Atwood Reflects on DOES
D&HHS executive director Deb Atwood had a chance to attend the 2024 Deaf Organization Executives Summit (DOES) and came away impressed by the event.
Organized by Innivee Strategies, DOES brought together executive leaders (CEOs, Superintendents, Executives Directors, executives of various roles, and more) from diverse organizations (nonprofits, schools, universities, local and international agencies) serving the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing communities.
Among the topics discussed:
*Transforming leadership practices to be more adaptive and resilient
*Tackling workforce challenges and re-engaging our teams
*Advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging in ways unique to our communities
*Finding new avenues for growth and strategic partnerships
Atwood noted that through facilitated dialogues, DOES sparked new ideas, reframed challenges and empowered leaders to collaborate for lasting impact.
Conference organizers said that attendees left New Orleans “not just with strategic insights but with a renewed commitment to elevate our community’s organizations and advocate for transformative change,” and Atwood said that was indeed the case for her.
“It is always a bit intimidating walking into the room for the first time being one of the few hearing people in the room,” she said with a smile. “But it was good for me to feel a little isolated, understanding a few but not all conversations going on around me due to different accents and signing styles, especially from those from different countries. Seeing my communities up against such things everyday of their lives does not compare but does give me a small bit of insight.”
She also praised Shane Feldman, the CEO of Innivee Strategies, who she said “goes out of his way to ensure everyone is at ease, that we are in safe space and that everyone, and their opinions, will be respected.”
Because the conference brought together such a wide variety of people, Atwood said it was interesting to see how much everyone had in common, including obstacles.
“The majority of us all have the same barriers: advocacy issues, limited ASL interpreters, federal, state and local government lack of support (except for a few who are making great strides),” she said.
By the end of the event, Atwood said, attendees had bonded over a variety of not just obstacles but also successes.
“One of the most rewarding things is to hear the stories of how some of us got connected and into our positions,” she said. “There were tears, hugs and lots of “I LOVE YOU” signs. Times like these really brought a lot of us closer together.”
Atwood concluded with a personal note.
“As I am retiring, I will truly miss this experience,” she said simply. “I highly recommend this to anyone who is in a Deaf, DeafBlind leadership role.”