February HLAA-TC Speaker- Darlene Zangara, MNCDHH Executive Director
If you got this month’s HLAA-TC newsletter this week you may have seen an article on our next speaker: Darlene Zangara, Ph.D., LPC, the Executive Director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. Published below is that newsletter article.
The talk: Legislative and Commission Updates
Speaker: Darlene Zangara, Ph.D., LPC, the Executive Director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing.
Background: Darlene Zangara, Ph.D., LPC, is the Executive Director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing.
Dr. Zangara believes in servant leadership. A person of great empathy and foresight, Darlene started out as a teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students in a self- contained classroom. Next, Darlene became a clinical therapist, providing mental health, vocational, educational assessments, and counseling services. She was also an adjunct instructor for psychology, and later, interpreting and transliterating training courses.
Darlene has a Bachelor of Sciences in Deaf Education from Bowling Green State University, a Master of Arts in Counseling with the Deaf from Gallaudet University, and a Doctor of Philosophy, Leadership and Change from Antioch University.
Feeling a gravitational pull towards stewardship, Darlene moved on to key leadership roles. To date, she has served as a director or executive director for several organizations including:
- Me Too!” A Substance Abuse Prevention Project for Deaf Youth, funded by the Ohio Department of Drug and Alcohol Services
- “We Too!” A Resiliency Enhancement Project for Deaf Youth with Special Needs, funded by the Ohio Department of Drugs and Alcohol Services
- DeafLink – The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Family Network Center, funded by the Ohio Department of Drugs and Alcohol Services Ohio Resource Center on Deafness” CSD of Ohio, Division Director
- Centers of Excellence, CSD Headquarters
- Olmstead Implementation Office, State of Minnesota
Working collaboratively is important to Darlene. She works side-by-side with her team members because she believes more is accomplished when people work together, sharing the same vision and desired outcomes.
We have scheduled all the speakers for the remainder of this season (through May) and you can view the list on our website here. The next monthly chapter meeting is February 20th, and Darlene Zangara, Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing will be the speaker and give a Commission and legislative update. Representative Brian Daniels will also speak with information about the upcoming legislative session. Please email Lionel BEFORE the meeting at treasurer@hlaatc.org in order to receive a link for the February 20th Zoom meeting. Like most meetings, social time starts at 9:30 am and Darlene Zangara begins her talk at 10:00 am. Representative Daniels will also talk at this time about a bill he is presenting to the Minnesota House of Representatives.
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