Executive Director Search
Leadership Update from D&HHS Board Chair - 12/18/2025
Dear Community,
Thank you for your incredible support and engagement throughout our Executive Director search process. Your participation in the finalist interviews, your thoughtful feedback, and your investment in D&HHS’s future have been deeply meaningful to us.
I am writing to share an important update regarding the search. As you know, we welcomed two finalists for interviews for the Executive Director position. Following those interviews, we were unable to reach agreement on employment terms with either finalist.
After careful deliberation, the Board of Directors made the difficult and intentional decision to pause the Executive Director search while we reassess our organizational capacity and strategic priorities. While this was not the outcome we initially hoped for, we remain confident in the discernment of this step and committed to the significant progress we have made in strengthening connections with our community and advancing services for Michigan’s Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing residents.
Throughout this process, we have made meaningful strides as an organization. Transparency and open communication remain priorities as we continue serving Michigan’s community, and we are committed to sharing updates on our path forward in 2026.
As a first update now, as we near the end of 2025, I am pleased to announce that the Board has appointed Erica Chapin as Interim Executive Director starting January 1, 2026. She will serve in this role through Fall 2026, or until further notice, as we work through this organizational transition.
Erica has served as the Community and Partnership Manager for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services for six years. Her commitment to the community, institutional knowledge, and leadership skills will provide stability and continuity as the agency moves forward.
We are deeply grateful for the community’s continued support, patience, and engagement. Your input and participation have been invaluable, and we look forward to continuing the conversation. Please stay tuned for future town hall meetings, where we will engage directly with you about D&HHS’s direction and your role in our shared future.
Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership.
Warm regards,
Gail Mancewicz
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services
Board Chair
D&HHS Announces Executive Director Finalists - Update November 7, 2025
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services in Michigan is thrilled to announce two finalists for its Executive Director role. The finalists were selected from a competitive pool of candidates and recommended by the D&HHS Executive Director Search Committee.
The D&HHS Board extends its gratitude to the search committee and to the staff and community members who contributed to this process for their dedication and support.
Community Finalist Event
The D&HHS community is invited to attend finalist presentations and a question-and-answer session on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM at the Community Collaboration Center within the Special Olympics Building, located at 160 68th St SW, Suite 140, Grand Rapids, MI 49548.
ASL interpreters and CART captioning will be provided. Attendees will be invited to complete a survey to share feedback on each finalist’s presentation and responses.
Please register to help us prepare for the event – https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/38LKSZlC6Js9j-_56ImNwQ
Submit Your Questions
We invite the community to submit questions for the finalists. Questions will be screened and selected for the event. To submit a question for consideration, please do so before Monday November 17, 2025: https://forms.gle/Be28YoSajGmyVDXt5
Join Us in Person
We encourage D&HHS community members to attend in person to meet the finalists and demonstrate strong support for both the candidates and our community. Please share this announcement with anyone who would be interested in attending or supporting the process.
Meet the Finalists
Information about each finalist can be found below:
Christopher Rawlings
Christopher Rawlings is a dynamic and results-driven leader based in Wisconsin, originally from Michigan. With extensive experience serving as the Director of the Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing within the Department of Health, he is recognized for building high-performing teams, strengthening organizational systems, and leading with integrity and accountability.
Christopher blends strategic vision with hands-on leadership, empowering teams to collaborate, embrace challenges, and achieve meaningful results. Throughout his career, he has transformed underperforming teams into resilient, collaborative units by addressing root causes, improving operations, and promoting clear communication and responsibility. He excels in guiding organizations through complex transitions, always focusing on people, purpose, and performance.
In his presentations and leadership approach, Christopher challenges others to look beyond surface-level issues, uncover hidden barriers, and develop systems that thrive under pressure in today’s demanding work environment.
He believes that true leadership is about serving others, earning trust, and creating a culture where people feel valued, supported, and motivated to succeed.
While he now calls Wisconsin home, his Michigan roots remain strong—he is a proud and loyal Detroit Lions fan.
Anindya Bhattacharyya
Anindya Bhattacharyya, known as Bapin, is a pioneering advocate and technology leader based in New York, originally from a village south of Kolkata, India. Born Deaf and becoming blind at age nine from retinal detachments, he is recognized for advancing accessibility, empowering DeafBlind communities, and bridging the gap between people and technology.
Bapin blends technical expertise with community-centered leadership, creating opportunities for connection, learning, and independence. After being forced to leave his mainstream school in India due to lack of interpreting services, he enrolled at Perkins School for the Blind in Massachusetts in 1983, where he simultaneously mastered English, braille, and American Sign Language while discovering his lifelong passion for technology. He graduated in 1992 and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he served on the Chancellor’s ADA Committee.
His commitment to community-building led him to found and host two International DeafBlind Expos in Las Vegas (2014) and Orlando (2016), connecting DeafBlind individuals with accessible technologies and resources.
He currently serves as Coordinator of the National Outreach Technology Development and Training Program at the Helen Keller National Center in Sands Point, NY, where his work includes training consumers and professionals nationwide, evaluating and beta testing products, and collaborating with manufacturers to improve usability and affordability.
From 2009 to 2016, Bapin taught DeafBlind interpreting at Ohlone College in California and has mentored interpreters and support service providers for many years. His journey reflects unwavering dedication to access, inclusion, and empowerment—more about his life and work can be found at www.bapin.info.
Executive Director Job Posting
The Executive Director Search Committee
Nancy Piersma – Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Staff & Deaf Community Member
Elizabeth Magennis – American Sign Language Interpreter
Charis Austin – Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Board Member
Gail Mancewicz – Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Board President
Erica Chapin – Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Staff