Leeanne Seaver

lgs@seavercreative.com or Leeanne@handsandvoices.org
www.seavercreative.com

Professional Experience

Communications & Public Relations Consultant, Kelston Deaf Education Centre
9/11–12/11 (Auckland, New Zealand)
Developed and implemented a new media campaign focused on external communications, national public relations, image enhancement, social media applications and internal relations for New Zealand’s national deaf education programs. This working sabbatical was based in Auckland, but I was lucky enough to travel extensively while in New Zealand to implement this campaign.

Creative Director/Owner, Seaver Creative Services, Inc.
4/91 – present (national and international projects wherever they happen)
Writer, consultant, public speaker and broadcast producer/director for commercials, PSAs, industrial videos for affiliated stations, cable, & commercial clientele; media & special event consulting; written communications. Created, wrote & produced the Emmy-award winning “Parents Are the Power” anti-drug campaign for KUSA television, 2004-2006.

Promotions Director, WTVR TV 6 (CBS)
12/88 - 3/91 (Richmond , Virginia)
Responsible for all station promotion of news, special events, and programming, as well as station imaging, including daily news topicals and sweeps promotion. Drawing from experience in the KWGN (Denver) newsroom as a reporter/associate producer intern in 1983-84, this position combined everything I knew about television news with everything I knew about promotion. I left when my second child was born and started my own production company.

Special Events & Promotions Manager
9/85-10/88 (Missouri Lottery, Jefferson City, Missouri)
Produced special events, news conferences, and retail promotions statewide for nine ADIs. Duties included media relations as a Public Information Officer. Required competence on and off camera.

Associate Producer/Writer, "Let's Talk Health" Mile Hi Cable
9/84 - 7/85 (Denver, Colorado)
Researched, wrote and produced this cable talk show hosted by an MD with local celebrity guest panelists.

Non-Profit Experience

Executive Director, Hands & Voices (national and international)
6/99 – 11/11 (based out of Boulder, Colorado)
This parent-driven organization emphasizes communication-unbiased support to families with deaf or hard of hearing children. Services to parents and professionals include a website, newsletter, advocacy, training, public awareness, deaf adult role models and parent-to-parent networking through our Guide By Your Side program. This national non-profit organization currently has official chapters and start-up chapter efforts in over 35 states. Our board is comprised of parents and professionals working together. See www.handsandvoices.org

President, Hands & Voices, Colorado Chapter
5/96 - 6/99 (Denver, Colorado)
Unique in the community of deafness, Hands & Voices is a parent group that isn't organized around a communication choice or methodology. The focus is on providing unbiased, unemotional information to families so they can make the right choice for their child. This statewide Colorado chapter receives generous funding from the Colorado Department of Education and Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind to provide outreach to families.

Currently available titles by this author/producer include:

Loss & Found™ What to do if your baby doesn’t pass the newborn hearing screen View this video at: http://www.handsandvoices.org/

The Time Is Now for Hands & Voices…view this video at:
http://www.handsandvoices.org/

Related Experience & Board Appointments:

NTID National Advisory Group, Rochester NY, 2011 – present
International Family-Centered Early Intervention Planning Committee, Bad Ischl, Austria, 2011-2012
National Leadership Coalition on Sensory Disabilities, 2010 - present
Bridge Multimedia/Advisory Board of Directors, New York City, 2004 - present
The National Deaf/Hard of Hearing Alliance, Advisory Member, 2008 -11
The National Summit on Deaf Education, Planning Committee, 2004 - 10
Join Together Executive Advisory Council/American College of Educators DHH 2005 – 10
Quality of Life (Deaf/Hard of Hearing) Research Grant, Advisory Board, 2007-2010
National Family Support Conference Committee/NCHAM, 2005- 2009
Deaf Education Reform Taskforce 2000 - 2006
National Center on Low-Incidence Disabilities Advisory, 2001 - 2006
Marion Downs National Foundation 2001 - 2006
Colorado Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing 2000-06

Partial List of Keynote/Speaking Engagements

Deaf Aotearoa: “Understanding and Interpreting Educational Research” Avondale, NZ (12/11)
Auckland NZ Forum: “The Hands & Voices State of the World Report on Family Support” (11/11)
Gallaudet University National Outreach Conference Keynote: “The Law of Applause & Other Marketing Strategies for Outreach” Washington DC (7/11)
Rhode Island Statewide Early Intervention Conference, Keynote: “Good Decisioning” (4/11)
National EHDI 2011, “Beyond Academics: Social Goals for the DHH Child” (2/11)
New York State EHDI Conference, Plenary Keynote (12/10) “Supporting Families Without Bias”
Ontario Conference on Mental Health and Deafness, Plenary Keynote (10/10) “Good Decisioning”
Iowa EHDI Conference, Plenary Keynote (9/10) “Communication Considerations”
Texas Statewide Conference on Deafness, Plenary Keynote (7/10) “Driving a Cadillac Away from Your Next IEP”
International Pediatric Conference on Newborn Hearing, Como, Italy, (6/10) “Systemic Parent to Parent Support” and presentation of a white paper on “Recommended Practices in Family Support for NHS” with the Global Coalition of Parents of Deaf Children
EHDI 2010, Chicago IL (2/10) “A Question of Eligibility”
National Parent Leadership Conference, Lake Tahoe NV (6/09) “A Stronger Argument: Using Case Law in Deaf Education Advocacy”
Wisconsin Statewide Family Conference (3/09) “Siblings of Deaf/Hard of Hearing Children”
Nebraska Roots & Wings Statewide Family Conference (3/09) “Methods, Modes & Matches: Facilitating Communication Decision Making with Families”
National EHDI Conference, TX 2009 “Professionals Unplugged: What Do We Really Think of EHDI?”
CNMI Family Conference, Saipan (11/08) “Encountering Emotions: Supporting Families Who Are Grieving”
National Summit on Deaf Education, MT (3/08) “What Do Parents Need to Know About Evidence-Based Practice In Deaf Education?”
International Conference on Newborn Hearing Systems, Como Italy (6/08) “Hands & Voices: Supporting Families Without Communication Bias”
CASA DHH, Albuquerque NM (4/08) “Special Education Law & Deaf Students”
Guide By Your Side Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia (3/08) “Deaf is Different: Parent Views on Raising & Educating Children with Hearing Loss”
North Carolina Symposium on Deafness (3/08) “Beginning with the End in Mind: Parents Reflect on What They Wish They Knew Right from the Start”
National EHDI Conference, New Orleans, LA (2/08)
Southeastern EHDI Regional Conference, AL (11/07)
Philippines National Congress on Deafness (11/07)
ASHA 2007 Convention, MA (11/07)
Investing in Family Support, 2nd Annual Conference, TN (10/07)
Colorado Symposium on Deafness, Language & Learning (10/07)
Kentucky Family Conference (9/07)
The Summit on Early Childhood Education, AR (9/07)
Minnesota Guide By Your Side Conference (5/07)
Washington Family Learning Vacation (5/07)
EHDI Salt Lake City (3/07)
California Dept of Ed/IMPACT Statewide Conference (4/07)
Iowa Guide By Your Side Conference (3/07)
Indiana Parent/Professional Conference (2/07)
Michigan Guide By Your Side Conference (11/06)
Arizona Audiology Seminar, for The EAR Foundation (11/06)
Virginia Guide By Your Side Conference (10/06)
Investing in Family Support Conference, UT (9/06)
Leave No Deaf Adolescent Behind, TN (9/06)
Florida Early Education Conference, FL (9/06)
Indiana Deaf Educators & Interpreters State Conference (8/06)
Hands & Voices National Parent Leadership Conference (7/2005-present)
Ohana Time, Oahu HI (6/06)
National Deaf Children’s Society Conference, Birmingham UK (6/06)
Maryland School for the Deaf Family Conference, MD (5/06)
Kansas Family Conference, KS (4/06)
EHDI National Conference, 2/06
Australia/New Zealand Conference for Educators of the Deaf, Rotorua, NZ (1/06, presenter)
Colorado Symposium on Deafness, Language & Learning , CO (10/05, Keynote presenter)
International Congress on the Education of the Deaf, Maastricht , Netherlands (7/05, presenter)
Deaf Children Australia Parent Training Series, Sydney/Melbourne/Perth/Brisbane, 3/05 (Co-keynote presenter/trainer)
National Summit on Deaf Education, Atlanta , GA , 4/05 (Keynote presenter)

Education

Iowa Writer’s Workshop, University of Iowa, Summer Session 2011

Master of Arts, Mass Communications, University of Denver 1985

Bachelor of Arts, English, Graceland College , Lamoni , IA 1981

Awards

Redbook Magazine “Red Hot Mama of January” 2010
National Antonia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence, 2009
EMMY (Reg’l), “Parents Are the Power” (writer/producer) KUSA, 2006
The Dan B. Davidson Award for Inclusion, 2004
National Leadership Award, National Business Advisory Council 2003
Telly Award: Best Commercial, for Red Robin Restaurants, 1995
Commercial of the Year, Virginia Assoc. of Broadcasters, 1990
Silver Anvil, "Best Special Event" National Public Relations Society of America, 1987
Owen Hickey Award, Best Public Relations Campaign NASPL 1987