Meet Dr. Eddie Brown, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Dr. Eddie Brown Young Adults Committee Dr. Eddie Brown received his Ph.D. from the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Auburn University and his master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Eddie is a licensed, certified speech-language pathologist who has been involved with the National Stuttering Association since childhood. Upon graduating in May, he joined The Ohio State University as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Flaum Center for Stuttering. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Emma, and their two Springer Spaniels, Annie and Winston. Outside of work, he is an avid soccer fan and proudly supports Chelsea.

Meet Tyler Clemens, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Tyler Clemens Advocacy & Education Co-Chair Tyler Clemens is a person who stutters, advocate for disability and inclusion, and a business leader serving Southern California. Tyler struggled with developing his voice as a leader due to his stutter and has worked diligently to develop a growth mindset to thrive in discomfort. Tyler is a District Manager for Starbucks and also co-chairs the Disability Advocacy Network for the US business. Previously, Tyler worked for GameStop for 15 years and created the employee resource group “visABLE” focusing on disabilities and impairments that were both visible and invisible in his role as a District Manager. Tyler lives in Temecula, married to his wife of 19 years, and has three children. In his free time Tyler loves going to Disneyland, playing guitar, and doing everything with his family. Term began June 2024

< Back Previous Ryleigh Bowers Presenter Ryleigh Bowers is an incoming high school sophomore with a passion for theater, dance, and vocal performance. She is returning for her second year volunteering with the NSA Family Programs. While she is not a person who stutters, she has developed a deep understanding of stuttering through living with and learning from her father, who stutters. Next

Meet Veronica Washington, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Veronica Washington DEI Committee Veronica is the founder of The PAUSE Initiative, a movement that empowers individuals with communication differences to celebrate their voices. Her son, Logan, is a person who stutters. She currently works in dementia research at Johns Hopkins University and has a long-standing passion for supporting vulnerable and neurodiverse populations. Guided by a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, she hopes to create spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. In her free time, Veronica enjoys building relationships, listening to music, spending quality time with family and friends, reading books with unexpected twists, and taking walks by the water.

Join the Greenville - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Greenville ADULT CHAPTER HYBRID MEETINGS MID-ATLANTIC REGION Official NSA Chapter - South Carolina State Welcome to the NSA Greenville Chapter! The Greenville Chapter meets on the first Thursday of every month online over Zoom or in-person at A to Z Speech Therapy. Our meetings are social gatherings where we discuss issues related to living life as a person who stutters. Expect to gain new life perspectives on stuttering by seeing, hearing, and learning from others who stutter. Come join us at our next meeting. Scroll below to learn more. How do you typically meet? Hybrid Meetings What age group can attend? Adult What languages are spoken? English How much does it cost? Free! Meetings Here is information on the location and schedule of our meetings. Reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) for more information! Where? Online meetings are over Zoom (email the Chapter Leader for the link). In-person meetings are at A to Z Speech Therapy (1547 Wade Hampton Blvd. Greenville, SC 29609). When? First Thursday of every month. In-person meetings (6:30 to 8:00 pm). Online meetings (7:00 to 8:15 pm) Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? John Moore Chapter Leader Get in touch! john@brandautopsy.com (512) 633-4086 https://www.westutterupstate.com/ Questions? We know that attending your first NSA Chapter meeting might be a little intimidating so we’ve tried to answer some of your questions! We know once you get there, you’ll be greeted by Chapter Leaders who have been in your shoes before and are happy to welcome you! What are NSA Local Chapters? Local chapters are the heartbeat of the NSA — powerful spaces where you can meet others, share experiences, and feel supported. Whether you’re an adult who stutters or part of a family navigating stuttering together, we have a chapter for you. Learn more about NSA Chapters and find a meeting close to home! Read more about NSA Chapters and plan to attend a meeting near you! What does a local NSA chapter do? How can I find a local NSA chapter? What happens at an NSA meeting? Who attends an NSA Chapter? Do you need to RSVP before joining an NSA chapter meeting? Do you offer virtual chapter meetings? Don’t see an answer to your question? How do I start a local NSA chapter? How do I start a local NSA chapter? Testimonials Read more about the power of chapters and support groups from NSA members themselves! "When I attended my first conference in 2019. I was welcomed into this "stamily" with open arms and haven't left the bear hug since!" Lexi Hewitt Exton, PA Chapter "Other people who stutter are the best sources of support, love, and encouragement on your journey. Don't be afraid to reach out, no matter what stage you're at." Gina Waggott Author, Entrepreneur "This community has helped me rediscover myself as a confident and capable person who stutters." John Ontiveros Lorem, CA Chapter

< Back Previous Cathy Olish-Maciejewski Presenter Cathy Olish-Maciejewski is from Grosse Ile, Michigan, and works in Human Resources in the Executive Recruiting organization at Ford Motor Company. She is a covert person who stutters and has been a member of the National Stuttering Association (NSA) for over 25 years. During this time, she served on the NSA Board of Directors for 7 years, was a Chapter Leader, and has led at least 60 workshops at NSA Conferences. She loves spending time with her husband and two boys, organizing, and photography. Next

< Back Previous Helene Haus Presenter Helene Haus is the mother of two boys, Tim and Daniel (Daniel is a person who stutters). Helene is a former Preschool Teacher who lives with her husband, Mark, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Helene says her family is blessed to be part of the National Stuttering Association and is always amazed by Daniel’s genuine kindness and support for children who stutter and their families. Next

Join the Hawaii - Adult & Family stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Hawaii FAMILY & ADULT CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS SOUTHWEST REGION Official NSA Chapter - Hawaii State Welcome to the NSA Hawaii Chapter! The National Stuttering Association’s motto: If You Stutter, You’re Not Alone®, is what our NSA Chapters are all about! Chapter meetings are open to people who stutter, family members of people who stutter, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and anyone that wants to learn more about stuttering. Feel free to reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) to find out more about our chapter. We hope you will join us! How do you typically meet? In-Person Meetings What age group can attend? Family & Adult What languages are spoken? English How much does it cost? Free! Meetings Here is information on the location and schedule of our meetings. Reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) for more information! Where? Manoa Public Library (Meeting Room) 2716 Woodlawn Drive Honolulu, HI 96822 When? Meetings are held on the 3rd Saturday of the month at 6:00 PM. Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Katie Aus & Jami Kaneshiro Chapter Leaders Get in touch! westutterhawaii@gmail.com 571-241-3382 https://www.instagram.com/we_stutter_hawaii/ Questions? We know that attending your first NSA Chapter meeting might be a little intimidating so we’ve tried to answer some of your questions! We know once you get there, you’ll be greeted by Chapter Leaders who have been in your shoes before and are happy to welcome you! What are NSA Local Chapters? Local chapters are the heartbeat of the NSA — powerful spaces where you can meet others, share experiences, and feel supported. Whether you’re an adult who stutters or part of a family navigating stuttering together, we have a chapter for you. Learn more about NSA Chapters and find a meeting close to home! Read more about NSA Chapters and plan to attend a meeting near you! What does a local NSA chapter do? How can I find a local NSA chapter? What happens at an NSA meeting? Who attends an NSA Chapter? Do you need to RSVP before joining an NSA chapter meeting? Do you offer virtual chapter meetings? Don’t see an answer to your question? How do I start a local NSA chapter? How do I start a local NSA chapter? Testimonials Read more about the power of chapters and support groups from NSA members themselves! "When I attended my first conference in 2019. I was welcomed into this "stamily" with open arms and haven't left the bear hug since!" Lexi Hewitt Exton, PA Chapter "Other people who stutter are the best sources of support, love, and encouragement on your journey. Don't be afraid to reach out, no matter what stage you're at." Gina Waggott Author, Entrepreneur "This community has helped me rediscover myself as a confident and capable person who stutters." John Ontiveros Lorem, CA Chapter

Join the Chicago South - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Chicago South ADULT CHAPTER VIRTUAL MEETINGS CENTRAL NORTH REGION Official NSA Chapter - Illinois State Welcome to the NSA Chicago South Chapter! The National Stuttering Association’s® motto: If You Stutter, You’re Not Alone®, is what our NSA Chapters are all about! Chapter meetings are open to people who stutter, family members of people who stutter, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and anyone that wants to learn more about stuttering. Feel free to reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) to find out more about our chapter. We hope you will join us! How do you typically meet? Virtual Meetings What age group can attend? Adult What languages are spoken? English How much does it cost? Free! Meetings Here is information on the location and schedule of our meetings. Reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) for more information! Where? Virtual meetings are held over Zoom. Social gatherings are held around the South Chicago area. When? Meetings are held on the 4th Wednesday of each month from 6:30-8:00PM. Contact the Chapter Leader for the meeting link. Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Karen Czarnik Chapter Leader Get in touch! kacspeech@gmail.com (708) 927-0113 - Questions? We know that attending your first NSA Chapter meeting might be a little intimidating so we’ve tried to answer some of your questions! We know once you get there, you’ll be greeted by Chapter Leaders who have been in your shoes before and are happy to welcome you! What are NSA Local Chapters? Local chapters are the heartbeat of the NSA — powerful spaces where you can meet others, share experiences, and feel supported. Whether you’re an adult who stutters or part of a family navigating stuttering together, we have a chapter for you. Learn more about NSA Chapters and find a meeting close to home! Read more about NSA Chapters and plan to attend a meeting near you! What does a local NSA chapter do? How can I find a local NSA chapter? What happens at an NSA meeting? Who attends an NSA Chapter? Do you need to RSVP before joining an NSA chapter meeting? Do you offer virtual chapter meetings? Don’t see an answer to your question? How do I start a local NSA chapter? How do I start a local NSA chapter? Testimonials Read more about the power of chapters and support groups from NSA members themselves! "When I attended my first conference in 2019. I was welcomed into this "stamily" with open arms and haven't left the bear hug since!" Lexi Hewitt Exton, PA Chapter "Other people who stutter are the best sources of support, love, and encouragement on your journey. Don't be afraid to reach out, no matter what stage you're at." Gina Waggott Author, Entrepreneur "This community has helped me rediscover myself as a confident and capable person who stutters." John Ontiveros Lorem, CA Chapter

Join the Boca Raton - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Boca Raton ADULT CHAPTER VIRTUAL MEETINGS SOUTHEAST REGION Official NSA Chapter - Florida State Welcome to the NSA Boca Raton Chapter! The National Stuttering Association’s® motto: If You Stutter, You’re Not Alone®, is what our NSA Chapters are all about! Chapter meetings are open to people who stutter, family members of people who stutter, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and anyone that wants to learn more about stuttering. Feel free to reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) to find out more about our chapter. We hope you will join us! How do you typically meet? Virtual Meetings What age group can attend? Adult What languages are spoken? English How much does it cost? Free! Meetings Here is information on the location and schedule of our meetings. Reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) for more information! Where? Virtual Meetings When? Virtual meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month from 7:00 – 9:00PM Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Dale Williams Chapter Leader Get in touch! dwilliam@fau.edu (561) 297-3238 - Questions? We know that attending your first NSA Chapter meeting might be a little intimidating so we’ve tried to answer some of your questions! We know once you get there, you’ll be greeted by Chapter Leaders who have been in your shoes before and are happy to welcome you! What are NSA Local Chapters? Local chapters are the heartbeat of the NSA — powerful spaces where you can meet others, share experiences, and feel supported. Whether you’re an adult who stutters or part of a family navigating stuttering together, we have a chapter for you. Learn more about NSA Chapters and find a meeting close to home! Read more about NSA Chapters and plan to attend a meeting near you! What does a local NSA chapter do? How can I find a local NSA chapter? What happens at an NSA meeting? Who attends an NSA Chapter? Do you need to RSVP before joining an NSA chapter meeting? Do you offer virtual chapter meetings? Don’t see an answer to your question? How do I start a local NSA chapter? How do I start a local NSA chapter? Testimonials Read more about the power of chapters and support groups from NSA members themselves! "When I attended my first conference in 2019. I was welcomed into this "stamily" with open arms and haven't left the bear hug since!" Lexi Hewitt Exton, PA Chapter "Other people who stutter are the best sources of support, love, and encouragement on your journey. Don't be afraid to reach out, no matter what stage you're at." Gina Waggott Author, Entrepreneur "This community has helped me rediscover myself as a confident and capable person who stutters." John Ontiveros Lorem, CA Chapter

Learn how David Belgard,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Energy Accountant David Belgard Briefly describe your daily job duties. I am responsible for the coal and natural gas accounting processes for two power plants located in the South Louisiana. I account for anywhere between 8-to-10 million dollars of transactions each month. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. The most challenging part of my job is the constant conference calls I am required to be on. Speaking on the phone is usually one of the biggest nightmares for someone who stutters. I have learned to embrace my stutter and understand that I bring value to the conversation, even if it may take me longer to finish what I am saying. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? If so, how did you do it and how do you currently disclose your stuttering to unsuspecting co-workers, clients and or customers? No I did not disclose my stuttering during the interview process and I have not openly stated that I have a stutter. I feel that it is quite obvious at times that I have a stutter so we should not have to degrade ourselves and mention it. I feel it is more empowering to embrace it and continue to try your best to speak even when you are caught stuttering in the conversations you have. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. At a young age, I made a decision that even though I might not be able to speak as fluently as other people around me, I can try my best to work harder than everyone else. So I believe stuttering has given me a drive that someone who does not stutter doesn’t have. People who stutter are some of the most incredible people in the world because not only do they have to handle the stress from ordinary work/life problems, but they also have to handle the stress of having a stutter. This makes us some of the most resilient and dedicated people in the world, in my opinion. What is your proudest moment at your current company? (Does not have to be related to stuttering.) I was hired during the process of my company acquiring another company in South Louisiana. I was hired to specifically assist in getting the accounting processes up and running for the new power plants we were acquiring. After nearly a year of hard work, my team and I were able to get a fluent accounting system up and running for these plants. While doing that, I was able to pass all four of my CPA exams and become a licensed Certified Public Accountant. This is my proudest achievement to date. What are your long-term career aspirations? I would love to open my own financial planning firm where I help struggling individuals and families become free from financial hardships. I grew up without a lot of finances and watched my mother struggle to provide for us. Those situations led me down the path I am on now and I want to let as many people know as possible that you do not have to live paycheck to paycheck and you do not have to live with financial stress during the course of your entire life. My main passion is to help, encourage, and inspire people in any way that I can. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Never, ever, think you are inadequate in the workplace because you stutter. You are NOT unintelligent, and you are NOT sub-par. In fact, you are incredible, because in spite of your stutter, you are making the huge step to enter the workplace and try your best to be the best person in that company. The best advice I can give anyone is to never think less of yourself because it takes your longer to get your point across or finish what you are trying to say. You are knowledgeable in your area, so what you say matters and is worth waiting for!

Learn how Glenn Foster,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Systems Analyst Glenn Foster Briefly describe your daily job duties. I’m a systems analyst at The MITRE Corporation which is a non-profit group of federally funded research and development centers. I work on projects supporting the Federal Aviation Administration modeling the National Airspace System, analyzing future bottlenecks at airports and performing benefits analysis for planned airspace and airports improvements. Our research products are briefings and technical reports. I have worked at MITRE for 21 years. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. As a person who stutters, I have always been extra anxious when delivering briefings. Giving briefings is an important part of my job where I communicate our work to an internal audience, federal sponsors, and sometimes at an aviation conference. My stuttering varies from day to day. I always try to take my time and say all that I want to say but it is challenging when there is a large audience. Over the years I have learned to be more open and accepting of my stuttering. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? If so, how did you do it and how do you currently disclose your stuttering to unsuspecting co-workers? I did not self-disclose my stuttering during the job hiring process. Part of me now being more open about my stuttering is I’ve talked with my managers about it and they have been very supportive. My managers tell me I’m an effective communicator and that feels good. I sometimes “advertise” – disclose that I am a person who stutters – as I start to give a presentation. I often try to insert humor into my disclosure which relaxes me and seems to help the audience become more engaged. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. I feel stuttering has helped me become a very good listener and that helps me be a good team member on projects because my listening skills translate into having an eye for detail. Also, I take extra pride in my briefings and spend more time preparing my slides and formulating a clear explanation of our projects. What is your proudest moment at your current company? (Does not have to be related to stuttering.) I joined Toastmasters to help me become more comfortable with my stuttering during presentations. I once entered a humorous speech contest in our Toastmasters club and won 3 rounds of competitions. The final round was in a large auditorium in front of 200 people. I didn’t place in the top 3 in that final round, but I was very proud to have gone through that experience. Throughout the contest rounds I found myself being more driven to win, rather than worry about my stuttering. That feeling was new to me and was only possible due to my avoidance reduction speech therapy. What are your long-term career aspirations? I am in the twilight of my professional career and thinking about retirement so my long-term aspirations are post-retirement. I have always loved spending time with children and hope to find a volunteer opportunity with them. Now that I am more open with my stuttering, I would also like to help children who stutter in some way. I have always enjoyed comedy and really enjoy working on my humorous speeches for Toastmasters so maybe I can continue that. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? I advise people to be as open as they can with their stuttering. I have found that my management has been very supportive when I have talked about my stuttering challenges and hopefully that would be true in most workplaces. Being open with your stuttering allows you to put more concentration on the content of the work and less on stuttering. I used to, and sometimes still do, attempt to speak while at the same time doing mental gymnastics trying to hide my stuttering. It can be exhausting! So, if you have an opportunity to disclose your stuttering from the beginning please do it. You can be an effective communicator and stutter at the same time.