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Join the Flagstaff - Adult & Teen stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Flagstaff ADULT & TEEN CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS SOUTHWEST REGION Official NSA Chapter-Arizona State Welcome to the NSA Flagstaff Chapter How do you typically meet? In-Person Meetings What age group can attend? Adult & Teen 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? Northern Arizona University, Health Professions Academic Building 208 E Pine Knoll Dr Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Room 320 When? 1st Monday of each month; 6:30-8PM MST ; First Meeting October 6, 2025 Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Aspen Jester Chapter Leader Get in touch! flagstaffnsa@gmail.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! ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. 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

Meet Russell Stevens, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Russell Stevens TAC Russell is a Senior at Vista Del Lago High School in Folsom, California. After attending his first conference in Newport Beach in 2022–where he made many friends along the way–Russell was elated to meet other teens with similar life experiences and strives to help others make the same connections he did. At school, Russell enjoys leading his teams in both football and baseball, and when he is not on the field or in the weight room, he is working towards graduating on the Engineering Design pathway. In his free time, Russell enjoys chilling with his friends and his cat, Jaguar.

Join the Baton Rouge - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Baton Rouge ADULT CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS CENTRAL SOUTH Official NSA Chapter - Louisiana State Welcome to the Baton Rouge Adult 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? 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? Meetings are held at the Independence Park Library located at 7711 Goodwood BIvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806. When? Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Leon Buford Chapter Leader Get in touch! noelmba24@gmail.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! ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. 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 Tom Lovett Speaker While not a researcher himself, Tom has read 240+ research papers on stuttering, on topics from brain imaging to genetics to lived experience to speech therapy and everything in between, and that work led him to write the book “Words Unspoken: The Science, Experience and Treatment of Stuttering.” He is passionate about sharing the insights from these studies in ways that do not require a PhD. He is also the founder and lead software developer of SSStutterBuddy, a free online platform that connects PWS with research studies being conducted in their area. Previous Next

Learn how Jonathan Lazenby,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Community Employment Specialist Jonathan Lazenby Briefly describe your daily job duties. As a Community Employment Specialist (CES) with Division for Services of the Blind (DSB), I provide services to assist students with visual impairments that are attending transition programs at the Governor Morehead School in Raleigh and at high schools in surrounding counties to secure permanent employment after high school or post-secondary graduation. I analyze occupations in the community, placing students in appropriate situations according to their individual needs and abilities, adapting equipment and the environment so that a student without vision can perform the duties required in the job and training the student to perform the type of work required. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. The most challenging part of my job is introducing myself on the telephone and leaving voicemails. Sometimes my name is difficult to say and my phone number is sometimes difficult to say. It’s also challenging to answer questions on the phone or in person, especially when I am confident of the answer but have difficulty in speaking the answer. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? Yes, I incorporated my stuttering to my interviewers as an employment marketing ability to show how to can relate to my potential students who struggle with their own disability to assist them with advocating for themselves during their own employment journey and to educate employers about the skills, abilities and capabilities of those who have disabilities. I have disclosed my stuttering only when I felt like my stuttering impeded my ability to convey my spoken message. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. Being a stutterer makes me a better and more valued contributor to my work by my increased ability to listen to other people talking. I am more prone to listen than to talk. Listening to my client’s needs is a very valuable part of my job. Due to my stuttering, I can better relate to someone with a disability as opposed to someone who does not have a disability. I am also someone who understands and empathizes with the difficulties of applying and maintaining a job with a disability. What is your proudest moment at your current company? My proudest moment was being told I interviewed well, being genuinely liked and being told that I brought a lot to the job. I am also proud that I have gained the confidence in calling people who I never met before, leaving a voicemail and having them actually call back! What are your long-term career aspirations? My long-term career aspiration is to help people realize their dreams and happiness by using their skills, abilities and capabilities. My goal is to advocate for people with disabilities and become that person for which I needed so desperately growing up. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? It took 13 grueling interviews to get hired for my current job. I drove across the great state of North Carolina from the mountains to the coast and landed the job in the city from which I grew up in. My best advice is DON’T GIVE UP!!! You will feel like giving up many times. I felt like giving up many times during my unemployment period. I was told that my stuttering needed to be accommodated with technology to which made me feel like my knowledge, skills and abilities weren’t enough for the job. I now realize that my personality is the best accommodation I could ever have.

< Back Nico Linardon Speaker Nico is an 18 year old freshman at Boston University. He has been on the Teen Avisory Council for two years and loves to sing and play guitar. Previous Next

Join the North Texas - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. North Texas ADULT CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS CENTRAL SOUTH REGION Official NSA Chapter - Texas State Welcome to the NSA North Texas 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? 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? Speech & Hearing Clinic – 907 W. Sycamore Street Denton, Texas 76201 When? Meetings are held on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 6:00PM. Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Stacy Nunnelee Chapter Leader Get in touch! stacy.nunnelee@unt.edu (940) 369-8226 - 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! ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. 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 Kirsten Silvey,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Internal Medicine / Geriatric Medicine Kirsten Silvey Briefly describe your daily job duties. Educating people about their disease process and providing them with the tools to improve their health. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. The most challenging part of my job is calmly communicating with the upset patient or family member, followed closely behind by cold-calling colleagues who have never met me. What are your long-term career aspirations? I aspire to promote a holistic model of healthcare that employs multidisciplinary teams partnering with patients and their caregivers to provide high-quality care with positive healthcare outcomes while decreasing unnecessary treatment costs. 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? I start off EVERY conversation with a new person with my background followed by a disclosure of my stutter and permission to ask me to repeat myself if they are having difficulty understanding me. What is your proudest moment at your current company? I was secretly thrilled when I was named the Geriatrician of the year in 2020 by my colleagues in The Albuquerque Magazine. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. As a physician, stuttering requires me to talk more slowly and deliberately while utilizing plain and concise language. Patients appreciate this. It also allows me to empathize with and comfort patients who are feeling frustrated, broken, or lesser than. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Do not hide your stutter. Address it and then move on. If it becomes an issue, show how it is an asset. Never believe people who tell you that you cannot do a certain job. I believed I could not be a physician for eight years. However, I do not regret postponing my career. My prior careers as a medical researcher and science writer / editor have made me a better physician and leader today.

Learn how Jeff Fett,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Marketing Director Jeff Fett Briefly describe your daily job duties. As the Marketing Director, I oversee a department of seven marketing professionals. It’s my job to oversee the execution of all of the company’s marketing efforts including: Print Collateral, Social Media Posts, Digital and Print Ad Campaigns, Internal Communications, as well as Brand Development/Management to name a few. My first big project in my new position is to develop a new corporate website. That should launch after the first of the year. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. The most challenging part of my job has been proving that I am capable. In college, I was told by a Graphic Design professor, “Please change your major. No one will ever take you seriously or hire you.” At my one-year evaluation of my first professional job I was told, “You may have noticed that we haven’t let you go out and meet the clients. That’s because we consider you to be disabled and we feel you will embarrass the clients.” After working as the Creative Director for 10 years at my previous job, I was promoted to Marketing Department Manager. Six weeks after the promotion, I was told there was going to be a “restructuring.” They wanted me to go back to being the Creative Director again and someone new was going to brought in at a higher level to oversee Marketing and other company efforts. The reason they gave me was: “We feel you don’t have the voice for the job.” So, they took away the promotion based solely on the fact that I stuttered. In April of 2013, I was hired in as the Marketing Manager at America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW). I was brought in to start up and build APHW’s Marketing Department. When they APHW hired a CEO a few months later, I was told he would eventually look to bring in a Chief Marketing Office (CMO) to oversee all of Marketing. His background was Fortune 500 companies, mine was small businesses. This past year he finally acted on looking for his CMO. The candidates he interviewed didn’t pan out. I was told that I wasn’t qualified for the position, so I didn’t seek it out. Following those interviews, they realized it would take two years for a CMO to become effective and in the meantime, they would also bog our processes down with a lot of questions. That opened the door for my recent promotion to Marketing Director. When the promotion offer was made, which was a total surprise, I was told they wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. I have also been told that after I go through a period of training, I will eventually become the Chief Marketing Officer. I have now achieved what many had told me could never be accomplished because I am a person who stutters. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? Yes, I did disclose my stuttering during the job interview. My stutter during the interview actually became an asset. At what I would consider to be the halfway point of most interviews, the company president stopped the interview. He said, “I’ve heard enough. I can see from the way you handle your stuttering, that you are a fighter. I sense that if you don’t know the answer to a problem, you will go to great lengths to find the solution and solve it. I’m not going to interview another person for this job, you are my person. And I promise you the stuttering will never be a problem.” To date, the promise has been kept. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. During my interviews, I have always described my stuttering as an asset. I mention that people who stutter are natural listeners. When you are interviewing a client during the development process for a marketing project, if you are doing all of the talking, you are not listening to what the client is saying. I also mention that when I block, I’m usually really fighting to say something that I feel is important. That has taught me to listen to the inflections in a client’s voice. From my stuttering behaviors, I have learned to listen for the words/phrases a client emphasizes when speaking and the words/phrases or thoughts a client repeats. These are the cues that I focus on when developing a project. I have found that they provide me the key to developing the “true flavor” that my client is seeking. What is your proudest moment at your current company? My proudest moment came two years ago. APHW, when I was hired, was housed in a small 4,400-sq. ft. building and doing business in only five states. Two years ago, we moved into a 27,000-sq. ft. building. The morning of the Grand Opening for our new corporate office, I was standing alone with the APHW President in the middle of the office. We were looking around and realizing just what we had accomplished in four short years. The new office interior is a direct reflection of the branding look and feel that I had developed for APHW. At that moment, it really hit me, I had totally rebranded a company and been successful with it. That is a graphic designer’s dream. It proved that all of those who said I couldn’t do it, were wrong. Currently we are doing business in 49 states, soon to be all 50. What are your long-term career aspirations? My long-term aspirations are to be the best CMO I can be and retire from APHW in about 10 years. What’s your best advice for people who stutter striving to achieve greater career success? My first piece of advice is to surround yourself with a good circle of close friends. My job at APHW came from a reference from the printer I worked with at my previous job. They just happened to be the main printer for APHW as well. They knew of my frustration at my previous job, with the promotion being removed. So, when the APHW President was in their shop talking about his need to have someone come in and build a Marketing Department for him, they hooked me up for interview. My second piece of advice is to always give your employer “results they can’t argue with.” That was how I overcame my CEO’s objection to my background only being in small businesses. Having the CMO candidates not pan out, made him take a closer look at the results I had achieved. That was why when the offer was made, I was told, “We won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” Your stuttering will always create doubts and roadblocks in employer’s minds, but if you continuously achieve excellent results, that will be your key to unlocking the doors for future opportunities.

Join the Twin Cities - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Twin Cities ADULT CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS CENTRAL NORTH REGION Official NSA Chapter - Minnesota Chapter Welcome to the NSA Twin Cities 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? 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? Eastside Food Co-op in northeast Minneapolis at 2551 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. When? Meetings are held the second Thursday of the month from 7:00 to 8:30PM Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Tim McCarren & Dave Lindberg Chapter Leaders Get in touch! mccarrenspeech@gmail.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! ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. 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 Riverside - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Riverside - Adult ADULT CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS SOUTHWEST REGION Official NSA Chapter - California State Welcome to the NSA Riverside Adult 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? 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? Cal Baptist University – Room #A-16 3532 Monroe Street Riverside, CA 92504 When? Meetings are held on the second Sunday of each month at 5:00-7:00PM from the months of September to June. Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Bobby Holley & Noel Caravotta Chapter Leaders Get in touch! Quashi2@hotmail.com (951) 536-2810 - 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! ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. 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 Nan Ratner Speaker Nan Bernstein Ratner is a Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. She has received the NSA Professional of the Year and CASE research awards, and is an ASHA Honoree. Her stuttering research, which is widely published, is/has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. Previous Next