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Please describe the specific qualifications and strengths you possess that make you the most qualified candidate for this office.
My qualifications for the position include experiences in client and client/family advocacy. I served on the board of directors for United Cerebral Palsy of Southern Illinois, including 2 years as chairman of the board. More recently, in Ohio, I served as director of public policy, a state level position not unlike the ASHA vice president for governmental relations and public policy. In this position, continuing through my year as president of the Ohio Speech-Language-Hearing Association (OSLHA), I launched the Ohio Insurance Initiative. This initiative led to the formation of the National Insurance Advocacy Initiative, which later helped to shape ASHA's focused initiative on reimbursement. I served 2 years as chair of the Ohio Speech and Hearing (OSH) Governmental Affairs Committee, worked directly with our lobbyist, and helped form the OSH PAC. I am well acquainted with the ASHA agenda, having served on Legislative Council for 6 years. Since 2000, I have attended/participated in the ASHA State Policy Workshop six times.
In what ways have you been innovative and effective in your service on committees, boards, councils, and work settings?
I have been an effective leader on all levels. As chair of the Ohio Speech and Hearing Governmental Affairs Council, I implemented a program to support legislators who were supportive of our mission to serve both clients and their families. Ohio had a little known law that provided a $50 state tax credit for those contributing directly to candidates running for office in the state legislature. I signed up 45 contributors the first year of the program. This group became the core of our Political Action Committee that was formed the following year.
My work on the Ohio Insurance Initiative also had far reaching implications, initially resulting in the formation of a national organization, the National Insurance Advocacy Initiative, which met monthly by telephone conference. We compared notes, advocacy strategies, and worked with ASHA to develop the Focused Initiative on Reimbursement.
What do you want ASHA members to know about you?
I want ASHA members to be aware of the broad and diverse experiences I bring to this office. My professional experience includes university teaching, research, and administrative experiences. I have also served as director of clinical supervision and training, and I have had direct clinical experience in a hospital setting and 8 years of private practice, some in school settings.
We need to have a strong and visible grassroots advocacy in place. This model should also focus on collaborating with other national advocacy groups such as Apraxia Kids and the National Stuttering Foundation.
Finally, I would like ASHA members to recognize my experiences in advocating for the profession including my tenure as an ASHA legislative councilor, CSAP president, Ohio director of public policy, OSLHA president and a member of the ASHA/CSAP Joint Committee. I feel that these experiences will benefit me in the position of ASHA vice president for government relations and public policy.
E-mail: ruderkf@netzero.net
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