Staff

Deb Atwood is the energetic Executive Director of D&HHS and first joined the organization as a volunteer before becoming a paid staff member in 2006. As the Executive Director she has a whole host of duties, everything from overseeing all the administrative functions, and the entire suite of D&HHS programs, to big-picture strategic and mission-related decisions and direction-setting. In addition, fundraising, marketing and community outreach are all part of Deb’s duties and vital to the success of a small nonprofit that depends heavily on donations to provide the many programs and services it offers. Deb says that making a positive difference in someone’s life is a huge motivator, especially when it is a first life-experience such as a Deaf child communicating with a Deaf Santa for the first time. Her connection to Deaf culture began when she and her husband fostered and then adopted a relative who is Deaf. “He brought new meaning to our family,” she recalls, “and opened our eyes to a whole new world.” A Douglas, Michigan, native, Deb says her family is her life, adding that she loves boating, gardening and playing with her grandkids but that her husband is her best friend!

Nancy Piersma is the Community Education & Advocacy Coordinator for D&HHS but also teaches and tutors, does Cultural and Sensitivity Training, is a Native Deaf Facilitator and much more. In her words: “A little bit of everything.” But, she says, she loves the variety her work gives her and loves serving the many different clients D&HHS partners with. Born Deaf, Nancy, a Grand Rapids native, uses oral and sign language and joined D&HHS in the spring of 2012. In her free time, she crochets, watches movies and enjoys bike riding and walking. She notes that she has two beautiful children and is a proud mom, adding: “I cannot forget one more is my cat, Suki. She keeps me company when my two young adults are away.”

Bethany Faulkner is an Interpreter Services Specialist at D&HHS and has been with the organization in varying capacities since 2007. She schedules interpreters, does some advocacy and community education, liaises between customers and interpreters, answer phones, makes referrals to appropriate staff members and more. “I love partnering with Deaf co-workers to make something good happen for an individual or a community of individuals,” she said. “I also love learning from the vast and various experiences of our contractor interpreters.” Bethany said that a childhood interest in ASL met opportunity when she met her adoptive mom who pulled her towards the Deaf community where “I found I never wanted to leave.” Born and raised in Grand Rapids, her hobbies and interests include singing, acting, music, anything Celtic, self-improvement and food as medicine.

Natalie Bengston is an Interpreter Referral Coordinator at D&HHS, joining the organization in that role in the summer of 2024. She is responsible for scheduling interpreters for various jobs, answering phones and emails and referring the appropriate interpreters for the job requests that come in. She said she loves all aspects of her work, including her coworkers. “It’s so great to be able to work with people who are passionate about the same things I’m passionate about,” she said. “And it’s really great to be able to work with my Deaf coworkers and learn directly from them.” Natalie became interested in ASL as a high school student living in Fremont, Michigan, and then went to Lansing Community College to study ASL interpreting. In her free time she said she loves spending time with her husband and their cat, Miso, reading and working out. She came to D&HHS after working in healthcare and hopes to be a medical interpreter in the future.

Erica Chapin is the Community and Partnerships Manager at D&HHS, having begun with the organization as an intern in 2019 and transitioning to full-time employee in January 2020. Among her significant responsibilities are coordinating events, creating marketing materials, working on development activities such as grants and donor relations, coordinating Cultural and Sensitivity Training, building relationships with partner organizations, organizing youth program happenings and more. She says she loves “seeing individuals we serve at community events where they are included and can participate fully. Especially seeing children involved in the Youth Program able to have fun and socialize because they are given access to communication.” She adds that it’s an honor for her to hear stories about how people’s lives have been changed through the work done by D&HHS. Born and raised in Midland, Michigan, Erica moved to Grand Rapids where she attended Grand Valley State Univerisity. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, puzzles, tea and music.

Kate Chrisman is the Finance & Operations Supervisor for D&HHS, a position she began in the summer of 2024. Her first connection to the organization was in 2015 when she was the staff bookkeeper while completing her bachelor’s degree in accounting. In her new role, she is responsible for overseeing the financial management and business operations of D&HHS, including managing personnel, maintaining records, invoicing customers, processing deposits, handling staff and interpreter payroll, conducting annual reviews, preparing Board reports, coordinating audits and more. She loves the work of D&HHS because she considers herself “a dedicated advocate for inclusion, accessibility and equity.” She adds that she also is “committed to fostering meaningful connections, driving positive change and contributing to community growth.” Her personal story includes being raised by an adoptive family in Grandville, Michigan, and now spending time with her teenage daughters, volunteering, watching sports, engaging in trauma-informed therapy and discussions, shopping, gardening, swimming, camping, needlework (cross stitch), learning, relationship building, road trips, reading, board games, puzzles, traveling, collecting, tattoos and watching Bob’s Burgers!

Kelly Glass is the Tuesday Group Coordinator and teaches ASL classes for D&HHS, joining in 2020 to teach and in 2023 as Tuesday Group Coordinator. She said she loves both opportunities, and her goal in all that she does is to help people feel comfortable, safe, and confident. Born in East Grand Rapids, Kelly, who is Deaf, was raised in Kingsley near Traverse City, went to a mainstream school in Traverse City until 1992, moved to Cedar Springs, and then went to Northview High School, graduating in 1997. She said she enjoys creative crafts, knitting, Bible study, and walking dogs. And, she added, living with a Deaf-Blind roommate has sparked in her a deep desire to understand communications and access for that community.

Jennifer Kolhoff is the Workshop Coordinator for D&HHS, a position she has held since 2016. Her role provides important resources for what working interpreters want and need to maintain their certifications in the state of Michigan and for their continued learning in the field. She coordinates workshops for interpreters, Deaf community members and students on a regular basis, covering topics that fall under the main categories of interpreting and locates presenters for these workshops, finds locations to hold the presentations, applies for CEU sponsorship and approval and more. She says she loves having the opportunity to work closely with people to find out what they want and need to improve their profession and their community. A Michigan native, Jen is an educational interpreter and runs the D&HHS Facebook page. In her free time loves to bake, loves the beach, camps and fishes, and enjoys cards, books and jigsaw puzzles.

Linda Bylsma is the Volunteer Coordinator at Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services, a critical function she has filled since 2016. She not only trains volunteers for various assignments, but she also maintains current paperwork on volunteer activities and keeps busy with numerous projects inside and outside the office. She says she loves “using my energy in a great place, with a great staff, to do work for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in our community.” Her youngest daughter is deaf and was adopted at the age of three with her hearing difficulties not known to Linda and her husband. “We sure learned a lot,” recalls Linda now of the journey their family had, adding that her daughter is now 29 and has a wonderful Deaf community surrounding her in Flint, Michigan. A northern New Jersey native, Linda likes to babysit her grandsons, read and do word puzzles in her spare time. As a retired nurse who mainly worked in surgery, she notes that she loved that life but really loves her current season of life too.

Phil de Haan is a Communications Consultant for D&HHS and began in that role in the fall of 2019. Owner of de Haan Communications, Phil helps D&HHS with storytelling on the website and with general communications strategy and tactics, working closely with executive director Deb Atwood, with marketing coordinator Erica Chapin, with Facebook admin Jen Kolhoff and with many other members of the D&HHS team. A native of Exeter, Ontario, Phil enjoys hockey and pickleball in his free time and loves working with his nonprofit clients and telling their amazing stories.