Board Members

Executive Committee

PAT CLINCH, President Pro Tempore

Pat was born, raised and educated in England. She came to the U.S. in 1963 when her husband was recruited to work on the space program. The Clinches settled in Chicago where Pat began her U.S. working life. She explored several opportunities before embarking on a fifteen year career in corporate public relations and marketing management with a privately-held distribution company. The Clinches retired to Tucson in 1994. Pat didn’t stay retired for long. She became a free-lance marketing consultant. In 2000, she joined Handi-Dogs, Inc., as part-time Executive Director. Pat retired again in 2006 after six successful years in non-profit management. During that time, she met and collaborated with ALOHA’s Office Manager, Loretta Butler, on outreach projects. Later in 2006, Pat joined the ALOHA Board serving for three years. Pat’s education includes a B.Sc from Leicester College of Art & Technology, Leicester, UK, and a Ph.B in business communications from Northwestern University, Chicago Campus. Her professional affiliations include Women in Communications, Chicago Chapter, and Business Marketing Association, Chicago Chapter.

SUSAN VARDON, Vice President

Sue is a lifelong educator. She has been hard of hearing her entire life. During her professional career, she developed literacy programs, mentored special need high school students, evaluated and developed educational plans for individuals with special needs, including parents and students. Sue was a volunteer representative for the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She has been an active volunteer at ALOHA since she joined in 2000. As a cochlear implant wearer, she pulls from her experience and education training to benefit ALOHA members. She developed the Desert Cochlear Connections and is the volunteer education coordinator for the cochlear manufacturer Cochlear America.

STANLEY M. KRUGGEL, Treasurer, Executive Board Member

Stan grew up in Iowa to a musical family. He attended the University of Arizona on a band scholarship and received his undergraduate degree in Instrumental Music Education and a masters in Vocal Performance. Stan sang for the Arizona Opera for 25 years. His career focus was insurance sales and management. After gradually losing his hearing about 15 years ago, he decided to get a cochlear implant which has been life-changing for him. He is a mentor for Advanced Bionics Cochlear Implants and serves as a “guinea pig” in many of their research projects. Stan has been active with ALOHA; he facilitates the Tuesday evening support group and serves as Executive Board Treasurer. In that role, he closely monitors the structural needs of The ALOHA Center.

KATE STEELE, Secretary

Executive Board Members

KARL HALLSTEN, Past President, Executive Board Member

Karl Hallsten is a retired social worker living in Sierra Vista. He is legally deaf, but a Cochlear N5 Implant activated in April 2010 has tremendously improved his hearing. His professional social work experience was in community mental health and social work education having taught at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and at Western Michigan University. Apart from the Universities, he worked in the non-profit sector much of the time in clinical administration. Late in his career, he worked in public relations, marketing, fund-raising, grant-writing community relations and staff development. Karl brings leadership and advocacy skills to his role on the ALOHA board.

CYNTHIA AMERMAN, Executive Board Member

Cynthia has been a member of ALOHA since moving to Tucson in 2007. She is a retired teacher and social worker. Her current memberships also include Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), the Association of Late-Deafened Adults, Inc. (ALDA), and the International Federation for Hard of Hearing People (IFHOH). She served as national president of ALDA, Inc. from 2010-2012. At ALOHA, she has served several terms on the Board of Directors and enjoys connecting with people in other hearing loss organizations, working at area health fairs and delivering presentations on understanding hearing loss. Recently she became a member of the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Hard of Hearing Task Force. Her progressive deafness developed over many years, and Cynthia now has bilateral cochlear implants.

Board Members

WAYNO GUERRINI, BSBA, Member

Wayne is originally from San Diego and is a long time ALOHA member. He is a computer programmer with a background working with and training air traffic controllers. Being hearing impaired, Wayno has a vested interest with being involved with ALOHA and finding ways to help others cope with hearing loss.

BRUCE STEWART, MD, Member

Dr. Stewart is a practicing Otolaryngologist at Banner/University Medical Center in Tucson. He was born and raised in Tucson, attending both the University of Arizona and the University of Utah. He has deep roots in the Tucson medical community. He has served on the Board of Directors at ALOHA for many years including as president and treasurer.

John SWARBRICK, Member

JIM LOOTENS, Member

Jim has been a member of ALOHA since 2015 and is one of ALOHA’s most active volunteers. He is an Army veteran with a BS in Environmental Education from Prescott College. Jim received his first hearing test and hearing aids at the age of 72 (2014).