board of directors
We are so grateful to the talented group of individuals that serve on our Board of Directors! Our board and staff include parents, professionals, and Deaf and Hard of Hearing adults from all across Texas. We strive for board representation that reflects diverse perspectives, unique family experiences, a variety of communication modalities, and unwavering commitment to unbiased support. In alignment with our mission, parents make up 51% or more of any H&V chapter board to ensure we are offering authentic parent perspective in all of our programs and support.
Interested in being on the Board of Directors? Applications are being accepted for the 2023-2024 term. Download the application and email it to office@txhv.org.
Officers: 2023-2024
Rachel Rakunas
President (Interim) and Treasurer
Parent- RRakunas@txhv.org
Rachel Rakunas lives in the Houston area. She is the mother of two children, one of whom is deaf. She found a Parent Guide through Guide By Your Side when her daughter was born and diagnosed with hearing loss. Rachel found the support from the Parent Guide to be incredibly helpful! She is now using her background in finance and accounting to give back to other families touched by hearing loss. Rachel works in corporate tax, owns a small business, and joined the Texas Hands and Voices board in 2022 as Treasurer. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and traveling.
Sarah Wainscott Ph.D., CCC-A, CED
Vice President
Parent/Professional - SWainscott@txhv.org
Dr. Sarah Wainscott lives in North Texas and has been involved with the board of Texas Hands & Voices since 2012. Sarah is an audiologist and an associate professor at Texas Woman’s University. She trains professionals in speech-language pathology and deaf education and pursues research in areas of early language intervention and interdisciplinary practices. Sarah and her husband, Bill, are parents of five (nearly) grown children, two of whom are Deaf. They often partner in parent advocacy and training activities for Texas families. Sarah is committed to connecting families and professionals, and helping families to navigate systems and services, which is why she is invested in Texas Hands & Voices. She also loves camping adventures, children’s literature, and beekeeping.
Sara Smith
Secretary
Parent - SSmith@txhv.org
Sara Smith lives in Houston Area with her husband and four children, two of whom are deaf. She has been involved with TXH&V since 2017 as a Parent & Outreach Guide and transitioned to the Board in 2023. She finds joy in connecting with and supporting other parents as well as professionals encountered on the journey and through her roles with TXH&V. Most days you will find Sara substitute teaching or facilitating communication in deaf ed classrooms. Her family enjoys outdoor activities, accessible community events, and game nights.
Edgenie Bellah
Member at large
Professional- EBellah@txhv.org
Bio Coming Soon
Sara Covert
Mari Hubig
Member at Large
Professional- Hubig@txhv.org
Bio Coming Soon
staff
Jennifer Peterson, Executive Director
Parent/Professional– jpeterson@txhv.org
With over 20 years of experience in nonprofits and marketing agencies, Jennifer leads strategic communications and outreach efforts to increase visibility and advance mission-driven organizations.
Most recently, Jennifer served as the Director of Communications for St. Michael’s Catholic Academy, and prior to that, as the Director of Public Relations & Strategic Partnerships for Any Baby Can. As a communications leader she cultivated strong community partnerships, generated cohesive communications campaigns, built relationships with media and influencers, managed thought leadership initiatives and led impactful teams.
Jennifer has had a long history with Texas Hands & Voices, previously serving as the Statewide Outreach Coordinator, a Parent Guide and as the President of the Board of Directors. She also co-led grass-roots efforts resulting in the passing of an insurance mandate for coverage of children’s assistive listening devices in 2017, was the Keynote Speaker for the Texas Academy of Audiology and a presenter at statewide and national conferences. Early in her career she worked for an educational association, a marketing service firm and a boutique advertising agency. All of which refined her skills as a dynamic writer, public speaker, relationship-builder, and problem-solver.
Throughout her career, Jennifer has worked for organizations focused on children and families, showing a passion for communicating the great work they were doing for the community. A native Austinite and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, she thrives on serving her community while raising her two sons.
Teresa Dang, Program Coordinator, Guide by Your Side
Parent/Professional - tdang@txhv.org
Teresa Dang is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently resides in the Austin area with her husband and their two children, one who was born hard of hearing. Prior to joining the Texas Hands & Voices team, she worked at Round Rock Independent School District as a science teacher and AVID program coordinator. With one of the most enjoyable aspects of her life being building connections within a community through shared experiences and the transference of knowledge, Teresa is excited to further TXHV’s mission and vision to provide unbiased support to families with children who are deaf and hard of hearing. You can find her enjoying life with her family, traveling, practicing calligraphy, playing the piano, and reading books until past midnight.
Michaela Hamaker, Project Manager
Parent/Professional - mhamaker@txhv.org
Michaela Hamaker lives in the greater Austin area with her husband and their children, two of whom are Deaf. Michaela became the Texas Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side Coordinator in 2016 and served in that role until 2023. Before becoming part of the TXHV team, Michaela worked as a teacher and as an assistant director for a youth soccer program. Michaela loves the mission of Hands & Voices and is passionate about providing families with resources and support so they can help their children thrive! She loves seeing families connect, come together and build support networks in their own communities. In her free time, Michaela enjoys reading, gardening and spending time with her family.