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Meet Chad Mannisi, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Chad Mannisi Chair Chad is a person who stutters and has been an active part of the NSA since 2004. Chad has also been an NSA Adult Chapter Leader since 2010, and also serves as a facilitator of a weekly support group for people who stutter at a speech pathologist’s office. In his professional life, Chad is a Manager (ITSS) for Charter Communications, managing a team of 13, including staffing in five different buildings, and supporting more than 5,000 end users, including executives. In his free time, Chad enjoys video editing and spending time with his family. Chad also serves as on the Nominating Committee. Board term as Chair began June 2024

Learn how David Haas,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Executive Director David Haas Briefly describe your daily job duties. I run a nonprofit called Sarah’s Guest House. We are a healthcare hospitality home that provides lodging, transportation, meals and comfort to patients and families of patients receiving medical care in Central New York. I oversee all operations including directing staff and leading our organization. This includes developing and furthering community relationships, fundraising, managing house operations and developing and administering a budget. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. I am constantly challenged in my job when speaking. Each day, I must communicate with my staff, our volunteers, and the 1,000+ guests who stay at our house annually. Not to mention our partners, donors, and supporters. I often speak in the community about our organization. This requires me to present at local hospitals, churches, events, and anytime outreach is needed. At times I am only given a few minutes to tell someone or a group of people about our organization and I must make sure I am using my time wisely and articulating our mission properly. 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 did self-disclose. My resume noted that I am the leader of the Syracuse chapter of the National Stuttering Association, and I spoke about it during my interviews. I knew the job would require the Executive Director to be the face of the organization and be comfortable speaking in front of large groups of individuals on behalf of Sarah’s Guest House. I described my plethora of experience speaking to local audiences about stuttering including giving a TEDx Talk in 2014. I don’t always disclose my fluency disorder to everyone I speak with. It depends on my day and the situation. If I feel an additional amount of pressure (on top of the usual everyday pressure), I may say that I a person who stutters, “please be patient as I articulate my message.” This is especially true if it’s an important meeting and I’m asking someone to make a donation or pledge to Sarah’s Guest House and I want their full attention. I almost always mention my stuttering when presenting in the community or speaking at an event. I believe this helps put both my audience and myself at ease so they are not wondering why I might be struggling to communicate in a way they might be used to hearing. This also offers me an opportunity to educate the public in regards to stuttering, which I believe I am called to do. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. The guests who stay at Sarah’s Guest House are typically going through one of the most difficult situations in their life when they decide to stay with us. It is of dire importance that we as staff and volunteers are able to show an ability to understand and share the feelings of another – to be empathic. I believe that there is no group of people more empathic than individuals who stutter. I also believe that in a fast-paced, perfection seeking world, being the leader of an organization as a person who stutters allows me to flip the script. My staff, volunteers, board members, and those around me know that I am not seeking perfection, but rather a commitment to do the best we can in a manner that shows respect for our duties and those we are serving. What is your proudest moment at your current company? This past year was one of the hardest in my career. Leading a healthcare organization during the middle of a pandemic was very stressful. Our largest fundraising event had to be cancelled and we had to pivot plans to raise enough funds to continue operating the house. This led us to holding several smaller virtual fundraisers during 2020 including a one-week digital campaign we called ‘Fund the House.’ This unique campaign raised over $30,000 in one week utilizing only social media. Our campaign was nominated and selected as the Central New York Business Journal’s NONPROFIT AWARDS Outstanding Fundraising Event of 2020 with the award criteria being “running an innovative and unique event which engaged donors, board members, volunteers and staff to further the organization’s mission.” What are your long-term career aspirations? I am in the career I feel I was called to be in. I have always known I have wanted to give back to the public and my community. I hope to be blessed enough to do so for many more years. 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’s interesting, when I was younger and even into my early 20s, I never talked about stuttering. It wasn’t until I was introduced to the National Stuttering Association while in graduate school that I felt I needed to be more open with myself and others. I decided I wasn’t going to let my stutter control me any longer. My life took a 180-degree turn and I began down a path that led me to being able to use my voice to advocate for others. I know everyone who stutters, stutters differently, and has a different story. But I would encourage you to never sell yourself short. Always advocate for yourself and be open with those around you. You are the next leader and you have an opportunity to educate others – go for it!

< Back Taylor Worsham – From Acceptance to Fierce Advocacy When Taylor Worsham found the NSA in 2023, she was looking for connection and community. What she found was so much more—an organization that welcomed and accepted her with open arms and encouraged her to use her voice. Today, Taylor is a part-time NSA team member, helping lead our copywriting and community engagement efforts. But before her role on staff, she began as a volunteer, quietly creating graphics and social content—amplifying the voices of others while learning to embrace her own. “I grew up thinking I was a victim of my stutter. However, accepting myself for who I am has helped me in every way imaginable. Don’t get me wrong; I still have days where I think, "Man, life would be so much easier if I were just fluent," but I realize that God made this way for a reason and I truly believe it makes me a better person. I can't imagine it NOT being a part of me.” Taylor shares that speech therapy, for her, always came with an expectation of fluency. No one ever asked what she wanted. It wasn’t until she found the NSA that she learned stuttering acceptance was even an option. “Before the NSA, I honestly had no idea that acceptance was even an option. As a child, I went to speech therapy for years and was taught that stuttering was bad. This community is so brave and so vulnerable. It’s inspiring. I no longer despise or wish to change this part of myself. It's just a different way of speaking.” One of Taylor’s proudest moments came on International Stuttering Awareness Day 2024, when she sent a heartfelt message to her entire company—disclosing her stutter, offering helpful tips, and pointing to resources for learning more. The response was full of encouragement and support. “It was a big moment for me. As someone who tried extremely hard their whole life to pretend that their stutter didn't exist, I'm proud of the leaps and bounds I have made on my stuttering journey this far.” Her message to new NSA members is full of warmth: ”This community is so welcoming and accepting. I know it can be daunting outside looking in, but there is something different for everyone. If you can't make it to an Annual Conference, join in on virtual events. There's an entire community here waiting to welcome you with open arms.” Get to know Taylor: Favorite ice cream: Vanilla Beach over mountains or desert Comfort rewatch: The Golden Girls Current jam: “Slow Burn” by Kacey Musgraves Pet: 1 cat Fun fact: Taylor’s favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11. Dream vacation: Italy to honor her Italian roots Taylor’s story is one of resilience, reflection, and rising into your voice. Thank you, Taylor, for your voice! Previous Next

< Back Kerri Berard Speaker Kerri has been involved with the NSA since 2018 and serves as the Co-Leader for the Fort Worth Family and Adult Chapters. She is a school-based speech therapist in Texas who specializes in stuttering. Kerri enjoys being outdoors, making kombucha, and spending time with her family and cats. Previous Next

< Back Nicole Kulmaczewski Speaker Nicole is a non-stuttering speech therapist practicing in Saugerties, New York. She has experience with treatment and assessment in the domains of early intervention, preschool special education, and stuttering throughout the lifespan. Nicole has presented both in person and online workshops at NSA 1-Day conferences, the Canadian Stuttering Association's annual Conference, and appeared as a guest speaker on podcasts such as Stutterology and Some Stutter, Luh. She continues to broaden her understanding and knowledge of stuttering by attending and hosting workshops at conferences, listening to the community's lived experiences, and focusing on autonomy within stuttering treatment. Previous Next

Meet Rowan, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Rowan Sisters Who Stutter Member Outreach Coordinator Rowan serves as the Member Outreach Coordinator for Sisters Who Stutter (SWS), where she focuses on strengthening member connection, engagement, and support within the community. She is also the Chair of Sisters Who Stutter, a group within the National Stuttering Association (NSA) dedicated to empowering and uplifting girls who stutter. In her outreach role, Rowan helps welcome new members, foster meaningful relationships, and ensure that girls feel seen, supported, and included. Her leadership is rooted in creating safe, affirming spaces where confidence can grow and shared experiences can turn into lasting connection. Rowan brings dedication and resilience to everything she does. She has been a member of her school’s Varsity Swim Team since seventh grade and also participates in Track and Field as a long-distance runner. Her athletic journey reflects her perseverance, discipline, and commitment to personal growth. Looking ahead, Rowan hopes to pursue a future in archaeology, combining her curiosity, love of history, and passion for discovery. She credits the NSA and Sisters Who Stutter community with helping her embrace her stutter and develop the confidence to lead and support others. Through her outreach work and leadership, Rowan continues to play a meaningful role in building a connected, welcoming community for girls who stutter.

Learn how Jonathan Pomerantz,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Facilities Engineer Jonathan Pomerantz Briefly describe your daily job duties. As a Facilities Engineer, I’m responsible for maintaining and ensuring the safe operation of our oil & gas processing facilities in Northern Colorado. I interface with Production Operations, Environmental, Health, and Safety teams, and other engineering teams to troubleshoot facility upsets and design retrofits to improve reliability. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. I am constantly required to communicate detailed technical information to many people every day. It can be frustrating when it takes me longer than other people to communicate that information. I am also often required to present design solutions and proposals to larger groups in meetings. Switching to remote work over the past 18 months has also presented a whole new subset of challenges with communicating more often via calls and video conference rather than in person. What are your long-term career aspirations? Long term, I hope to continue to develop my technical knowledge in my field and eventually move into a management/mentorship role to lead an engineering team. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? I did. I actually disclosed initially to the recruiters as I was applying for interviews in college, and continued that during the interview process. I usually phrased it as: “You’ll probably notice that I stutter, and this might take me a bit, so I appreciate your time and patience in advance.” Currently, I don’t explicitly disclose very often as I’ve been working with a lot of the same people for a long time who know I stutter. But if a situation arises where I am being misunderstood or interrupted, I’ll disclose in a similar way. What is your proudest moment at your current company? I don’t have a specific proud moment, but it makes me feel good when I’m selected for new projects and asked for my input despite my speech difficulties. I am proud of how far I’ve come within the company. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. I’ve found that it has made me a more empathetic person and I can better withhold bias when listening to what a person has to say, regardless of how they say it. It has also pushed me to find ways to compensate where necessary and improve my work performance proportionally in other aspects. 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 would say to go into it with a positive attitude and know that your stutter doesn’t have to define you and it likely won’t. I have had an overwhelmingly positive experience as a person who stutters in a professional environment. Listen and learn from everyone around you, and when you have something to say, speak up no matter how it comes out or how long it takes you.

< Back Maxwell Pollack Speaker Maxwell Pollack is an 18 year old person who stutters who lives in Edmond Oklahoma. He is interested in running and working out, finding good movies and shows to watch, spending time with friends, listening to music, and occasionally playing video games. He currently works at Jimmy John’s. This is his first NSA conference. Previous Next

Join the New Hampshire - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. New Hampshire ADULT CHAPTER HYBRID MEETINGS NORTHEAST REGION Official NSA Chapter - New Hampshire State Welcome to the NSA New Hampshire 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? 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? Sound Mind Mental Health – 61 Route 27 (Suite #10) Raymond, NH 03077 When? Meetings are held on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 10:00 AM Eastern. Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Deborah Bennett & Lucas Fisher Chapter Leaders Get in touch! debbieSLP@mac.com (603) 491-2941 - 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 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! ! 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 Charlottesville - Adult & Family stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Charlottesville ADULT, FAMILY CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS MID-ATLANTIC REGION Official NSA Chapter - Virginia State Welcome to the NSA Charlottesville 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, Family 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? UVA – Ruffner (417 Emmet Street South #Room 106, Charlottesville, VA 22904) When? Meetings are held the 1st Wednesday of each month from 6:00-7:00PM. Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? CJ Hedgepeth & Claire Barbao Chapter Leaders Get in touch! cjhedgepeth123@yahoo.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 Paula D’Arcangelo, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Paula D’Arcangelo Research Committee Associate Member Paula is a speech language pathologist who earned her Master of Science degree in Communicative Disorders from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She currently works in a school setting and at her private practice, where she finds great fulfillment in supporting and learning from people who stutter. In 2022, Paula first became active in the NSA as an ad hoc review committee member for the NSA Research Committee. She resides in Houston, Texas, with her husband, teenage children, and adoring poodle. During her free time, Paula enjoys being outdoors, attending concerts, cherishing moments with family and friends, and traveling to new destinations.