Who We Are

Laurie Hanin, Ph.D., CCC-A

Executive Director

Laurie Hanin is the Executive Director of the Center for Hearing and Communication and has been with CHC since 1992. She has been an audiologist for over 25 years. She received her Masters degree in Audiology in 1979 from Queens College of the City University of New York, and her Ph.D degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York in 1988. She has been a researcher in the areas of hearing loss and cochlear implantation and focused much of her clinical audiological work in pediatrics. She recently received the New York State Distinguished Clinician Award, is well published, and has made frequent presentations at major conferences and conventions in addition to numerous television appearances as a leading expert in audiology, particularly on The Today Show.  

Ellen Pfeffer Lafargue, Au.D, CCC-A

Director, Audiology

Dr. Ellen Lafargue has worked as an audiologist at the Center for Hearing and Communication since 1983. She received her Master's degree in Audiology in 1983 from Hunter College of the City University of New York and her Doctor of Audiology degree in 2003 from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Dr. Lafargue specializes in hearing testing and fitting hearing aids and assistive devices on adults. She has been an adjunct faculty member at NYU and Kean College in New Jersey. Dr. Lafargue is certified by the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association, is a member of the American Academy of Audiology and is licensed by the states of New York and New Jersey.

Anita Stein-Meyers, Au.D, CCC-A

Assistant Director, Audiology

Anita Stein-Meyers has worked as an audiologist at CHC since 1986. She received her Master's Degree in Audiology in 1986 from Brooklyn College and her Doctor of Audiology degree in 2003 from the Arizona School of Health Sciences. Dr. Stein-Meyers provides audiological services to individuals of all ages; however, her area of expertise is in the audiological testing and amplification needs of infants and young children. Dr. Stein-Meyers has presented on hearing loss in children at state and national conventions. She is certified by the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association, is a member of the American Academy of Audiology, and is licensed in the state of New York.

Nancy J. Geller, M.A., CCC-SLP

Director, The Shelley and Steven Einhorn Communication Center

Nancy Geller has worked as a speech-language pathologist at CHC since 1988. She received a dual master's degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Western Michigan University in 1987. Ms. Geller specializes in the communication evaluation and auditory-oral habilitation of children with varying degrees of hearing loss with special expertise in the evaluation and treatment of verbal dyspraxia in hard of hearing and deaf children. Ms. Geller is certified by the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of New York.

Linda Kessler, M.A., CCC-SLP

Assistant Director, The Shelley and Steven Einhorn Communication Center

Linda Kessler's initial experience working as a speech-language pathologist at CHC was from 1967 to 1972, when she worked with both children and adults providing speech, language, speechreading and auditory therapy. She re-located to Chicago, continuing to work with children with hearing loss. Upon returning to New York in 1995, she returned to work again at CHC. She received her Master's degree in Speech Pathology from Teachers' College, Columbia University in 1964. At CHC, Ms. Kessler currently works with adults and school-age children. She is certified by the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the state of New York.

Jeffrey Wax, Director of Emotional Health and Wellness

CSW-R, IC/TC, EMDR

Jeff Wax has worked at CHC since 2002 as a clinical social worker and is a fully licensed Social Worker/Psychotherapist fluent in American Sign Language. He received his Master's Degree in Social Work from Hunter College in 1994 and is also certified by the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Jeff has completed the NYC Department Health Certification as an HIV pre- and post test HIV test counselor and has also been trained in the therapeutic technique known as EMDR. He is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Mr. Wax has established over 15 years of experience in working with people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, and has worked with clients of all ages, gender and sexual orientation. Jeff has coordinated and presented at numerous professional regional and national conferences on a variety of mental health issues and policies.

Joshua M. Gendel, B.E.E.E.

Director, Assistive Technology

Mr. Gendel received his B.E.E.E. degree (Bachelor in Electrical Engineering) from the City College of New York and has worked at the Center 1975. Mr. Gendel is licensed as a Hearing Aid Dispenser by New York State. In addition to providing technical advice on earmolds, hearing aids, and assistive devices to consumers, Mr. Gendel has been a consultant for corporations, organizations and cultural institutions on how to make their services and environment accessible to individuals with hearing loss.

Center for Hearing and Communication - FLORIDA

Kim Schur, Au D, CCC-A

Director, Center for Hearing and Communication - Florida
Director, Audiology Department - Florida

Kim Schur has been the Director of the Center for Hearing and Communication-Florida since 2001. Prior to that, she worked as an audiologist at the Center for Hearing and Communication, New York, from 1995 to 2001. Dr. Schur received her Masters degree in Audiology from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York in 1995 and her Doctor of Audiology degree from Arizona School of Health Sciences in 2004. She is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is also a member of the American Academy of Audiology, the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, and the A.G. Bell Association. She is licensed in audiology by the states of New York and Florida. She has published and presented extensively at many national conferences.

Shana Williams, Psy.D.

Director - Psychological Services

Dr. Williams is a licensed clinical psychologist and has been practicing in South Florida since 1993 and has worked at CHC since June 2004. She received her doctorate degree in psychology at Carlos Albizu University in Florida in 1998. She completed her residency program for her degree at Jackson Memorial Hospital with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Mental Health Program. She is fluent in American Sign Language and her specialties include the assessment and treatment of emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, Florida Psychological Association, Broward Mental Health Association, National Association of the Deaf, and the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association.