Hearing Industries Association
Members of the Hearing Industries Association (HIA), Alexandria, Va, met at the end of February to elect new leaders for the Association, and affirm the organization’s commitment to passage of a tax credit for hearing aid purchases.

Cathy Jones, Phonak, was elected to the chairmanship of HIA, following a year of service as the organization’s vice chair. In accepting the top leadership spot for the industry’s trade association, Jones reflected on her broad-based career in the hearing aid industry and noted that her priorities would be industry relations, maximum levels of effort to pass the hearing aid tax credit legislation in this session of Congress, and moving forward with “Exploring the Consumer’s Journey,” an initiative that HIA launched in conjunction with “Hearing on the Hill 2005.”

Rounding out the Executive Committee is Alan Dozier, GN ReSound, vice chair, and Jeff Taylor, Sonion, secretary/ treasurer. Randy Raymond, Spectrum Brands, concluded his chairmanship of HIA and will serve as immediate past chairman. Carole Rogin will continue to serve as chief staff executive.

Also at the meeting, the HIA presented its fifth Volunteerism Award to Mikael Worning, Oticon. In presenting the award to Worning for his leadership to the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) over the past 3 years, Raymond said Worning has agreed to serve in BHI’s top leadership position for one more year even though his primary base with his company has moved to Europe.

Annual elections held at the meeting resulted in the following directors serving 2-year terms on the HIA Board of Directors: Alan Dozier; Cathy Jones; Randall Raymond; Jerry Ruzicka, Starkey Laboratories; Jeff Taylor; and John Zei, Knowles Electronics. Peer Lauritsen, Oticon, was elected to complete the term on Mikael Worning.

Micro Audiometrics
Micro Audiometrics Corp, Murphy, NC, has hired Robert Wojtas as its new marketing manager. His duties will include customer support, enhancing the dealer network to provide more local dealers throughout the United States, serving as liasion between engineering and customer needs, and attending national trade shows.

Wojtas is not new to the company or the hearing health care industry. In 1985 he served as an electronic technician at Micro Audiometrics and was promoted to sales manager in 1986. In 1989, he left the company to pursue a career as an independent dealer. After visiting the factory in March, he accepted the invitation to rejoin the Micro Audiometrics family.