By: Angela Kennedy, SLPD, CCC-SLP, Vice President for Educational and Scientific Affairs
 

The 67^th Annual Convention and Exhibition of the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) came to Austin on February 23-25, ready to amplify our voices, advocacy, and knowledge.

From near and far across the great state of Texas, more than 5,000 attendees and exhibitors came together in our state capital for this year’s Convention. There were 21.5 continuing education hours available through a broad range of educational offerings.

One attendee stated, “TSHA really gives you that motivation and education boost that you need. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet new friends that are working in your field while also providing new and updated materials that will be beneficial for your clients.”

The Amp-Up Sessions on Thursday and Friday morning provided an opportunity for all of TSHA to come together to engage and learn as a collective about relevant topics for audiologists and speech-language pathologists. Dr. Tommie L. Robinson kicked off the TSHA 2023 Convention on Thursday with an excellent presentation entitled, “Ethical Leadership: A Guide for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists.” On Friday morning, Dr. Shari Robinson presented, “Touching Tomorrow: The Magic of Mentoring.” In addition, the 77 sessions and 33 poster presentations were high-quality and provided pertinent education across a variety of ages and disorders.

One attendee stated, “So many great presentations located in one location. Gained so much varied knowledge.”

What attendees see on site at Convention each year is only made possible through the many volunteer hours by fellow speech-language pathologists and audiologists and with the support from TSHA’s state office and our management firm, Smithbucklin. Every single one of these people amplified the positive experience of all attendees and allowed for the many aspects of Convention to be possible!

I would like to recognize a handful of the amazing volunteers who have dedicated their time, skills, and expertise to the association as a part of the Convention Committee this year. 

• Program Committee Co-Chairs Hesper Holland and Lydia Richardson and their Program Strand Chair committee members selected and scheduled 77 sessions, three master classes, and 33 poster presentations! New this year were poster awards for presentations of excellence from students and professionals. Congratulations to those winners, and thank you to the Programming Committee. Your knowledge, time, and expertise are invaluable to our fields and vital to the success of TSHA!
• Councilor and incoming Vice President for Education and Scientific Affairs Diane Longnecker provided expertise, wisdom, and support throughout the whole planning process. There is no better person to lead in this position next year. You are very appreciated!
• Lori Cochran, Education Innovation Co-Chair, provided excellent training opportunities and speaker office hours for how to take presentations to the next level by increasing engagement and improving overall design. The three hands-on Master Classes were a chance to experience educational offerings by directly engaging with the materials and content. Lori, thank you immensely for sharing your gifts and talents!
• Spirit Day Committee Co-Chairs Zeth Collom and Susan Sneed enthusiastically planned and amped up Spirit Day for all student attendees! The meet-and-greet, tailgate games, and the infamous Praxis Bowl were all expertly planned and so fun for all! Thank you!
• Convention Scholarship and Volunteer Committee Co-Chairs Casey Taliancich-Klinger and Naomi Arcos-Hernandez facilitated professional and student scholarships to attend the TSHA 2023 Convention. While on site, their smiling faces greeted you, provided answers, and helped meet attendee needs at the volunteer booth. Thank you both for your organizational skills, positive attitude, and bright smiles!
• Community Integration and Development Co-Chairs Katie Zuniga and Jenny Reynolds coordinated resume review times and facilitated in-person job interviews and professionally focused sessions. They also planned and coordinated philanthropy projects benefiting CASA of Travis County in the exhibit hall. Thank you for being intentional about finding new ways to serve all attendees and the Austin community!

While the TSHA 2023 Convention was one for the books, we cannot wait to innovate and improve with TSHA’s 68^th Annual Convention and Exhibition. Please mark your calendars now for the TSHA 68^th Annual Convention and Exhibition, set for February 22-24, 2024, in Fort Worth! See you there!