The Friends of OSD nonprofit board currently consists of 8 members and we are actively recruiting additional directors. Get Involved for more information about serving on the Friends of OSD Board.
Monthly Board meetings are usually held at OSD in the NTID Room, Administration/Library Building. Meeting time and day are subject to change in order to accommodate Board members’ schedules. Please check the OSD calendar and the FOSD Home Page/Events for specifics each month. Board meetings are open to the public.
Friend of OSD Board of Directors
Michael Staudinger, President
Michael Staudinger is a novelist and grandparent of two OSD students. He has served as a hospital chaplain and parish pastor (retired), as well as a high-school English teacher. Staudinger also volunteers with the Mid-Willamette Valley Habitat for Humanity as a guest speaker and grant writer. Originally from Washington state, he and his wife moved to Salem to be close to their grandchildren and support the work of the OSD. When not volunteering, he loves bicycling, cooking, fly fishing, sailing, and theater.
Judy Lorenzen, Vice-President
Judy Lorenzen graduated from Willamette University with a BA in English Literature. After teaching English at the high school level, she received an MA in Special Ed, Hearing Impaired, from Lewis & Clark University. She began teaching Language Arts at the Oregon School for the Deaf in 1972 in both the Middle and High School Departments, ultimately becoming High School Supervising Teacher, a position she held until her retirement in 2004. She was also Adjunct Professor at both Lewis and Clark and Western Oregon University in their teacher training programs.
Phyllis Reynolds, Treasurer
Phyllis Reynolds is a retired 30-year employee of the Oregon Department of Education, with positions ranging from clerical to policy analyst for the fiscal offices at ODE. Her history of support for OSD ranges from assisting to record and archive student records to setting up Small Purchase Order Transaction System debit card accounts which enable OSD staff to teach independent living skills to students nearing graduation. Phyllis is excited to be involved with FOSD to help support the School and the students.
Linda Couoh, Secretary
Linda Couoh is a former 13-year employee of Oregon School for the Deaf 
where she served on the Search Committee for the Director of Oregon School for the Deaf and on the Planning Committee for the Future of Oregon School for the Deaf. She is the former executive secretary to the Oregon State Superintendent of Schools, a position from which she was promoted to Personnel Director of the Oregon Department of Education. Now retired, Linda is a charter board member and current director of Friends of OSD.
Melanie DeLeon, Director
Mel is the Coordinator of Interpreting and Transcribing Services at Portland Community College and is an Oregon Court Certified Interpreter. She has served with a number of organizations that focus on communication access and diversity issues. Mel uses her networking skills to improve educational services, employment and health care for Deaf Oregonians.
Kara Gournaris, Director
Kara is a parent of an OSD student and is an active member in the Deaf community. She holds an EdD from Portland State University with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction. An Assistant Professor at Western Oregon University’s Languages Department, teaching American Sign Language, Kara hopes to strengthen connections between the WOU community and OSD by encouraging more WOU and OSD student involvement.
Teri Staudinger, Director
Teri was born and raised in SE Washington State. She received her BA in Education from Eastern Washington University, and her M.Ed. from Heritage University. Throughout her 20+ years of teaching, Teri was involved in the teacher’s union and was eventually elected President of the local, where she served for 5 years. Teri served as the Chair of the Fourth Congressional District Democrats and was an Obama delegate to the National Convention in 2012. Teri and her husband live in Salem, where she currently is a Field Representative for the Oregon School Employees Association. They have a grandson in the first grade at OSD and a granddaughter who will attend in a couple of years.
Friends of OSD Advisory Council
In 2014, FOSD created an Advisory Council of 13 members to lend support and advice to the Board of Directors. Members of the Advisory Council make the following commitments:
- Lend their names to and endorse the work of FOSD
- Lend their expertise to advise FOSD when needed
- Participate in projects, events and activities according to their interests and abilities
- Receive FOSD’s annual and quarterly reports and provide advice, guidance and suggestions for the good of the organization
The FOSD Advisory Council held its first joint meeting with the Board of Directors on April 17, 2014 and generally has one face-to-face meeting a year. If you are interested in joining the Advisory Council, please contact FOSD.
Advisory Council Members
Larry Austin
Retired Public Information Officer at the Oregon Department of Education
Jill Bailey
Principal at Maplewood Elementary, former Special Education Director at Sherwood School District, Coordinator of D/HH programs for the Northwest Regional ESD
Jeb Baldridge
Graduate of Gallaudet University, 2020-21 President of the Oregon Association of the Deaf, Secretary of OR ASL Teacher Association.
Mary Bunn
Former teacher at OSD and retired Special Education Specialist at Oregon Dept. of Education
Jerry Curtis
Retired Portland-Area Businessman
Verne Duncan
Former Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dean of Education at University of Portland and State Senator
John Freeburg
Former President and Founder of FOSD, retired Director of Regional Resource Center on Deafness at Western Oregon Univerity
Damara Goff Paris
Founding FOSD board member; Associate Professor, Counselor Education, Emploria State University, Emporia, KS
Chad Ludwig
Current Director of the Research and Resource Center with Deaf communities at Western Oregon University, former President of the Oregon Association of the Deaf
Elisa Maroney
Faculty member at Western Oregon University in the undergraduate ASL/English Interpreting Program and Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies
Kevin Marshall
Retired Director of the Rehabilitation Counselor Training program at Western Oregon Univerity, Dallas City Council for 23 years, consultant to Garten Services, Inc.
Tom Pfaff
Retired Independence insurance agent and parent of former OSD student
Logan Poyner
Former President of the Oregon Association of the Deaf
Pam Rimmer
Retired head of psychological services and testing at OSD
Tim Rocak
Chief Executive Officer of Garten Services, Inc.
