Search Results

< Back Previous Veronica Washington Presenter 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. Next

< Back Previous Kelly Kaczmarski Presenter Kelly Kaczmarski is a mom to 2 boys, Connor and Evan (Evan is 17 and stutters). Kelly is married to her husband, Dan, and lives in Keller, Texas. She has been in education for 24 years and is currently a teacher to blind and visually impaired students. Kelly enjoys reading, DIY decorating, and spending family time at the lake. This is her family's 8th Annual Conference. Next

< Back Previous Will Nading Presenter Will Nading, 44, has spoken with a stutter for as long as he can remember. In his mid- to late 20s, his attitude towards his speech began to shift from frustration and shame to acceptance. Will first met another person who stuttered at his first National Stuttering Association Chapter meeting in Birmingham, AL, at 28 years old. He has since moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. Professionally, Will is a Licensed Professional Engineer who designs drinking water and sewer infrastructure projects for water and sewer utilities all around the country. Next

< Back Previous Pamela Mertz Presenter Pamela Mertz has been involved with the National Stuttering Association (NSA) for 20 years. She is a former board member and currently develops many of the virtual events for the stuttering community. She co-facilitates the monthly NSA Women's Connect and serves on the WeStutter@Work committee. Pam was inducted into the NSA Hall of Fame in 2022, a moment she considers one of her proudest. She has attended and spoken at several international events about stuttering. Next

< Back Previous Scott Yaruss Presenter J Scott Yaruss, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-SCF, F-ASHA, is a professor of communicative sciences and disorders at Michigan State University, and a Co-PI for the NSF-funded HeardAI project. His research focuses on the experiences of people who stutter, with particular emphasis on ways that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can help to diminish the adverse impact that is often associated with stuttering. He is also the President of Stuttering Therapy Resources, a publishing company dedicated to helping SLPs help people who stutter. He has published more than 135 peer-reviewed articles on stuttering, as well as more than 200 other papers, articles, and books. He has also given more than 800 professional development workshops for clinicians around the world. Next

< Back Previous Chloe Swidler Presenter Chloe Swindler is a high school junior from Los Angeles, California. She is a member outreach coordinator for Sisters Who Stutter and competes at debate tournaments nationwide. She wrote an article titled “Debating with a Disability: Stuttering, Perception, and Fairness in Debate Rounds,” which was just published in the Rostrum, the official magazine of the National Speech and Debate Association. She plans to pursue studies in economics and disability studies, driven by her enthusiasm for math and business and her curiosity about the Social Model of Disability. Next

< Back Previous Courtney Luckman Presenter Courtney Luckman is a person who stutters, speech-language pathologist, and doctoral student at New York University studying social cognitive influences on stuttering. Active in the National Stuttering Association since 2011, she previously served as Chair of the Young Adults Committee, founded the Charlottesville Chapter, and helped lead the City of Chicago Chapter for several years. She is co-author of the 3Es model for stuttering therapy, and her research has been published in ASHA Perspectives and the Journal of Fluency Disorders. In 2020, she received the Distinguished Early Career Professional Certificate from American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Courtney is passionate about educating speech-language pathologists about the lived experience of stuttering. She writes for Medbridge Education, has appeared on several stuttering-focused podcasts, and has presented nationally and internationally. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys travel, spending time outdoors with her dog, writing, reading nonfiction, and baking. Next

< Back Previous Doug Harris Presenter Doug Harris is a lifelong person who stutters, a husband, father, and a retired architect who lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Doug reengaged more intentionally in his stuttering journey in 2024, joining the National Stuttering Association (NSA) Greenville, South Carolina, Chapter. Doug attended his first Annual Conference in 2025. Doug credits the NSA Conference and the growth that has followed with giving him a sense of community, a healthier perspective, and the strength to thrive with his stutter. Before the Annual Conference in 2025, Doug moved to Lancaster and began attending the NSA Philadelphia Chapter, continuing his stuttering journey. Next

< Back Previous Eldon Solomon Presenter Eldon Solomon is a CEO and a lifelong person who stutters, but he identifies first as a husband of 38 years and a proud grandfather. Eldon has led veteran outreach and mental health clinics, guiding people from “just surviving” to truly thriving. After attending his first Annual Conference in 2023, he felt a call to lend his heart and professional experience to the stuttering community. Eldon helps people who stutter navigate their own “Survival Hijack,” the moments when fear takes the wheel. Based in Indiana, Eldon is proof that it is never too late to build new bridges and support meaningful change. Next

< Back Previous Sisters Who Stutter Presenter Sisters Who Stutter is a teen-founded organization that hosts monthly Zoom meetings for girls who stutter. They provide a space for girls to come together and connect upon shared experiences. Next

< Back Previous Ben Pahl Presenter Ben Pahl, 30, lives in Columbus, Ohio. He works at a small, local senior downsizing and transition company, where he assists in helping older adults move into senior living communities. He loves his job and finds it extremely rewarding and gratifying. Ben coaches tennis and basketball for his local Special Olympics program, plays recreational sand volleyball multiple times a week without getting injured, enjoys jigsaw puzzles and birds, and geeks out over his beloved Cleveland Guardians. He makes really good baked sweet potatoes and really bad baked ziti. Next

< Back Previous Nicole Terhune Presenter Nicole (Kulmaczewski) Terhune, MS, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist, clinical educator, and advocate with a strong focus on stutter-affirming care. She teaches graduate students how to provide evidence-based, stutter-affirming therapy that centers autonomy, identity, and the client’s lived experience. Her work emphasizes collaborative goal setting, counseling competencies, and the therapeutic alliance as essential components of effective stuttering treatment. Next