Message from the President
Taking on the role of President of the Canadian Academy of Audiology is both an honour and a privilege. As I look to the year ahead, I’m reminded of the variety of career paths within audiology, and the important role CAA plays in supporting us as professionals.
Regardless of your area of practice (clinical, educational, research, industrial, hearing aids, cochlear, pediatrics etc…), CAA is here to support you. A question I am frequently asked is, “Why should I become a member of CAA… what is in it for me?” Some of our membership benefits that may already be familiar to you, include discounted registration rates for our annual conference (see you at next year’s conference in Moncton, October 14-17, 2026), and our career postings on our website for business owners and job seekers. However, other membership benefits may be less familiar to you. For example, anyone seeking to share evidence-based information with primary care practitioners will appreciate our CAA Fast Facts (found on the CAA website under marketing resources). These are short documents created for primary practitioners on a variety of audiological topics ranging from vestibular migraines to hearing health and cognition (new documents are added regularly). Researchers can benefit from our clinical research grants, as well as participation in our annual conference (speaker, poster, or podium). For those looking to stay up to date, we have CanadianAudiologist.ca, the CAA online journal, as well as our live or archived webinars, which offer a variety of engaging learning opportunities.
As for myself, I’ve spent most of my career with Sonova, where I get to work in the specialty I’m most passionate about, hearing aids. Throughout my career, I have benefited from my CAA membership by referencing the position papers, scope and guidelines, and by attending the annual conference. However, the greatest benefit I’ve gained from CAA has been the connections and insights that come from being actively involved. The reason being that, over time, I fell into the trap of working in a silo, unaware of what was going on outside my area of expertise. This changed when I joined the CAA board. Through my interactions with fellow board members, I gained valuable insight into trending topics across the country, as well as areas I had little exposure to, such as vestibular practice and our Canadian Audiology university programs. Being part of the Conference Speaker Selection Committee also kept me closely connected to the latest research and leading discussions in the field.
Keep in mind that you don’t need to be a CAA board member or serve on a committee to give back to our profession. There are many meaningful and rewarding ways to get involved with CAA that require little of your time. The first step is becoming a member. No matter where your career in audiology takes you, the Canadian Academy of Audiology is here to support, guide, and empower you. Together, we can continue to grow and make a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve. Marshall Chasin captured it best in his Message from the Editor-in-Chief in the last issue of Canadian Audiologist: “The Canadian Academy of Audiology allows us to be part of something larger.”