Our Team
HearAid Foundation is an all-volunteer organization driven by passionate professionals who willingly give of their time, expertise, and connections with the goal of changing peoples’ lives. Its board members work toward a vision of building a global community of service providers who can identify and serve people in their communities with HearAid-provided hearing aids and services.
They embody the heart and soul of HearAid and the community it serves.
Executives
Tanya Penn, COO
Tanya has had a life-long interest in matters related to hearing and hearing loss. She earned a Masters Degree in Audiology and helped develop the Family Centered Care Initiative at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital prior to moving to California in 2004.
Tanya established the HearAid Foundation with her brother, Jack Shohet, MD in 2010 and currently serves as its President.
Adriana Lynch, CEO
Adriana founded Pozzani & Associates in 2003 and serves as the President and CEO. With 20 years of experience in Strategy and Brand Management, Adriana has held management positions with The Walt Disney Co., Häagen-Dazs, Pillsbury International, Procter & Gamble (P&G), and Citibank. After being classically trained in Brand Management at P&G Brazil – where she managed Pampers and Always – Adriana came to the USA and earned her MBA from Harvard, graduating in 1996 with Second Year Honors. Her International experience has taken her throughout Asia, Russia, Middle East, Greece, Israel, and Latin America.
Adriana also brought her experience and expertise to Health Care, recently leading the Marketing and Corporate Communications team for St Joseph Health System, a $4 billion non-profit health care organization with Hospitals in Northern and Southern California, Texas and New Mexico. Her vision has led to the development of a pioneer study on Consumer choices in health care, including behavioral segmentation.
Her passionate support for HearAid Foundation comes from her first hand experience of seeing the devastation from hearing loss and the amazing recovery made possible by proper hearing aids.
The Board of Directors
Jack Shohet
Jack is a neurotologist and otologist specializing in ear and skull base surgery. In addition to his private practice, Jack is engaged in medical research and teaches at the University of California, Irvine, where he is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery. He also serves as medical editor of Emedicine Online Textbook and has authored numerous papers related to his field. He is a member of numerous professional organizations and lectures frequently to professional and community groups throughout Southern California. He currently serves as Chairman of the Otolarynogology Department at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach.
Jack received his bachelor’s and medical degree from the University of Cincinnati and completed his internship and residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Cheryl Tanita
Cheryl has a diverse background and experience in many different aspects of Audiology. Most recently, she earned her Doctor of Audiology degree from the University of Florida. She also received a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Arizona State University and master’s degree in Audiology from Syracuse University. Prior to graduation, she completed her externship at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, where she put her education to work by evaluating hearing disorders, and providing rehabilitative services such as hearing aid dispensing, cochlear implant and aural rehabilitation. After graduation, she moved to Chicago and joined Illinois Masonic Medical Center, a full diagnostic and trauma center in the heart of Chicago. Certified in Audiology, Cheryl set up Illinois’ first early intervention and detection program for hearing loss in infants.
After seven years with Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Cheryl shifted her focus. She joined Siemens Corporation, where she was actively involved in research and development that included both international and domestic relations. She was also a National Account Representative for the continental United States, Alaska, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Sonny Hong
Sonny is the President of Sonnyside Up!, a branding and marketing firm specializing in brand strategy for healthcare, government services, and consumer packaged goods. He has served numerous Fortune 500 companies such as Del Monte, ConAgra, Williams-Sonoma, Mars, and Jaguar USA. Most recently, he has been helping large institutions such as John Wayne Airport, California Association of Orthodontics, and Stanford University make meaningful connection with their audience. As a hearing advocate, he has witnessed the discrepancy between the hearing aid needs of the community versus the lack of affordable resources available to fill those needs. Sonny oversees all branding and marketing efforts of HearAid. He received his bachelor of arts in Economics at University of California, Berkeley and Master of Architecture at Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc).
Joni Doherty
Joni is Board Certified in both Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Neurotology. She is experienced in the evaluation and treatment of outer, middle, and inner-ear problems, including exostosis (surfer’s ear), ear infections, cholesteatoma, hearing disorders, Meniere’s disease, otosclerosis, and acoustic neuromas. Prior to joining Shohet Ear Associates, Dr. Doherty served as an Otolaryngology faculty member and Neurotology Fellowship Director at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) since completing her neurotology fellowship training at the House Clinic in 2006.
Dr. Doherty received her medical degree (M.D.) as well as a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in Molecular Cell Biology from Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) in Portland, OR in 1999. She completed her internship and Otolaryngology Residency at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and her Neurotology Fellowship at the House Clinic in Los Angeles.
Ayca Gokcen Miller
Ayca is an entrepreneur, with a professional background in client services. After moving to Southern California from Chicago, Ayca learned about the HearAid Foundation through a newsletter. Due to her own personal experience with hearing loss, she instantly knew that she wanted to be a part of the Foundation.Ayca was diagnosed with a moderately severe loss in both ears when she was only three years old. Upon returning home with her first pair of hearing aids, she heard birds singing for the very first time. Ayca aids in event planning, fundraising, and marketing for the HearAid Foundation, and attends fittings as often as possible. One of Ayca‘s greatest joys is seeing our recipients receive their hearing aids, and hearing their equivalent of her first birdsong.