Hi!  My name is Karyn Houston and I was elected RTR President in December 2006.  I began my Presidential duties officially on January 8, 2007 for the first Board meeting of the year.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself and where I came from.  I was raised in south Texas in a small town called Alvin.  It was the home of Nolan Ryan, the Astro’s most famed pitcher as well as being only a 30 minute drive from Galveston Island where I frequented often.  And, yes, I do own at least 4 pair of cowboy boots! I moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1987 and graduated from John Brown University with my Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management and the University of Arkansas with my Master’s degree in Counseling.  I absolutely love the great outdoors such as fishing, camping, canoeing, hiking and all that outdoorsy “stuff”; however, I hibernate like a bear when winter comes around, unfortunately.  I moved to Columbia, Illinois in November 2002 to work at Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) as the Director of the Interpreter Program.  I have been involved with RTR since early 2003 and became interested in serving on the Board when I saw the growth and community potential it offered.

I am very excited about this position because RTR has so much more to offer and the Board is beginning to realize its full potential.   Our current Board members are quite passionate about RTR’s mission, values and goals.  The best thing about our Board is that we all work very well with one another as a team.   The Board thrives to go above and beyond what RTR has had to offer traditionally.  RTR has been around for a very long time (since its inception in 1967) and is currently going through some changes to align more closely with its mission and values.  During my tenure as the President, I will:

• Work closely with the RTR Board and General Membership to make sure our Bylaws fit with the organization’s current mission and goals.
   

• Have the Deaf White Pages ready by no later than May 2007.
   

• Meet with current Presidents of organizations in the Metro St. Louis area and find ways that RTR assist and become more of a team with other organizations.
   

• Hold Town Hall Meetings in at least 3 locations throughout the Metro St. Louis areas to illicit input from the Community as to how RTR can meet their needs and vice versa.
   

• Hold a Strategic Planning Retreat for the RTR Board and RTR General Membership.
   

• Focus on fundraising efforts within RTR so that this organization can further meet the Community’s needs through providing workshops, educational materials/programs; promote unity within the community, and many more.

It is my hope that you will frequently visit this website to keep in touch with the Community events as we continually expand our services to our precious Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.  If you have any suggestions or recommendations as to  how we can improve our services and/or website, please let me know. 

I want to close with my usual motto that I share with our Board frequently:

ENTHUSIASM IS CONTAGIOUS!!!

Enthusiasm is like candy!  Everyone wants a piece of that candy – no doubt!   If we all truly believe things can be achieved beyond your wildest dreams, it needs to begin with having a teaspoon of enthusiasm and believing in yourself and what you have to offer.  Once that enthusiasm catches on – can you imagine where it will lead all of us?   Keep imagining….  Come join us for some of this delicious candy!

Remember, we are here for YOU and we care!

Warmest Regards,

Karyn Houston

RTR President