1976 where he attended Fresno State University; he earned a bachelor’s degree in Communicative Disorders, graduating with honors in 1979. Following graduation, he relocated to Santa Barbara, where he pursued graduate studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara and focused his interest in laryngeal cancer and laryngectomy rehabilitation. It was also during this period that he met his wife Elizabeth Skarakis whom he married in 1981. 

Upon completion of a Master’s degree at UCSB, and while simultaneously taking on his first professional speech-language pathology position at Memorial Rehabilitation Hospital in Santa Barbara, he enrolled in a joint Ph.D. program between UCSB and the University of California, San Francisco, moving to the Bay Area in 1982. During this period, he worked at the Veterans Administration Medical Center (Fort Miley) under the guidance and encouragement of Dr. Charles Reed. It was through his work at the VA where much was learned about head and neck cancer, rehabilitation, survivorship, and life through the eyes of those who so unselfishly served their country and where he ultimately completed his Ph.D. from UCSF in 1985. He has continuing interests in and remains strongly committed to veterans’ issues in both Canada and the United States. 

In July 1985, Phil and his wife trekked eastward to Halifax, Nova Scotia where both assumed academic positions at Dalhousie University where he remained until 1991 when both assumed new positions at the University of Western Ontario in London. He has remained at that institution for the past 16 years where he has taught and continued to expand his program of research in laryngectomy and head and neck cancer. Work in this area remains his passion and he has taught many undergraduate and graduate students, as well as medical students and residents. In 2004, he developed and introduced the first formal undergraduate curricular course focusing on "Health Related Quality of Life" at Western, as well as in Canada, introducing undergraduate students with multiple interests to the concept of realizing the importance of the individual on all aspects of health care. Over many years, he has taught numerous and varied courses that focus on voice and speech disorders and rehabilitation, speech-language pathology, and clinical education. His research in the area of laryngectomy rehabilitation is widely recognized internationally. He has been a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for 26 years and was elected a Fellow of ASHA in 1995. 

Phil and his wife have two children, Katie and Peter, who remain at home in London. He is an avid reader, a fan of baseball, finds joy in appreciating the garden, struggles with golf, and enjoys the company of family, neighbors and friends, as well as maintaining a close bond with former students. Over the past 12 years he also has been actively involved in coaching youth basketball at numerous levels, grade school through high school, where he enjoys "teaching on the hardwood" as well.

 

Tom Herring (2009-2011)

I was born in Thomaston, Georgia in 1938, and after graduation from high school in 1956, I joined the U.S. Navy.  I was already an amateur radio operator that built my own equipment since I was 14 years old, so the Navy made me a sea going radio operator.  After radio school I went to sea on a small ship; the destroyer USS Craig, DD885.  One of the highlights of being in the Navy was to witness three A-Bomb explosions in the Eniwitok-Bikini atolls.

After discharge from the USN in 1960, I was recruited, cleared, and accepted to work for the CIA.  I was sent to various schools preparing me for working and living overseas.  Between overseas tours I spent time in the Washington, D.C. area going to school preparing for the next assignment overseas and to visit our families.  Many of the tours were very enjoyable but some were hardship tours.  There is no amount of money to pay for the things I learned and witnessed while overseas.  While I cannot pass on this enjoyable information I learned and performed, it was one heck of a richly rewarding career with never a dull moment.  I spent a lot of time flying to many countries and some aircraft required a lot of prayers to stay in the air.  I spent 33 total years with the CIA and retired in 1994.

I had my surgery in October of 2004 after 36 radiation treatments.  After a little more than a year sitting in the dark, I found the Western Piedmont Speak Easy (WPSE) support group of Winston-Salem, NC in 2006 thanks to WebWhispers.  I then began learning how to cope with the laryngectomee life stule that the wonderful people at WPSE support group taught me.

I have a wife, Barbara and 3 children from my first marriage and 2 step children and a total of 8 grandchildren between us.  They are far flung between VA, NC, FL and MS and Thanksgiving time the housse is full of kids and grandkids.

One of my greatest moments in my new life as a laryngectomee was at the 2007 Burlington AM/VI where I attended as a ViP and was given such and overwhelming amount of attention and help by the SLP's in speaking that it turned me into a "born again" type to help other laryngectomees.  I hope to continue this endeavor as long as I can walk and talk and offer my labors to the IAL and WPSE Winston-Salem support group.  I am qualified to do pre- and post-operative visits for laryngectomee patients in hospitals and at their homes.

After retirement I went to a Community College to learn to design and operate ACCESS databases, and I volunteered to assist the IAL with their mailing list and thus programmed a database that sorted out the addresses and provide them to the mailing house for the IAL Newsletters.  It took almost two years to get all the various address lists combined into the databases.  I am on the Board of Directors for the IAL and also the Secretary for the WPSE support group in Winston-Salem, NC, and I enjoy boating, fly fishing in the mountain streams and computer work.

Kay Allison (2008-2010)

I was born and raised in Ithaca, Michigan a rural area in the central part of the state. During my school years I was active in the church and 4H. I graduated from high school in 1969 and moved away from home to live in the capital city (Lansing). I worked for a finance company for about a year, I enjoyed the work but the pay wasn’t very good. I had taken a civil service test before graduation and in 1970 was called to apply for a position. I have been working for the State of Michigan for the last 30+ years. Most of my career I have been involved with Telecommunications and it has been interesting to see the technology change over the years. 

Since my laryngectomy in July of 1997, I have been involved with the American Cancer Society to be available for pre-op or post-op visitations. When I was faced with cancer of the larynx the information was just beginning to surface on the computer and didn’t know of anyone that had been in the same situation. I then decided that I wanted to be available for new laryngectomees so no one else would have to approach this without having some information to help them. I have been a committee member for our National Cancer Survivor Celebration sponsored by our local area hospital for the last eight years. As a committee member we hold monthly meetings to plan the event with activities, entertainment, speakers, food to be served and new ways to make the event better each year. I have been a committee member for our Relay for Life celebration in the City of Mason for the last five years, being co-chairman on the survivor committee and food area of the event. We recently have started the Tri-State Conference in Michigan and have been active in organizing the event, suggesting topics for the program and working at the registration table. 

I have been a member of the Kalamazoo Speak Easy club for one year, and also attend monthly meetings at the University of Michigan hospital for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors for the last eight years. Each month we have one of the hospital staff residents discuss a topic that would be of interest to cancer survivors and after the lecture is done we have a social time to get to know each other and share ideas. 

I enjoy meeting new people and learning new things and I look forward to attending the IAL conventions and connecting with old friends and meeting new ones. My first convention was in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1998, and I have attended a total of seven IAL Conventions. My hobbies are bowling, cooking, reading and I love shopping!

 

Tom Cleveland (2008-2011)

Born October 17, 1952 in Mason MI.

Married to Valerie in 1980 and have 4 children and 7 (plus one due in Feb) grandchildren. We reside in Kalamazoo, MI.

President of Kalamazoo Speak Easy Club
President Truth About Tobacco (TAT)
Laryngectomized in April 1995.
I am a cancer survivor and have been sober since 1981.
I talk to schools about tobacco and cancer.

I have served on many boards from The American Cancer Society to my local neighborhood.  I am on Bronson hospital family advisory board.  On the Kalamazoo County Republican party Executive board. 
I still am very involved with my local ACS in volunteering.

Member of ACS Cancer Action Network and have traveled to Washington DC twice as an Ambassador. 

Oh, I almost forgot, I am good looking also.

Torbjorn Bull-Njaa (2009-2010)

 

Torbjorn was born in 1942, in Norway where he now lives near Oslo.  He has a professional background as an educational psychologist and work experience from R&D and industrial training, information and marketing.  He is married and he and his wife Tove have two children and four grandchildren.

He was first diagnosed with cancer of the larynx in 1984 and successfully treated with radiation.  Eighteen years later however, cancer reoccured and he had his larynx removed in November 2002.  Four months later he was back to work, speaking with a weak but understandable ES voice.  He is now retired.

Torbjorn is President of Norwegian National Association of Laryngectomees (NLFL) and former chairman of the local NLFL branch in his region.  He also represents his organization in CEL (Confederation of European Laryngectomees).

NLFL is not a club, but a nationwide organization with about 700 members and 6-7 regional branches.

When Torbjorn was elected as an IAL Board Member, it was with a stated intention to work for the development of IAL to be even more visible and profiled as an international organization with functions as a forum for national bodies of laryngectomees.

Dave Ross (2009-2010)

 

I was born in Clarksville, TN in 1937 and grew up in Knoxville. After graduating high school in 1955 I attended the University of Tennessee for a couple of years, then decided to follow in the footsteps of my three older brothers and "go make a living". I spent most of the next 45 years in sales and operations management in the Electric Sign Industry and had the opportunity of working for the world's largest and smallest sign companies.

At age 18 I fell in love with my wife Pat when she was only 14. We were married in 1958 and ten years later choose Florida as home. We are blessed with three children, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Although my mother's house was always a "NO SMOKING ZONE", I began smoking at 10 or 11 years of age and progressed to two to three packs a day by the time I was married. My habit got my wife started, but she was strong enough to quit in 1985 and has had no smoking related health issues. I, however, believed that I was invincible -- until 1997 when I was diagnosed with lung cancer and had a lobectomy. I stopped smoking the day before that surgery and, fortunately, have not even wanted a cigarette since. Even so, the damage to my larynx had already been done and in 2001 I under went radiation therapy for laryngeal cancer, then the total larngectomy in 2005.

During my working years I was active in industry associations and have been an active member of the Nu-Voice Club of Daytona Beach since 2005. Pre and Post Op Laryngectomee education and support is my passion as is speaking with junior and senior high students about the perils of tobacco use.

My wife is a breeder of small dogs and golf is my game.

Jeff Searl, Ph.D., CCC-SLP - Director of the Voice Institute

Jeff Searl, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an Associate Professor in the Department of Hearing and Speech at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, KS.  

Dr. Searl holds a B.A. in psychology from Santa Clara University (1988), and an M.A.(1991) and Ph.D. (1999) in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Kansas.

He holds a dual appointment in the Otolaryngology Head&Neck Surgery Department at KUMC where he works in collaboration with laryngologists and head and neck surgeons on various clinical and research endeavors related to head and neck cancer and laryngeal voice disorders. 

His research focuses on factors influencing alaryngeal speech intelligibility; articulatory contacts and associated aerodynamic and acoustic events during normal and disordered speech production; and laryngeal voice disorders.

He has been on the faculty of the IAL Voice Institute for several years, serving in roles as a lecturer, clinical supervisor, Interim Director of the Voice Institute (2008), and now Director of the Voice Institute (2009-2011).