This is our core foundation of passionate folks who came together to make a difference; each has his or her own unique story and the common denominator in each is a drive to do more, to make a significant contribution within the hard of hearing community. A few of our board members know firsthand the struggles young people face when they have hearing impairments; other board members have seen the frustration and sadness in their child’s face and know the frustration of not being able to “fix it” for their children.
And still others simply understand the biggest problems aren’t found in a lack of technological advances, but rather, ensuring that technology reaches the hard of hearing communities around the nation. Financial considerations are often what prevents these advances from reaching those most in need. When Hard of Hearing Young People Foundation was established, each of these people possess a strong desire to eliminate as many of the financial roadblocks as possible. Learn more about our initial founders below.
The Board of Directors
Julius Tatarunas, President and Founder
Julius founded Hard of Hearing for Young People Foundation in 2011. He has extensive experience in both the financial and marketing sectors. With a background in technology with a strong emphasis in international business economics and management, he brings to the table a solid foundation that is sure to benefit HOHYPF’s mission. Currently, he is a member at financial LLC and a manager with a personal finance portal designed to provide consumers an unbiased review of banking services while also exploring other relevant financial tools and educational resources. Julius attended Aalborg University, Vilniaus University and Vytautas Magnus University and resides in Chicago, IL.
Gleise M. Tatarunas, Board Member
Gleise is a mother of two nice kids and has Bachelor degree in Mining Engineering from the Federal University of Ouro Preto, Brazil. She has second major in Technical Accounting and graduated UFOP University being first in class student. She has volunteering experience from high school where she has been lecturing younger students about various issues. She is determined to make hearing disabled youth life better in numerous aspects.
Donatas Abrutis, Board Member
Donatas is an entrepreneur and business owner in the Chicago area. A graduate of Vilniaus Universitetas, Donatas brings an important dynamic to the HOHYPF family. His solid business background ensures our organization makes the most of the donations we receive and his technological background means we are always on top of the latest breakthroughs in hearing advances and products. He too is committed to making a difference in the lives of young people within the hard of hearing community.
Asta Katiliute, Board Member
After completing her education in Europe with a degree in Social Sciences, Asta has built an impressive career in the international shipping sector. We are proud to have her on board and her contributions to the Hard of Hearing Foundation for Young People means new strides are made every day. Astra is also an avid backpacker, rock climber and dedicated nature lover.
Contributors
Donna McGill, Volunteer Editor/Writer
Donna brings with her more than 10 years writing experience. Her clients run the gamut and are located around the world. She too has a financial background and has worked in the home mortgage and consumer financial sectors. She is often asked to present at speaking engagements and continues to grow her small writing firm in south Mississipi. Donna recently completed her first novel and has begun research for her next fictional work.
Dawn Allcot, Volunteer Writer
Dawn has written about health and science topics for a number of websites and magazines. As a regular contributor to Sound & Communications, she regularly covers assisted listening systems and acoustical treatments. She is the editor of GlobalSpec’s Acoustics & Audio Technology newsletter, a bi-monthly newsletter covering developments in acoustics, audio measurement and sound systems.
