Candidate for Vice President for Planning
Melissa Jakubowitz, MA, CCC-SLP
ASHA Leader Interview | Video Interview | Video Transcript | All Candidates
Melissa Jakubowitz, MA, CCC-SLP, is the Vice President of Clinical Services at PresenceLearning in San Francisco. She is a Board Recognized Specialist in Child Language with extensive administrative experience running a private practice as well as in her current position. Ms. Jakubowitz has presented on a variety of issues, including private practice, language disorders in school-age children, and telepractice. She has extensive experience working directly with school-age students in various settings as well as in leadership positions.
Ms. Jakubowitz has served ASHA and related organizations as a former President of the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association (1999-2001) and California Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists in Private Practice (1995-1997). Ms Jakubowitz was elected to serve on the Legislative Council for 13 years (1995-2008) and 1 year on the ASHA Speech-Language Pathology Advisory Council. As a member of the Legislative Council, she was elected to serve as Chair of the Credential Committee. She was appointed to the ASHA Board of Ethics (2008-2010) where she served on the Education Subcommittee and was Chair of this subcommittee in 2010. Ms. Jakubowitz was invited to participate in the Leadership Development Program at ASHA in 2008 and served as a program committee member in the topic area language and learning in school-age children and adolescents for the 2008 Convention.
Ms. Jakubowitz is a recipient of the Honors of the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
The ASHA Leader asked the candidates:
Given the position for which you are running, if you could change one thing about ASHA, what would it be?
I believe ASHA has done a wonderful job with the development and implementation of the Strategic Pathway to Excellence. It is critically important that the association continue to identify the trends that impact our professions. Health care and education are experiencing significant changes that impact how we practice. Ensuring that ASHA continues to align its resources in a manner that will assist our members with the future challenges they face is critical. It is exciting that ASHA cares about the membership and strives to support the professions. As the vice president of planning, it is vital to ensure that the activities of the association are identified in the Strategic Pathway so that we enable our membership to be prepared for and embrace the future.
Why are you running for a position on the ASHA Board?
What would be your top priority be if elected to your respective position?